1
BHS Grade 10 American Literature
Implemented 9.1.13, Revised 1.7.14
Quarter 1: Pre-Colonial-1800
Unit 1: Pre-colonial and Native American
Instructional Days:
15
Essential question(s):
What are America’s foundations?
 What role has Pre-colonial America played in the foundations of our country?
 What are the roots of American Literature?
 How do Americans perceive our country’s origin?
Unit Summary:
Students will read selected pieces of Native American literature and historical accounts from
European settlers to explore and compare the cultural origins of America in an attempt to
answer the essential questions. Modern accounts of American cultural experiences will also
be analyzed to reflect how the perspective and voice of groups of Americans have changed
through their literature. Students will use their experience with Native American origin
myths to create an original narrative of their own.
Standards addressed (focus standards) – use numbers to identify
RL9-10.1-5
RL9-10.7
RL9-10.10
W9-10.3-5
Student objectives/skills (what will students be able to do at the end of the unit?):
 Identify and analyze cultural values with an emphasis on Native American origin myths
 Develop a narrative that reflects effective technique (dialogue, sequence, word choice)
 Participate informal discussions to further comprehension
 Research modern Native American struggles within today’s society
Learning progressions:
Before unit
During unit
After unit
Academic vocabulary (Tier two):
Myth, Pre-colonial, reservations
Domain specific vocabulary (Tier three):
Origin myth, oral tradition
Texts – literary, literary non-fiction, informational, film or other non-written texts:
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
2
Anchor texts:
The Iroquois Constitution
Native American origin myth of choice
Supplemental:
The Earth on Turtle’s Back—Onondaga
When Grizzlies Walked Upright—Modoc
Navajo Origin Legend—Navajo
Origin of Death—Blackfeet
“A Plea to those who Matter” —Diane Burns
“Can I ask you a personal question?” —James Welch
“The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn’t Flash Red Anymore” —Sherman
Alexie
“I Hated Tonto, Still Do” —Sherman Alexie
“Museum Indians” —Susan Power
“Pocahontas Myth” Chief Roy Crazy Horse
“The General History of Virginia”—John Smith
“Journal of the First Voyage to America”—Christopher Columbus
“The Walum Olum”
“Blue Winds Dancing” by Thomas Whitecloud
“Little Boxes” by Pete Seeger
“American Idiot” by Green Day
“God Bless America”
“This Land is Your Land”
“Coming to America” by Neil Diamond
“Dear Mr. President” by Pink
“21st Century Breakdown” by Green Day
“Pocahontas” by Neil Young
“Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman
“Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen
“Dust Bowl Dance” by Mumford & Sons
Text Access Points:
1. eNotes.com
2. Gutenberg Files
3. Library of Congress
4. Literature Resource Center
5. youtube.com
6. http://www.readwritethink.org/
7. www.courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
8. Ted.com
9. Poetryfoundation.org
10. Poets.org
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
3
Learning Plan:
1. Core shifts
Compare/Contrast
Song lyrics
Venn Diagrams
Photographic Images/graphics
Reading for Meaning
Guided reading chart
Guided reading questions
Note-taking guides
Active reading
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
Reflective response
KWL
Turn and talk
MIAGI
Annotative Reading
Vocabulary CODE
Fist lists
power decoding
concept maps
use it or lose
metaphor and similes
3-way tie
use it or lose it
3’s a crowd
Write to Learn
Pre-writing activities
Journal writing
Warm-up writing
Focus Correction Area Writing
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
Reflective response
Exit tickets
Circle of Knowledge
Socratic seminars
Group Discussions
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
4
Group projects/presentations
Shared inquiry questions
X2 Discussion forums
Webinar
Parking lots
Chalk talk
Inductive Learning
Socratic seminars
Research Assignments
Focus Correction Area Writing
Vocabulary Strategies
Webquests
2. Common misperceptions:
 Students may not value myths as literature.
 Students may not understand the biases of first-hand accounts.
 Students may not realize the role culture plays in the development of literature.
Suggested interim assessments (benchmarks)
Internal
End of Unit Common Task: origin myth (narrative)
Internal
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
5
Quarter 1: Pre-Colonial-1800
Unit 2: Puritanism
Instructional Days: 20
Essential question(s):
How are power and responsibility shared in America?
