A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah (2007) I. PLOT SUMMARY II. RATIONALE and LEARNING OBJECTIVES III. COMM

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah (2007)

The English Department has carefully evaluated A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah as a whole and deemed it worthy for the 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

I. PLOT SUMMARY

A Long Way Gone recounts the author’s childhood experiences during the civil war in Sierra Leone. This beautifully written account of a child soldier reveals the traits that make us human, and how that humanity can be lost under the influence of violent leaders.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

We begin our exploration of this text by examining the historical and cultural contexts in which the story is situated. It offers students a first-hand, recent account of war conditions in another country and the persistent tragedy of child soldiers. Beah recounts his transition from a child running from war to a vicious soldier with eloquent metaphor and brutal honesty. A Long Way Gone will allow students to question who we name enemy and why. In this unit, students will look at figurative language and particularly personification of nature, metaphor and simile. Nature often represents Ishmael’s feelings or transformation. In addition, students will take note of how flashback impacts the reading of the text. Students will be evaluating Beah’s account as an anti-hero, and acknowledging the changes that bring the protagonist to lose his humanity.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Reading Standards for Literature Key Ideas and Details Grades 9-10 1. Read closely to determine what the text says 1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text 2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development and analyze their development; summarize the over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce key supporting details and ideas. a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. 3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and 3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) ideas develop and interact over the course of a develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or text. develop the theme. Craft and Structure Grades 9-10 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including in a text, including determining technical, figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices connotative, and figurative meanings, and on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how 5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, mystery, tension, or surprise. scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes 6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature the content and style of a text. from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Grades 9-10

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

9. Analyze how two or more texts address 9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., similar themes or topics in order to build how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws knowledge or to compare the approaches the on a play by Shakespeare). authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Grades 9-10 Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and 10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and informational texts independently and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at proficiently. the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah: violence, drug use, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, language, and references to sexual violence.

In the classroom, sensitive topics will be dealt with in a mature fashion, toward an understanding of why this material is included in the memoir. The English department feels that the literary merit of the memoir more than compensates for the inclusion of this sensitive subject matter. The student is encouraged to feel comfortable in expressing his/her beliefs and views openly within the classroom environment. If the student is uncomfortable at any time, the student should meet with the teacher to discuss his/her concerns.

Adapted From: http://ttbyl.net/a-long-way-gone-by-ishmael-beah/

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography of Paul Rusesabagina by: Tom Zoellner (2006)

The English Department has carefully evaluated An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography of Paul Rusesabagina by: Tom Zoellner as a whole and deemed it worthy for the 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

I. PLOT SUMMARY

An Ordinary Man recounts the life of Paul Rusesabagina As Rwanda was thrown into chaos during the 1994 genocide. Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, turned the luxurious Hotel Milles Collines into a refuge for more than 1,200 Tutsi and moderate Hutu refugees, while fending off their would-be killers with a combination of diplomacy and deception. In An Ordinary Man , he tells the story of his childhood, retraces his accidental path to heroism, revisits the 100 days in which he was the only thing standing between his “guests” and a hideous death, and recounts his subsequent life as a refugee and activist

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

We begin our exploration of this text by examining the historical and cultural contexts in which the story is situated. It offers students a first-hand, recent account of war conditions in another country and the persistent tragedy of genocide and discrimination. This book will be read in conjunction with activities in World History 10, where students will not only understand the historical and cultural implications of genocide, but will receive a clear testimony of the proceedings. Students will examine the language and cultural implications within the text, and will evaluate Rusesabagina’s tale as it fits with the Hero’s Journey. Students will determine if Rusesabagina should be defined as a hero, or as An Ordinary Man , as he states.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes 6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature the content and style of a text. from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Grades 9-10 9. Analyze how two or more texts address 9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., similar themes or topics in order to build how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws knowledge or to compare the approaches the on a play by Shakespeare). authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Grades 9-10 Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and 10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and informational texts independently and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at proficiently. the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography of Paul Rusesabagina by: Tom Zoellner violence, language.

