Instructional Timeline – English III
Unit 3: Critical Analysis
Suggested Time Frame: ≈ 5 weeks (11-12 blocks)
Introduction
The Instructional Timeline is provided for teachers to assist with the organization of the
nine/six weeks of TEKS/SE into shorter periods of time. In terms of pacing
considerations, this timeline includes zero week(s) for teachers to extend the instructional
period. This timeline does not include the four days of final exams.
The Instructional Timeline is provided for teachers to assist with the organization of the
six weeks of TEKS/SE into shorter periods of time. Teachers must formatively assess
student understanding of vertically-aligned objectives and vocabulary for previous grade
levels and current grade levels at the beginning and end of the unit as well as throughout
the unit. In terms of pacing considerations, this timeline includes 14 blocks total for
instruction and 1 block to extend instruction and/or to reteach as necessary. Teachers
are responsible for making instructional decisions based on formative assessment data
by extending instruction and/or reteaching concepts for mastery within this time frame.
Description
*Each unit should be
approached with
multiple genres to
encourage
examination of the
theme of “The
American Dream.”
In this unit, students will read and analyze various fictional texts—a novel, excerpts from
novels, and short stories—of various literary periods, including works from the Modernist
Period. Students will study works and authors from the literary movement of Modernism
in order to better understand the history and culture of a nation that has undergone
dramatic social, economic, and cultural change in its relatively short history. As part of
their analysis, students will identify textual themes, locate evidence in the works to
support interpretations, and evaluate the strategies authors use to convey meaning and
achieve purpose. Ideas presented in the texts will serve as springboard topics for
evaluating the American Dream.
Additionally, students will review the methods of interpreting and analyzing visual text as
they examine selected radio/TV commercials, infomercials, public service
announcements (PSAs), print ads/posters, graphs, and charts which are conceptuallyrelated to the whole-class fiction pieces. This examination includes discerning the unique
characteristics of print & visual media, the values they represent, and their relevance to
the study of the American Dream.
TEKS/SE taught
during this period
and eligible for
testing on district
assessments
Bold and
underlined
TEKS/SE are high
stakes for our
district (less than
___% mastery on
TAKS)
Bold TEKS/SE are
assessed on TAKS
ONGOING: The TEKS are recursive in nature and many of the standards are revisited
throughout the school year. The following TEKS should be embedded and addressed in
each unit of study: Figure 19A & B, 1A, 1B, 1D, 1E, 13A-E, 17A-C, 18A, 18 B, 19, 21C,
24, 23E, 24A, 24B, and 26.
It is the expectation that the TEKS, KSSs, and SEs will continue be reviewed as
appropriate so that students master their grade level TEKS, KSSs, and SEs.
Reading/Vocabulary
Figure 19: Reading/Comprehension Skills. Students use a flexible range of
metacognitive reading skills in both assigned and independent reading to understand an
author’s message. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in
increasingly more complex texts as they become self-directed, critical readers. The
student is expected to: -BMK
(A) reflect on understanding to monitor comprehension (e.g., asking questions,
summarizing and synthesizing, making connections, creating sensory images); BMK
(B) make complex inferences (e.g., inductive and deductive) about text and use
textual evidence to support understanding. -BMK
(1) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use
it when reading and writing. Students are expected to: -BMK
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Unit 3: Critical Analysis
(A) determine the meaning of grade-level technical academic English words in
multiple content areas (e.g., science, mathematics, social studies, the arts)
derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;
(B) analyze textual context to infer word meanings
(C) infer word meanings through the identification and analysis of word
relationships-BMK
(D) recognize and use knowledge of cognates in different languages and of
word origins to determine the meaning of words; and
(E) use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauri, glossaries, histories of
language, books of quotations, and other related references (printed or
electronic) as needed.
(2) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze,
make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural,
historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their
understanding. Students are expected to: -BMK
(A) analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a
view or comment on the human condition; -BMK
(B) relate the characters and text structures of mythic, traditional, and classical
literature to 20th and 21st century American novels, plays, or films; and
(C) relate the main ideas found in a literary work to primary source documents
from its historical and cultural setting.
