Randolph County Schools English 3- Curriculum Map Unit: Realism

Randolph County Schools English 3- Curriculum Map

Unit: Realism/Naturalism/Regionalism Timeline: 2-4 Weeks

Essential Questions: Compelling and Inquiry Based

 How does the treatment of minorities and women change over the course of U.S history?

 What role does personal culture play in identity/literature, how has the sense of “self” evolved over the course of U.S history

(consider: race, gender, religion, etc.)?

 How has technology impacted literature and communication? How have these advances changed the way we relate to each other?

 Why might the Civil War represent a cultural shift from “Early America” to a “New America?”

 What does the use of a variety of dialects and regional cultural features suggest about what it now means to be an “American?”

 How does perspective on life and narrative sensibilities vary from the Romantics to the Realists?

Understandings, Learning Targets and “I

Can” Statements

Aligned Standards

Students will understand that…

 The Civil War had a major impact on

history and literature in changing the

culture and values of America.

 Technology has played a major role in the

changing way we communicate to each

other as Americans.

 The seeds of the Civil Rights and Women’s

Suffrage movements can be found in the

era after the Civil War.

 The expansion of the United States

impacted the development to distinct

regions and regional attitudes.

 Realism strived to portray life as

objectively as possible.

Students will be able to…

 Cite textual evidence from various

information texts that show evidence and

knowledge of major shifts in culture and

Key Ideas and Details

RI.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the

text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining

where the text leaves matters uncertain. (inferences/evidence)

Craft and Structure

RI.11-12.5: Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in

his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear,

convincing, and engaging. (text structure/organization)

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

RI.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in

different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order

toaddress a question or solve a problem. (Content in diverse media)

Range or Reading and Level of Text Complexity

RI.11-12.10: By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the

grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the

highend of the range. (complex text)

beliefs.

 Identify the use of local dialects, cultures

and traditions as well as satire in both

fictional and non-fictional texts and

determine the effectiveness of these

choices.

 Analyze feminist and civil rights texts for

their structure and rhetorical impact as

well as the influence the text had on

starting its respective movement.

 Model and/or respond to an argument

using rhetorical appeals and similar

diction to the Realist time period.

 Trace lasting impacts of literature through

the various movements studied in English

 Trace a theme that develops over the

course of multiple texts over multiple eras.

Learning Plan that Includes: Focus Topics, Factual

Content, Lesson Activities, Artifacts

Resources

Literary Terms:

 Realism, Regionalism, Naturalism

 Dialect, Vernacular

 Social Issues, Cultural Shifts

 Bias

 Feminism

 Civil Rights

 Call to action

Possible Activities:

 Students will create their own regionalist story from THEIR

region (this could be as specific as a neighborhood or street).

Students will make sure to include examples of the dialect of

Suggested Texts:

Excerpts from “The Tempest,” “Othello” and/or “Julius Caesar”

“Emancipation Proclamation”

“My Bondage, My Freedom” Frederick Douglass

“Ain’t I a Woman” and “An Account of an Experience with

Discrimination” by Sojourner Truth (two different versions are

available: the originally recorded version and the popularized

version. This makes for a good comparison)

“The Lowest Animal” Mark Twain

“Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” Mark Twain

Excerpts or whole text from “Huck Finn” Mark Twain

“Ethan Frome” by Edith Wharton

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

“Seneca Falls Convention”

their region, specific traditions unique to their culture (for

example what food is eaten on Thanksgiving, when are

presents opened on Christmas) and specific locations and

people known by everyone in this region.

 Students will write a public service announcement including

a visual aid (this can be a poster, skit, pamphlet, etc.) about a

current issue. This can be a class wide or individual issue,

selected by the teacher or students. Students will use rhetoric

and figurative language to persuade their audience and

present a reasonable call to action. Possible topic with two

possible sides: 60 Minutes Fracking

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr6b-WzIcyo)

 Students will compare and contrast two versions of

Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman Speech” and brainstorm

explanations as to why the change occurred (both versions:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain't_I_a_Woman%3F).

 “Story of an Hour”--Rewrite the events of this story from the

husband’s perspective. What is Chopin suggesting about

marriage and a woman’s role in marriage?

 Change the ending of a Realist story (suggestion: To Build a

Fire) to make it fit in-line with Romantic ideals.

 Blind Comparison: Romantic vs. Realist unlabeled story.

Have students explain which is which and how they know.

 Romantic Hero vs. Realist Hero. Students will make a T chart

explaining features of each.

 “To Build a Fire” now vs. Then: Activate with videos similar

to 16x9: Climbers body found

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=int6PKPmQ2s) or 60

Minutes: Free Diving

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKjC7DiktkU) How

has man’s relationship with nature changed. Is there still

danger?

 Mark Twain Lowest Animal Debate: Students choose a side

or are assigned a side on the argument of whether or not man

is the lowest animal. Real life and textual examples should be

allowed.

“Story of an Hour” Kate Chopin

“The Outcast of Poker Flats” Brett Harte

“To Build a Fire” Jack London

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Ambrose Bierce

“An Episode of War” Stephen Crane

“An Account of Battle of Bull Run” Stonewall Jackson

“A Wagner Matinee” Willa Cather

Excerpts or whole text of “Of Mice and Men” and/or “The Grapes of

Wrath” John Steinbeck

Excerpts and/or whole text of “To Kill a Mockingbird” Harper Lee

A variety of Mark Twain and Civil War Texts can be taught.

Whitman can be brought back for the sake of comparison.

Regionalism video resources: “The North Carolina Accent”

Appalachian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXghKHHzlXQ

City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFfM2GMr3lI

Outerbanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXs9cf2YWwg

Realism and Poverty video resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2hzRPLVSm4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syUwFmYeSVw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7CZMvtU5-E

Realism War video resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZDonqtAf-8

Possible Constructed Response Questions: (Students should refer

back to the text and find 2-3 examples that support their answer).

 How have the roles and ideas concerning women changed

over the course of American History?

 Does Realism (or a specific Realist text) achieve its purpose

of remaining objective? Is this true of the fiction as well as

the non-fiction?

 How might Romantics and Realists portray war differently?

Do Realists believe in the “glory of war?”

 How did economic issues following the Civil War affect the

characterization of heroes during the era of Realism?

 Why do people often change philosophically/religiously after

major wars or conflicts (think about the Salem Witch

Trials/Revolutionary War/Civil War)?

 What is different about the voices from the Realist time

period compared to the previous time periods? Why is it

significant there are more diverse voices creating literature?

 Why is it important for Regionalism to accurately capture the

facets of a particular community? Why is this style of writing

appealing? Why is this style “Realist?”

Suggested Timeline

Civil War 4-7 days

 An assortment of fiction and non-fiction works that show Realist attitudes towards war 5-7 days

Regionalism, Twain, Humor 2-5 days

 An assortment of fiction and non-fiction works that show Regional features and the humor of the time 2-5 days

Civil Rights, Women’s Rights and the “new” America

 An assortment of fiction and non-fiction works that demonstrate shifting attitudes towards women, minorities, and the poor 3-8 days.