East Meadow School District
East Meadow School District
Curriculum Area Project
Women in Literature
Writer:
Jessica Edwards
English Elective
July 2009-August 2009
School Year 2009-2010
Table of Contents
Abstract 3
Rationale 4
Unit of Instruction 5-6
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 7-23
Imitation of Life Film 24-28
The House on Mango Street 29-42
“The Yellow Wallpaper” 43-44
“Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self” 45-47
Abstract
There are countless works of literature which encompass fascinating female characters. While many of the novels our students study in their English core curriculum include women figures of great credibility, there is much that is left unexplored. Women in Literature is an elective, half-year course that will examine the role of women in various genres of literature and film. We will explore several of both timeless and lesser known women characters who encompass strength, ruthlessness, compassion, and despair. An example of authors studied include: Chopin, James, Atwood, Morrison, Gilman, Shakespeare, Crane, and Esquivel. This CAP will present lesson plans, study guides, and assessments for various novels, short stories, and films that correlate with these notable female characters. Additionally, the lessons in the unit incorporate the NYS Learning Standards:
1. Language for information and understanding
2. Language for literary response
3. Language for critical analysis and evaluation
4. Language for social interaction
Rationale
Women in Literature is designed to be an elective English course which will introduce students to writing by both men and women authors, about important female characters. This course will enable students to describe and critically examine the tradition of women's roles in literature over time; deconstruct the all-encompassing images of women in literature; and analyze the way in which authors define women’s experiences in terms of language. The students will read a wide variety of works in prose and verse-including novels, plays, short stories, essays, and poetry by British, American, Canadian, European, and African writers. Many of these works from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are interrelated or comment on each other, so that as the students proceed through the course, they should develop an understanding of the way in which a tradition in women's roles have evolved, and in what ways this tradition has encouraged or informed the works of individual authors.
Unit of Instruction
|Stage 1—Desired Results |
|Unit: | |
|Women in Literature | |
|Content Standard(s): | |
|Unit I satisfies the following New York State Standard(s): | |
|NYS English Standards 1,2, 3, & 4 | |
|Understanding(s): | |Essential Question(s): | |
|Students will understand how to… | |What is the traditional role of a woman? | |
|Analyze, interpret, discuss and apply the themes and | |How has this role changed over time? | |
|significant literary elements from the stories. | |Why do people lose hope? | |
| | |What makes a good relationship? | |
| | |How do these roles change depending on time period? | |
| | |How do these roles change depending on culture? | |
| | |What is the nature of life and death? | |
|Student will know… |Students will be able to… | |
|How to read and interpret a given work of literature. |Read and interpret various stories and films. | |
|How to identify the changing roles of women. |Identify significant literary techniques from the stories and films. | |
|How a given author’s life influenced his or her writing. |Analyze the themes and characters of the stories and films. | |
| |Recognize ever-changing roles of women. | |
|Stage 2—Assessment Evidence |
|Performance Task(s): | |Other Evidence: | |
|Completion of daily discussions | | | |
|Daily analysis worksheets and activities. | |Level of participation in class discussions | |
|Daily reading check quizzes. | | | |
|Unit Exam. | | | |
|Term Project. | | | |
|Stage 3—Learning Plan |
|Learning Activities: | |
| | |
|The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison | |
|Reading and writing assignments | |
|Film, Imitation of Life analysis and comparison to Morrison’s novel | |
|Analytical discussion and review activities to be conducted daily as detailed in lesson plans and included worksheets. | |
|Classroom discussion and cooperative learning activities. | |
|Written unit exams. | |
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Lesson Plans: The Bluest Eye
Educational Objectives: Comprehension and Application
Students will be able to grasp the meaning and importance of comparing and contrasting and apply that knowledge to formulating their own compare/contrast essay. Sheet attached.
Assessment: Think about two subjects to compare and contrast and then begin writing a well-developed essay that includes:
- a focused thesis statement
- topic sentences that provide structure to each body paragraph
- a strong conclusion that ties the essay together
Complete “Spring” in The Bluest Eye.
“Spring” questions also due, and students will be quizzed on this section of the novel. Both sheets attached.