(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make
inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide
evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to: -BMK
(A) evaluate how different literary elements (e.g., figurative language, point of
view) shape the author's portrayal of the plot and setting in works of fiction; BMK
(B) analyze the internal and external development of characters through a range
of literary devices; -BMK
(C) analyze impact made by shifting the point of view from one character to
another; and
(D) demonstrate familiarity with works by authors of American fiction from each
major literary period.
(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students
understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory
language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their
understanding. Students are expected to analyze the meaning of classical, mythological,
and biblical allusions in words, phrases, passages, and literary works.
(8) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students
analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural,
historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their
understanding. Students are expected to analyze how the style, tone, and diction of a
text advance the author's purpose and perspective or stance. -BMK
(9) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students
analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide
evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
(A) summarize a text in a manner that captures the author's viewpoint, its main
ideas, and its elements without taking a position or expressing an opinion;
(D) synthesize ideas and make logical connections (e.g., thematic links, author
analyses) between and among multiple texts representing similar or different
genres and technical sources and support those findings with textual evidence.
(11) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students
understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents.
Students are expected to:
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Unit 3: Critical Analysis
(B) translate (text to graphic or graphic to text) information presented in maps,
charts, illustrations, graphs, timelines, tables, and diagrams.
(12) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how
words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning.
Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more
complex texts. Students are expected to: -BMK
(A) evaluate how messages presented in media reflect social and cultural
views in ways different from traditional texts; -BMK
(B) evaluate the interactions of different techniques (e.g., layout, pictures,
typeface in print media, images, text, sound in electronic journalism) used in
multi-layered media; -BMK
(C) evaluate the objectivity of coverage of the same event in various types of
media; and
(D) evaluate changes in formality and tone across various media for different
audiences and purposes.
Writing and /Oral Written Conventions
(13) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning,
drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:
(A) plan a first draft by selecting correct genre for the intended meaning/purpose
and audience, determining appropriate topic, and developing a thesis;
(B) structure ideas in a sustained and persuasive way and develop drafts in timed
and open-ended situations that include transitions and the rhetorical devices used
to convey meaning; -BMK
(C) revise drafts to clarify meaning and achieve specific rhetorical purposes,
consistency of tone, and logical organization by rearranging the words, sentences,
and paragraphs to employ tropes (e.g., metaphors, similes, analogies, hyperbole,
understatement, rhetorical questions, irony), schemes (e.g., parallelism, antithesis,
inverted word order, repetition, reversed structures), and by adding transitional
words and phrases; and-BMK
(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling. -BMK
(15) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and
procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific
audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:
(C) write an interpretation of an expository or a literary text that:
(i) advances a clear thesis statement;
(ii) addresses the writing skills for an analytical essay, including
references to and commentary on quotations from the text;
(iv) identifies and analyzes the ambiguities, nuances, and complexities
within the text; and
(v) anticipates and responds to readers' questions or contradictory
information
(17) Oral and Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of
and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing. Students will
continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:
(A) use and understand the function of different types of clauses and phrases
(e.g., adjectival, noun, adverbial clauses and phrases)
(B) uses a variety of correctly structured sentences
(18) Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation.
Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in
their compositions. Students are expected to correctly and consistently use conventions
of punctuation and capitalization. -BMK
(19) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are
expected to spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check
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Unit 3: Critical Analysis
correct spellings.
Listening/Speaking/Teamwork
(24) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students will use comprehension skills to
listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students will continue to apply
earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:
(A) listen responsively to a speaker by framing inquiries that reflect an
understanding of the content and by identifying the positions taken and the
evidence in support of those positions
(B) evaluate the clarity and coherence of a speaker’s message and critique the
impact of the speaker’s diction and syntax on audience
(26) participate productively in teams, offering purposeful ideas or judgments, asking
relevant and insightful questions, tolerating a range of positions and ambiguity in
decision-making, and appropriately evaluating the work of the group
Generalizations
For Global/Thematic
Teachers—ideally, with their course-level team members—will need to create additional
generalizations for significant thematic concepts in this unit’s reading selections. Here are
a few connected to Modernism and to media analysis with which to begin.