In the classroom, sensitive topics will be dealt with in a mature fashion, toward an understanding of why this material is included in the memoir. The English department feels that the literary merit of the autobiography more than compensates for the inclusion of this sensitive subject matter. The student is encouraged to feel comfortable in expressing his/her beliefs and views openly within the classroom environment. If the student is uncomfortable at any time, the student should meet with the teacher to discuss his/her concerns.

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt (1996)

The English Department has carefully evaluated Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir as a whole and deemed it worthy for the 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

I. PLOT SUMMARY

Frank McCourt’s, Angela’s Ashes, is a poignant retelling of life during the Depression, specifically for Irish immigrants. McCourt is faced with varying challenges involving poverty, discrimination in America and Ireland, and his father’s alcoholism. McCourt’s memoir allows the reader to critically evaluate the form of memoir and the concept of memory. The student will study the narrative voice and analyze its role in the craft of memoir.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

We begin our exploration of this text by examining the historical and cultural contexts in which the story is situated. Angela’s Ashes, a coming of age story, anchors the memoir unit, where students study the genre and craft of memoir and finally draft memoirs of their own. We will consider the roles of memory, truth, and fact in autobiographical writing, as well as the literary techniques writers employ to shape their own stories. Students will closely read excerpts of Angela’s Ashes to analyze narrative voice, especially perspective, tone, and mood. We will also examine McCourt’s development of themes including but not limited to poverty/hunger, alcoholism, discrimination, and faith/spirituality.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir: references to sexuality and profanity.

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2001)

AND

Film Adaptation. Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi, 2007.

The English Department has carefully evaluated both the text and film Persepolis a whole and deemed them worthy for the 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

I. PLOT SUMMARY

Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel, Persepolis, is an autobiographical account of life in Iran during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Satrapi recounts her life between the ages of nine and fourteen. Marji struggles with what she is being taught at home and what the government is imposing on her society and school. The student will examine the components of the graphic novel genre and analyze how Satrapi uses it to present historical fact within literature, specifically examining the Iranian and Islamic revolutions. The student will also compare and contrast the written text with the film.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This unit is grounded in a study of the text’s cultural and historical contexts. Students conduct guided research about Iran and its Islamic revolution that occurred in the late 1970s as they begin reading Satrapi’s memoir. This text drives the graphic novel unit in which students examine of the overlap/adaptation of conventional literary techniques in graphic novels—a non-conventional genre which has received critical acclaim in academic/literary communities. Furthermore, students make connections between the graphic novel form and storyboarding as an important part of filmmaking when they view the film adaptation of the text.

As Persepolis is a memoir, students draw on their knowledge from the previous unit (Angela’s Ashes ) to consider how memoir writers use theme, symbolism, voice, and plot structure in different forms to generate meaning and influence interpretation. Finally, students create their own graphic story to demonstrate comprehension of the learning objectives in this unit.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including in a text, including determining technical, figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices connotative, and figurative meanings, and on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how 5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, mystery, tension, or surprise. scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes 6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature the content and style of a text. from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Grades 9-10 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in 7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, diverse formats and media, including visually and including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux quantitatively, as well as in words. Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus 9. Analyze how two or more texts address 9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., similar themes or topics in order to build how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws knowledge or to compare the approaches the on a play by Shakespeare). authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Grades 9-10 Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and 10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and informational texts independently and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at proficiently. the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in Persepolis: profanity, violence, and brief sexual references.

In the classroom, sensitive topics will be dealt with in a mature fashion, toward an understanding of why this material is included in the graphic novel and its film adaptation. The English department feels that the literary merit of the graphic novel and its film adaptation more than compensates for the inclusion of this sensitive subject matter. The student is encouraged to feel comfortable in expressing his/her beliefs and views openly within the classroom environment. If the student is uncomfortable at any time, the student should meet with the teacher to discuss his/her concerns.

