2012-13 and 2013-14 Transitional Comprehensive Curriculum
English III
Unit 5: The Rise of Realism and Naturalism in American Literature
Time Frame: Approximately five weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on reading and responding to the primary genres of the period from 1865-1910 to discover how the short stories, novels, and poetry relate to the historical context of the time. Interpreting the literature will include applying a variety of reading and comprehension strategies to analyze the effects of the literary elements and devices, as well as responding to questions requiring higher-order thinking. Research will aid the understanding of the rise of realism and naturalism during this time. Compositions in various modes will address aspects of the literature and explain its relationship to real-life experiences. Grammar study will be imbedded in the writing process, and vocabulary study will continue within the context of the literature.
Student Understandings
The essential goals of this unit are to interpret and analyze the literature of the period of Regionalism and Realism. Students should recognize that the turbulence of the previous period influenced the next generation and should also identify the effects of social issues on the literature of the day. Other critical goals are to express supported responses to the texts, as well as focus on the effects of the literary elements and devices, particularly those related to the new styles of poetry and the prose fiction.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students identify the primary characteristics of the period of Realism and Regionalism and explain how they are reflected in the literature of the age?
2. Can students identify how the poems of Emily Dickinson use structure and language devices to create meaning?
3. Can students use a variety of strategies, including making predictions and generalizations, to gain meaning from the short fiction of Kate Chopin?
4. Can students analyze and synthesize in oral and written responses how Edgar Lee Masters uses the distinctive elements of narrative poetry to reveal character?
5. Can students identify the characteristics of “local color” and realism as they appear in the works of Kate Chopin, Bret Harte, and Mark Twain?
6. Can students analyze how the important story elements of Mark Twain’s work establish significant recurrent themes of American literature?
7. Can students explain how the short stories of the time use literary devices to reflect the primary traits of realism and naturalism?
Unit 5 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
GLE # / GLE Text and Benchmarks
01a. / Extend basic and technical vocabulary using a variety of strategies, including analysis of an author’s word choice (ELA-1-H1)
01b. / Extend basic and technical vocabulary using a variety of strategies, including use of related forms of words (ELA-1-H1)
01c. / Extend basic and technical vocabulary using a variety of strategies, including analysis of analogous statements (ELA-1-H1)
09a. / Demonstrate understanding of information in American, British, and world literature using a variety of strategies, including interpreting and evaluating presentation of events and information (ELA-7-H1)
09b. / Demonstrate understanding of information in American, British, and world literature using a variety of strategies, including evaluating the credibility of arguments in nonfiction works (ELA-7-H1)
09c. / Demonstrate understanding of information in American, British, and world literature using a variety of strategies, including making inferences and drawing conclusions (ELA-7-H1)
09d. / Demonstrate understanding of information in American, British, and world literature using a variety of strategies, including evaluating the author’s use of complex literary elements, (e.g., symbolism, themes, characterization, ideas) (ELA-7-H1)
09e. / Demonstrate understanding of information in American, British, and world literature using a variety of strategies, including comparing and contrasting major periods, themes, styles, and trends within and across texts (ELA-7-H1)
09f. / Demonstrate understanding of information in American, British, and world literature using a variety of strategies, including making predictions and generalizations about ideas and information (ELA-7-H1)
09g. / Demonstrate understanding of information in American, British, and world literature using a variety of strategies, including critiquing the strengths and weaknesses of ideas and information (ELA-7-H1)
09h. / Demonstrate understanding of information in American, British, and world literature using a variety of strategies, including synthesizing (ELA-7-H1)
14a. / Develop complex compositions, essays, and reports that include the following: a clearly stated central idea/thesis statement (ELA-2-H1)
14b. / Develop complex compositions, essays, and reports that include the following: a clear overall structure (e.g., introduction, body, appropriate conclusion) ELA-2-H1)
14c. / Develop complex compositions, essays, and reports that include the following: supporting paragraphs organized in a logical sequence (e.g., special order, order of importance, ascending/descending order, chronological order, parallel construction) ELA-2-H1)
14d. / Develop complex compositions, essays, and reports that include the following: transitional words, phrases, and devices that unify throughout (ELA-2-H1)
16a. / Develop complex compositions using writing processes such as selecting topic and form (e.g., determining a purpose and audience) (ELA-2-H3)
16b. / Develop complex compositions using writing processes such as prewriting (e.g., brainstorming, clustering, outlining, generating main idea/thesis statements) (ELA-2-H3)
16c. / Develop complex compositions using writing processes such as drafting (ELA-2-H3)
16d. / Develop complex compositions using writing processes such as conferencing with peers and teachers (ELA-2-H3)