 Who holds power in this country, and how was it acquired?
 What responsibilities come with power?
 What challenges come with having/not having power?
Unit Summary:
After examining the origins of America and its inhabitants, the course will shift to the groups
that began to emerge within the European settlers. For this, the course will focus primarily
on the Puritans and their impact on the burgeoning American society. The social, cultural and
political climate of the Puritan era will be studied with a close reading and study of Arthur
Miller’s The Crucible. Since this is a work from the 1950s, students will also be able to connect
the Puritan era with a modern political and social perspective, emphasizing the Red Scare and
McCarthyism. The unit culminates with an argumentative based on the events and meaning
of the play.
Standards addressed (focus standards) – use numbers to identify
RL9-10.1-7
RL9-10.9-10
RI9-10.1-6
RI9-10.8-9
W9-10.1
W9-10.3
W9-10.4-6
W9-10.9
W9-10.10
SL9-10.3
Student objectives/skills (what will students be able to do at the end of the unit?):
 Demonstrate understanding of the cultural, social and political implications of Puritan
American.
 Analyze the methodology of using an historical period as a reference for a modern
event.
 Analyze the use of characterization, specific to the drama genre.
 Demonstrate understanding of definitions and context of difficult vocabulary words.
 Research relevant historical information concerning communism, McCarthyism, etc.
 Select relevant textual evidence to support an argumentative claim.
 Integrate specific textual evidence into an argumentative essay.
 Structure and deliver an effective argumentative essay.
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
6

Properly format essay based on MLA standards.
Learning progressions:
Before unit
During unit
After unit
Academic vocabulary (Tier two):
Red Scare, Communism, Puritanism, McCarthyism, tragic hero
Domain specific vocabulary (Tier three):
Drama terms, Stage directions, overture, staging
Texts – literary, literary non-fiction, informational, film or other non-written texts:
Anchor texts:
The Crucible—Arthur Miller
Supplemental:
“Huswifery” —Edward Taylor
“My Dear and Loving Husband” —Anne Bradstreet
The Crucible film adaptation
Text Access Points:
1. eNotes.com
2. Gutenberg Files
3. youtube.com
4. http://www.readwritethink.org/
5. www.courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
6. Ted.com
7. Poetryfoundation.org
8. Poets.org
Learning Plan:
1. Core shifts
Compare/Contrast
Venn Diagrams
Reading for Meaning
Guided reading chart
Guided reading questions
Note-taking guides
Active reading
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
Reflective response
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
7
KWL
Turn and talk
Annotative Reading
Vocabulary CODE
Fist lists
power decoding
concept maps
use it or lose
metaphor and similes
3-way tie
use it or lose it
3’s a crowd
The Crucible vocabulary lists
Write to Learn
Pre-writing activities
Journal writing
Warm-up writing
Focus Correction Area Writing
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
Reflective response
Exit tickets
Circle of Knowledge
Group Discussions
Shared inquiry questions
X2 Discussion forums
Parking lots
Chalk talk
Inductive Learning
Socratic seminars
Group Research Assignments
Focus Correction Area Writing
Vocabulary Strategies
2. Common misperceptions:
 Students may overlook the potential pitfalls of a powerful position.
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
8
Suggested interim assessments (benchmarks)
Internal
End of Unit Common Task:
Internal
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
9
Quarter 1: Pre-Colonial-1800
Unit 3: Enlightenment
Instructional Days: 10
Essential question(s):
What are the challenges of an emerging nation?
 How did the leaders of our developing nation inspire the colonists to unite for
freedom?
 How did individuals use persuasive techniques and strategies in speeches and
documents?
 How does the logic from the Enlightenment period impact modern Americans?
Unit Summary:
Students will read historical documents and speeches from the period of the Enlightenment
with a focus on rhetorical strategies and persuasive techniques. Students will deliver an
argumentative speech incorporating rhetorical strategies and persuasive techniques as a way
to persuade their audience about a topic of their choice.
Standards addressed (focus standards) – use numbers to identify
RL9-10.1-7
RL9-10.9-10
RI9-10.1-6
RI9-10.8-9
SL9-10.2-4
SL9-10.6
Student objectives/skills (what will students be able to do at the end of the unit?):
 Identify aspects of the Enlightenment.