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (1989)

The English Department has carefully evaluated The Joy Luck Club as a whole and deemed it worthy for the 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

I. PLOT SUMMARY

Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club is a multi-generational story that follows the lives of four Chinese women and their daughters. The women gather to share stories about their childhoods, relationships, marriages, and immigration to America. Tan’s novel challenges the reader to evaluate the differences in culture, religion, and societal and generational beliefs of differing time periods.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This unit is grounded in a study of the text’s cultural and historical contexts. Specifically, students examine the nature of the immigration experience for Asian migrants entering the U.S., especially during the late 1800s and early 1900s (particularly those affected by the Chinese Exclusion Act). Students focus their analysis on Tan’s development of thematic tension in the four fable sections and sixteen interlocking vignettes that make up the book. Students are asked to consider whether or not the themes of ignorance v. knowledge, loss v. gain, rebellion v. obedience, and bad luck v. good intentions are resolved in the text, and what factors promote or prevent resolution of this thematic tension. In addition, students will critically analyze the text’s complex structure and characterization, as well as identify how the author uses literary techniques including point of view and symbolism to illustrate thematic tension.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Reading Standards for Literature Key Ideas and Details Grades 9-10 1. Read closely to determine what the text says 1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text 2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development and analyze their development; summarize the over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce key supporting details and ideas. a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. 3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and 3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) ideas develop and interact over the course of a develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or text. develop the theme. Craft and Structure Grades 9-10 4. Interpret words and phr ases as they are used 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including in a text, including determining technical, figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices connotative, and figurative meanings, and on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how 5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, mystery, tension, or surprise. scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes 6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature the content and style of a text. from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Grades 9-10 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in 7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, diverse formats and media, including visually and including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux quantitatively, as well as in words. Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus Range of Reading and Level of Text Grades 9-10 Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and 10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and informational texts independently and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at proficiently. the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in The Joy Luck Club: violence, brief references to sex, and profanity.

In the classroom, sensitive topics will be dealt with in a mature fashion, toward an understanding of why this material is included in the novel. The English department feels that the literary merit of the novel more than compensates for the inclusion of this sensitive subject matter. The student is encouraged to feel comfortable in expressing his/her beliefs and views openly within the classroom environment. If the student is uncomfortable at any time, the student should meet with the teacher to discuss his/her concerns.

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossieni (2003)

AND

Film Adaptation. Mark Forster, 2007.

The English Department has carefully evaluated The Kite Runner and its film adaptation—each as a whole, and deemed them worthy for the 10th grade World Literature curriculum. However, the suggestive scene from chapter seven of the novel will be omitted for the purpose of class screening.

I. PLOT SUMMARY

Khaled Hossieni’s The Kite Runner is a story about two young boys growing up in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation of 1978. Through a series of flashbacks interwoven with present day, Hossieni tells the story of Amir and his servant/best friend Hassan and how their choices have devastating effects on both of their lives. Hossieni presents a world under Taliban rule, examples of class division, racism, and the power of choice.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

As with each text studied in this course, The Kite Runner unit is grounded in an examination of the book’s historical and cultural contexts, which is particularly relevant given the U.S.’s involvement in Afghanistan after the events of September 11, 2001. Students will delve into the text to analyze the themes of ethnic prejudice, honor, betrayal, guilt, and redemption, as well as the relationship between individual morality and the health of a larger society. In addition, students will explore the relationship between symbolism and motif. Finally, they will identify, trace, and analyze the author’s use of motif throughout the novel.

**At the end of the unit, students compare and contrast the text and its film adaptation. The entire movie is not screened in class: the suggestive scene from chapter seven is omitted for class viewing.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how 5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, mystery, tension, or surprise. scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes 6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature the content and style of a text. from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Grades 9-10 9. Analyze how two or more texts address 9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., similar themes or topics in order to build how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws knowledge or to compare the approaches the on a play by Shakespeare). authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Grades 9-10 Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and 10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and informational texts independently and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at proficiently. the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in The Kite Runner: profanity, sexual content, and violence.