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Educational Objectives: Synthesis and Evaluation
Students will be able to put the parts of the essay they began yesterday together to form a new whole, which will be their own compare/contrast essay. They will then be able to evaluate one another’s essays, as they peer-edit and judge the value of their classmate’s material by completing a checklist. Sheet attached.
Assessment: Is each criterion listed on the sheet essential when writing a compare/contrast essay?
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Educational Objective: Knowledge
Students will be able to answer questions pertaining to previously read material from the chapter entitled “Spring” in the novel
The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison.
Assessment: Quiz attached.
Lesson Plans: The Bluest Eye
Educational Objective: Analysis
Students will be able to analyze the relationships between relevant themes from the novel The Bluest Eye in comparison to relevant themes found in the film Imitation of Life. Sheet attached with information about the film.
Assessment: What can be compared and contrasted between the novel and the film? (Take notes while watching the film on plot, structure, themes, characters, conflicts, dialogues, setting, time period, society, culture, etc.)
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Educational Objective: Analysis
Students will continue to view Imitation of Life, and will continue to take notes on the topics mentioned in the above assessment.
Assessment: Think about a specific issue to compare and contrast from The Bluest Eye and Imitation of Life. See attached sheet. What are the similarities and differences that pertain to the topic chosen? Brainstorm and take notes, which will lead to the formulation of a precise thesis statement.
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Educational Objective: Analysis
Students will be able to analyze the relationships between relevant themes from the novel The Bluest Eye in comparison to relevant themes found in the film Imitation of Life, which they began viewing.
Assessment: What can be compared and contrasted between the novel and the film? (Take notes while watching the film on plot, structure, themes, characters, conflicts, dialogues, setting, time period, society, culture, etc.)
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Educational Objectives: Analysis and Comprehension
Students will view the conclusion of the film Imitation of Life, and will continue to take notes on the topics mentioned in the above assessment. They will then be able to summarize, describe, and interpret as they partake in a classroom discussion based on key questions pertaining to the film. Sheet attached with questions.
Assessment: Based on the answers to the questions, what can be recognized as the film’s major and relevant themes?
Lesson Plans: The Bluest Eye
Educational Objectives: Knowledge and Comprehension
Students will be able to recall information from The Bluest Eye and apply their knowledge by participating in a discussion of the novel with specific concentration on the last section entitled “Summer.” Sheet attached with questions.
Assessment: Based on the answers to the questions, what can be recognized as the novel’s major and relevant themes? Prepare for quiz four, “Summer.”
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Educational Objective: Knowledge
Students will be able to answer questions pertaining to previously read material from the chapter “Summer” in the novel The Bluest Eye.
Assessment: Quiz attached.
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Educational Objective: Comprehension and Synthesis
Students will be able to grasp the meaning and importance of organizing and outlining information, which will aid in their formulation of a compare/contrast essay between The Bluest Eye and Imitation of Life.
Assessment: What are the benefits of taking the time to form a structured outline? How will it help when you begin your comparative essay?
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
Themes in The Bluest Eye ( 1970)
[pic]
• violence
• economic discrimination
• psychological oppressions
• guilt/ self blame
• blaming the victim
• wasteland
• anger
• movie stars/ the media
• religion
• purity vs. stains
• whiteness
• ideas of beauty
• rejection
• ugliness
• romantic love,
• materialism
• the role of parents and what a good parent is
• sexuality and how it infuses our lives with joy or hatred,
• the perils of self-righteousness.
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
Plot Structure of
The Bluest Eye ( 1970)
[pic]
I. Autumn
A. Claudia
B. House
C. Family
II. Winter
A. Claudia
B. The Cat (Geraldine)
III. Spring
A. Claudia
B. Mother (Pauline Breedlove)
C. Father (Cholly Breedlove)
D. The Dog (Soaphead Church)
IV. Summer
A. Claudia
B. The Friend (Pecola)
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
Answer the following questions in as much detail as possible. For each, you MUST cite specific lines from the text to support your responses. * Do not forget to include the appropriate page numbers.
Autumn
When we first meet the speaker, even before we know the speaker’s name, what are we able to tell about this person?
2. Who is Mr. Henry? Under what circumstances is he coming to live with the speaker’s family? How did he immediately win the girls over?