 Analyze the use of persuasive techniques and rhetorical strategies in historical
documents/speeches.
 Demonstrate understanding of persuasive techniques and rhetorical strategies.
 Research relevant information for individual persuasive speeches.
 Integrate specific textual evidence into an argumentative speech.
 Structure and deliver an effective argumentative speech.
Learning progressions:
Before unit
During unit
After unit
Academic vocabulary (Tier two):
Enlightenment
Domain specific vocabulary (Tier three):
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
10
Logical appeals, emotional appeals, ethical appeals, parallel structure, allusion, antithesis,
figurative analogy, repetition, restatement, hyperbole, anecdote
Texts – literary, literary non-fiction, informational, film or other non-written texts:
Anchor texts:
“Speech to the Virginia Convention” –Patrick Henry
Supplemental:
“Declaration of Independence” –Thomas Jefferson
“The Crisis, Number 1”—Thomas Payne
“Speech in the Convention” –Benjamin Franklin
“I Have a Dream” –Martin Luther King Jr.
“The Inaugural Address” –John F. Kennedy
“Letters from an American Farmer”—Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur
Summary of Aristotle’s Appeals—Aristotle
“A More Perfect Union”—Barack Obama
“Speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention”—Michelle Obama
Text Access Points:
1. eNotes.com
2. Gutenberg Files
3. Library of Congress
4. youtube.com
5. http://www.readwritethink.org/
6. www.courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
7. Americanrhetoric.com
8. Ted.com
Learning Plan:
1. Core shifts
Compare/Contrast
Audio Speeches
Video Speeches
Venn Diagrams
Reading for Meaning
Guided reading chart
Note-taking guides
Active reading
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
Reflective response
Vocabulary CODE
Fist lists
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
11
power decoding
concept maps
use it or lose
metaphor and similes
3-way tie
use it or lose it
3’s a crowd
Write to Learn
Pre-writing activities
Warm-up writing
Focus Correction Area Writing (Analyze, Stance)
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
Reflective response
Exit tickets
Circle of Knowledge
Socratic seminars
Group Discussions
Group projects/presentations
X2 Discussion forums
Webinar
Parking lots
Chalk talk
Inductive Learning
Independent Research for Individual Speech
Focus Correction Area Writing
Vocabulary Strategies
2. Common misperceptions:
 Students may underestimate the power of language.
Suggested interim assessments (benchmarks)
Internal
End of Unit Common Task:
Internal
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
12
Quarter 2: 1800-1865
Unit 4: Romanticism, Transcendentalism, anti-Transcendentalism
Instructional Days: 45
Essential question(s):
How did the shift from reason-based ideals to romantic thought impact American
literature?
 What are the identifying characteristics of the Romantic movement?
 How have Americans taken advantage of the opportunities granted by freedom of
expression?
 What is the impact of freedom of expression on American literature?
Unit Summary:
Students will focus on the transition from the age of reason to the more intuitive Romantic
era. Once the era is introduced, the split between the Transcendentalists and the antiTranscendentalists will be examined in depth. Students will compare the early 19th century
works, and also be able to draw parallels between them and some modern works through
writing an on-demand essay and participating in a Socratic seminar.
Standards addressed (focus standards) – use numbers to identify
RL9-10.1-7
RL9-10.9-10
RI9-10.1-6
RI9-10.9
W9-10.2
W9-10.4-6
W9-10.9
W9-10.10
SL9-10.1-6
Student objectives/skills (what will students be able to do at the end of the unit?):
 Identify aspects of each literary movement of the early 19th century.
 Compare/contrast the literary movements of the 19th century.
 Identify and analyze the various forms of literary expression during this period
(essays/journals, stories, poetry, etc.)
 Demonstrate understanding of definitions and context of difficult vocabulary words.
 Select relevant textual evidence to support a focus statement.
 Integrate specific textual evidence into an informational essay.
 Structure and deliver an effective informational essay within specific time constraints.
 Select relevant textual evidence to support claims during a Socratic seminar.
 Incorporate “accountable talk” to attempt to reach conclusions during Socratic
seminar.
