Course Title: English 10 CP
Subject: Language Arts Literacy
Grade Level: 10
Duration: 1 year
Prerequisite: 9th grade English
Elective or Required: required
Language Arts Literacy Mission Statement
The Glen Ridge Language Arts Program establishes a foundation for lifelong learning and effective
communication. Through a sequential and challenging curriculum, our students will become proficient readers,
effective writers, active listeners and articulate speakers. Students learn to respect various points of view while
displaying creative, collaborative, and critical thinking skills. The Language Arts Program enables our students to
participate effectively in a technological, complex and ever-changing world.
Course Description:
English 10 CP introduces students to the American identity through American literature. This course provides a
survey of American literature, beginning with the earliest written experiences with the new nation and moving
right up to the present day. Students will explore the variety of voices in the American experience and determine
their own answers to essential questions about the American identity and the America Dream. As such, the
curriculum includes novels, plays, short stories, poetry, speeches, and information texts that express a variety of
views on American themes. The curriculum stresses the development of critical thinking skills as well as the core
reading and writing skills needed to prepare students for college level work in the coming years.
Author: Kathryn Balaschak
Date Submitted: Summer 2011
Unit 1: Early America
Approximate # Of Weeks: 5
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Essential Questions:
How did religion affect daily life and beliefs about independence?
How did different religions react to the new nation?
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
RL.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with
multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful.
 RL.11–12.9: Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and early-twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or
topics.
 RI.9-10.6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to
advance that point of view or purpose.
 W.9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
 SL.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
 L.9-10.3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make
effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Interdisciplinary Standards
Standard 6.1 U.S. History: America in the World
All students will acquire the knowledge and skills to think analytically about how past and present interactions of
people, cultures, and the environment shape the American heritage. Such knowledge and skills enable students to
make informed decisions that reflect fundamental rights and core democratic values as productive citizens in
local, national, and global communities.
Activities:
 Listen to audio clips of stories and sermons (21st Century Tech)
 View the film version of The Crucible and discuss whether the film captures the characters and themes of
the original text.
 Seminar: Select one passage from The Crucible and one from one of the informational texts that treat a
similar theme. How are the themes revealed in the different genres? What different techniques/literary
devices do the authors use to convey theme? (RL.9-10.9, W.9-10.2, W.9-10.9, L.9-10.5)
Writing Assignments:
 Essay question “Is John Proctor a tragic figure? Why or why not?” Compare him to other tragic figures
studied in grade 9, such as Romeo and Randle McMurphy. Write an essay in which you use at least three
pieces of textual evidence to support an original thesis statement. (RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.10)
Enrichment Activities:
 Visit a Native America reservation and write a journal about the difference between daily life on the
reservation and your own life.
 Read other works by any of the authors covered in this unit. (9-10.RI.10, 9-10.RL.10)
Methods of Assessments/Evaluation:
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essay
discussion
reading check quiz
vocabulary quiz
Resources: Text, Literature (RL), Informational (RI)
Core texts:
 The Crucible by Arthur Miller (RL)
 The Earth of Turtle's Back -- Native American creation myth (RL)
 When Grizzlies Walked Upright -- Native American creation myth (RL)
 Journal on the First Voyage to America by Christopher Columbus (RI)
 Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards (RI)
Optional texts (for outside reading):
 Long Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie (RL)
 Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie (RL)
 A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman (RL)
Online Resources:
 Teacher webpage
 Africans in America (online narratives of the experiences of slavery)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p263.html
Unit 2: Becoming a Nation
Approximate # Of Weeks: 3 weeks
Essential Questions:
 What is unique about the founding of America?
 What fundamental beliefs made America different?
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
 RL.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone
 RI.9-10.5: Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular
sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text.
 RI.11-12.9: Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century foundational U.S. documents of
historical and literary significance (including The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the
Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address) for their themes, purposes, and
rhetorical features.
 W.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
 W.9-10.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
 W.9-10.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display
information flexibly and dynamically.
