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Monday, April 4, 2016

Teaching the Canon

I am excited about this new unit that we are starting this week.  Using a Reader's Workshop format, students will be exploring the pro's and cons of teaching the "canon," or those texts that are considered the standard for literature.  This week we are introducing the essential questions and key vocabulary and concepts that will be discussed throughout the unit.

We started with a pre-test on basic figurative language that students should know. Students, if you have not taken this pre-test, please make sure you take it as soon as possible.

Figurative Language Pre-Test

Essential question #1: 


What cultural or intellectual value is there in comparing two pieces of literature?

We learned the meaning of the literary device allusion, and had some good discussions about the allusions in Shrek 2.

Allusion:  An allusion is a figure of speech whereby the author refers to a subject matter such as a place, event, or literary work by way of a passing reference. It is up to the reader to make a connection to the subject being mentioned.


Some resources that support this activity:


I Have a Dream

HW: Do a Frayer Model for allusion

Frayer model template 

Essential Question #2

How do literary techniques help to shape both characters and themes?
RL.8.4


Longer list of archetypes
Archetypes Powerpoint

Students identify characters that meet these types in popular literature.
Students share examples of the different archetypes from their own reading
Ex: Hero - Katniss, Sage- Dumbledore
Mining for Big Ideas - TedEd video which encourages students to "dive deeper" when analyzing literature.

Figurative Language Resources
Read these two resources and complete the simile/metaphor exercises:

Similes and Metaphors in Pop Culture - video
Poetry Terms and Formats - Google slides

"Ode" Analysis Resources
NY Times Poetry Pairings

--Where did the name of the band mentioned in the article come from?
-- What is the meaning of the word "polemical" as used in paragraph 5? Explain.

--Why do you think this poem was paired with this photo and article from The Times? What do the three have in common?

— Which do you like best: the poem, the image or the article? Why?

— What does this pairing say about life today? Do you think someone looking at it 25 years from now would “get” the same meaning? What about 100 years from now?

— What other Times photos or articles could also have been paired with this poem? Why?

— What other works of literature, film, or fine art can you think of that also echo, expand or even challenge the words and ideas of this poem?

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