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
13
Learning progressions:
Before unit
During unit
After unit
Academic vocabulary (Tier two):
“accountable talk”
Domain specific vocabulary (Tier three):
Romanticism, Transcendentalism, anti-Transcendentalism
Texts – literary, literary non-fiction, informational, film or other non-written texts:
Anchor texts:
Into the Wild, Krakauer OR In the Heart of the Sea, Phillbrick
Walden, Thoreau
“Nature,” Emerson
“The Minister’s Black Veil,” Hawthorne
Edgar Allan Poe short story
Dickinson and Whitman poems of choice
Supplemental:
“The Minister’s Black Veil”—Nathaniel Hawthorne
Moby Dick—Herman Melville
“The Devil and Tom Walker”—Washington Irving
“Self-Reliance”—Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Civil Disobedience”—Henry David Thoreau
“The Black Cat”—Edgar Allan Poe
“The Marque of the Red Death”—Poe
“The Purloined Letter”—Poe
“The Raven”--Poe
“The Death of an Innocent” –Jon Krakauer
The Simpsons—The Raven Episode
“The Long Black Veil” –The Dave Matthews Band
Text Access Points:
1. eNotes.com
2. Gutenberg Files
3. Library of Congress
4. Novels for Students
3. Literature Resource Center
4. youtube.com (Christopher Walken reading of The Raven)
5. http://www.readwritethink.org/
6. www.courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
7. Ted.com
8. Poetryfoundation.org
9. Poets.org
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
14
Learning Plan:
1. Core shifts
Compare/Contrast
Song lyrics
Audio/Video of Readings
Reading for Meaning
Guided reading chart
Guided reading questions
Note-taking guides
Active reading
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
Reflective response
KWL
Turn and talk
MIAGI
Annotative Reading
Vocabulary CODE
Fist lists
power decoding
concept maps
use it or lose
metaphor and similes
3-way tie
use it or lose it
3’s a crowd
Write to Learn
Pre-writing activities
Journal writing
Warm-up writing
Focus Correction Area Writing
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
Reflective response
Exit tickets
Circle of Knowledge
Socratic seminars
Group Discussions
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
15
Group projects/presentations
Shared inquiry questions
X2 Discussion forums
Parking lots
Chalk talk
Inductive Learning
Socratic seminars
Focus Correction Area Writing
Vocabulary Strategies
2. Common misperceptions:
 Students may assume that Romanticism focuses primarily on the idea of love.
Suggested interim assessments (benchmarks)
Internal
End of Unit Common Task:
Internal
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
16
Quarter 3: 1865-1900
Unit 5: Realism
Instructional Days: 20
Essential question(s):
Why did America make the change from Romanticism to Realism and how did it impact
literature?
 What are the identifying characteristics of Realism?
 What is satire and how does it help to convey an author’s message?
 What is a literary criticism and how can writers use them to analyze literature?
Unit Summary:
Students will focus on the transition from Romanticism to Realism, with emphasis on the
works of Mark Twain. Students will explore not only the significance of the novel in its day,
but also the controversies that have followed since its publication. Students will also analyze
the role of satire in Twain’s works. During this unit, students will be introduced to literary
criticisms and their role in examining a piece of literature. The final piece of this unit will
focus on producing an explanatory essay using both primary and secondary sources.
Standards addressed (focus standards) – use numbers to identify
RL9-10.1-7
RL9-10.9-10
RI9-10.1-6
RI9-10.9
W9-10.2
W9-10.4-6
W9-10.9
W9-10.10
Student objectives/skills (what will students be able to do at the end of the unit?):
 Identify aspects of Realism.
 Identify and analyze Twain’s use of satire.
 Write an original satire.
 Demonstrate understanding of definitions and context of difficult vocabulary words.
 Research literary criticisms about Huck Finn
 Select relevant textual evidence to support a focus statement.
 Integrate specific textual evidence into an informational essay.
 Structure and deliver an effective informational essay incorporating secondary
source(s).
 Properly format essay based on MLA standards.
Learning progressions:
Before unit
During unit
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
After unit
Rev 1.7.14
17
Academic vocabulary (Tier two):
satire
Domain specific vocabulary (Tier three):
Realism,
Texts – literary, literary non-fiction, informational, film or other non-written texts:
Anchor texts:
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn— Mark Twain
Supplemental:
“The Damned Human Race”—Mark Twain
“Introduction to Huckleberry Finn”—Toni Morrison
“Morality and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”—Julius Lester
“Say it Ain’t So, Huck”—Jane Smiley
Text Access Points:
1. eNotes.com
2. Gutenberg Files
3. Novels for Students
4. Literature Resource Center
5. youtube.com (satire videos.)