1. Modernists favored radical social and artistic change in the name of progress;
this included openly challenging the validity of tradition and accepted social
authorities (government, the existence of God, science & reason) and reliance on
traditional art forms.
2. The Modernist movement gained momentum after World War I because the
death and devastation caused by the war led many individuals, in both Europe
and America, to lose faith in the axioms, or beliefs, of 19th century society.
3. A recursive relationship exists between the American society’s media and its
citizens’ perception of their society and the world in which they live.
Again tapping into the first semester guiding question, teachers might ask students to
revisit their definitions of the American Dream (discussed in the first 4 weeks of the
semester) and compare them to definitions of the American Dream they would ascribe to
the authors they’ve encountered in class over the course of the semester. Additionally,
the class could discuss students’ proposed revisions to their definitions.
For Writer’s Craft
1. Effective readers rely on a range of metacognitive skills in order to understand an
author’s message. (First introduced in English III, IT 1)
2. A writer’s purpose influences her selected form, diction, selected details,
inclusion of significant literary devices, organization, and syntax. (ongoing)
3. A writer of fiction uses point of view, archetypes, character development, setting,
allusion, foreshadowing, and symbolism as tools to convey his meaning in a work
to his readers.
4. Because the thesis statement clarifies the writer’s purpose for writing and
establishes readers’ purpose for reading, a clear, coherent thesis statement
contributes to the effectiveness of an academic essay or essay for a formal
audience. (First introduced in English III, IT 2)
5. A writer gains credibility with her audience, and therefore improves the
probability of persuading her audience, when incorporating citations and direct
quotations in an essay because open acknowledgment of her own limitations and
effort made to gather direct evidence from the source or reliable information from
experts presents the writer as an honest and respectful individual.
Essential
Questions
1st Semester Guiding Question
 What are the origins of the American Dream, and how does an individual discern
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Unit 3: Critical Analysis
his own American Dream?
Essential Questions
 For students’ understanding and study of literary periods:
o How do Modernist authors manipulate language to advance the theme of a
literary work?
o How are Modernist writers affected by the social, political, and philosophical
ideas of the early 20th century?
o How do the writers of the Modern Period convey their unique perceptions of
the American Dream?
o How can reading works of literature from this period contribute to our
understanding of our diverse nation?
o How has the American Dream evolved among cultures and throughout our
history? (ongoing)
o What themes found in the writings from this period have their roots in earlier
periods and/or planted seeds for themes found in the writings of today?
 What factors encourage or hinder an individual’s pursuit of the dream?
 What reading strategies help us effectively derive meaning from works of fiction
prose?
 How does an author’s purpose influence form? How does form/genre affect
meaning?
 What elements and techniques do writers employ to impart meaning? *Pay
particular attention to point of view (especially where shifts are involved),
archetypes, and allusions.
 How do writers of fiction enhance meaning through development of characters,
setting, foreshadowing, and symbols?
 How does an author’s word choice advance the theme or purpose in a work?
 How does the way a writer presents information affect the interpretation and
acceptance of a writer’s ideas?
 How do readers’/viewers’ life experiences affect the ability to construct meaning
from text?
 How has the development of electronic media impacted the lives and habits of
Americans?
 What techniques do advertisers use to reach and influence audiences?
 How does a clear, distinctive, and coherent thesis or perspective help contribute
to the effectiveness of an academic essay, or an essay for a formal audience?
 How does the use of citations, especially direct quotations, add credibility to and
enhance the effectiveness of an essay for a formal audience?
Core Components
Specificity
Additional notes may be added here later regarding the specificity of the TEKS.
Teaching Notes
Because of the revolutionary and reactionary nature of the Modernist movement, care
must be taken to acquaint students with representative examples of Realism and/or
Naturalism prior to investigating modernism. Bear in mind that Realism and Naturalism
will be covered in further detail in the next unit, so students need only to be provided with
enough context to appreciate the perceived radicalism of the Modernists’ work.
Teachers are not required to incorporate whole-class reading of a novel in this unit;
literature circles may be deployed instead, for example, to account for differentiated
learning.