 W.9-10.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
 SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’
ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
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SL.9-10.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such
that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
L.9-10.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
CCRW4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCRW.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a
new approach.
CCRW.8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and
accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
Interdisciplinary Standards
Standard 6.3 Active Citizenship in the 21st Century
All students will acquire the skills needed to be active, informed citizens who value diversity and promote cultural
understanding by working collaboratively to address the challenges that are inherent in living in an interconnected
world.
Activities:
 Explore websites of colonial villages to discover what life was like for an average colonial person.
(CCRW.8)
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Do The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution share similar tones? Why or why not? Use at
least three pieces of textual evidence to support an original thesis statement. (RI.11-12.9, W.9-10.9, SL.910.1)
Discuss the use of aphorisms by Benjamin Franklin, then practice writing modern American aphorisms.
(RL.9-10.4, CCRR.4)
Examine the use of diction in the Declaration of Independence. What strategies does the author use to
convince the audience of his point of view? (RI.11-12.9, W.9-10.9, SL.9-10.1)
Writing Assignments:
Research the daily life of an early American settler around the time of the Revolutionary War. Use two outside
sources to document what life may have been like for that person. Then, create a character and write a journal
entry or a letter on the opinion of independence. Should America be free from England or not? (W.9-10.3, W.910.6, W.9-10.8, CCRW.5)
Enrichment Activities:
Visit an historical site involved in the American Revolution. Explore any documents involved in the history of
that site, and write a paper tracing the impact of that document on one other text in American literature.
Methods of Assessments/Evaluation:
 journal or letter
 quiz
 classwork
 homework
 discussion
Resources:
Core texts:
 Poor Richard's Almanack by Benjamin Franklin (RI)
 Journal of Obdulah Equaiano (RI)
 Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson (RI)
 The Crisis by Thomas Paine (RI)
Optional texts:
 Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (RI)
Online Resources:
 Teacher webpage
 Declaration of Independence online: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/
 PBS website on Daily Life in the Colonies: http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/perspectives_daily.html
 Colonial Williamsburg website: http://www.history.org/Almanack/tourTheTown/
 online tour of Old Sturbridge Village: http://www.osv.org/explore_learn/village_tour.html
Unit 3: Forging the American Identity
Approximate # Of Weeks: 3
Essential Questions:
 What is American individualism?
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
RL.9-10.2: Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the
course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide
an objective summary of the text.
 RL.11-12.9: Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and early-twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or
topics.
 W.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
 RI.9-10.9 Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington’s Farewell
Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”),
including how they address related themes and concepts.
 RI.9-10.5: Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences,
paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
 SL.9-10.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that
listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
 L.9-10.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on
grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Interdisciplinary Standards:
Standard 9.1 21st-Century Life & Career Skills
All students will demonstrate the creative, critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to
function successfully as both global citizens and workers in diverse ethnic and organizational cultures.
Activities:
 Paraphrase each of Emerson’s rules for living in his essay “Self-Reliance.” Choose your top three rules
and explain why these rules are the most essential rules for living. (RI.9-10.5, RL.9-10.2, CCRR.9-10.1)
 Select one of the short stories and explain why you think it is a good example of American romanticism.
Use at least three pieces of textual evidence to support an original thesis statement. (RL.9-10.1, RL.910.9, W.9-10.2, SL.9-10.1)
 Read the essays “Civil Disobedience” and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” then discuss whether civil
disobedience is an effective strategy for social change. (CCRR.9-10.9, SL.9-10.3, SL.9-10.1, RI.9-10.9,
RL.11-12.9)
 Identify the use of suspense in stories by Poe and Hawthorne. Discuss why gothic fiction appeals to the
American reader. Then, write a description of a setting (1-2 pages) that uses suspense. (L.9-10.5, W.910.3, CCRR.9-10.6)
Writing Assignments:
 After reading Letter from a Birmingham Jail and Civil Disobedience, students will write their own protest
letter. Students will examine effective writing strategies used in each of these two letters. Then, they will
employ the same strategies in their own protest letter. The student must choose an appropriate recipient
and include at least two outside sources in the letter, with facts to back up the argument. (W.9-10.1, W.910.5, W.9-10.8, RI.9-10.9)
Enrichment Activities:
 Visit Walden Pond and create a photo journal of your experience.