6. http://www.readwritethink.org/
7. www.courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
8. Ted.com
9. Culture Shock documentary
10. 60 Minutes episode on race (Huck Finn)
11. Gettysburg film
Learning Plan:
1. Core shifts
Research
Webquests
Group research assignments
Photographic Images/graphics
Compare/Contrast
Top Hat
Venn Diagrams
Reading for Meaning
Guided reading chart
Guided reading questions
Note-taking guides
Active reading
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
18
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Reflective response
KWL
Turn and talk
Annotative Reading
Vocabulary CODE
Fist lists
power decoding
concept maps
use it or lose
metaphor and similes
3-way tie
use it or lose it
3’s a crowd
Write to Learn
Pre-writing activities
Journal writing
Warm-up writing
Focus Correction Area Writing
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
Reflective response
Exit tickets
Circle of Knowledge
Socratic seminars
Group Discussions
Group projects/presentations
Shared inquiry questions
X2 Discussion forums
Webinar
Parking lots
Chalk talk
Inductive Learning
Socratic seminars
Focus Correction Area Writing
Vocabulary Strategies
2. Common misperceptions:
 Students underestimate the literary value of humorous texts.
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
19
Suggested interim assessments (benchmarks)
Internal
End of Unit Common Task:
Internal
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
20
Quarter 3: 1900-1940
Unit 6: Modernism and the Harlem Renaissance
Instructional Days: 25
Essential question(s):
What promise does the American Dream offer and how does it live up to the expectations
of those who have it?
 How did the goals and aspirations of Americans change at the turn of the 20th
century?
 What are the identifying characteristics of Modernism?
 What role did the Harlem Renaissance play in the development of American
Literature?
Unit Summary:
Students will identify and analyze the role that the American Dream has played in
establishing the literature of the nation at the turn of the 20 th century. Students will achieve
this level of knowledge through comparing and contrasting the degrees of success that
different groups (European, African Americans, women, etc.) have experienced in attaining
this Dream. Students will explore how the progressive movement led to the creation and
definition of Modernism as a literary movement.
Standards addressed (focus standards) – use numbers to identify
RL9-10.1-7
RL9-10.9-10
RI9-10.1-6
RI9-10.9
SL9-10.1-6
Student objectives/skills (what will students be able to do at the end of the unit?):
 Identify aspects of Modernism.
 Trace the changing definition of the American Dream through various eras in
American literature.
 Compare/contrast the experiences of different groups trying to achieve the American
Dream.
 Demonstrate understanding of definitions and context of difficult vocabulary words.
 Collaborate with peers and deliver an oral presentation.
 Use close reading strategies to select specific evidence to help develop a deeper
meaning of text.
 Read and comprehend a short text (both fiction and non-fiction) for on-demand
proficiency test.
Learning progressions:
Before unit
During unit
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
After unit
Rev 1.7.14
21
Academic vocabulary (Tier two):
American Dream, speak easies, Jazz Age, flappers, prohibition, boot-legging, Black Sox
scandal
Domain specific vocabulary (Tier three):
Modernism, Harlem Renaissance
Texts – literary, literary non-fiction, informational, film or other non-written texts:
Anchor texts:
The Great Gatsby— F. Scott Fitzgerald
“The Story of an Hour”—Kate Chopin
“The Wagner Matinee”—Willa Cather
Ernest Hemingway short story
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”—T.S. Eliot
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers”—Langston Hughes
Additional Harlem Renaissance Poem
Supplemental:
“I, Too”—Langston Hughes
“Dream Variations” –Langston Hughes
“Refugee in America”—Langston Hughes
“Freedom Plows”—Langston Hughes
“Tropics in New York”—Claude McKay
“From the Dark Tower”—Countee Cullen
“Storm Ending”—Jean Toomer
“A Black Man Talks of Reaping”—Arna Bontempts
“Winter Dreams”—F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Dust Tracks from a Road” –Zora Neale Hurston
“The Futile Pursuit of Happiness” by Jon Gertner
Literary Criticisms
Picasso (Modernism)
Jackson Pollack (Modernism)
Political cartoons
Propaganda posters
The Great Gatsby film adaptation (2013 version)
Jazz music from the time period (Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Bessie Smith, etc)
Text Access Points:
1. eNotes.com
2. Gutenberg Files
3. Library of Congress
4. Novels for Students
5. Literature Resource Center
6. youtube.com
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
