Pluralistic Literature
Welcome to 10th Grade Honors English! This year, we will be exploring pluralistic literature and various perspectives that contribute to the diverse body of world literature available to readers in contemporary society today. I want you to always do your best and believe that nothing is impossible. I want your priorities to be based on intrinsic interests and your own desire to learn more and attain wisdom about yourselves, other people, and the world around you at large. I want your experience in my classroom to be an entertaining interlude in life. I want you to try things- try a new writing style- try reading from a different genre than you are accustomed to reading. I want you to be creative and dare to be divergent. My class is an opportunity to experiment, consider new perspectives, formulate your own perspectives, develop your tastes in literature and writing styles, and express your voice. We will be studying various works and exploring many writing styles. This semester, we will be reading various forms of literature including novels, poems, and short stories. We will have writing assignments, presentations, and projects that correspond and enhance what we are reading in and out of class. In addition, we will focus on vocabulary building and grammar. We have a lot to cover this year and my job is to make it interesting- that is what I aspire to do.
Syllabus: English 10H
the_syllabus_english_10h.pdf | |
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A Preview of Coming Attractions
The below PowerPoint is a compilation of images of authors that we will be studying this semester. Their works, some poems, some novels, contribute to a pluralistic and diverse collection of literature available to individuals today. See how many you recognize before we begin the semester.
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"The Allegory of the Cave"
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Directions: After reading this short piece from Plato's The Republic, answer the following questions independently or with a partner. Be sure to answer all parts of the question and use complete sentences.
Question No. 1: Now that you have read "The Allegory of the Cave," read the following excerpts from Francis Bacon's Novum Organum. “For it is a false assertion that the sense of man is the measure of things. On the contrary, all perceptions as well as the sense as of the mind are according to the measure of the individual and not according to the measure of the universe.”
What does this mean? What is Francis Bacon saying that aligns with the point (or main idea) present in Plato's "Allegory of the Cave?"
Hint: Here is the rest of the excerpt: “And the human understanding is like a false mirror, which, receiving rays irregularly distorts and discolors the nature of things by mingling its own nature with it… For everyone (besides the errors common to human nature in general) has a cave or den of his own, which refracts and discolors the light of nature, owing either to his own proper and peculiar nature, or to his education and conversation with others, or to the reading of books, and the authority of those whom he esteems and admires; or to the difference of impressions, accordingly as they take place in a mind preoccupied and predisposed or in a mind indifferent and settled, or the like.”
Question No. 2: An allegory is a story composed of symbols or representations that strive to elicit a greater lesson, main idea, or moral to the story. What does the cave symbolize in Plato's "The Allegory of the Cave?" What do the chains symbolize?
Question No. 3: In your opinion, why do the men reject the man who escapes and has a new perspective? What feelings or thoughts do you believe the men in the cave have?
Question No. 4: Why do you think these excerpts are significant (important) as we begin to study pluralistic literature and diverse texts?
Question No. 1: Now that you have read "The Allegory of the Cave," read the following excerpts from Francis Bacon's Novum Organum. “For it is a false assertion that the sense of man is the measure of things. On the contrary, all perceptions as well as the sense as of the mind are according to the measure of the individual and not according to the measure of the universe.”
What does this mean? What is Francis Bacon saying that aligns with the point (or main idea) present in Plato's "Allegory of the Cave?"
Hint: Here is the rest of the excerpt: “And the human understanding is like a false mirror, which, receiving rays irregularly distorts and discolors the nature of things by mingling its own nature with it… For everyone (besides the errors common to human nature in general) has a cave or den of his own, which refracts and discolors the light of nature, owing either to his own proper and peculiar nature, or to his education and conversation with others, or to the reading of books, and the authority of those whom he esteems and admires; or to the difference of impressions, accordingly as they take place in a mind preoccupied and predisposed or in a mind indifferent and settled, or the like.”
Question No. 2: An allegory is a story composed of symbols or representations that strive to elicit a greater lesson, main idea, or moral to the story. What does the cave symbolize in Plato's "The Allegory of the Cave?" What do the chains symbolize?
Question No. 3: In your opinion, why do the men reject the man who escapes and has a new perspective? What feelings or thoughts do you believe the men in the cave have?
Question No. 4: Why do you think these excerpts are significant (important) as we begin to study pluralistic literature and diverse texts?
Texts To Be Discovered
Life of PiBy Yann Martel
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NightBy Elie Wiesel
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Summer Reading Novels:
Point-of-view
DELVING INTO PERSPECTIVE
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Literary Criticisms
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We know that this year, we are focusing on pluralistic literature or literature that gives us insight into unique and diverse perspectives. Even with the unique individuality and diversity in each text, there are still multiple lenses through which one can interpret a work of literature. This is only a brief overview. There are many other forms of literary criticisms that are at play in literature. Later in the year, when participating in online Socratic seminars, you will be expected to identify the critical lenses that you employ when analyzing a piece of literature.
