Unit & Timeline

Standard Objectives

Romanticism, 1 week

-        Review of Literary era

Gothic Literature, 3 weeks

-        Review of Literary

Texts Studied:

-        “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe

-        “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gillman

-        “House Taken Over” by Julio Cortozar  

Reading for All Purposes

• 10.2.1: Analyze how an author’s choices regarding the structure of a text, its order of events, and how it manipulates time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks, foreshadowing) create effects such as mystery, tension, or surprise.
• Example: Exploring how Poe's use of suspense and foreshadowing creates an eerie mood in The Fall of the House of Usher.
• 10.2.2: Analyze how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
• 10.2.3: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• Example: Analyzing the use of dark, gloomy diction in Gothic literature to develop a sense of foreboding.
• 10.2.4: 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.
• Example: Investigating how the Romantic emphasis on nature and emotion reflects societal responses to industrialization.

Writing and Composition

• 10.3.1: 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.
• Example: Writing an essay analyzing the philosophical and ethical themes in various gothic stories, such as the dangers of unchecked ambition.
• 10.3.2: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
• Example: Creating a Gothic short story inspired by the stylistic elements of Poe’s writing.

Research and Reasoning

• 10.4.1: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
• Example: Researching the historical context of the Romantic movement and its response to the Enlightenment or industrialization.
• 10.4.2: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Speaking and Listening

• 10.1.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
• 10.1.2: Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats and evaluate the motives behind its presentation.

Unit & Timeline

Standard Objectives

Ancient Literature, 1 week

Texts Studied:

-        "The Epic of Gilgamesh" (Mesopotamia)

-        "The Iliad" by Homer (Greece)

-        Norse Mythology

Medieval Literature, 2 weeks

Texts Studied:

-        "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer (England)

-        "Beowulf" (Anglo-Saxon)

-        "The Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri (Italy)

Enlightenment Literature, 1 week

Texts Studied:

-        "Candide" by Voltaire (France)

-        "Gulliver’s Travels" by Jonathan Swift (England)

-        "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe (England)

Reading for All Purposes

• RL.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.10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text.
• RL.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.10.4: Analyze the cumulative impact of specific 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).

Writing and Composition

• W.10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
• W.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.10.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Research and Reasoning

• W.10.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
• W.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.

Oral Expression and Listening

• SL.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.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.