22
7. http://www.readwritethink.org/
8. www.courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
9. Ted.com
10. Poetryfoundation.org
11. Poets.org
12. Pbs.org
Learning Plan:
1. Core shifts
Compare/Contrast
Song lyrics
Top Hat
Venn Diagrams
Reading for Meaning
Guided reading chart
Guided reading questions
Note-taking guides
Active reading
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
Reflective response
KWL
Turn and talk
MIAGI
Annotative Reading
Vocabulary CODE
Fist lists
power decoding
concept maps
use it or lose
metaphor and similes
3-way tie
use it or lose it
3’s a crowd
Write to Learn
Pre-writing activities
Journal writing
Warm-up writing
Focus Correction Area Writing
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
23
Stop and write
Reflective response
Exit tickets
Circle of Knowledge
Socratic seminars
Press-Package Assignment
Group Discussions
Group projects/presentations
Shared inquiry questions
X2 Discussion forums
Webinar
Parking lots
Chalk talk
Inductive Learning
Socratic seminars
Research Assignments
Focus Correction Area Writing
Vocabulary Strategies
2. Common misperceptions:
Students may believe that the availability of the American Dream is equal for all citizens
Suggested interim assessments (benchmarks)
Internal
End of Unit Common Task:
Internal
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
24
Quarter 4: Literary Criticism Essay
Unit 7: Literary Criticism Essay
Instructional Days: 20
Essential question(s):
How are essays with outside sources constructed?
 How does an author’s tone/style help him/her deliver a message in his/her writing?
 How can writers access useful secondary sources for various types of writing?
 How can writers use secondary sources to help enhance their literary analysis in their
writing?
Unit Summary:
Students will engage in research about an individual author and how he/she impacted the
American literary landscape. This research will lead to both an informative essay and
presentation that will provide the class with a background about each author, which will help
them to fuel their personal choice novel for their literary criticism essay. Students will then
independently select and read a post-1940 American novel. After completing a close reading
of the text, students will find literary criticisms based on their novels to help generate and
support their conclusions about the text. From there, students will complete the writing
process to develop a polished essay for submission.
Standards addressed (focus standards) – use numbers to identify
RL9-10.1-7
RL9-10.9-10
RI9-10.1-6
RI9-10.9
W9-10.2
W9-10.4-6
W9-10.9
W9-10.10
Student objectives/skills (what will students be able to do at the end of the unit?):
 Students will draw their own conclusions based on a novel through inductive
reasoning.
 Select relevant textual evidence to support a focus statement.
 Integrate specific textual evidence into an informational essay.
 Demonstrate understanding of definitions and context of difficult vocabulary words.
 Structure and deliver an effective informational essay incorporating secondary
source(s).
 Conduct both literary and historical research on a particular novel and author.
 Properly format essay based on MLA standards.
Learning progressions:
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14
25
Before unit
During unit
After unit
Academic vocabulary (Tier two):
Generated from individual texts.
Domain specific vocabulary (Tier three):
Literary Criticism
Texts – literary, literary non-fiction, informational, film or other non-written texts:
Anchor texts:
Student Choice, post-1940 novel.
Options include:
The Color Purple—Alice Walker
The Bean Trees—Barbara Kingsolver
The Bell Jar—Sylvia Plath
On the Road—Jack Kerouac
Catch 22—Joseph Heller
Slaughterhouse-5—Kurt Vonnegut
A Lesson Before Dying—Ernest Gaines
In Cold Blood—Truman Capote
Additional options provided by teacher
Supplemental:
Literary Criticisms
Non-fiction research
Text Access Points:
1. eNotes.com
2. Gutenberg Files
3. Library of Congress
4. Novels for Students
5. Literature Resource Center
6. http://www.readwritethink.org/
7. www.courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
8. Ted.com
Learning Plan:
1. Core shifts
Compare/Contrast
Top hat
Venn Diagrams
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Grade 10 ELA
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Reading for Meaning
Note-taking guides
Active reading
Annotative Reading
Vocabulary CODE
power decoding
concept maps
metaphor and similes
Write to Learn
Pre-writing activities
Journal writing
Circle of Knowledge
Group Discussions
Presentations
Inductive Learning
Socratic seminars
Research Assignments
Focus Correction Area Writing
Vocabulary Strategies
2. Common misperceptions:
Students believe that all criticisms are negative.