In the classroom, sensitive topics will be dealt with in a mature fashion, toward an understanding of why this material is included in the novel and its film adaptation. In this text specifically, the sexual content is discussed in terms of the antagonist, Assef’s desire for power and domination. The English department feels that the literary merit of the novel and its film adaptation more than compensates for the inclusion of this sensitive subject matter. The student is encouraged to feel comfortable in expressing his/her beliefs and views openly within the classroom environment. If the student is uncomfortable at any time, the student should meet with the teacher to discuss his/her concerns.

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1899)

The English Department has carefully evaluated Heart of Darkness as a whole and deemed it worthy for the Honors 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

I. PLOT SUMMARY Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness , weaves a tale about the dark side of humanity. Marlow, an ivory transporter, becomes obsessed with Kurtz, an ivory procurement agent. As Marlow travels down the Congo, his choices and jealousy result in a series of tragic events.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

We begin our exploration of this text by examining the historical and cultural contexts in which the story is situated. Students study the Scramble for Africa, when the continent was carved up by European powers and administered by colonial governments. The student will examine Conrad’s use of the frame novel, a story within a story, as well as analyze his use of literary impressionism to convey deeper meaning. These aspects of the novella, along with its complex symbolism, characterization and style, provide students with a challenging text in preparation for AP Literature, which they may take junior year. Taught in conjunction with Things Fall Apart, the student will compose an essay analyzing how Achebe’s novel is a response to views presented by Colonial authors like Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in 7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, diverse formats and media, including visually and including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux quantitatively, as well as in words. Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus 9. Analyze how two or more texts address 9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., similar themes or topics in order to build how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws knowledge or to compare the approaches the on a play by Shakespeare). authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Grades 9-10 Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and 10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and informational texts independently and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at proficiently. the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in Heart of Darkness: violence and vulgar language.

In the classroom, sensitive topics will be dealt with in a mature fashion, toward an understanding of why this material is included in the novella. The English department feels that the literary merit of the novella more than compensates for the inclusion of this sensitive subject matter. The student is encouraged to feel comfortable in expressing his/her beliefs and views openly within the classroom environment. If the student is uncomfortable at any time, the student should meet with the teacher to discuss his/her concerns.

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

The Tempest by William Shakespeare (1623) and The Tempest film adaptation, 2010

The English Department has carefully evaluated The Tempest as a whole and deemed it worthy for the Honors 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

II. PLOT SUMMARY The Tempest is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skillful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

A number of factors make The Tempest a rich text in which to consider matters of sight and perspective. First, the play is especially visual in nature, rich with stage directions and special effects. From the opening tempest to the exotic setting and many songs and spells that appear throughout the play, the audience is constantly exposed to visual (and auditory) stimulation. The Tempest is also a play that raises significant questions concerning the ways in which different characters and cultures see and understand each other. The events that take place on the island take on very different meanings based on the perspective from which they are seen. Prospero can be seen as a lovingly caring father to Miranda or an overbearingly protective patriarch. His treatment of Caliban can be understood as the result of frustrated good intentions or the actions of a treacherous tyrant. Caliban himself can be seen as an ugly, dangerous savage or an innocent and oppressed native, fighting for his freedom. Each of these perspectives is valid in that the text is open to interpretation and supports each reading.

