English III: Unit 1
Intro to Literary Practice
Theme: Context & Complexity
Theme: Context & Complexity
This page has lesson plans for Unit 1 class sessions.
August 13 - September 12
(approx 22 sessions)
Unit 1 introduces the idea of a rhetorical situation of a text–exigence, author, purpose, audience, context and message. We will study, discuss and write texts that explore what it means to be “American”: what it means to identify as “American” or to qualify something or someone as “American.” We will also develop an authentic writing practice, and we will draft critical and creative writing that explores what the word “American” means to us individually and collectively. We will practice incorporating claims, evidence and reasoning in our critical writing, and practice describing and discussing the rhetorical situation for a creative piece that we will draft.
Essential Questions:
What does it mean to be “American”?
How do we address context and complexity in our literature and discourse?
Texts
America's Founding Documents - from the National Archives: "These three documents, known collectively as the Charters of Freedom, have secured the rights of the American people for more than two and a quarter centuries and are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States."
Other Proposed Policy Documents:
"Universal Declaration of Human Rights" from the United Nations General Assembly (1948)
"Economic Bill of Rights" by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Essays & Articles:
"What is an American?" by Akbar Ahmed
"One American Identity, Two Distinct Meanings" by Ryan Dawkins, U.S. Air Force Academy
"American Identity" from the National Museum of American History
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau
Excerpts:
"Values" in The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
"Illegal Immigrant Problems" in Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi
Poetry & Songs:
National Anthem - "The Star Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key
"A New National Anthem" by Ada Limon
"America" by Herman Melville
"America" by Claude McKay
"Song of Myself" (1892 version) by Walt Whitman
"Ethnogenesis" by Henry Timrod
“next to of course god america i” by e.e. cummings
"Six Definitions of American" by Eileen Huang
"[American Journal]" by Robert Hayden
“Football Season” by Jericho Brown
“Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry Ohio” by James Wright
“Football” by Louis Jenkins
“football dreams” by Jacqueline Woodson
Selected artwork, audio, video:
"Say Can You See" (2021) by Nari Ward - America, consumerism & security (Menil Exhibit Info)
"Say Can You See" with close-up image
"Nari Ward: ‘Say Can You See’ Addressing Social and Political Issues" in Art Now LA
"Newsletter: How artist Nari Ward uses castoffs to create charged worlds at Deitch gallery" in Los Angeles Times
"Sinking George" (1962) by Phillip Hefferton - dollar bill with errors
"Our Strange Flower of Democracy" | Menil image (2005) by Mel Chin - evokes questions; why these shapes? why these materials?
"Critique the World, Critique Yourself" article with commentary from The Art Studio Inc.
"Big Campbell's Soup Can, 19 cents" (1962) by Andy Warhol
"Campbell's Soup Cans" (1962) by Andy Warhol
"Andy Warhol’s Soup Can Paintings: What They Mean and Why They Became a Sensation" on History.com
"Freedom Fighters for the Society of Forgotten Knowledge, Northern Domestic Scene" (2005) by Kara Walker
"Untitled" (1983, printed 1984) from the series Graceland by William Eggleston
"Master Jazz" from the series Combines by Robert Longo
"Artist Talk: Robert Longo" from The Menil Collection (1 hour video)
Topics:
Rhetorical situation: exigence, purpose, author, audience, context, message
Writing Tips
Sentence Structure, Active vs. Passive Voice, Specific Details & Sensory Language from The Science of Storytelling (excerpt) by Will Storr
Noticing (The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing pg 35-40)
Write What You Know, Observation & Details (The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing pg 58-61)
Exploration & Discovery - Moving from "Triggering" subject to "Real" subject (The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing pg 65-66)
Logic
Rhetorical vs. literary
Persuasion in literature
Annotation & Note-Taking - Summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, questioning, commenting
Analysis & Interpretation: claim, evidence, commentary, quotation marks, citing sources
Identify and describe components of the rhetorical situation: the exigence, audience, writer, purpose, context, and message.