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Unit 3: Critical Analysis
Pacing Considerations
Because of students’ need to establish some historical context for the appreciation of the
shift in thinking represented by Modernism, be careful about how you pace the reading of
a selected novel. Time must be allotted for reading representative examples of Realism
and/or Naturalism and for allowing students to process and contextualize the differing
aspects of these approaches through specific and engaging class activities. For this
reason, a reasonable portion of students’ reading of a novel should occur outside of
class, thus enabling more class time to be used for students to write and think about their
reading in a structured fashion through the workshop approach.
Vocabulary
TEA Glossary – English / Spanish
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Curricular
Connections
(within, between,
and among
disciplines)
A-M
Allusion (historical, mythological, & biblical)
Analysis / Analyze
Archetype
Characterization, methods of
Detail—concrete v. sensory
Evidence
o Citations / Embedded quotations
Genre, Audience, & Purpose
Imagery and figurative language
Irony
MLA format
Metaphor
Modernism
Mood
Motif
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N-Z
Objectivity v. subjectivity
Parenthetical documentation
Plot structure
Point of View
Setting
6+1 Traits vocabulary (see
English III, IT 1)
Symbol
Synthesis / Synthesize
Thematic concept v. theme
statement
Thesis
Tone
Writing process vocabulary
(see English III, IT 1)
ELAR/TEKS Vertical Alignment K-12
Science and Math: Explanation of scientific discoveries that led to the Modernists’ break
with tradition, especially in the latter half of the 19th and the early 20th centuries, will help
students understand the intellectual milieu that influenced Modernist writers.
Social Studies: The historical, social, and political climate of the late 19th and early 20th
centuries greatly influenced the Modernist perspective, including the burgeoning
womens’ movement, World War I, and the expansion of American power and influence.
Required Lessons
Metacognitive reading strategies will be incorporated into the teaching of selected texts.
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Unit 3: Critical Analysis
Recommended
Lessons and
Learning
Experiences
Suggested Lessons and Resources from the Textbook
 Short answer responses (focused on the literary and the literary/expository
crossover)
 Annotations
Ideas for class activities
 Jigsaw discussion
 Readers’ Theater
 Role playing
 Stage trial of a character
 Graphic Organizers
 Message boards/Blogs about the whole-class text(s)
 Setting Maps or Body Maps
 Create wall mural of student-created art (responding to thematic concepts
present in the literature from the semester)
Differentiation:
See textbook for ideas to differentiate for struggling readers.
English Language Proficiency Standards Student Expectations with Sentence
Stems and Activities to support implementation of the Standards (Note: when you
open the link, it may ask you for a certificate or if it is OK to open the file, click OK each
time you see the screens.)
Literature circles may be used for targeted differentiation. By narrowing or pre-selecting
the pool of books you make available for particular groups, you can effectively address
specific student needs.
Instructional
Resources
Textbook
Fiction, Excerpts from Novels:
 Chopin, Kate – from The Awakening (elements of Realism and Naturalism) p.
511
 Crane, Stephen – from The Red Badge of Courage (American Naturalism) p. 513
 Hemingway, Ernest – from The Sun Also Rises (Modernism) p. 675
Short Stories
 Chekhov, Anton – “The Darling” (Realism) p. 577
 Crane, Stephen – “The Open Boat” (Naturalism) p. 600
 Fitzgerald, F. Scott – “In Another Country” (Modernism) p. 764
 Hemingway, Ernest – “Winter Dreams” (Modernism) p. 774
 Wharton, Edith – “April Showers” (Realism) p. 558
Nonfiction / Resources
 Media Workshop: Analyze Media Messages p. 491
 Media Workshop: Evaluate Media Techniques pp. 486-490
 Information on Modernism: 1910 to 1930s pp. 670-678
Internet Resources (Hyperlinked)
 American Art Interactive Timeline
 Reader’s Theater
 Story map
 TAKS open-ended question stems
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Books
 Fitzgerald, F. Scott – The Great Gatsby (Modernism)
 Hemingway, Ernest – A Farewell to Arms (Modernism)
 Other novels that reflect Modernist themes may be selected, in compliance with
the RRISD Secondary Reading List
Professional References
 Blau, Sheridan – The Literature Workshop
 Campbell, Kimberly Hill – Less is More: Teaching Literature With Short Texts
Grades 6-12
 Daniels, Harvey – Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-centered
Classroom
 Daniels, Harvey & Steineke, Nancy – Mini-lessons for Literature Circles
 Foster, Thomas C. – How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and
Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
 Ghallagher, Kelly – Deeper Reading
 Jago, Carol – With Rigor for All
 Tovani, Chris – I Read It, But I Don’t Get It
These above resource books offer suggestions for the teacher practitioner to help them
provide opportunities for their learners.