Furthermore, studying The Tempest allows students the opportunity to consider the relationship between what Elizabethans knew about distant cultures of the New World and how they saw them. The Tempest is loosely drawn from the accounts of exploration and shipwreck that were making their way back to Europe at the turn of the seventeenth century, many of which documented Europeans' first encounters with (and impressions of) the indigenous people they met. There has been much debate about whether the play challenges or gives voice to the Eurocentric worldview from which it was created, and it is undoubtedly beneficial to include students in this meaningful conversation. There is, however, a larger lesson to be taken from this discussion. Students must understand that imperfect knowledge often results in a skewed perception of others; this is a valuable lesson for students to carry with them throughout their lives, a lesson that will far outlast their understanding of the particulars of Shakespeare's play.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and 3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) ideas develop and interact over the course of a develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or text. develop the theme. Craft and Structure Grades 9-10 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including in a text, including determining technical, figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices connotative, and figurative meanings, and on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how 5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, mystery, tension, or surprise. scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes 6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature the content and style of a text. from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Grades 9-10 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in 7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, diverse formats and media, including visually and including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux quantitatively, as well as in words. Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus 9. Analyze how two or more texts address 9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., similar themes or topics in order to build how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws knowledge or to compare the approaches the on a play by Shakespeare). authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Grades 9-10 Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and 10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and informational texts independently and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at proficiently. the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in The Tempest: Mild Language, mild sexual content, violence

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (1958)

The English Department has carefully evaluated Things Fall Apart as a whole and deemed it worthy for the 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

I. PLOT SUMMARY Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart , takes place in Nigeria during the British colonization. Achebe presents a perspective on tribal life and how the tribe of Okonkwo is losing control of their traditions and land. The reader will follow Okonkwo as he rises and falls as a leader in his community. This complex text challenges the reader to evaluate the impact of colonization on self and community.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

As with each text studied in this course, Things Fall Apart unit is grounded in an examination of the book’s historical and cultural contexts. Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe published this text just as his country was moving from colonial rule toward independence from Great Britain. Achebe is considered the “grandfather of African literature,” and this text is well established in the literary canon. Students will compare and contrast Achebe’s work with dominant European narratives of colonization, specifically as relayed by authors like Rudyard Kipling in his poem, “The White Man’s Burden” (1899), and Joseph Conrad in his novella, Heart of Darkness (1899). Specifically, students will compose an analytical essay in which they examine how Achebe’s novel draws on yet subverts the European narrative of colonialism of the African continent.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Reading Standards for Literature

Key Ideas and Details Grades 9-10 1. Read closely to determine what the text says 1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text 2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development and analyze their development; summarize the over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce key supporting details and ideas. a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. 3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and 3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) ideas develop and interact over the course of a develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or text. develop the theme. Craft and Structure Grades 9-10 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including in a text, including determining technical, figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices connotative, and figurative meanings, and on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). analyze how specific word choice s shape meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how 5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, mystery, tension, or surprise. scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes 6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature the content and style of a text. from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Grades 9-10 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in 7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, diverse formats and media, including visually and including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux quantitatively, as well as in words. Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus 9. Analyze how two or more texts address 9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., similar themes or topics in order to build how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws knowledge or to compare the approaches the on a play by Shakespeare). authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Grades 9-10 Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and 10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and informational texts independently and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at proficiently. the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in Things Fall Apart: violence.

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

Hamlet by William Shakespeare (1603)

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Film Adaptation. Franco Zeffirelli, 1990. The English Department has carefully evaluated Hamlet and the Zeffirelli film adaptation—each in its entirety, and deemed them worthy for the 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

I. PLOT SUMMARY William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet , is a story of murder, revenge, and power. The student will follow the plight of Prince Hamlet as he tries to uncover how and why his father, the King, has died. Hamlet struggles with his own identity as well as his relationships with his mother and uncle, who is the new King. When Hamlet uncovers the truth, a series of tragic events unfold leaving the reader with a plethora of thoughts and emotions. The student will examine the art f drama in literature by performing various scenes throughout the play and engage in discussions about the many ways Shakespeare can be interpreted. The student will also critically evaluate Shakespeare’s complex use of plot and language and compare the written text with the film.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Just as each unit begins with inquiry into the historical and cultural contexts out of which a work emerges; Hamlet is introduced with an overview of Elizabethan England and Shakespeare’s literary significance. Study of this play is driven by class performance as students work in committees to interpret, plan, prepare costumes, and present specific scenes to the class. Student performances are evaluated on their effort, creativity, and oral presentation skills. In addition, students work to engage Shakespeare’s complex language and translate his work into modern English. Finally, students prepare an analytical essay in which they examine a chosen character’s significance, development, and relationship to Hamlet throughout the play.

