AMERICAN LITERATURE
C O U R S E T R A I L E R
Spiral 1 - Informative/Explanatory
Open this menu for Unit detailsSpiral 3 includes the following:
Unit 0 - Community Building & Mental Health
Click Here: ALHS - Curriculum Page for details
Unit 1 - American Literature Overview
The purpose of this unit is to learn about what makes American Literature canon.
Students will be able to:
Learn about the history and main ideas of the literary movements that consist of canonical American literature.
Write an informative/explanatory essay on a literary movement of their choosing
Draw connections between historical/century old concepts and how they have influenced today's art/media/literature/culture
Collaborate on a presentation that showcases their understanding of the influence these movements have today
Unit 2: Canonical American Literature
In this unit, we'll overview the many genres that make up the American literary canon. Upon analyzing each genre we will close out the unit by making connections to the 21st century. Thinking about how these age-old genres have shaped literature, media, and our country today.
The Norton Anthology of Theory & Criticism
This anthology will explore the many literary theories and ways in which writers/thinkers have analyzed literature. We will use these theories to reflect on our own experiences and how we see the world around us.
This anthology will help us explore concepts like, but not limited to:
Enlightenment
Romanticism
Naturalism
Modernism
This is a Unit Tracker that students use as a roadmap or checklist to follow along as they complete a lesson from the unit. There are certain items that require them to write down a soft deadline (e.g., "TIME CHECK!") as a pacing marker of where they should be. Other deadlines could include Socratic Seminars, Essay drafts, one-on-one check-ins and much more!
You'll notice that this unit is separated into two parts:
A frontloading portion where we focus on the genres/literary movements of canonical American Literature
Writing a paper and designing a presentation that represents how that canonical literary movement is relevant or present in today's literature/media
In SFUSD, we work towards the Informative/Explanatory spiral, where students are learning about some of the key literary movements to the American literary canon. In this unit, we are looking for students to draw connections between age old topics and bridge it to today's literature and media.
Read-a-long Mixtapes & Online Discussion Threads
I got the idea for read-a-long mixtapes from a professor of anthropology at Kanas State University, Michael Wesch. The purpose of these mixtapes is to provide students with another entry point to reading. This allows for students to read and listen to the content at the same time. During distance learning, I wanted to provide students with a chance to learn off-screen, and Michael Wesch's solution was a great alternative.
These mixtapes have audio notes throughout them that help summarizes or make sense of the reading, especially if the reading is dense or requires a higher level of comprehension. Many of the readings for 11th grade are derived from my undergraduate English program to help frame how we will be looking at American Literature in this course.
These mixtapes are coupled with Discussion Questions on Google Classroom where students are tasked with a guided question and write a response by providing evidence and analysis. These discussion threads are practice for writing standard body paragraphs in a 5-paragraph literary analysis essay (which are often used for SAT Essays or college standard writing).
Example Mixtape
A brief intro for The Norton Anthology of Theory & Criticism
Instructional Videos
An instructional video is an informational medium that delivers the lessons, new content or instructions for assignments through video. The purpose of using instructional videos as the main learning component is to provide students access at school and at home. These videos allow students to self-direct their learning by pacing the content themselves. They are able to pick up where they left off if they were absent or on vacation. They can even return to review the material at any given time.
Spiral 2 - Autobiographical Narrative
Open this menu for Unit detailsSpiral 3 includes the following:
Unit 5 - Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas
The purpose of this unit is to expand and redefine what is considered "American Literature". We will dive into the immigration rhetoric and racial discourse America has of its documented v. undocumented citizens.
Students will be able to
Discuss and compare perspectives on essential themes of the text
Close read and annotate the text
Collaborate with peers by comparing and contrasting articles to write an informative/explanatory paper
Write an informative/explanatory literary analysis paper
Draw connections between the classroom and real-world context/current events
Unit 3: Literary Theory
In this unit, we will take a deep dive into learning the various forms of critiques and theories that readers use to analyze literature. We will also use these lenses to analyze ourselves, the world around us, and the literature we will read in the coming units. This unit will culminate in a final group project and a reflective short story.
The Norton Anthology of Theory & Criticism
This anthology will explore the many literary theories and ways in which writers/thinkers have analyzed literature. We will use these theories to reflect on our own experiences and how we see the world around us.
This anthology will help us explore concepts like, but not limited to:
Feminism/gender/sexuality
Marxism/socialism
Critical race theory
This is a Unit Tracker that students use as a roadmap or checklist to follow along as they complete a lesson from the unit. There are certain items that require them to write down a soft deadline (e.g., "TIME CHECK!") as a pacing marker of where they should be. Other deadlines could include Socratic Seminars, Essay drafts, one-on-one check-ins and much more!
You'll notice that this unit is separated into two parts:
A frontloading portion where we focus on various literary theories
Writing a short story that reflects on an impactful moment in their life using one of the literary theories
In SFUSD, we work towards the Narrative spiral, where students are learning about literay theories and how they can see their presence in their life. In this unit, students are applying these literary theories and drafting a response to one of the 8 UC Personal Insight Questions.