3. According to our speaker, how is “outdoors” defined? What is the difference between being put “out” and being put “outdoors”?
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
4. Who is Pecola? Why do the girls take to her immediately?
5. How does Claudia feel about the white baby dolls?
6. What would have been an ideal Christmas for Claudia?
7. Read the two paragraphs on pages 22-23, which start and end with “But the dismembering...without improvement.” Look particularly at the last line. What does it mean?
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
8. What was Claudia and Frieda’s mother’s reaction upon discovering the missing milk? Do you think she knew what happened to it? Were the girls used to their mother’s reaction? How could you tell?
9. What happens to Pecola that causes her to “bolt straight up” and make a “whinnying sound”? How do Claudia and Frieda decide to handle Pecola’s dilemma? What was their mother’s initial reaction? How did it change?
10. How is Pecola regarded after this incident?
11. Describe the history behind the Breedlove house.
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
12. How did the new sofa become so well suited to the Breedlove’s house?
13. Why did the Breedloves live in the storefront?
14. What is unique about the Breedloves and their appearances? Explain in detail.
15. Analyze the relationship that exists between Cholly and Pauline Breedlove.
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
16. How did Pecola and Sammy Breedlove cope with the stressful situations at home?
17. How is Pecola regarded at school?
18. What happens to Pecola when she goes to Mr. Yacobowski’s store? How does he treat her? What is her reaction?
19. What was Pecola’s attitude like when she was on her way to buy the candy? Did her attitude and feelings change on her way home? How so?
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
20. Why does Pecola love Marie, China, and Poland? Describe these women by their sayings and actions.
Name:_______________ Date:_________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
Significant symbols in “Autumn”
The Dick & Jane primers
Marigolds
Greta Garbo and Ginger Rogers
The Shirley Temple cup
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
Dandelions
The Mary Jane candies
The white baby dolls
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
Character List for “Autumn”
Claudia MacTeer -
Frieda MacTeer -
Mr. & Mrs. MacTeer -
Mr. Henry Washington -
Pecola Breedlove -
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
Rosemary Villanucci -
Pauline Breedlove -
Cholly Breedlove -
Sammy Breedlove -
Marie (The Maginot Line), China, and Poland -
Mr. Yacobowski –
Dewey Prince -
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
Character List for “Winter”
Maureen Peal –
Bay Boy, Woodrow Cain,
Buddy Wilson, & Junie Bug
Louis Junior –
Geraldine –
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
Vocabulary List
“Winter”
1. gelid (61) -
2. Vulcan (61) -
3. genuflected (62) -
4. bemused (63) -
5. epiphany (63) -
6. haughtiness (63) -
7. extemporized (65) -
8. macabre (65) -
9. incorrigible (incorrigival) (67)-
10. mulatto (67) -
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
Discussion Questions for Imitation of Life
1) Much of this film focuses on motherhood, and on constructing both an ideal mother and a mother who serves as a foil. What kind of a mother is Annie Johnson? What kind of a mother is Annie Johnson? How do you know what sort of mothers they are? What events in the film highlight the sort of mothers that each woman is? [Note: A foil is a literary device, a character who is used to highlight the qualities of another character because the foil lacks those qualities.]
2) How does Annie put herself forward when she asks Lora for a job when the women meet at Coney Island? What is being said by the film about the sort of a person Annie is?
3) Describe the characters (and characteristics) of Lora, Annie, Susie, and Sarah Jane. What main characteristics dominate the way they are presented in the film? While all the women are female, do any of the characters show behaviors that would have been seen as "male" or "masculine" in 1959? What are those behaviors, and what part do they play in defining the characters that display them?
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
4) Compare the characters against one another. Each of the four characters serve as foils for one another. Compare Annie to Lora, Annie to Sarah Jane, Susie to Lora, Susie to Sarah Jane, Lora to Sarah Jane, Annie to Susie. In what ways are they foils for one another?
5) Where are the girls' fathers? How does the film represent these male absences in the film? Do Annie and Lora both have sexuality, or is it invisible in one of the women? What is the purpose of this invisibility?