The film adaptation is used at the end of the unit and show in its entirety. Students are asked to examine how different performances of the play can influence interpretation.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in Hamlet and its film adaptation : violence and sexual content.

In the classroom, sensitive topics will be dealt with in a mature fashion, toward an understanding of why this material is included in the play and its film adaptation. The English department feels that the literary merit of the play and its film adaptation more than compensates for the inclusion of this sensitive subject matter. The student is encouraged to feel comfortable in expressing his/her beliefs and views openly within the classroom environment. If the student is uncomfortable at any time, the student should meet with the teacher to discuss his/her concerns.

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

Enrique’s Journey: The Story of a Boy’s Dangerous Odyssey to Reunite with his Mother by Sonia Nazario (2006)

The English Department has carefully evaluated Enrique’s Journey as a whole and deemed it worthy for the 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

III. PLOT SUMMARY Enrique’s Journey began as a series of Pulitzer Prize winning articles in the Los Angeles Times describing the plight of the immigrant. Nazario tells the story of a young boy, Enrique, and how he will do anything to be reunited with his mother, an immigrant to the United States. Enrique will attempt to enter the United States seven times before he is finally successful. The student will evaluate complex ideas of human nature, identity, survival, immigration, racism, poverty and how government policy molds these ideas. In addition, the student will examine how The Odyssey and Enrique’s Journey present the reader with the archetypal journey.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Just as each text studied in this course is rooted in an examination of the cultural and historical contexts out of the text emerges, so too is Enrique’s Journey . Students are introduced to another type of non-fiction writing outside of memoir, and they consider how Nazario’s book joins the ranks of important works of investigative journalism, including Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and Jacob Riis’s How the Other Half Lives .

This unit anchors a research project. As they read, students gather evidence that Nazaio presents in support of her goals: she attempts to humanize migrants while simultaneously illustrating the complex nature of illegal immigration, an issue that is central to recent political discourse in the U.S., but especially in Arizona. At the end of the unit, students follow in Nazario’s footsteps as they identify a topic of interest related to the book, gather scholarly research, and craft an analytical research paper.

This unit also draws on themes from The Odyssey , as students are asked to consider to what extent Enrique’s Journey reflects the pattern of a hero’s journey and whether or not Enrique himself can truly be considered a hero.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including in a text, including determining technical, figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices connotative, and figurative meanings, and on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how 5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, mystery, tension, or surprise. scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes 6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature the content and style of a text. from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Grades 9-10 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in 7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, diverse formats and media, including visually and including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux quantitatively, as well as in words. Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and 8. (Not applicable to literature) specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. 9. Analyze how two or more texts address 9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., similar themes or topics in order to build how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws knowledge or to compare the approaches the on a play by Shakespeare). authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Grades 9-10 Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and 10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and informational texts independently and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at proficiently. the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in Enrique’s Journey: violence, sexual content, and profanity.

In the classroom, sensitive topics will be dealt with in a mature fashion, toward an understanding of why this material is included in the text. The English department feels that the literary merit of the text more than compensates for the inclusion of this sensitive subject matter. The student is encouraged to feel comfortable in expressing his/her beliefs and views openly within the classroom environment. If the student is uncomfortable at any time, the student should meet with the teacher to discuss his/her concerns.