Identify and explain claims and evidence within an argument.
Analysis body paragraph: claim, evidence, commentary - Develop a paragraph that includes a claim and evidence supporting the claim.
Examine how literature has influenced and been influenced by American history and culture.
Grammar: sentence structure, commas, parts of speech (review), capitalization
Impact of place on our lived experience
Unit Skills:
Identify and describe components of the rhetorical situation: the exigence, audience, writer, purpose, context, and message.
Identify and explain claims and evidence within an argument.
Develop a paragraph that includes a claim and evidence supporting the claim.
Examine how literature has influenced and been influenced by American history and culture.
Analyze and discuss fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama, artwork and film.
Practice:
Journal Writing
Reflection - writing process, concepts learned
Formative Assessment(s):
Annotations / Notes
Group discussion notes - Literary Fantasy Football - pick 5 of your favorite lines (from essays, stories, poems, novels, videos, etc.) that best represent what “American” means to you and explain each one including the rhetorical situation and interpretation; write a paragraph to present your overall thesis - inspired by https://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet-books/2011/08/at-long-last-the-marriage-of-fantasy-football-and-poetry
Summative Assessment(s):
Write a 4-5 paragraph essay explaining your idea of what "American" means.
your rhetorical situation: your background, audience, context, message, etc.
references (quote or paraphrase) to texts that we have read and your commentary
Assessment is focused on helping students develop:
critical thinking
creative expression
analytical writing skills
research skills
intellectual and professional communication skills
Visit the assessments page for more details.
Wednesday August 13
Welcome to our exploration of literature! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Examine and discuss how literary practice can influence our lives.
Access online course materials including Google Classroom.
Create your writing portfolio folder in Google Drive and share it with me.
Greetings & Introductions - M&M Game
Intro to Literary Practice - read, annotate, reflect, discuss
What words and phrases stand out to you? Why?
What does it make you wonder?
What are your key takeaways? What are you excited to try in your own literary practice?
What conversations do you hope to inspire through your writing?
Online Materials
Google Classroom
Google Drive Writing Portfolios (see video)
Syllabus Review & Discussion
Share your Writing Portfolio folder in Google Drive to Ms. Ntoso
Thursday August 14 & Friday August 15
Essential Question: How can we use our journal writing as a way to practice freedom?
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Explore and discuss ideas for your journal writing.
Use a mentor text to help you experiment in your journal writing.
Practice freewriting as a critical first step in the creative writing process.
Share your writing and give specific positive feedback on a classmate's writing.
Overview of the Creative Writing Process
Intro to Journal Writing
Read & Annotate: ‘Messy attics of the mind’: what’s inside a writer’s notebook
Reflection & Discussion
Mentor Texts: Journal Writing
Vocabulary: digress, disjunction, reflexive writing, extensive writing
Journal Writing: Freewriting
Sharing & Feedback
Journal Writing: Freewriting using a mentor text to experiment with writing style
Monday August 18
Essential Question: How can we use POV to help convey complex experiences and emotions?
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Define first person, second person and third person narrator point of view (POV).
Explain how choices in narrator POV influence the reader's experience of a piece.
Use a mentor text to help you experiment with POV in your writing.
Mentor Texts - annotate & examine POV & literary techniques
How does the choice in narrator POV influence our experience of reading the piece? How might this piece feel different if we change the narrator POV?
Journal Writing: POV
Sharing & Feedback
Journal Writing: Freewriting using a mentor text to experiment with POV and literary techniques
Monday August 18
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Write a one paragraph author bio, including your personal background, strengths, personality, preferences, literary influences, and dreams.
Proofread your writing to correct errors in capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling.
Author Bio
1.4 Author Bio: graded based on specific details, capitalization, punctuation, spelling and grammar, and explaining your thinking with specific details - submit in Google Classroom
Tuesday August 19
Essential Question: Why do specific details and imagery tell us so much more than generalizations and abstractions?