Suggested interim assessments (benchmarks)
Internal
End of Unit Common Task:
Internal
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Grade 10 ELA
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Quarter 4: Post-Modernism, Contemporary 1940-Present
Unit 8: Post-Modernism, Contemporary
Instructional Days: 25
Essential question(s):
How has Contemporary Literature been shaped by past literary movements?
 How do we define Contemporary Literature?
 How do contemporary social issues influence the literary landscape?
 How does Contemporary Literature reflect the current social climate?
Unit Summary:
In this unit, students will explore the evolution of Contemporary Literature. The unit begins
with a study of the characteristics of Contemporary Literature, and how they have been
shaped by previous literary movements. Students will read both poetry and short stories in
order to identify the use of various contemporary literary techniques. The unit concludes
with a study of various pieces of Contemporary Literature that reflect cultural movements
and/or social issues.
Standards addressed (focus standards) – use numbers to identify
RL9-10.1-7
RL9-10.9-10
RI9-10.1,2,4-6
RI9-10.9
W9-10.2
W9-10.4-6
SL9-10.1-6
Student objectives/skills (what will students be able to do at the end of the unit?):
 Identify characteristics of Contemporary Literature from various texts.
 Understanding how the characteristics of previously studied literary movements
present themselves in Contemporary Literature: Native Americans, Age of Reason,
Romanticism, Transcendentalism, etc.
 Research the modern social climate in order to explain and demonstrate how it
presents itself in contemporary literature.
 Independently cull resources in order to prepare for Socratic seminar.
Learning progressions:
Before unit
During unit
After unit
Academic vocabulary (Tier two):
Vocabulary lists from The Things They Carried
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Domain specific vocabulary (Tier three):
Conscription, Viet Cong, Contemporary Literature, Post-Modernism
Texts – literary, literary non-fiction, informational, film or other non-written texts:
Anchor texts:
The Things They Carried--Tim O’Brien
Supplemental:
The Catcher in the Rye—J.D. Salinger
“Harrison Bergeron”—Kurt Vonnegut
“Hell, and How I Got Here”—Brenda Medina
“A Worn Path”—Eudora Welty
“Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”—Robert Frost
“Mending Wall”—Robert Frost
“Out, Out—“ —Robert Frost
“Everyday Use”—Alice Walker
“Loneliness…An American Malady”—Carson McCullers
Text Access Points:
1. eNotes.com
2. Gutenberg Files
3. Library of Congress
4. Novels for Students
5. Literature Resource Center
6. http://www.readwritethink.org/
7. www.courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
8. Ted.com
9. Poetryfoundation.org
10. Poets.org
11. Pbs.org
Learning Plan:
1. Core shifts
Compare/Contrast
Song lyrics
Top Hat
Venn Diagrams
Reading for Meaning
Guided reading chart
Guided reading questions
Note-taking guides
Active reading
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
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Reflective response
KWL
Turn and talk
MIAGI
Annotative Reading
Vocabulary CODE
Fist lists
power decoding
concept maps
use it or lose
metaphor and similes
3-way tie
use it or lose it
3’s a crowd
Write to Learn
Pre-writing activities
Journal writing
Warm-up writing
Focus Correction Area Writing
Preview questions (prior knowledge)
Stop and write
Reflective response
Exit tickets
Circle of Knowledge
Socratic seminars
Press-Package Assignment
Group Discussions
Group projects/presentations
Shared inquiry questions
X2 Discussion forums
Webinar
Parking lots
Chalk talk
Inductive Learning
Socratic seminars
Research Assignments
Focus Correction Area Writing
Vocabulary Strategies
2. Common misperceptions:
Students believe that “modern” is synonymous with the current time period.
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Grade 10 ELA
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Suggested interim assessments (benchmarks)
Internal
End of Unit Common Task:
Internal
Barrington Public Schools
Grade 10 ELA
Rev 1.7.14