overview of British Literature

Senior English Honors Overview

Unit One

CORE RESOURCE(S): Summer Reading Selections. Glencoe Literature Florida Treasures: British Literature. Beowulf , “The Battle of Pelennor Fields” (from The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien),”A Brief History of Heroes” (TIME), “The Seafarer”. Grendel by John Gardner (Honors). Writer’s Choice Grammar and Composition, Grade 12: Using a Journal (1.2), Writing a College Application Essay (1.4). SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES: Anglo-Saxon Riddles. The Fellowship of the Rings activity. Writer’s Choice Unit 2. Review fragments and run-ons: Glencoe Literature Florida Treasures: British Literature – 972, 1145, and 1203. Writer’s Choice Grammar and Composition, Grade 12 – “Troubleshooting” (9.1 – 9.2), Lesson 13.9 and 13.10. UNIT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT: Students will write personal statement essays using anecdotes. For example, students could write college application essays, statements of personal strengths, or descriptions of personal goals. Example prompts: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence. Describe a character in fiction, an historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

Unit Two

CORE RESOURCE(S): Glencoe Literature - Florida Treasures: British Literature. Ballads: “Bonny Barbara Allan”, “Get Up and Bar the Door”. Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer: “The Prologue”, “The Pardoner’s Tale”, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”. King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Green. “The Roads Now Taken” (TIME). Reference Section: R22-R23 (sample resume and cover letter). Writer’s Choice: Grammar and Composition Grade 12: Editing/Proofreading: Finalizing (2.8). SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES: Writer’s Choice: Business and Technical Writing – Business Letters; Resume (1.5). Review apostrophes and common word choice errors: Writer’s Choice – “Missing or Misplaced Apostrophe” (9.10), Additional Lessons 17.1 and 21.13, Unit 19 Usage Glossary. Student could create actual resume for use in college or job applications. UNIT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT: Students will create a fictional resume and cover letter for one of the characters from the literature selections in Units 1 or 2. Students will follow standard professional formatting, edit for conventions, and publish using applicable vocabulary and graphics (Samples available online for literary characters).

Unit Three

CORE RESOURCE(S): Glencoe Literature Florida Treasures: British Literature. Macbeth by William Shakespeare. “A Midsummer Night’s Spectacle” (TIME). “The Development of the Sonnet”. Sonnets: “Sonnet 31” (Sidney), “Sonnet 30” and “Sonnet 35” (Spenser), “Sonnet 43” (Browning), “Sonnet 130” (Shakespeare). Othello by William Shakespeare (Honors). Writer’s Choice Grammar and Composition, Grade 12. SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES: Write an email, memo, or introduction between two characters (Macbeth/Lady Macbeth, Macduff/Malcolm). UNIT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT: Students will work in small groups to adapt a scene from Macbeth into modern form. Students will perform their adaptations for the class. Each student will write an evaluation of a different group’s scene. Students might evaluate the theme, characters, plot, setting, etc. (Scotland, PA is an example of an adaptation)

Unit Four

*Senior Experience Research Paper due before the end of 1^st Semester. Remainder of Unit finished 2^nd Semester.

CORE RESOURCE(S): Glencoe: Florida Treasures: British Literature. Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (excerpts). Paradise Lost by John Milton (excerpts), “Genesis”. “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift (Honors). Writer’s Choice Grammar and Composition Grade 12.

SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES: Review subject/verb agreement and pronoun/antecedent: Writer’s Choice – “Subject/Verb Agreement” Lessons 9.3 and 16.1; “Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement” Lessons 3.2, 9.4, and 17.6. Star Trek episode “Space Seed”. Star Trek movie The Wrath of Khan (used with Paradise Lost).

UNIT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT: Students will work in small groups to create a mini-newspaper about events from the literature studied. Students must include a headline article, character interview, and editorial. Additional options include: advertisement, editorial cartoon, or any other feature found in a newspaper. The students will format the newspaper according to traditional newspaper design.

Unit Five

CORE RESOURCE(S): Romantic Poets: “The World is Too Much With Us” by William Wordsworth, Songs of Experience: “The Chimney Sweeper” and Songs of Innocence “The Chimney Sweeper”, “A Poison Tree”, “The Lamb”, and “The Tyger” by William Blake, “She Walks in Beauty” by George Gordon, Lord Byron, “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats, “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. “Comparing Literature Across Time and Space”. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (Honors). SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES: Review sentence variety – Writer’s Choice pgs. 907-910. UNIT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT: Students will create and present poetry books that include an original poem, analysis of song lyrics as poetry, and an annotation of a Romantic poem. The poetry book must have a unifying theme. The original poem will use poetic elements learned during the unit (e.g. – rhyme, rhythm, simile, imagery). The students will analyze song lyrics for poetic devices in an essay that includes an explanation of the theme, poetic devices, and personal connection. The students will annotate a poem from the Romantic period.

Unit Six

CORE RESOURCE(S): Glencoe Literature Florida Treasures: British Literature. The Man Who Would be King by Rudyard Kipling. DVD: The Man Who Would be King. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (Honors).

SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES: Review grammar as needed: Writer’s Choice: “Troubleshooting” Unit 9.

UNIT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT: The student will present on a self-selected topic (Senior Experience) using technology.

Unit Seven

CORE RESOURCE(S): Introduction to Literature Circles: Animal Farm by George Orwell (used to demonstrate literature circle participation roles). Literature Circles Selections: Unwind by Neal Shusterman; Uglies by Scott Westerfield; Feed by M.T. Anderson; The Running Man by Stephen King; Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. Honors: 1984 by George Orwell; Brave New World by Aldous Huxley; Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton; The Road by Cormac McCarthy; The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. UNIT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT: Each student will write a position paper on an ethical issue introduced by one of the literature circle novels. Students will briefly summarize the issue, present an argument, then suggest a solution. · Organize and outline your viewpoint on an issue · Formally inform others of your position as a foundation to build resolution to difficult problems · Present a unique, though biased, solution or a unique approach to solving a problem · Frame the discussion in order to define the "playing field." This can put you in an advantageous position with those who may not be so well prepared as regards the issues behind their positions · Establish your credibility Here you are demonstrating that you have a command of the issues and the research behind them, and can present them clearly · Let your passion be demonstrated in the force of your argument rather than in the use of emotional terms · Guide you in being consistent in maintaining your position in negotiation The better prepared you are the more disadvantaged are your opponents and more likely they will defer to you · Develop supporting evidence for both sides including factual knowledge, statistical evidence, authoritative testimony · Identify the issues and prejudices keeping in mind your audience List these as appropriate and anticipate counterclaims · Assume familiarity with basic concepts but define unfamiliar terms/concepts or state meanings that define your point of departure · Refer to those who agree with your position to assist you in developing your argument · Familiarize yourself with those who disagree with you to prepare your defense. Summarize their argument and evidence, then refute (http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr9.htm)