6) What is the meaning of Sarah Jane's many childhood rejections of her racial identity? Examine the incident with the dolls, the incident when Annie brings her boots to school, the incident when she cuts Susie's wrist, her references to Jesus’ race. How do these incidents connect with her rejections as an adult?
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
7) What purpose does Annie play in the household? What purpose does Lora play? Are their roles the "accepted," "normative" roles of women at this time in America?
8) What is the meaning of the scene after Steve proposes where she and he argue about whether she may go to Loomis's office? What is being said about Lora's character in this scene? Is Lora a sympathetic character? Is Annie? Is Steve? Is Sarah Jane? Is Susie?
9) One of the most arresting scenes in the film concerns Sarah Jane being savagely beaten by her white boyfriend when he discovers that she has been "passing" for white. How does the film treat this incident? With which character are you meant to feel sympathy through the way the film presents this scene? What is the underlying message in the way the scene is portrayed?
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
10) What does Annie know about Lora's world? What does Lora know about Annie's? What does this difference signify?
11) What are Annie's ambitions for her daughter? What are Sarah Jane's ambitions? How do these two visions of Sarah Jane's future come into conflict?
12) One of the most moving scenes in the film is Annie's funeral. What is the meaning of this scene? What does it say about Annie's character that this is the one moment in her life she demands to be in the center of the stage? Who mourns her death? How does the community respond to her death? What does this say about the film's attitude toward her strategy of accommodation?
Name:____________________ Date:__________
Women in Literature Mrs. Edwards
The Bluest Eye
- Toni Morrison
13) How is Lora's role changed by Annie's death?
14) Imagine this film being made now. How would the film be different? What other strategies would have been available to Sarah Jane than the few choices she has in the film--passing as white, or accommodating herself to racism?
15) Imagine this film made by a feminist filmmaker. How would the options available to the women in general have been different?
Unit: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Lesson Plans
Aim: How can we learn that a person’s name and their “connection” to it reveals a great deal about their character or self-identity, specifically, Esperanza from The House on Mango Street?
Instructional Objectives:
Students will be able to:
• reflect on their own names
• recall previously learned information pertaining to self-identity
• read for information and understanding
• critically analyze the vignette, “My Name” to discover its contents more in-depth
• continue to practice the method of “peer-teaching”
• interact with their classmates in a productive and instructional manner
Do Now:
Journal: If you could change your name, why would you change it?
AND what would you change it to and why?
Transition:
Now that we have just reflected on our own names, and shared some of our responses, I would like you to think about whether or not you believe your name defines who you are. *What does your name mean to you?
Motivation:
Think about what we learned at the beginning of this unit with Alice Walker’s story in terms of self-identity.
Recall information:
What were some of the factors we had mentioned that contribute to an individual’s self-identity?
-self-esteem (high or low)
-the way others treat you (family, friends, peers)
-physical appearance
-goals/achievements/accomplishments
Transition:
How does this connect with last night’s reading? Let us open our books to page 10 and reread the vignette, “My Name” together.
Development:
As we have been discussing, there is much more “beneath the surface” of every vignette in The House on Mango Street. How can we delve deeper into these few short paragraphs to uncover the hidden or underlying meaning and speculate or critically analyze the underlying meaning of this significant vignette?
Unit: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Lesson Plans
Transition:
Think of Cisneros’ style of writing – how are we able to take each paragraph and study it for closer analysis?
Procedure/Application:
Provide an overview of the activity:
• The class will be divided into their seven groups (these groups have already been determined, as much of this unit consists of “peer-teaching” in groups)
• Each group will be assigned to respond to and critically analyze a question that requires them to delve deeper and to make predictions about what the given information tells us about the narrator’s character
• Copies of the chart will be distributed
• You will each work cooperatively to provide the following information:
- Write down the response to your question that can be found within the vignette
- Then, critically analyze that information to “uncover” what that tells us about the narrator
• Each group will then report their findings
• Each student in the class will be responsible for recording their classmates’ responses on their own chart
Transition:
By the end of the vignette, we know a great deal about the narrator, Esperanza. In this short entry devoted to her name, we learn that Esperanza means hope. Do you think Esperanza has hope? Did her great-grandmother have hope? Speculate about whether or not you believe Esperanza will follow in her great-grandmother’s footsteps. Do you think she wants to? Why or why not? Do you get the feeling that she wants to “break free” and be her own person with her “own” name?
