Modern Era Literature Unit, 6 weeks

-        Modernist Movement

-        Research on Historical Influence

-        Novel Study

Texts Studied:

-        The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald  

Reading for All Purposes

• CO.9-10.2.1.a: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of explicit and implicit themes in a text.
• Example: Identify passages in The Great Gatsby that reflect the theme of the American Dream and analyze how Fitzgerald critiques its ideals.
• CO.9-10.2.1.c: Analyze the development of complex characters and how they interact with historical and cultural influences.
• Example: Examine how Gatsby’s character represents both ambition and disillusionment in the 1920s social landscape.
• CO.9-10.2.2.a: Determine the meaning of words and phrases, including figurative and symbolic meanings, in modern literature.
• Example: Analyze the symbolism of the green light, the Valley of Ashes, and Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes in The Great Gatsby.
• CO.9-10.2.3.a: Analyze how multiple texts from the same period reflect historical and social influences.
• Example: Compare The Great Gatsby to poetry from the Harlem Renaissance, discussing how both reflect themes of identity and societal change.

Writing and Composition

• CO.9-10.3.2.a: Write arguments to support claims using valid reasoning and relevant textual evidence.
• Example: Write an essay arguing whether Gatsby truly embodies the American Dream or if he is doomed by its illusions.
• CO.9-10.3.1.a: Write narratives or reflections that explore the effects of the 1920s cultural movements on personal and societal identity.
• Example: Write a first-person narrative from the perspective of someone living in Harlem during the Renaissance, incorporating historical research.

Research and Reasoning

• CO.9-10.4.1.a: Conduct research projects on the Harlem Renaissance and Industrialization, evaluating their impact on 1920s American culture and society.
• Example: Investigate how industrialization affected social class structure in the 1920s and how this is reflected in The Great Gatsby.
• CO.9-10.4.2.b: Synthesize information from multiple sources to develop a deeper understanding of historical and cultural shifts.
• Example: Research how Harlem Renaissance literature responded to racial and economic inequality and present findings in a multimedia format.

Speaking and Listening

• CO.9-10.1.1.a: Engage in discussions about The Great Gatsby and its representation of the American Dream, class struggles, and societal changes.
• Example: Participate in a Socratic seminar debating whether Gatsby is a tragic hero or a product of a broken system.
• CO.9-10.1.2.a: Present findings on the Harlem Renaissance and Industrialization using multimedia or visual aids.
• Example: Create a video or slideshow analyzing the cultural impact of jazz music, poetry, and visual art during the Harlem Renaissance.

Unit & Timeline

Standard Objectives

Existentialism , 1-2 weeks

Texts Studied:

-       Metamorphosis by Frankz Kafka

Reading for All Purposes

• CO.9-10.2.1.a: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of explicit and implicit themes in a text.
• CO.9-10.2.1.c: Analyze the development of complex characters and how they interact with themes of freedom and identity.
• CO.9-10.2.2.a: Determine the meaning of words and phrases, including figurative and symbolic meanings, in texts.

Examples:

• Analyze how The Metamorphosis explores alienation and absurdity through Gregor Samsa’s transformation, connecting it to existentialist themes.
• Interpret the symbolic meaning of freedom and control in The Truman Show and its relationship to existentialist philosophy.

Writing and Composition

• CO.9-10.3.2.a: Write arguments to support claims with reasoning and relevant evidence, exploring existential themes.
• CO.9-10.3.1.a: Write narratives that explore existentialist concepts like alienation and personal responsibility.

Examples:

• Compose a personal reflection on how the themes of alienation or freedom in the unit apply to modern life.

 Research and Reasoning

• CO.9-10.4.1.a: Conduct research projects connecting existentialist ideas in literature and film to historical and cultural contexts.
• CO.9-10.4.2.b: Evaluate multiple sources to synthesize perspectives on existentialist philosophy and its impact on modern culture.

Examples:

o   Participate in a Socratic seminar exploring how Gregor’s choices and Truman’s actions embody existentialist concepts of personal responsibility.

o   Present an analysis of existentialist themes using multimedia, focusing on how they resonate with contemporary society.

 Speaking and Listening

• CO.9-10.1.1.a: Engage in collaborative discussions about existentialist themes in The Metamorphosis and The Truman Show.
• CO.9-10.1.2.a: Present ideas about the existentialist themes of alienation and choice using multimedia or visual aids.

Examples

• Evaluate sources to synthesize connections between existentialism and modern discussions about identity and freedom.

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.