 Write a modern rap version of “Self-Reliance.” How does one become self-reliant in the modern world?
 Create a visual representation of “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe.
Methods of Assessments/Evaluation:
 Descriptive writing
 Letter writing
 Vocabulary quiz
 Discussion
Resources:
Core texts:
 “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson (RI)
 “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau (RI)
 “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King (RI)
 “Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe (RL)
 “Minister's Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne (RL),
Optional texts:
 The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Online Resources:
 Teacher webpage
 Walden Pond State Reservation Website: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/walden/
 PBS website on Transcendentalism: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ihas/icon/transcend.html
Unit 4: Poetry: I Hear America Singing
Approximate # Of Weeks: 4
Essential Questions:
 How does poetry reveal what we might not otherwise recognize?
 How does American poetry capture the essential themes and ideals of American literature?
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
RL.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of several word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how
the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
 RL.9-10.10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the
grades 9–10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
 W.9-10.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced
searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate
information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard
format for citation.
 W.9-10.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, wellchosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
 W.9-10.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter
time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
 W.9-10.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing
products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information
flexibly and dynamically.
 SL.9-10.1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
 SL.9-10.3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any
fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
 SL.9-10.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that
listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
 SL.9-10.5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements)
in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
 SL.9-10.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when
indicated or appropriate.
 L.9-10.3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make
effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Interdisciplinary Standards
Standard 6.3 Active Citizenship in the 21st Century
All students will acquire the skills needed to be active, informed citizens who value diversity and promote cultural
understanding by working collaboratively to address the challenges that are inherent in living in an interconnected
world.
Activities:
 Select a poem and recite it from memory. Include an introduction that states: 1. Title, author, and type of
poem. 2. How the poem exemplifies American poetry. (SL.9-10.6)
 Read an original poem aloud to the class.
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Seminar Question: “Are poems better when they follow a strict rhyme or meter? Why or why not?” The
seminar question may also be used as an essay topic. (SL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.6, SL.910.1, SL.9-10.3)
Seminar Question: “What is a more effective form of communication, literal or figurative
language?” The seminar question may also be used as an essay topic. (SL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.4,
RL.9-10.6, SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.3)
Writing Assignments:
 Essay: Write an essay that compares and contrasts aspects of the use of a literary device in two different
poems. Discuss at least three aspects. (RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.10, W.9-10.2)
 Creative writing assignment: Write a poetry journal with your own creative work. Use the poems studied
in this unit as models for writing your own poems. Edit the poems, then select several poems to publish
to a class webpage. (W.9-10.3, W.9-10.6, W.9-10.10
Enrichment Activities:
 Attend a poetry reading. Write a reflective journal about the experience.
 Hold a poetry reading at school. Invite all students in the class to participate in the poetry reading.
Students should read their own original poetry to the audience.