Instructional Videos
An instructional video is an informational medium that delivers the lessons, new content or instructions for assignments through video. The purpose of using instructional videos as the main learning component is to provide students access at school and at home. These videos allow students to self-direct their learning by pacing the content themselves. They are able to pick up where they left off if they were absent or on vacation. They can even return to review the material at any given time.
Unit 4: Life After High School
Spiral 3 - Argument
Open this menu for Unit detailsSpiral 3 includes the following:
Unit 5 - Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas
The purpose of this unit is to expand and redefine what is considered "American Literature". We will dive into the immigration rhetoric and racial discourse America has of its documented v. undocumented citizens.
Students will be able to
Discuss and compare perspectives on essential themes of the text
Close read and annotate the text
Collaborate with peers by comparing and contrasting articles to write an informative/explanatory paper
Write an informative/explanatory literary analysis paper
Draw connections between the classroom and real-world context/current events
Unit 5: Internment
Internment
by Samira Ahmed
Internment is about 17 year old Layla Amin and her parents being forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens. The story takes place in a horrifying near-future, almost dystopian, United States where the U.S. Census has targeted those who identify as Muslim.
In this unit, we cover topics such as, but not limited to:
Islamaphobia
Relocation
Japanese Internment Camps
Dehumanization
This is a Unit Tracker that students use as a roadmap or checklist to follow along as they complete a lesson from the unit. There are certain items that require them to write down a soft deadline (e.g., "TIME CHECK!") as a pacing marker of where they should be. Other deadlines could include Socratic Seminars, Essay drafts, one-on-one check-ins and much more!
You'll notice that this unit is separated into two parts:
A frontloading portion where we focus on various concepts related to the text
Reading, annotating, and discussing the text itself
Workshopping a literary analysis essay
In SFUSD, we work towards the Argumentative/Persuasive spiral where students learn about comparing and contrasting perspectives. In this unit, we ask students to examine historical events with prejudice or injustice and make connections in how we see that in our local communities today.
Example Lesson of Chapter Highlights
To guide students as they read, I am working on creating some highlight videos for students to tune into.
Unit 6: Dear America
Newsela Text Set - Dear America: Where do Asians Fit in?
The following link is only accessible through a Newsela account, join for access! Open drop menu for details of the Text SetEssential Question: Does it matter how Americans perceive immigrants?
Supporting questions:
What was the initial perception have Asian immigrants and how has that changed over time?
How has race, stereotypes, and immigration status affected the Asian identity?
Student/ Teacher Instructions:
Day 1 - 2 (paired with slide deck below)
Prior to reading Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Vargas, read and annotate the first two articles.
While reading, highlight historical details that help you better understand the article in BLUE. Highlight details that connect to the supporting question in GREEN.
After reading, we will piece together the history, ask questions, and discuss what we understand and don't understand.
Day 3-4 (Independent reading with jig-saw group discussion)
For the following articles, what connections can you make to the following concepts: Racial Triangulation, Model Minority Myth, Social Invisibility Narrative, Dehumanization? Highlight those connections in BLUE. Highlight details that connect to the supporting question in GREEN.
Pair 1: While reading, take note of at least two groups of people that were described in "Surges and slips: Immigration in America over 200 years". Then follow the instructions in the Write Prompt.
Pair 2: After reading "Tales of Asians' success in America overlook immigrants living on the edge" follow the instructions in the Write Prompt.
After completing Write Prompt, choose which pair will share how their article connects to any of the critical concepts and supporting questions.
Self-assess your discussion using the group discussion rubrics
Day 5
All-class discussion/debrief from jigsaw
Read at least one of the remaining articles (Newsela & Extension Resources) and share your opinions (5-7 sentences) on the Google Classroom thread. Answer the following: EQ: Does it matter how Americans perceive immigrants? What are your thoughts on how COVID-19 is affecting the way Asian Americans are being treated today? How is that related to the history of migration of Asian immigrants?
Extension Resources:
Class Website: Argument Essay Module
Patriot Act w/ Hasan Minhaj: "Immigration Enforcement"
"Coronavirus fears show how 'model minority' Asian Americans become the 'yellow peril'"
Intended Grade Level(s): 11
Content Areas: ELA, Ethnic Studies, Social Sciences
Skills Practiced: CCSS ELA Reading 11.1-3; ELA Writing 11.2, 11.5, 11.6, 11.9; ELA Speaking & Listening 11.1b-c, 11.2, 11.6
Estimated Time: 4-5 lessons (60 minutes each)
Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen
by Jose Antonio Vargas
Dear America is about the story of an undocumented citizen growing up in the Bay Area. From Jose's autobiography, we will read about other's experiences to help us contextualize ourselves in these untold stories.
In this unit, we cover topics such as, but not limited to:
Immigration
Racial Triangulation