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Examine and discuss examples of specific concrete details and imagery that works on "two levels."
Write for at least 10 minutes, incorporating imagery and specific concrete details, using a mentor text as a guide.
Share your writing and give specific positive feedback on a classmate's writing.
Mentor Text: "One Day Tiff Was Sad Because It Was the Tenth Anniversary of Her Mother's Death & She Just Really Wanted to Go See Michael Jackson" by Khadijah Queen
What do you notice about the writing style?
Word choice
Punctuation
Sentence structure
How does the writing style contribute to the narrator’s voice? How does it reveal the narrator’s perspective?
How does it influence the mood of the story?
In what ways does each specific detail in the story work on "two levels"? How does it help the reader visualize the world, and how does it also focus the reader on a particular perspective? Give an example and explain. What additional information does this detail convey?
How do the details conjure physical sensations in the reader? Give an example and explain.
Notes on Imagery & Specific Details:
Concrete vs. Abstract -The Making of a Story by Alice LaPlante, pg 109
Start with the particulars -The Making of a Story by Alice LaPlante, pg 113-116
Sensory language & how emotions are experienced -From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler
Imagery works on two levels -The Making of a Story by Alice LaPlante, pg 111-112
Journal Writing: Imagery & Specific Details
Small Group Sharing & Feedback
Journal Writing: specific concrete details & imagery
Wednesday August 20 & Friday August 22
Essential Question: How do we use our voices to speak up about injustice without contributing to an atmosphere of polarization and violence?
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Name the elements of the rhetorical situation: exigence, author, purpose, audience, context, and message.
Analyze and critique authors' explanations of the relationship between poetry, politics, and social consciousness.
Discuss what makes a poem "work."
Collaborate to develop a definition and rubric for critiquing poetry.
Rhetorical Situation Overview
Notes on poetry, politics, and social consciousness
Why Poetry by Matthew Zapruder (excerpts/quotes)
"The Purpose of Poetry" by Jared Carter
“The Hour of Poetry” (excerpt) in And Our Faces, My Heart, Brief as Photos by John Berger
"The Voice of Authority" (excerpt) from Poetry as Persuasion by Carl Dennis
What Is Found There by Adrienne Rich (excerpt/quotes)
“The Writer’s Commitment” by Claribel Alegria (excerpt/quotes)
Small Group Discussion
What does Berger mean when he says, “poetry speaks to the immediate wound”?
What makes poetry unique as a form of language?
What does it mean for a poem to be authentic?
What is the "labor" of a poem? What work does a poem do?
How does putting something into words become a form of hope?
What is "politics"? What is "political"? Where does politics show up in our personal lives and our social relationships? Is there a such thing as "apolitical"? How can "apolitical" poetry still be a form of caring? Does the caring make it political?
What makes a poem "work"? Come up with your own definition or guidelines for what makes a poem "work."
What common themes emerge between ideas discussed by Zapruder, Berger, Dennis, and Rich?
What makes a poem “good”? What makes it “work”? What might we notice in poems that “work”? How can we state this in a way that allows us to evaluate our own poems?
Whole Group Discussion - Co-Creating a Poetry Rubric
What makes a poem "work"?
What questions can we ask of ourselves when we are revising and critiquing our own poems?
Poetry Rubric - due Monday 8/25 on whiteboard & shared Google Doc
Monday August 25
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Read and annotate a poem with your observations, thoughts and questions.
Identify and discuss examples of imagery, metaphor, and text evidence that reflect the theme of the poem of a poem.
Write a one-sentence statement of the theme of a poem.
Discuss the rhetorical situation for a piece of literary writing and how it influences your interpretation.
Annotation guidelines
Read & annotate "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus
What did you notice? What words and phrases stood out to you?
What did it make you think of?
What does it make you wonder?