Assessment
Resources
Non-Negotiable Assessments/Work Products
 An interpretative response to literary texts that includes a thesis statement, analysis
supported with textual evidence, and synthesis of multiple texts.
Here is an example (used as a final exam essay question):
Please respond to the following essay task using two texts read & analyzed during this
fall semester and one additional source (such as a supplemental essay, an in-class
reading/discussion activity or writer’s notebook entry, or something from your selfselected reading). What is the “American Dream?” Can it be attained? *Your thesis
will assert your definition and convey your opinion of the concept’s viability or
attainability. For an assertion to be considered valid, it must present a definition that
holds truth in the universal sense, not just for a single individual. Excellent responses will
comment on the facets or nature of the concept of the American Dream, and will be
supported by evidence from this semester’s reading and learning. Support and develop
points in your essay with specific and accurate references to textual events and clear,
concise explanations of how those references illustrate your assertion.
[NOTE to teachers: Consider giving students a purpose for reading and the means
to guide their thinking for the semester by introducing a semester exam question
like the example above far in advance of the exam. Support students further by
bringing elements of the question into class discussions throughout the
semester.]
Suggested Assessments/Work Products
 Students create print media using different techniques (e.g., layout, pictures,
typeface, text, etc.) to convey a clear message for a specific audience.
 Open-ended responses for literary piece, nonfiction piece, and crossover
questions.
 Design a book cover for the novel including a cover illustration representing the
major theme, brief synopsis of the work, author background, critical reviews, and
spine design.
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
Write a creative conversation between two characters from different Modernist
works discussing the concept of the American Dream.
Ongoing Assessments and Best Practices
 Reader Response journals—Suggestions: write a brief opposing argument in
response to a self-selected editorial (include the selected editorial on the
preceding journal page); excerpt a passage from a piece of Transcendentalist
literature and respond with your interpretation of its meaning and opinion of its
validity; collect information about an issue or cause in which you are interested
(esp. one that might be the basis of your “call to action” assignment), including
names and contact info for any local or state organizations you could consult in
order to get involved.
 Writer’s Notebook entries—Suggestions: take a ‘field trip’ and write outside;
practice developing short arguments with inductive and deductive reasoning;
change a studied passage from one genre to another.
 Writing workshop is a standard classroom practice and should be established
within the first week of school. Mini-lessons on the craft and skill of writing are
designed around relevance to the current unit as well as students’ needs.
Writers’ notebooks are introduced and set up in the first unit to use in the
classroom as an essential spring board for the pieces that will later be crafted in
writer’s workshop. In the writer’s notebook, the students brainstorm topics, reflect
on and experiment with author’s craft, and tweak their revision and editing skills.
 Data folders and/or use of portfolios.
 Writing and reading workshops with mini-lessons designed around students’
needs
 Conferencing and informal assessment of notebooks during Reader’s and
Writer’s Workshop
 Cooperative Learning Activities like Think-Pair-Share
 Annotate text to improve comprehension
 Literary responses and/or dialectal journal
 Sustained Silent Reading (S.S.R) or Free Voluntary Reading(FVR) approximately 45+ minutes a week
 Vocabulary activities that utilize movement, games and manipulatives.
 Teachers use a “status of the class” chart to keep track of student progress and
to determine when teacher conferencing is needed.
 Think Alouds to model metacognitive strategies
 Cooperative Learning
 Teach grammar through the context of student reading and writing.
Tools
TAKS Reading Rubric for Short Answer Items
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