Introduction to American Literature II
This introduction will describe the goals of this course. It will also attempt to show the "how's and the why's" of my methods and approaches to instruction.
American Literature II is the continuation of American Literature I. They are actually all one class, but I refer to them seperately because they are broken up by semester. We start fresh second semester so it seems appropriate to start fresh with a "new" class.
I have many goals for this course:
* The students will be involved in and part of their own learning experience.
* The students will be introduced to a wide variety of writers from the late 19th and 20th centuries through research and reading.
* The students will be able to compare and contrast different themes, styles, and ideas from many different novels and other writings.
* The students will be able to relate what they are reading to their own life and experiences.
* The students will learn to think critically about the idea of The American Dream and what it means to them as well as how others percieve it.
* The students will work with others to discuss assigned and chosen readings as well as create some of their own.
* The students will use technology to research, read and create.
* The students will respect the ideas of others along with their own ideas.
That may seem like a lot to accomplish in just one semester. However, it is important to remember that much of the groundwork has already been laid for these goals to be able to take place. Much of first semester was spent working on interpersonal relationships within the classroom. Now that it is second semester, the students are expected to be able to work effectively with others as well as on their own.
This class is set up for eleventh graders. It is not necessarily an advanced class, however it is usually taken by college-bound students. Because of the variety of learning styles and abilitiy levels that walk through my door everyday, I try to make my plans flexible enough to accomadate to everyone. The texts that I choose are challenging, but are approached in ways in which they can be understood and appreciated by all students. Some of the reading is done in class, out loud. Some is done in class by listening to an audio tape of the book. Some is assigned as independent reading. Some is done in groups. All of these methods can be altered according to the ability level of the student as an individual or for the class. I also create my activities with the success of the student in mind. Activities and assessments are not meant to be "tricks" that are meant to show the students' lack of knowledge. Quite the opposite is true! They are designed so the students' understanding can shine through in a unique and creative way.
The texts chosen for this semester include; The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, excerpts from The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, and one other chosen by the student from a list provided. This course will also include poetry by Robert Frost, Amy Lowell, William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, e.e. cummings, Sterling A. Brown, Langston Hughes, Elizabeth Bishop, Gwendolyn Brooks, Anne Sexton, Adrienne Rich, and Sylvia Plath. I tried to incorporate a diverse array of writers into this course to give the students a nice taste of what is in this melting pot of American Literature. America is made up of many different people and I think it is important that students see this. It also helps the literature reach more students and encourage a life-long love of reading if they can see themselves in the text. This is why I include minority writers such as African Americans, Chicanos, and women in my curriculum. However I also think that it is important that students read the "classics". F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck are included not just because they are "classic" writers, but also because their work fits well into this courses theme of the American Dream. Each work that I choose has a purpose and every year it changes slightly as I find different works that also fit into the curriculum.
My theoretical approach to my class is a combination of a few different approaches. I believe the main approach I use is the Process Model. This model calls for a student-centered classroom. It puts a lot of emphasis on diversity and using varied ways for students to construct meaning from the learning experiences. Some examples of how I use this can be found in my Poetry Unit. The poetry unit is probably the most diverse of all of the units because it calls on the use of many of the different learning styles. Not only are the students expected to read the required poetry, but they will use discussion, acting, drawing and writing to understand and analyse it. They will also be experimenting with writing their own poetry.
I also believe that it is important for the students to look at literature as a personal experience. They bring their own prior knowledge and experiences to it and therefore will experience the work in their own way. This idea is supported by the theorist, Louise Rosenblatt. She also supports the idea that it is important for students to be given a "broad range of literature".
It is also important to me that I provide students with choice. This is supported by the theorist, James Moffet. My literature circle assignment and the culminating project for the entire year is focused on this idea of student choice. For the literature circle assignment, the students are choosing the book that they want to focus on. The final project for the year is the American Dream project. The requirements for this are almost entirely based on choice by the student.
The Heritage Model is also part of my approach. As mentioned earlier, I do think it is important that students are at least given the opportunity to read the "classics" There is a reason that these works are considered great, and I believe that the students should be exposed to them in order to make that decision for themselves. Whether we agree or not, colleges expect students to have a certain understanding for these works and it is the high school teacher's responsibility to provide the opportunity for that understanding. Theorists who support this model include Alan Bloom and E.D. Hirsch, Jr. who stress the importance of equipping students with this "common" knowledge.
Although it is not a large part, the Mastery Model is, in part, included in my approach to teaching. I do use anticipatory sets, such as pre-reading activities, to find out what my students already know about the author, time period, text, etc. I believe that I also do a lot of checking for understanding. This does not always have to be done with tests and quizes, although I do use them from time to time. Class discussions as well as journals are the chief ways that I check for understanding with my students. They also get a large amount of independent practice. Their writing assignments and final project are proof of that. This model is loosely based on The Madeline Hunter Instructional Skills Program.
Technology is a big part of my class. Almost every unit we do has at least one on-line or computer based project. I expect all of my students to utilize the technology that is available to them to the fullest. I believe that it is not only important that students have the knowledge of how to use this technology but how it can be applied to English class. In the beginning of the semester we look at how much information is available to us for research on the web. We also use the internet for a webquest assignment and for an on-line journaling assignment. I expect that students will use multi-media for their final projects by way of PowerPoint, CDs and video, or any other ideas we can come up with. This use of technology will open up the world of literature to students in ways that they did not know were possible!
Overall, I believe that this semester will provide many opportunities for students to get involved with their own learning no matter what their personal learning style is. It will also give them the opportunity to think "outside the box" about literature and what it is and how it can be looked at and analyzed.