"Essay On Criticism"
The word essay means "to try" or "to attempt." An essay is an attempt to convey a perspective or a line of thought. We read essays to better understand a point-of-view. In this class, you will be critics before you are conformists. Conformity is not always a bad thing. It is how we collectively experience the world. The greatest misfortune is blind conformity- conforming to a perspective or ideology without understanding why you are participating in the practice or concept. For that reason, I expect you to be critics. Answers are important, but what I want you to hone in on this semester is how to ask questions, how to be inquisitive, and how to be a critical thinker and reader. From an "Essay on Criticism" by Alexander Pope:
"'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill
Appear in writing or in judging ill; But, of the two, less dang'rous is th' offence To tire our patience, than mislead our sense. Some few in that, but numbers err in this, Ten censure wrong for one who writes amiss; A fool might once himself alone expose, Now one in verse makes many more in prose. 'Tis with our judgments as our watches, none Go just alike, yet each believes his own. In poets as true genius is but rare, True taste as seldom is the critic's share; Both must alike from Heav'n derive their light, These born to judge, as well as those to write. Let such teach others who themselves excel, And censure freely who have written well. Authors are partial to their wit, 'tis true, But are not critics to their judgment too?" |
Literary Devices
literary_devices.pdf | |
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"Good Country People"
oconnor+good+country+people.docx | |
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Online Socratic Seminars
online_socratic_seminars.pdf | |
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Literary Movements
Sometimes it is helpful to put things in a chronological perspective to help understand the evolvement of literature through history. Therefore, we will briefly touch on the major literary movements. Many of these are specific to literature in America. However, some movements were pervasive in other parts of the world as well (example: romanticism & Southern Gothic). These are not all of the literary movements, but rather a sample of some of the major ones.
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Your Opinion;
The Color of Water Enhancement
For our journal prompt today, I want you to watch the video. There are a few parts that I will skip over, because it is offensive to me. However, as you watch this, I want you to think about how it makes you feel, what the tone is, how it changes, and how it connects to society today. For those of you who read The Color of Water over the summer break: How is this video similar to the text that you read? How is it different?
Life of Pi by yann martel
-Magical Realism-
Once upon a time…
There were two French Canadians who fell in love and decided to have a child. They named their child, Yann Martel. He was destined for great things. Though he was French Canadian, he was born in Spain, where his mother was continuing her education. His mother was highly educated and his father was as well. They joined the Canadian service and traveled to many different places. Therefore, Yann moved many places throughout his childhood. Yann attended high school and college in Ontario, where he pursued undergraduate and graduate studies in philosophy. Philosophy is the study of the schools of thought that influence science and art. After school, he travelled extensively as a young adult. He lived in Iran, Turkey, and India. He spent two years studying religions of the world. In these two years, he devoted himself to reading as many religious doctrines and castaway narratives as possible. In the meantime, he took on many odd jobs. He was a tree planter, dishwasher, security guard, and parking lot attendant. At the age of twenty-seven, he decided that he was ready to be a writer. He published Life of Pi in September of 2001. This text gained national attention and won all of these cool honors and awards. He now lives in Saskatoon, Canada. His writing explores the complexities of human emotion, perspective, and experience. |
Author Spotlight: Martel |
Background Knowledge |
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yann_martel_biography.docx | |
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Drumroll: Characters |
Discussion Questions |
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Understanding Multiculturalism
PPT Presentations: Life of Pi
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"The Danger of a Single Story"
the_danger_of_a_single_story_discussion_questions.doc | |
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Stereotypes In
society & Literature
Is there a difference between a character having an allegorical stance and having a stereotype? Are stereotypes limiting or helpful? Are they positive or negative? The answer is both. Nonetheless, which do you feel is more prevalent?
READ THE ARTICLE. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
(1) According to the article, what is a stereotype?
(2) What is one way that stereotyping can be beneficial according to the video?
(3) What is one way that stereotypes can be negative according to the video?
(4) What perpetuates labels/stereotypes in society?
(1) According to the article, what is a stereotype?
(2) What is one way that stereotyping can be beneficial according to the video?
(3) What is one way that stereotypes can be negative according to the video?
(4) What perpetuates labels/stereotypes in society?
Stereotyping Article:
stereotypes_article.docx | |
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Understanding Ideologies
Ideologies are collections of ideas that make up belief systems and values. These beliefs and values guide subsequent action and behavior. If you think of a tree and roots, you might be able to better understand how we study ideologies. We can see the tree, trunk and branches. These direct and explicit observances of a tree are like the behaviors and actions that result from mainstream ideologies in society. The roots of the tree are like ideologies. They are indirect, implicit, and inherent, but responsible for the growth of the branches of actions and behaviors.