Summary:
By reflecting on our own names and what they mean to us, and by reexamining the concept of self-identity, how were the students able to understand the connection between Esperanza and her name by critically analyzing Cisneros’ vignette, “My Name?”
Homework:
Continue reading The House on Mango Street, pages 12-22 tonight.
Name:______________________________Period:______Date:____________Women in Literature
Unit: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
|WORD/TERM |DEFINITION |
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|Bildungsroman | |
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|Dialect | |
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|Dual consciousness | |
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|Dynamic character | |
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|First person narration | |
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|Flat character | |
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|Juxtaposition | |
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|Motif | |
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|Onomatopoeia | |
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|Point of view | |
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|Round character | |
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|Setting | |
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|Static character | |
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|Style | |
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|Symbol | |
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|Synesthesia | |
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|Theme | |
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|Tone | |
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|Vignette | |
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|Unreliable narrator | |
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Unit: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Lesson Plans
Aim: How can we continue to teach each other Cisneros’ novel, The House on Mango Street by “picking apart” each short vignette?
Instructional Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Do Now:
Describe your dream house.
Transition:
(I will ask several volunteers to share their responses.) We have just written and thought about what we would like our “dream house” to be. We know that the title of the work we are about to begin is called The House on Mango Street, and we talked about vignettes and how despite their short length, there is much more “below the surface.” Let us see if we can discover the complexity beneath the seemingly simple first vignette.
Motivation:
What is the name of the first vignette? Why does Cisneros choose to title her first vignette “The House on Mango Street”, which is also the title of the entire collection? What is the significance?
Transition:
You all read the first three vignettes last night, so who can tell me why they think Cisneros chooses to duplicate the title and use it twice? Remember, we are forgetting all prior knowledge about the work; we are approaching it from a new and different critical perspective.
Development:
Although each vignette is short in length, each has a title which is very significant to the entry. How can we discover the connection between the other vignettes and their titles?
Transition:
Everyone will get into their groups to answer specific questions to see how we can discover the connection or the significance of the titles by delving deeper into the first three vignettes.
Procedure/Application:
• Each group will be responsible for answering critical thinking questions which they will discuss with each other
• Once each group has finished discussing their questions, we will reconvene and share our answers
• Each student will be responsible for filling in the answers to the other questions
Unit: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Lesson Plans
Transition:
Now that we have “picked apart” the first three vignettes together, we can continue to use this method of critical analysis and apply it to the rest of the unit. Tonight, you will be able to do this on your own when reading “My Name” for homework.
Summary:
By studying the first three vignettes closely, how were the students able to realize that there is much more “below the surface” of each of Cisneros’ vignettes? Are they learning new methods with this second reading of The House on Mango Street?
Assessment/Homework:
Read the fourth vignette, “My Name,” and be prepared for an in-depth discussion and possible quiz tomorrow.
Name:____________________________________________Period:_______Date:____________
The House on Mango Street
“My Name”