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

FILM. Under the Same Moon , Patricia Riggen, 2007. The English Department has carefully evaluated Under the Same Moon as a whole and deemed it worthy for the 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

I. PLOT SUMMARY Under the Same Moon presents a perspective on illegal immigration and the effect it has on families. Rosario has left her son with her mother while she attempts to provide money and opportunity for her family. A series of tragic events unfold, forcing Carlitos to cross the border and attempt to locate his mother.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students compare and contrast this heartwarming story of immigration to Enrique’s Journey . This film presents a romanticized/simplified view of illegal immigration, and students are asked to consider the consequences of relying on a single story about a complex issue like immigration. This film will only be screened in class if time allows.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Reading Standards for Literature

Key Ideas and Details Grades 9-10 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text 2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development and analyze their development; summarize the over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce key supporting details and ideas. a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. 3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and 3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) ideas develop and interact over the course of a develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or text. develop the theme. Craft and Structure Grades 9-10 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes 6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature the content and style of a text. from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Grades 9-10 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in 7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, diverse formats and media, including visually and including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux quantitatively, as well as in words. Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and 8. (Not applicable to literature) specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. 9. Analyze how two or more texts address 9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., similar themes or topics in order to build how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws knowledge or to compare the approaches the on a play by Shakespeare). authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Grades 9-10 Complexity

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

10. Read and comprehend complex literary and 10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and informational texts independently and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at proficiently. the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in Under the Same Moon: violence, mild suggestive sexual content and profanity.

In the classroom, sensitive topics will be dealt with in a mature fashion, toward an understanding of why this material is included in the film. The English department feels that the merit of the film more than compensates for the inclusion of this sensitive subject matter. The student is encouraged to feel comfortable in expressing his/her beliefs and views openly within the classroom environment. If the student is uncomfortable at any time, the student should meet with the teacher to discuss his/her concerns.

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: Honors World Literature

The Odyssey by Homer

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Film Adaptation. O’ Brother Where Art Thou?, Joel Coen, 2000.

The English Department has carefully evaluated The Odyssey and O’ Brother, Where art Thou?, each in their entirety, and deemed them worthy for the 10th grade World Literature curriculum.

I. PLOT SUMMARY The Odyssey is a classic epic poem that tells the myth of Odysseus, who has been missing for ten years after fighting in the Trojan War. Homer presents a story that includes Greek Gods, monsters, and adventure. After overcoming a series of obstacles, the hero Odysseus returns home to Ithaca, where he reunites with his wife, Penelope.

II. RATIONALE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This unit is grounded in a study of the text’s cultural and historical contexts. Students begin their study of this text by investigating ancient Greek culture. After examining Greek history and culture and defining mythology, students critically evaluate how mythology influences worldview as well as analyze Homer’s presentation of the archetypal hero and the heroic journey, as introduced by American mythologist Joseph Campbell. Students view the film, O’ Brother Where Art Thou? in order to examine how Homer’s myth and the heroic monomyth are adapted in modern film. In a culminating essay, students choose another film, either classic or contemporary, in which they apply their knowledge of the heroic monomyth, and analyze how the pattern is revealed in the film’s plot and characterization.

III. COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Reading Standards for Literature

Curriculum Rationale: Grade 10: World Literature

5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how 5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, mystery, tension, or surprise. scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes 6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature the content and style of a text. from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Grades 9-10 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in 7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, diverse formats and media, including visually and including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux quantitatively, as well as in words. Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus 9. Analyze how two or more texts address 9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., similar themes or topics in order to build how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws knowledge or to compare the approaches the on a play by Shakespeare). authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Grades 9-10 Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and 10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and informational texts independently and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at proficiently. the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ADDRESSING SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Possible sensitive topics contained in The Odyssey and O’ Brother, Where art Thou?: violence, mild suggestive sexual content.

In the classroom, sensitive topics will be dealt with in a mature fashion, toward an understanding of why this material is included in the epic poem and its film adaptation. The English department feels that the literary merit of the epic poem and its film adaptation more than compensates for the inclusion of this sensitive subject matter. The student is encouraged to feel comfortable in expressing his/her beliefs and views openly within the classroom environment. If the student is uncomfortable at any time, the student should meet with the teacher to discuss his/her concerns.