 Read other works by any of the authors covered in this unit. (9-10.RI.10, 9-10.RL.10)
Methods of Assessments/Evaluation:
 Journal
 Essay
 Discussion
 Oral presentation
Resources:
Core texts (All texts listed are RL)
 Bradstreet: To my Dear Husband
 Wheatley: On Coming to America
 Wordsworth: I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
 Poe: The Raven, The Bells
 Whitman: I Hear America Singing, Song of Myself 422
 Dickinson: Hope is a Thing with Feathers, Because I Could not Stop for Death
 Frost: Acquainted with the Night, Stopping by Woods, Birches
 Hughes: I, Too, Sing America
 Stevens: Anecdote of a Jar
 cummings: old age sticks, anyone lived in a pretty town
 Williams: The Red Wheelbarrow
 Millay: Love is not all
 Pound: In the Station of the Metro
 Cullen: Incident, Heritage
 Auden: The Unknown Citizen
 Jarrell: The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
 Rich: Diving into the Wreck
 Bishop: One Art
 Brooks: A Boy Died in My Alley
 Plath: Daddy, Lady Lazarus
 Ginsberg: America
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Dudley Randall: A Poet is not a Jukebox
Collins: Introduction to Poetry
Spoken word poets Lemon Andersen and Saul Williams
Online Resources:
 Teacher webpage
 Edsitement website on an introduction to Modernist Poetry: http://edsitement.neh.gov/curriculumunit/introduction-modernist-poetry
 Lemon Anderson’s website: lemonshood.com
 Saul Williams’s website: saulwilliams.com
Unit 5: Division and Expansion
Approximate # Of Weeks: 8
Essential Questions:
 What makes a great American novel?
 How is American literature defined?
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
 RL.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
 RL.9-10.3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop
over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
 RL.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone
 L.9-10.5: Interpret figures of speech in context and analyze their role in the text.
 RL.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
 RL.9-10.6: Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from
outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.RL.11-12.6
 RL.9-10.9: Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work
 SL.9-10.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
 SL.9-10.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such
that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
 W.9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
 W.9-10.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
 CCRR.9-10.6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
 CCRW.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using
valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
 CCRSL.9-10.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including
visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Interdisciplinary Standards
Standard 6.1 U.S. History: America in the World
All students will acquire the knowledge and skills to think analytically about how past and present interactions of
people, cultures, and the environment shape the American heritage. Such knowledge and skills enable students to
make informed decisions that reflect fundamental rights and core democratic values as productive citizens in
local, national, and global communities.
Activities:
 Chart the path of Huck and Jim as they travel down the river in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Then, discuss the impact of their locations on the theme of the story. (RL.9-10.1)
 Examine the use of satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Write two paragraphs identifying the
target of Twain’s satire. What does Twain think is wrong with American society? (CCRR.9-10.6,
CCRW.9-10.1)
 Watch “Amos 'n Andy” episodes on YouTube and discuss the characterization of black characters on the
show. Then, compare and contrast the portrayal of Jim in Twain’s novel and the portrayal of black
characters on the television show. (RL.9-10.3, CCRSL.9-10.2)
 Create a vocabulary guide for the dialect used by Huck and Jim. (RL.9-10.4, L.9-10.5)

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Read the essay by James Baldwin and discuss whether Black English is a language or a dialect. (RL.910.4, L.9-10.5)
Seminar and Essay: After reading James Baldwin’s essay, “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell
Me, What Is?” and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, discuss the pivotal role that
dialect plays in Huck Finn. Use at least three pieces of textual evidence to support an original thesis.
(RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.6, RL.9-10.9, SL.9-10.4)
Film: "Unchained Memories" (HBO Documentary, in conjunction with the Library of Congress, 2003)
(Readings From the Slave Narratives)
Writing Assignments:
 Essay and Seminar: “Does Huckleberry Finn embody the values inherent in the American Dream?”
Write an essay in which you use at least three pieces of evidence to support an original thesis statement.
(RL.9-10.9, SL.9-10.1, W.9-10.9)
 Essay and Seminar: How does Twain address the issue of slavery in The Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn? Use at least three pieces of textual evidence to support an original thesis statement. (RL.9-10.6,
W.9-10.2, W.9-10.9)
Enrichment Activities:
Watch the film “Bamboozled” by Spike Lee and examine the portrayal of black actors and entertainers in popular
media.