| Question | Response | Analyze what this tells us |
| | |about the narrator |
|1. In English her name means | | |
|hope and according to her, it | | |
|means other things as well. | | |
|What are these things and why | | |
|does she believe they define | | |
|her name? | | |
|2. What is the significance of | | |
|comparing the Chicano culture | | |
|to the Chinese culture? Why is | | |
|it that both cultures “don’t | | |
|like their women strong?” | | |
|3. Paragraphs 3& 4 talk about | | |
|the narrator’s great- | | |
|grandmother. What is the | | |
|significance of her story? Why | | |
|does the narrator tell it? | | |
|4. Why does the author | | |
|choose to title the vignette | | |
|“My Name” rather than | | |
|“Esperanza?” Why does she | | |
|wait until the end of the 4th | | |
|vignette to tell us her name? | | |
|5. How does Esperanza see | | |
|her name? How does she feel | | |
|that others see her name? | | |
|(*dual consciousness*) | | |
|Speculate why she does not | | |
|have a nickname. | | |
|6. “A name more like the real | | |
|me.” How, do you suppose, is | | |
|her name restricting to “the | | |
|real Esperanza?” Why are the | | |
|names she mentions more “the | | |
|real her?” | | |
|7. What is the overall tone of | | |
|this vignette? Does the English | | |
|meaning of her name have any | | |
|significance? | | |
Name:__________________________ Period______ Date_____
The House On Mango Street
Quiz 1
1. Why is Cathy only Esperanza’s friend until Tuesday?
2. How do Esperanza, Lucy, and Rachel use the bike on the first day?
3. What trait do Esperanza and Nenny have in common?
4. What was not for sale at Gil’s?
5. Who moves into Cathy’s house after she and her family move away?
Name:______________________________________Period:_______Date:________Group #__________
( Internet Sources for The House on Mango Street Project (
The above website provides you with the 3 links below, and also gives you a brief biography of Sandra Cisneros at the bottom of the page.
This link connects you to an exhibit of Sandra Cisneros hosted by Voices From the Gaps: Women Writers of Color.
Here you will find a critical biography, bibliographic information, and other online links.
This link connects you to the Academy of American Poets. Here you will find an exhibit on Sandra Cisneros
including a biography, bibliographic information, and additional links.
This link connects you to the Modern American Poetry site, edited by Professor Cary Nelson at the University of Illinois, Urbana.
Here you will find an exhibit of biographical criticism, bibliographic information, and external links on Sandra Cisneros.
This link provides an interview with Cisneros.
PASSWORD = lions
This link connects you to Gale Literature Resource Center, which you can access through the school library and from home.
You will find a lot of biographical information, as well as many critical articles on Cisneros.
USER ID = wislip PASSWORD = ebsco
Click on EBSCO host web
Click on MasterFILE Select
On the refine search tab click the box that says Full Text
Then type in The House on Mango Street in the find area above
The House on Mango Street
Group Presentation
Name: Period: Group #:
1. Journal................................................................................................................/20
2. Reading a selected chapter emphasizing the tone of the piece.........../10
3. Symbol, Motif, Themes, Secondary Characters, Cultural & Social Indicators, Biographical Information…………………………………………………………../30
4. Outline……………………………………………………………………………………………………………./20
5. Quiz…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………./20
Group Grade…………
The House on Mango Street
Group Presentation
Name: Period: Group #:
1. Journal................................................................................................................/20
2. Reading a selected chapter emphasizing the tone of the piece.........../10
3. Symbol, Motif, Themes, Secondary Characters, Cultural & Social Indicators, Biographical Information…………………………………………………………../30
4. Outline……………………………………………………………………………………………………………./20
5. Quiz…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………./20
Group Grade…………
The House on Mango Street
Group Presentation
Name: Period: Group #:
1. Journal................................................................................................................/20
2. Reading a selected chapter emphasizing the tone of the piece.........../10
3. Symbol, Motif, Themes, Secondary Characters, Cultural & Social Indicators, Biographical Information…………………………………………………………../30
4. Outline……………………………………………………………………………………………………………./20
5. Quiz…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………./20
Group Grade…………
The House on Mango Street
Group Presentation
Name: Period: Group #:
1. Journal................................................................................................................/20
2. Reading a selected chapter emphasizing the tone of the piece.........../10
3. Symbol, Motif, Themes, Secondary Characters, Cultural & Social Indicators, Biographical Information…………………………………………………………../30
4. Outline……………………………………………………………………………………………………………./20
5. Quiz…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………./20
Group Grade…………
Name:________________________________ Group #________
( The House on Mango Street (
Group Presentation
Directions: Working in your groups, from the reading for each of your assigned vignettes, identify TWO examples of each of the following topics. *YOU MUST NOTE PAGE NUMBERS*
I. SYMBOLS and MOTIFS *At least one motif must be identified*
► Symbol – something that stands for something else. Any word, object, action, or character that is repeated throughout the text
► Motif – an idea, theme, character, situation, or element that recurs in literature
II. THEMES Some of the themes we have discussed are:
► Houses
► Boys and girls / Men and women – roles
► Self-identity
► Belonging and not belonging
► Going away and coming back
► Moving / migrating
► Escape
► Women as role models
► Names and perceptions
* A theme is the controlling idea or meaning of the literary work
* It is highly likely that a theme is also a motif
III. CULTURAL and SOCIAL INDICATORS
A variety of events in the novel are indicators of the Chicano culture and/or Esperanza’s role in her culture. Identify and explain the significance of two of these events in your assigned vignettes.