16e. / Develop complex compositions using writing processes such as revising for content and structure based on feedback (ELA-2-H3)
16f. / Develop complex compositions using writing processes such as proofreading/editing to improve conventions of language (ELA-2-H3)
16g. / Develop complex compositions using writing processes such as publishing using available technology (ELA-2-H3)
17d. / Use the various modes to write complex compositions, including: literary analyses that incorporate research (ELA-2-H4)
21. / Apply standard rules of sentence formation, including parallel structure (ELA-3-H2)
22a. / Apply standard rules of usage, for example: avoid split infinitives (ELA-3-H2)
22b. / Apply standard rules of usage, for example: use the subjunctive mood appropriately (ELA-3-H2)
23a. / Apply standard rules of mechanics and punctuation for parentheses (ELA-3-H2)
23b. / Apply standard rules of mechanics and punctuation for brackets (ELA-3-H2)
23c. / Apply standard rules of mechanics and punctuation for dashes (ELA-3-H2)
23d. / Apply standard rules of mechanics and punctuation for commas after introductory adverb clauses and long introductory phrases (ELA-3-H2)
23e. / Apply standard rules of mechanics and punctuation quotation marks for secondary quotations (ELA-3-H2)
23f. / Apply standard rules of mechanics and punctuation for internal capitalization (ELA-3-H2)
23g. / Apply standard rules of mechanics and punctuation for manuscript form
(ELA-3-H2)
24. / Use a variety of resources (e.g., dictionaries, thesauruses, glossaries, technology) and textual features, (e.g., definitional footnotes, sidebars) to verify word spellings (ELA-3-H3)
25. / Use standard English grammar, diction, and syntax when speaking in formal presentations and informal group discussions (ELA-4-H1)
26a. / Select language appropriate to specific purposes and audiences for speaking, including delivering informational/book reports in class (ELA-4-H1)
26c. / Select language appropriate to specific purposes and audiences for speaking, including participating in class discussions (ELA-4-H1)
29a. / Deliver presentations that include language, diction, and syntax selected to suit a purpose and impact an audience (ELA-4-H3)
34a. / Select and critique relevant information for a research project using the organizational features of a variety of resources, including print texts (e.g., prefaces, appendices, annotations, citations, bibliographic references) (ELA-5-H1)
34b. / Select and critique relevant information for a research project using the organizational features of a variety of resources, including electronic texts (e.g., database keyword searches, search engines, e-mail addresses) (ELA-5-H1)
35a. / Locate, analyze, and synthesize information from a variety of complex resources, including: multiple print texts (e.g., encyclopedias, atlases, library catalogs, specialized dictionaries, almanacs, technical encyclopedias, and periodicals) ELA-5-H2)
35b. / Locate, analyze, and synthesize information from a variety of complex resources, including: electronic sources (e.g., Web sites or databases)
37a. / Access information and conduct research using various grade-appropriate data-gathering strategies/tools, including formulating clear research questions (ELA-5-H3)
37b. / Access information and conduct research using various grade-appropriate data-gathering strategies/tools, including evaluating the validity and/or reliability of primary and/or secondary sources (ELA-5-H3)
37c. / Access information and conduct research using various grade-appropriate data-gathering strategies/tools, including using graphic organizers (e.g., outlining, charts, timelines, webs) (ELA-5-H3)
English III¯Unit 5¯The Rise of Realism and Naturalism in American Literature 5-19
2012-13 and 2013-14 Transitional Comprehensive Curriculum
37d. / Access information and conduct research using various grade-appropriate data-gathering strategies/tools, including compiling and organizing information to support the central ideas, concepts, and themes of a formal paper or presentation (ELA-5-H3)40b. / Use selected style guides to produce complex reports that include the following: standard formatting for source acknowledgment (ELA-5-H5)
ELA CCSS
CCSS# / CCSS Text
Reading Standards for Literature
RL.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.
RL.11-12.4 / Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
RL.11-12.6 / Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
RL.11-12.7 / Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
RL.11-12.9 / Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.
RL.11-12.10 / By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Reading Standards for Informational Texts
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.
RI.11-12.4 / Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
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 high end of the range.
Writing Standards
W.11-12.1a, b, c, d / Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
W.11-12.7 / Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
W.11-12.9a / Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grades 11-12 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics”).
W.11-12.10 / Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening Standards
SL.11-12.1d / Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
SL.11-12.5 / Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
Language Standards
L.11-12.4a, c, d / Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown or multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.
d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
L.11-12.5a / Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.
L.11-12.6 / Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Ongoing Independent Reading (GLEs: 09a, 09b, 09c, 09f, 09g; CCSS: RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.10, RI.11-12.1)