Identify examples of: imagery & metaphor
Identify text evidence to support the theme
Research background information about the poem
Small Group Discussion - share & discuss:
examples of imagery & metaphor
examples of text evidence that reflects the theme
Theme: Write a one-sentence statement of the theme
Practice: Poetry Annotation & Analysis
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Tuesday August 26 - Thursday August 28
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Read and annotate a poem with your observations, thoughts and questions.
Identify and discuss examples of imagery, metaphor, and text evidence that reflects the theme of the poem of a poem.
Write a 1-2 sentence statement of the theme of a poem.
Brainstorm questions about the rhetorical situation for a piece of literary writing.
Research and discuss the rhetorical situation for a piece of literary writing.
Choose one of the poems to study
Read and annotate:
What did you notice? What words and phrases stood out to you?
What did it make you think of?
What does it make you wonder?
Identify examples of: imagery & metaphor
Identify text evidence to support the theme
Theme: Write a one-sentence statement of the theme
Scan and upload your annotated poem into your Writing Portfolio folder
In Google Classroom:
Find the assignment and attach the file
Complete the self-assessment form
Submit the assignment
1.18: Poetry Annotation - due Friday 9/27
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Tuesday September 2 & Friday September 5
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Read and annotate a poem, identifying craft choices that influence meaning.
Identify and discuss examples of imagery, metaphor, and word choice that reflect the theme of the poem.
Write a one-sentence statement of the theme of a poem.
Research and take notes on the historical, geographical, social, and biographical context for a literary work.
Generate questions for discussing context, craft, ideas, meaning, and connections inspired by the text.
Analyze and discuss observations and insights related to context, craft, ideas, meaning, and connections inspired by a poem.
Reflect and respond in writing or audio recording with your thoughts inspired by the reading and discussion.
Review the rhetorical situation for each mentor text option
Choose one of the following poems to read & take notes on your mentor text
“We Lived Happily During the War” by Ilya Kaminsky
Night by Ennio Moltedo, translated by Marguerite Feitlowitz (excerpt)
"[...]" by Fady Joudah (selected poem)
"Gate A-4" by Naomi Shihab Nye
“Football Season” by Jericho Brown
Write the title and the poet's name
Describe content, structure and style of the opening line
Write the opening line in your journal (don't forget to use quotation marks)
What parts of this line do you admire?
What words stand out to you in the opening line? Why?
List examples of imagery and specific concrete details (Write down the exact quotes) How does this image or concrete detail work on two levels?
What do you notice about punctuation, spacing, line breaks, grammar, literary techniques or word choice? How does this craft choice influence meaning or mood in the piece?
Exploring Social Issues
In what ways does the speaker display passion, discrimination, and inclusiveness?
In what way does this poem “speak to the immediate wound”?
In what ways does this poem “bring together what life has separated or violence has torn apart”?
What political work does this poem do?
How does this poem close indifference and “incite caring”?
In what ways is this poem evidence of hope?
Online Discussion
Poetry Rubric Review
Review our poetry rubric. Does this poem work? Use text evidence to explain.
Small Group Discussion
1.7 Online Discussion - Exploring Social Issues through Poetry - Literary Reflection & Comments to consider in revising our rubric - due Thursday 8/22, respond in Google Classroom
Write at least two paragraphs in response to the questions below. Be sure to proofread your writing and correct errors in capitalization, punctuation, spelling and grammar.
The poem you studied: How does the poem you studied reflect one of the ideas discussed by Matthew Zapruder, John Berger, Carl Dennis, or Adrienne Rich?
Introduce the title of poem and the poet's name.
Use text evidence (quotes) to support your claim.
Explain your thinking... how does the text evidence reflect this idea?
Your own writing: What "great question of our time" do you want to explore in your own writing? What craft moves do you want to try as you explore this question?
Poetry Rubric - due Monday 8/25 on whiteboard & shared Google Doc
Thursday September 11 & Friday September 12
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Write a first draft of a poem, essay, story, or play that includes imagery and specific concrete details.
Mentor text reading & response
Write your first draft
Identify words, phrases and sentences from your journal writing that you want to incorporate in your draft
What POV will you try using?