Name:________________________________ Group #________
( The House on Mango Street (
Group Presentation
IV. CHARACTERS
Identify secondary characters and explain their function in the novel.
► Why are these characters important?
► Why does Esperanza tell you about them?
► What role do they play in the novel?
V. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Research Sandra Cisneros and describe how her personal experiences are reflected in your assigned vignettes.
PROCEDURE
Carefully read the assigned chapters. As a group, identify two examples for each of the above topics.
Create a journal prompt on the issues you discover. Be sure to write this clearly on the board so the class can read and respond to it in their journals.
Themes must be may be further investigated on the internet. Use the list of websites I have provided you with.
Create a quiz that tests the information you have taught to the class which will be given at the end of your lesson.
Identify and discuss secondary characters and their influence on Esperanza’s identity. Remember, you must discuss at least two.
Analyze Cisneros’ own biographical information and how it is seen in the vignettes. Use the list of websites I have provided you with.
**Remember, you must CITE your sources, so keep track of where you are accessing your information from; if you fail to cite your sources correctly, you are PLAGIARIZING**
ORAL PRESENTATIONS – Each group will be graded out of a possible 100 points
Creating a journal prompt which connects your chapters’ universal themes to your classmates’ everyday lives. *This must have my prior approval* (20 points)
Reading aloud a selected chapter to the class, speaking clearly and loudly and using effective inflection to demonstrate the tone of the piece. (10 points)
Name:________________________________ Group #________
( The House on Mango Street (
Group Presentation
Discussing each of the following topics: SYMBOL, THEME, CHARACTER, SOCIAL INFLUENCE, and BIOGRAPHICAL DATA. (30 points)
Creating a quiz which consists of a minimum of five questions and tests the information you have shared with the class. (20 points)
Handing in one formally typed outline of all the above information, including any outside internet sources you used. (20 points)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT
Each member of the group is responsible for writing his/her own vignette. The characters must be fictitious and must share a theme/symbol/motif with one of the vignettes you were responsible for presenting. *You will each receive an individual grade for this*
Name:__________________________Period:_____Date:_____English/Edwards
The House on Mango Street
Collage Project
The Assignment: Drawing a line down the center of a piece of oak tag, you will create a collage that illustrates two homes. On one side you will include photos/magazine pictures, drawings, descriptive words, and anything else you might wish to add that describes your house and also expresses how you feel about where you live. You may want to include pictures and/or descriptions of your family, your pets, your room, your backyard, etc.
On the other side of the oak tag you will create a collage that illustrates your “dream home.” Be as creative as possible, and remember, this is your dream house, which means you can have whatever you want in it, and outside of it.
***You will have Thursday and Friday to work on this assignment in class, please be sure to use this time wisely, as you will be receiving a grade on this project.
What you will need for The House on Mango Street collage project:
-oak tag
-scissors
-glue/tape
-crayons/markers
-pictures of your house
-pictures of you and your family members
-old magazines
-anything else you may want to include on your collage
Name:____________________________________Period:________Date:____________
“The Yellow Wallpaper”
by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Analytical Essay
Your assignment:
Write a well constructed essay dealing with one of the following ideas from the short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: the symbolism of the wallpaper, the negative portrayal of women in the work, the negative portrayal of men in the piece, the role of women in society, the mental illness that afflicts the protagonist, or a topic of your choice.
This essay will involve research for literary criticisms pertaining to “The Yellow Wallpaper” which will help support your thesis. This assignment will also prepare you for your mid-term, which will be a lengthier research paper. You will be graded based on Gordon Harvey’s Elements of the Academic Essay rubric– do not lose this rubric; you will need it again for your mid-term.