Methods of Assessments/Evaluation:
 Essay
 Discussion
 Homework
 Vocabulary quiz
Resources:
Core texts:
 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (RL)
 Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln (RI)
 James Baldwin’s essay, “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” (RI)
 “I will fight no more forever” by Chief Joseph the Younger of the Nez Perce Nation (RI)
 “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (Traditional) (RI)
 “I Thank God I’m Free at Las” (Traditional) (RI)
Optional texts:
 Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (RL)
 The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce (RL)
 My Antonia by Willa Cather (RL)
 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (RL)
 Finn: A Novel by Jon Clinch (RL)
 The Call of the Wild by Jack London (RL)
 The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (RL)
Online Resources:
 Teacher webpage
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Critical teaching guide of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: http://edsitement.neh.gov/lessonplan/critical-ways-seeing-adventures-huckleberry-finn-context#sect-introduction
“Amos ‘n Andy” television episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KepuReULyJI
We Shall Remain: Website devoted to the Native American experience during the war between the states:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/beyond_broadcast/teach_and_learn
The New Americans: online educational adventure for seventh- to twelfth-grade
students: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/
Unit 6: Modern America
Approximate # Of Weeks: 6 weeks
Essential Questions:
 How did modernization result in isolation and disillusionment in the early American twentieth century?
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
 RL.9-10.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an
objective summary of the text.RL.9-10.6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience
reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world
literature.
 RL.9-10.3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop
over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
 RL.9-10.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
 RL.9-10.5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it
(e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension,
or surprise.
 RL.9-10.7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums,
including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.
 RL.9-10.10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems,
in the grades 9–10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
 W.9-10.1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
 W.9-10.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
 W.9-10.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a
new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
 W.9-10.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display
information flexibly and dynamically.
 SL.9-10.1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.
Interdisciplinary Standards
 Standard 8.2 – Technology Education
 All students will develop an understanding of the nature and impact of technology, engineering,
technological design, and the designed world as they relate to the individual, society, and the
environment.
Activities
 Class activity: Define and discuss “The Lost Generation” in American literary history. Cite at least three
sources from The Great Gatsby to illustrate your point of view, then present your findings to the class.
Have the class compile its list to produce a working definition of “The Lost Generation.” Finally,
includes six other characters from poems or art who embody “The Lost Generation.” (RL.11-12.9, W.1112.6, SL.11-12.5)
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Journal: Explore and examine modern art online through the MOMA website. Select two pieces of art
that demonstrate the modern sense of disillusionment and dislocation. Write a journal discussing how
each piece of art captures the modernist sensibility.
Activity: Hold a speakeasy party with the class. Assign roles for each student to role play the various
“players” in a party (band, host, guest, entertainment). The following day, discuss how this event
reinforces the attitudes of the time period. Where have you seen these attitudes in the art and literature of
the time period? Present your journal discussion to the class the following day.
Introduce the novel The Great Gatsby by role playing situations that will appear later in the book. For
example, a couple arrives at a party, where the woman is pursued by a richer man than her original date.
What does she do? (SL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.5)
View modern art and discuss how the modern aesthetic reflects the isolation and disillusionment of the
individual in the modern age. (8.2 Technology Education 6.1 U.S. History, RL.9-10.7)
Examine the use of symbols in the novel The Great Gatsby, then write a brief essay discussing how the
symbols relate to the theme of the novel. (RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.4, W.9-10.1)
Read several short stories from the modern era. Then, write a brief response that identifies the examples
of the modern sense of isolation and disillusionment. (RL.9-10.10, W.9-10.1)
Write an essay by drafting, revising, peer editing, then publishing the essay online. (W.9-10.4, W.9-10.5,
W.9-10.6)
Writing Assignments:
 Write an essay in which you discuss whether Gatsby is a hero or a tragic figure. Cite textual evidence to
support your argument. (RL.9-10.3, W.9-10.4, W.9-10.5, W.9-10.6)
Enrichment Activities:
 Take a guided walking tour of Greenwich Village and write a journal about the literary history of the
neighborhood.
 View website of women’s fashion in the 1920’s and discuss the impact of fashion on the characters of
Daisy and Jordan.
