th
GILPP Fall Department: ___English_______________
Unit # _2_ : AP Literature Genre Study – “Love and Conflict in the Short Story”
Time Frame: 6 weeks Number of lessons in this unit: _20___
Learning Outcomes
Common Core Learning Standards addressed in this Unit:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.2
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.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.3
Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4
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. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.5
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.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.6
Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1a-e
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2a-f
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.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3a-e
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.10
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.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.a
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.b
Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.c
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.d
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.2
Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
Course Standards addressed in this Unit:
Math only: Standards for Mathematical Practice addressed in this Unit:
Enduring Understandings for this Unit:
1) The short story is a unique way of storytelling, requiring specific strategies from the author and reader.
2) Class and culture affect our understanding of love and sex.
3) Unreliable narration can drastically alter a reader’s sense of what a story is about.
4) Identity is a complex thing, constructed of social and individual influences.
5) All human beings must grapple with the meaning of their lives and their understanding of death.
6) Fiction can reveal the truth of history.
Essential Questions for this Unit:
1) What is the AP Literature Course/Exam? What is the format of the exam?
2) What is the design and philosophy of the exam, and how does it relate to college level placement and credit?
3) What are essential elements of narrative prose fiction? How are short stories different from other works of literature?
4) How do we analyze, discuss, and write about complex themes and ideas in short stories?
5) What is the purpose of literature? How does literature relate to society/individuals/readers?
6) How does a writer create tone/mood, characterization, and structure in a work of fiction?
Text Specific Questions:

1) “The Necklace” – What is the relationship between class and identity? What are societal pressures/constructions placed upon men and women? How do individuals respond (if at all) to these pressures?
2)
“The Rudy Elmenhurst Story” – How do individuals reconcile the demands of competing cultural identities? How is gender and sexual identity formed, and how does this identity conflict or reinforce cultural beliefs?
3)
“Cathedral” and “Bartleby” – How does narration and characterization affect our understanding of theme in a story?
4) “The Things They Carried” - What is the effect of war on individuals and societies? What is courage, what is cowardice? What motivates immoral or evil behavior? How does fiction reveal truth differently and sometimes more “truthfully” than non-fiction? Who are our enemies? How are we affected by the deaths of our “enemies” as well as our loved ones?
Content of this Unit:
1)
“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant.
2)
“The Rudy Elmenhurst Story” by Julia
Alvarez.
3)
“Cathedral” by Raymond Carver
4) “The Things They Carried” by Tim
O’Brien.
Key Vocabulary & Language of this Unit:

TBD
Skills of this Unit:
1) Close reading
2) Annotation
3) Identifying and analyzing textual evidence
4) Making inferences and evaluations from textual evidence
5) Analytical/Argumentative Writing – short response, formative assessments, summative assessments
Resources used in this Unit:

Copies of all readings.

Writing utensils including pencils, pens, markers, and highlighters

Methods for collecting student work: student folders, submissions (Exit Tickets, worksheets)

Copies of the Short Response and Argumentative Essay Rubric and Checklist
Assessments
On-going and Formative Assessments: Mid-Unit and Summative Assessments, including Performance

1) Standards Assessed:
Students participate in reading and discussion, write informally in response to text-based prompts, present information in an organized and logical manner, and participate in evidence-based, collaborative discussion.
2) Quizzes for reading comprehension.
3) Timed mini-essays for AP practice.
Tasks:
1) Standards Assessed: RL 12.1-3,6; W12.1-4, 10
Summative Unit: Analyze a pair of the short stories in order to illustrate a common theme. Explain crucial similarities and differences in plot, setting, characterization, tone, and narration.
Instructional Pathway
Learning Activities & Teaching Strategies Used in This Unit
See Examples of Learning Activities & Teaching Strategies in a Math Classroom at the end for ideas and edit/add to the list!
1) Small group discussion and written responses (G)
2) Quick Writes (I)
3) Gallery Walk exercise/activity (G)
4)
Whole class discussion, review terms, “think aloud” (C)
5) Jigsaw scenes/lines (G)
Standards Aim
RL12.1
1.
Students read the short story, “The Necklace”, make observations, and begin initial analysis.
Lesson Content
“The Necklace” by Maupassant.
Grouping Structures
(I) = individual
(P) = with a partner
(G) = in a student group
(C) = whole class
Activities & Strategies
1) EQ: How is Mathilde described at the beginning of the story versus the end?
2) What are the different social expectations that men receive versus women?

Whole class, individual, and jigsaw reading.
RL12.1-3
SL1,2
2.
Students in small groups break down the elements of the story,
“The Necklace”
3.
To debate
Maupassant’s theme and messages in the
Define literary terms: plot, setting, characters
Students explore and debate central themes in the story – the pressures of society versus the wants of an individual.
EQ: 1) What reading strategies can we use when we encounter challenging texts?
2) How is the reader supposed to understand
Mathilde’s situation at the end of the story?
Students participate in a debate-style activity; philosophical chair.

RL12.1-3
RL12.1-4
W12.4
SL12.1
RL12.1-3 story in comparison to our beliefs and understanding.
4.
To use our understanding of plot, setting, and character to begin developing a theme for “The
Necklace.”
5.
To practice close reading analysis in order to answer complex, textdependent questions.
Define theme. Use WS/Graphic Oragnizer to develop a theme for “The Necklace.”
Close reading and annotating.
6.
To use an inventory of plot, setting, and character to begin developing ideas for
“The Rudy Elmenhurst
Story” response paper.
7.
To preview and analyze the critical lenses from yesterday’s class.
8.
To review and finalize our discussion on the
Alvarez story so that we can reinforce our knowledge for future
Begin brainstorming ideas for essay on short stories.
Gallery Walk activity.
Discuss the following idea: Literature both reflects reality and it can reinforce/shape reality.
EQ: How does social or economic class affect our choices in life?
1) Students are working in small groups to develop a theme for the story.
Students work as a class, small group, and then individually to answer text-dependent questions.
1) What does the author mean when he says
“their natural poise, their instinctive good taste . . . are the sole guiding principles which make daughters of the common people the equals of ladies in high society?”
2) Does the theme of the story suggest that people shouldn’t dream of escape from their surroundings?
3) In our own society, are women treated differently than men when it comes to desiring material things?
EQ: What does the Alvarez story show readers in terms of how culture or environment can shape people’s choices?
1) In small groups, students are working to brainstorm ideas for short story essay.
2) Students will use ideas for the gallery walk activity next lesson.
EQ: How can we leverage classmate’s ideas for furthering our own understanding of these stories?
1) Gallery Walk – post-it, “idea stations.”
EQ: How does Alvarez’s story show the differences between men and women when it comes to love and sex?
1) Small group and individual practice.

W12.1-3
RL12.5-6
RL12.5-6
RL12.5-6
W12.1-4
SL12.1-3
W12.1
W12.1 work.
9.
Students demonstrate mastery of unit texts and ideas.
10.
To begin reading
“Cathedral” and analyzing about how narration can impact a reader’s understanding of a story.
11.
To learn about
“unreliable” narrators and how they alter our understanding of a story
12.
To practice using textual evidence to analyze the unreliable narrator and relate this concept to the story’s theme.
13.
To learn about the concept of “empathy” and how it completes one of the themes of
Carver’s story.
14.
Develop thesis statements that reflect our analysis of narrators and the theme of “Cathedral.”
15.
Develop drafts for performance task.
Mid-Unit Assessment Students write in-class essay – mid-unit assessment:
Prompt: Find examples in the text where the dialog between Yolanda and Rudy reflects something that is true in real life; find examples that contradict real life.
Concepts related to narrators and narratology. EQ: How does the narrator’s attitude toward his guest change by the end of the story, and why is this significant?
Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral”
“Cathedral” short story.
Images of famous cathedrals.
Brief reading on the architecture of cathedrals.
Socratic Seminar activity
Writing Workshop
Writing Workshop
1) Close reading practice. Text-dependent questions and small group discussion.
EQ: How is the narrator of “Cathedral” unreliable?
1)
Students explore the concept of unreliable narrator through examples (Poe’s Tell-Tale
Heart) and the telephone game.
EQ: How does an understanding of the narrator help to reinforce the theme of the story?
1) In groups, students analyze and discuss the theme of the story in relation to concepts of unreliable narration.
2) Exit Ticket on thoughts of cathedral architecture.
EQ: How does the narrator’s attitude toward his guest change by the end of the story, and why is this significant?
1) Students participate in a Socratic Seminar and develop questions and answers on the topic of empathy.
ET: How does our narrator learn empathy by the end of the story?
EQ: How does explication differ from summation?
1) Students develop thesis statements in small groups and individually.
EQ: How can we write provocative and effective thesis statements?

RL 12.1-3
RL 12.1-3
SL12.1-3
W12.1
16.
17.
18.
19.
To analyze the context of O’Brien’s “The
Things They Carried.”
To closely read
O’Brien.
To participate in
Socratic Seminar on connections between
Vietnam War and Iraq
War
To complete KWL chart on the Vietnam
War and O’Brien’s story
Engagement activities – preview the subject matter by watching short scenes of History
Channel documentary on the Vietnam War (5 min clip).
“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
Vietnam War Documentary – History Channel
Socratic Seminar
KWL chart
1) Students practice developing thesis statements.
EQ: How does the setting and context of a story help to contribute to meaning?
1) Students watch documentary and answer the following questions: Who is involved in the fighting of the war?
2) What complications does the U.S. military face in Vietnam?
EQ: Why does O’Brien focus on certain details in his descriptions of the soldiers and their experiences?
1) Students are doing close reading activities: whole class discussion, small – group discussion, individual practice.
2) WS on close reading.
EQ: What is lost in war – what is gained?
1) Students are developing and debating questions related to war and U.S. culture:
2) When is war justified? Should the U.S. spread its values to other nations, even those that reject
U.S. values?
3) Should the U.S. impose democratic ideals?
4) Should all cultural beliefs be respected, even those that degrade and oppress minorities
(women, other races, other religions, etc.)?
EQ: How can a KWL chart help to organize and reinforce knowledge?
1) Teacher models KWL chart creation.
2) Students work in small groups to complete their own KWL charts in preparation for exam review.
Jeopardy-style game on reviewing key ideas from stories. NA 20.
Begin reviewing for the unit assessment exam
Exam Review
Differentiation strategies used in this unit & modifications embedded within this unit to provide access for all learners
Previewing Discussion Questions
Scene Synopsis

NA
Audio and Visual supplementary material
Graphic Organizers for writing
Idea Maps for developing Thesis Statements
Outlines with sentence starters.
Development of Academic & Personal Behaviors and 21 st Century Skills
Evidence of Common Core Instructional Shifts
Where in this unit is there evidence of the Common Core Instructional Shifts in ELA/Literacy and/or Math? ( Instructional Shifts )
Informational texts and media (Shift 1):
1) Scholarly article on cathedral architecture.
2) Reading and video on Vietnam War.
3) Article on sex, love, and culture – Laura Kipnis
Text Dependent Questions (Shift 4):
1)
See lessons and EQ’s.
2) Close reading incorporated into daily lessons.
Unit 7 Performance Task with Rubric
Mid-Unit Performance Task:

Performance Task (GRASP):
CONTEXT AND NOTES: In the publishing profession, editors frequently rely on assistants to report on submissions from prospective writers.
Because editors receive hundreds, if not thousands of novels and stories in a given year, they cannot possibly scrutinize every submission with a magnifying glass, but instead use a pool of assistant editors to help weed out stories. This task is central—publishers need stories to buy and then sell to readers, however they can’t buy everything—they would run out of money! So, in order to get the best possible stories to readers, they must find the proverbial “needle in the hey-stack.”
GOAL: To write a letter that recommends two stories for publication. Your boss, a very busy and grumpy editor for a literary magazine, needs you to find two stories that will provoke readers into thinking about love and relationships for a special issue on the following theme: “Love and
Sex: Separating Fact from Fiction.” You need to justify why these stories are worth reading—what can they show readers about love and sex that is unique, interesting, or provocative?
ROLE: As an informed and engaged reader who has read several short stories, you are working as an editorial assistant for a literary magazine.
AUDIENCE: This literary magazine has an audience of very well-read individuals. They know what basic terms are, such as plot, theme, characterization, etc. However, you might need to describe certain aspects of these to help your editor understand the stories since he hasn’t read them the way you have.
SITUATION: The literary magazine you work for is publishing a special issue with the following theme: “Love and Sex: Separating Fact from Fiction.” Your magazine depends upon provocative and interesting fiction to keep readers buying the magazine. If your magazine doesn’t have good fiction, it will likely close due to lack of readership.