Be sure to:
Develop a clear, concise, and arguable thesis - **the above topics are just ideas, they ARE NOT thesis statements, you must develop your own**
Name:________________________________ Date:_______ Period:______
“The Yellow Wallpaper”
by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
*Feminist Criticism:
Discuss:
○The issue of control and how it shifts by the end of the story
○How the narrator fits into the traditional female gender role from beginning to end
○Male attitude towards women as depicted in the story
○The narrator’s need for autonomy (independence)
*Psychological Theory
Discuss:
○How mental illness is portrayed
○Whether or not this is an accurate depiction of a descent into madness
○What this story reveals about the unconscious mind
*Historical Theory:
Discuss:
○The rest cure prescribed by John and the narrator’s brother
○Was this a good prescription for the narrator? Why or why not? Give specific evidence from the story.
○How have “prescriptions” for mental illnesses changed in our society since this story was written?
*Literary History:
Discuss:
○The definition of Gothic literature and how it is applicable to “The Yellow Wallpaper”
○Give three specific examples from the story that show how it fits in this genre of literature.
Alice Walker’s “Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self”
Lesson Plan
Aim: By reading and analyzing Alice Walker’s autobiographical essay, how can we determine how she uses her narrative voice to reveal her self-identity?
Instructional Objectives:
Students will be able to:
( define the term self-identity
( list specific factors that contribute to a person’s self-identity
( reflect on their own personal identities
( interact with their classmates in an instructional and productive manner
( critically analyze the contents of Walker’s essay
( read for information and understanding
( explain Walker’s ability to turn a negative loss into a positive gain
( cite evidence that demonstrates Walker’s perception of herself at a given age
Do Now: Write a response to the question, “Who are you?”
Transition:
We have just brainstormed a bit about who we are. Since we are all different individuals, I am sure we all have different responses.
(have several students share)
Motivation:
Each of us had a different response to the question, “Who are you?” which relates to the term on the board – self-identity.
( How would you define the term self-identity?
- the way you look at yourself
- who you are as an individual
- how well you know yourself
- sense of yourself
(record responses on the board)
( What are some factors that contribute to an individual’s self-identity?
- self-esteem (high or low)
- the way others treat you (family, friends, peers)
- physical appearance
- goals/achievements/accomplishments
(record responses on the board)
Alice Walker’s “Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self”
Lesson Plan
Transition:
Now that you have created a working definition of self-identity, I would like you to think about the story you read last night by Alice Walker, and together we will determine how she is able to use her own voice as a means to reveal how her self-identity changes due to a life altering event.
Development:
Since you all read it last night, who can give us a brief synopsis of Walker’s story?
( Alice Walker reflects on an accident that occurred when she was a young girl that left her scarred physically and emotionally, thus forever changing her self-identity.
*Identify the incident
-Walker was shot by a BB gun, leaving her blind in her right eye
- She goes from feeling beautiful and smart to ugly and ashamed
Transition:
Think about Walker’s style of writing – what are her transitions like? (age to age) Is this style of writing effective? How does it enable us to “track” how her self-perception changes over time?
Procedure/Application:
Provide an overview of the activity:
( The class will be divided into seven groups of three
( Each group will be assigned to a specific age that Walker writes about in her essay (2 ½, 6, 8, 12, 14, 38, 27)
( Copies of the chart will be distributed
( You will each work cooperatively to provide the following information:
- Write down what information is revealed by Walker within your assigned age
- List specific words or phrases that describe Walker’s self-identity at that point in her life
( Each group will then report their answers
( Each student in the class will be responsible for recording their classmates’ responses on their own chart
Alice Walker’s “Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self”
Lesson Plan
Transition:
By the end of the essay, Walker’s self-perception is positive again. How has she managed to turn a negative event into a positive outlook? The song she mentions by Stevie Wonder has great significance to her final view of herself. She says she has a dream in which she is dancing to the song with another person – who is that person? I would like each of you to follow along with the lyrics as the song is played and underline words or phrases that reflect something about Walker’s self-perception. Think about why this song is appropriate and think about how it is significant to the title of her essay.
Summary:
By reflecting on the concept of self-identity, and identifying specific examples from Walker’s autobiographical essay, how were the students able to “hear” the author’s voice as it revealed her identity?
Assessment/Homework:
If time allows, I will ask the students to begin a narrative essay in which they will reflect on an accident or a significant incident in their own lives that changed their perceptions of themselves. If the period ends, I will assign this essay to the students tomorrow.
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