Methods of Assessments/Evaluation:
 Short essay
 Test
 Discussion
 In-class writing
 Vocabulary quiz
Resources:
Core texts:
 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (RL)
 “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner (RL)
 “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway (RL)
 “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” by Ernest Hemingway (RL)
 The Life You Save May be Your Own” by Flannery O’Connor (RL)
 Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech by William Faulkner (RI)
 Modern paintings and sculpture online (RI)
Optional texts (for outside reading):
 The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan (RI)
 The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin (RI)
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Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (RL)
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (RL)
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (RL)
Separate Peace by Jonathan Knowles (RL)
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (RL)
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald (RL)
Online Resources:
 Teacher webpage
 Museum of Modern Art educational website to explore the meaning of modern art:
http://www.moma.org/learn/teachers/online#course10
 Women’s fashion in the 1920’s: http://www.1920s-fashion-and-music.com/1920s-fashion.html
 Text of The Great Gatsby online: http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/f/fitzgerald/f_scott/gatsby/
Unit 7: Contemporary America
Approximate # Of Weeks: 5 weeks
Essential Questions:
 Does twentieth-century American literature represent a fulfillment of America’s promise?
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
RL.9-10.5: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the
choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its
overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
 RL.9-10.7: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a
play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one
play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
 RI.9-10.2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the
text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective
summary of the text.
 W.9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
 SL.9-10.3: Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the
stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
 L.9-10.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings.
 a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and
 analyze their role in the text.
 b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotation
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Interdisciplinary Standards
Standard 8.1 – Computer and Information Literacy
All students will use computer applications to gather and organize information and to solve problems.
Standard 6.2 World History, Global Studies
All students will acquire the knowledge and skills to think analytically and systematically about how past
interactions of people, cultures, and the environment affect issues across time and cultures. Such knowledge and
skills enable students to make informed decisions as socially and ethically responsible world citizens in the 21st
century.
Activities
 Paragraph: View the JFK speech as well as the Ronald Reagan speech. Then, examine the use of
rhetorical devices to illustrate American themes. Write a paragraph that identifies a single message, as
well as three rhetorical strategies to deliver this message.
 Essay: Read several short stories from the contemporary era. Then, examine the use of diction in these
stories. How does the writers use diction affect the theme of each story? Write a brief response that
demonstrates the effect of diction on each story, using three specific examples to illustrate your findings.
 Short Story: Write a short story that uses first person perspective. The story should capture the
contemporary attitude in American fiction.
 Poem: Read primary source documents from the Vietnam War. Then, create a found poem from
speeches and letters from this time period.
Writing Assignments:
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Essay: Write an essay in which you compare and contrast the attitude of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher
in the Rye to the attitude in a contemporary song or other work of art. Use at least three examples from
each text to demonstrate how the two texts are similar and different.
Enrichment Activities:
 Take a walking tour of New York City to chart Holden’s journey around New York in The Catcher in the
Rye. Take photos of each spot, and create a multimedia presentation of Holden’s journey.
Methods of Assessments/Evaluation:
 Essay
 Discussion
 Short story
 Poem
 Vocabulary quiz
Resources:
Core texts:
 The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (RL)
 “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury (RL)
 In Pharaoh’s Army (selections) by Tobias Wolff (RI)
 “A & P” by John Updike (RL)
 “Orientation” by Daniel Orozco (RL)
 “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates (RL)
 “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich (RL)
 “I am a Berliner” speech by John Fitzgerald Kennedy (RI)
 “Tear Down this Wall” speech by Ronald Reagan (RI)
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Optional texts (for outside reading):
Native Son by Richard Wright (RL)
Welcome to the Monkeyhouse by Kurt Vonnegut (RL)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (RL)
The Autobiography of Malcolm X: as Told to Alex Haley (RI)
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (RL)
Angels in America by Tony Kushner (RL)
And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts (RI)
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
Online Resources:
 Teacher webpage
 Vietnam Online webpage from The American Experience (includes primary sources):
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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/psources/index.html
Kennedy speech (text and video): http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkberliner.html
Reagan speech (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjWDrTXMgF8