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Follow the steps below to navigate this site and successfully complete this lesson!
It is assumed that all students entering this lesson have previously gained knowledge and understanding of literary devices - symbolism, metaphor, simile, diction, etc. - and are able to apply these devices as tools of analysis across different forms of text.
For this lesson, you will need. . .
For this lesson, you will need. . .
Your preferred method of note-taking
(Google Docs, notepad and pen, audio recordings, etc.)Tools to create visual representations
(Art supplies, MS Paint, video recording, etc.)Internet access and a device to access lesson resources
(Computer, smart phone, tablet, etc.)
Use the tools that you have and feel comfortable using!
It is strongly recommended that you take personal notes during Step 1 and Step 2 to help you form a well-supported response in Step 3.
These notes can be formatted in whatever way works best for you. Point form, full sentences, drawings. . . you decide!
Step 1:
Research life and culture of the 20th Century North American Lumberjacks
Step 1:
Research life and culture of the 20th Century North American Lumberjacks
To begin, use the resources provided to research the history and culture of North American forestry workers and loggers.
Answer the following questions while taking your personal notes:
Why was this occupation so popular?
Who would have been likely to work at a logging camp?
What environment(s) would loggers live in?
How did loggers socialize with one another and what was their lifestyle like?
Step 2:
Read and View: What are Fearsome Critters?
Step 2:
Read and View: What are Fearsome Critters?
You will now learn about the folk tales of Fearsome Critters that inhabited and mystified the landscapes loggers occupied.
Read excerpts from Fearsome Critters of the Lumberwoods: With a Few Desert and Mountain Beasts (1910) by William T. Cox to better understand the way stories and encounters with Fearsome critters would be retold at logging camps. View the accompanying photographs to better understand the appearance of the critters described.
Respond to the following prompts while writing your personal notes:
What aspects and devices of language are frequently used in Cox's
descriptions of the critters?Record examples of how a fearsome critter reflects specific challenges or characteristics of a logging landscape.
Are these critters scary or funny? In what ways is the contrast between
horror and comedy bridged in the written descriptions and visual
representation of the critters?
Step 3:
Connect the Dots
Step 3:
Connect the Dots
Follow the outline provided in the assessment section of this site to demonstrate your understanding.
This assignment is focused on applying the purpose of fearsome critters and aspects of language found in Cox's description to the environment you are familiar with. Use the notes you took from Steps 1 & 2 to create a well-written and meaningful response.
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