If we were to divide society into two categories: the mainstream group and the marginalized group, then we could more clearly understand the function of dominant ideologies in society. Changes in society come from subversive or counter-ideologies. When marginalized groups join a mainstream society, we typically see one of two things: Assimilation (when someone gives up their cultural background and ideological standpoints and completely joins the mainstream) or Acculturation (when someone maintains their cultural ideologies, but also adopts some of the mainstream cultural ideologies). |
Culture Jamming
-Post-Modernism-
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"The Yellow WallPaper"
by Charlotte perkins gilman
-Realsim-
The Gilman Biography
The Lecture: Critical Connections in society |
The Text: "The YWP"
The inquiry: Socratic Seminar Questions |
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"The Human Chair"
by edogawa Rampo
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Holocaust Literature
"Crocuses"
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"The Thing in the Forest" by A.s. byatt
byatt_the_thing_in_the_forest.pdf | |
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Night by elie wiesel
-Remembering-
night_by_wiesel_review.pptx | |
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Elie Wiesel Biography
Genocide & Holocaust
Ars Poetica: Depth |
Elie Wiesel was born in Sighet, Romania, in 1928. He grew up like many Romanian children during that time frame- with a close emphasis on family, the community, and his faith. He was brought up in a Jewish family. In 1944, at the age of sixteen, his village was destroyed upon deportation.
In 1945, Elie survived and lived in Auschwitz, Buna, Buchenwald, and Gleiwitz. Elie survived the Jewish Holocaust dictated by Hitler. Elie lost his family, his innocence, and questioned his faith. After the war, Elie was sent to a French orphanage. He later studied at the University Paris Sorbonne in France. It was during his time at university that he (with the guidance of another colleague) began to reflect on his experiences. He studied journalism. It became his mission to tell his story to the world, not for fame, but for moral obligation. He wants to ensure that the lives and stories of so many others destroyed by the Holocaust will never be forgotten or denied existence. His most taught piece in classrooms across the United States is Night (published in 1958). After Night, Wiesel published thirty more books. In 1963, Wiesel became a U.S. citizen. He married in 1969 and continued in his efforts to write and speak about the Holocaust. He earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. He also was appointed President chair of the Commission on the Holocaust. Wiesel has received many additional awards for his writing, dedication, and service to providing knowledge and advocating a voice of remembrance regarding the Holocaust and victims that never survived to tell their full stories. Background Knowledge
Sociology:
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intolerance_lesson_night.ppt | |
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Discussion Questions
night_discussion_questions.pdf | |
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Technology Integration
Hyperlinked poemFor this assignment, you will be given the duration of one class period to write an eight line poem with vivid imagery in some way related to the Holocaust. You will need to hyperlink five (5) images in your poem. If you have questions, please ask. Email the final poem to: [email protected].
Make sure that you have the hyperlinks in your poem. The word or phrase should appear blue if you have hyperlinked correctly. |
Glogster Reviewshttp://oszymkowski18.edu.glogster.com/the-book-thief-book-report/
Above is an example of a Glogster. Using your iPad, create a Glogster account. After you create your account, begin making your own glogster. You have the creative freedom to organize your glogster the way you would like. However, you must have information about the piece of literature you select, the author, a plot summary, a quote from the text, and a blurp about one literary technique employed in the writing. |
Denial of the Holocaust
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You can still visit Auschwitz and feel the silence that pervades the air there. Yet, still, there are people who deny the Holocaust. This videos is against the denial of the Holocaust.
It is also important to note that the Holocaust is not the only genocide. There have been many genocides. The Armenian Genocide of 1915 has received more attention in educational realms. The first genocide of the twentieth century began in 2003 in Sudan. It is known as the Darfur Genocide. I do not ask you to study this so that you will be depressed. I ask you to study this to sober your existence and make you cognizant of injustice and inhumane behavior (beyond the depth that words can reach) that taints our history. |
Final Exam Study Guide
final_exam_english_10h_semester_1.docx | |
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The Art of Rhetoric
introduction_to_rhetoric.pptx | |
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The above powerpoint is an introduction to the art of rhetoric and Aristotle's rhetorical appeals. We will discuss these more in class.
A Mid-Summer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare
a_midsummer_nights_dream.pdf | |
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Shakespeare Biography
A Lecture:
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msnd_mimesis___archetypes_i.pptx | |
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Introductory ppt.
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For Reference: Background Info.
background_info._act_by_act.pptx | |
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Discussion Questions
msnd_discussion_questions.pdf | |
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Elizabethan photo gallery
beyond
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msnd graphic organizer
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MSND Review ppt.
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Study Materials
Nearpod Presentation:
https://app.nearpod.com/#/?pin=YZSRP
Literary Terms: https://quizlet.com/_1yi248
https://app.nearpod.com/#/?pin=YZSRP
Literary Terms: https://quizlet.com/_1yi248
Review: Literary Criticisms
Literary Criticisms Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/_1yi2hz
"Everyday Use"
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"Sweat"
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Discussion Questions >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> |
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Kindred by Octavia butler
Butler Biography |
Octavia Butler was an American science fiction writer. She grew up in California. Her father died at a young age and her mother cleaned houses for predominantly white, affluent families. Octavia was raised mainly by her mother and grandmother. This strong feminine influence and her insight into the injustice of white supremacy were infiltrated in her works. She made a space for Blacks in a genre that was primarily associated with white, male writers. She grew up with a negative self-image. She was six foot tall, big for her age, and dyslexic. In school, she was often bullied. However, she found solace in the world of books and developed an affinity for science fiction. She spent a lot of time at the local library.
In college, she pursued writing. Octavia was passionate about her work. Despite her mother’s wishes for her to have a steady income doing secretarial work, Octavia pursued the life of an author. She maintained “mindless” jobs so that she could stay up until two or three in the morning writing. Her first book, Kindred was published in 1970. It is rumored that a Civil Rights activist in her college class, speaking against inferior treatment of races other than white, inspired Octavia to publish her work. Kindred weaves time travel and socio-economic and racial issues that still plague and haunt society today into a text that enhanced the capability of science fiction as a literary genre. Her writing style not only infuses real life characterization, but also urges individuals to evaluate the complex inter-relationships between the past and contemporary society. |
Discussion questions |
Kindred Historical PPT. |
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Heroic Journey Genre
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kindred study guide
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fishbowl seminar ppt.
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socratic sem.questions
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Native American Literature
This unit on Native American literature is not as intensive as I would like for it to be. Nonetheless, it is a start to filling in what I believe to be a part of our null curriculum. It is common to study Native American history and cultures in a historical context, but contemporary Native American cultures and literature are often overlooked in the secondary classroom. Therefore, I have compiled a modest collection of literature to begin analyzing the contemporary strains and the contemporary successes of Native American culture. The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study is advocating the academic expansion of Native American scholars and students of Native American cultures. There is currently an ongoing 562 Project that involves showcasing photographs of Native Americans from all 562 remaining tribes within the United States.
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ARticle on Banning the Redskins Mascot
Absolutely true Diary
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the_absolutely_true_diary_of_a_part-time_indian_study_guide.pdf | |
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Socratic Seminar:
Discussion Questions
native_american_lit_socratic_seminar.pdf | |
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"Indian Education"
Sherman Alexie
sherman_alexie_biography.pdf | |
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Luci Tapahonso's
"Hard to Take"
hard_to_take.pdf | |
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Rez Life by David Treuer: Introduction
rez_life_introduction.pdf | |
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"Skinwalkers"
by Noah Nez
skinwalkers_article.pdf | |
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Map of American Indian Reservations
reserv.pdf | |
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The Poetry Unit
On Google Classroom you will locate the PDF with all of our poems for this unit.
<<<<< Should look like that! They are mostly well-known. However, a few are not as recognized. In this poetry unit, you will conduct close reading using the following steps: 1. Read the poem; 2. Identify the Structure (Meter, Rhyme Scheme, Type of Verse); 3. Annotate & Identify Figures of Speech; 4. Articulate the Main Idea; 5. Explain the Theme; 6. Analyze Word Choice (consider connotations and the poet's tone)... Yes, you may hate the poem after all of that work. However, if you find you still enjoy it after all of that, consider being an English major. |
The Master List
“This Bridge” “Nobody Loves Me” by Shel Silverstein “I Wanna Hear a Poem” by Steve Coleman “If” by Rudyard Kipling “The Tyger” by William Blake “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Lawrence Dunbar “Chicago” by Carl Sandburg "Mathematics” by Mos Def “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson “Hope is a Thing With Feathers” by Emily Dickinson "Mirror” by Sylvia Plath “Musée des Beaux Arts” by WH Auden “Hard to Take” by Luci Tapanhonso “The Writer” by Richard Wilbur “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop “The Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats “Harlem” by Langston Hughes “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke “The Mother” by Gwendolyn Brooks “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel “American Pie” by Don McLean “Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Bob Dylan “Snowy Egret” by Bruce Weigl “I Sing the Body Electric” by Walt Whitman “Ethnic Poetry” by Julio Marzán "Root Cellar” by Theodore Roethke “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost “Schizophrenia” by Jim Stevens “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost “There’s a Certain Slant of Light” by Emily Dickinson "I Will Put Chaos into Fourteen Lines” by Edna St. Vincent Millay “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning "The Flea” by John Donne “Inspiration” by Henry David Thoreau “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Elliot “Requiem for a Friend” by Rainer Maria Rilke "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning” by John Donne
Poetry Circles: Google Classroom
Photo Credits: personal photos, tumblr.com, and Google images in the public domain