What mentor text(s) do you want to use? What technique do you want to start off with?
1.8 First Draft w/ Imagery & Concrete Details - due Sunday August 25 by 11:59pm, submit scanned notes & typed draft in Google Classroom
Poetry Rubric - due Monday 8/25 on whiteboard & shared Google Doc
Monday September 15
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Revise your poem to include imagery and specific concrete details.
Details & Concrete Imagery
Structure & Form, Line Breaks & Spacing
Word Choice
Poetry Rubric - due Monday 8/25 on whiteboard & shared Google Doc
Wednesday September 17
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Revise your poem to include a language pattern that enhances rhythm and meaning.
Types of patterns
Mentor Text: What patterns do you notice?
What does a pattern do? What effect does breaking a pattern have?
Structure & Form, Line Breaks & Spacing
Word Choice, motifs & language patterns
Grammar & punctuation
1.11 First Draft & Author's Commentary - due Sunday 9/21 by 11:59pm
Friday September 19
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Write at least 3 paragraphs of author’s commentary. Be sure to:
Explain how highly specific concrete details and imagery reflect themes and ideas explored in the text
Use accurate literary terminology in explaining craft choices
Use appropriate capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar
Suggest names for our literary magazine.
Author's Commentary
Whole Group Discussion - Co-Creating a Poetry Rubric
What makes a poem "work"?
What questions can we ask of ourselves when we are revising and critiquing our own poems?
1.11 First Draft & Author's Commentary - due Sunday 9/21 by 11:59pm
TBD
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Embed quotes from the text using appropriate signal phrase verbs, punctuation and transitions
Proofread and correct errors in capitalization, punctuation, spelling and grammar.
Draft your letter.
Review Signal Phrases
1.14 Deep Conversation Letter to an Author due Monday 9/8
TBD
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Write at least one paragraph responding to ideas in the text.
Discuss and explain your understanding of a topic using text evidence and commentary to support and explain your ideas.
Discuss and evaluate the quality and productivity of your group's discussion.
Synthesis
Review and reflect on the texts we have read:
Write your reading reflection - consider creating a mind map or list
Overview of group discussion notes & evaluation
Small group discussion
Practice: Small Group Discussion Notes & Evaluation
Literary Discussion & Synthesis Notes
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11th and 12th grade English courses are designed to prepare you for the rigor and complexity of college-level work. Readings and assignments are often challenging, and it is important to take action early if you are having difficulty in class.
Visit the Tips for Success page for information that can help you to be successful in class.
Week of September 5
Welcome back! My plan for today is to guide you to:
Read and annotate a poem with your observations, thoughts and questions.
Identify and discuss examples of imagery, metaphor, and text evidence that reflects the theme of the poem of a poem.
Write a 1-2 sentence statement of the theme of a poem.
Write a one-paragraph literary interpretation that includes a claim, evidence and commentary.
Read and annotate a nonfiction text with your observations, thoughts and questions.
Write at least one paragraph responding to ideas in the text.
List and explain 4-5 qualities you believe to be fundamental to the idea of being "American."
Write an outline for an essay that states the main idea of each paragraph and lists supporting details that will be used to explain each main idea.
Write a one-sentence thesis statement that is focused, specific and provides an overview of the main points you will cover in your essay.
Write a 4-5 paragraph essay explaining your idea of what "American" means.
thesis statement
text evidence from the poems and nonfiction texts you studied
analysis body paragraphs: claim, evidence, commentary
use signal phrases to cite sources of information (title and author)
Write using appropriate capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, and transition phrases.
1.6 Poetry Annotation & Analysis
1.8 Poem Analysis Paragraph
1.11 Reading Notes, Outline & Thesis
1.12 Persuasive Essay Draft
1.6 Poetry Annotation & Analysis
1.8 Poem Analysis Paragraph
1.11 Reading Notes, Outline & Thesis
1.12 Persuasive Essay Draft
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