Unit 4- Long Fiction (40 Hours)
GOALS:
By the end of this unit you will be able to
(1) extend your understanding of how a novel's themes and characterizations are developed using The House On Mango Street written by Sandra Cisneros as the literary text;
(2) communicate orally and in writing, rich and increasingly insightful connections between the ideas in fictional texts and personal knowledge, experience, and insights; other texts; and the world around you
(3) Identify a variety of textual features in a dramatic play, and demonstrate insight into the way stage dialogue, stage action and direction communicate meaning;
(4) analyse a play text in terms of the information, ideas, issues, and themes it explores, examining how various aspects of the play contributes to the presentation or development of these elements.
The lessons in the Novel Unit are devoted to the classic The House on Mango Street written by Sandra Cisneros. It is one of those rare novels that can be read by people of all ages. This novel has been read and studied in classrooms from grade school to high school to universities all around the world. It has been translated into multiple languages, and it has been a best seller since 1984 when it was first published.
The House on Mango Street is the semi-autobiographical story of a young Latina girl named Esperanza growing up in poverty in Chicago, USA in the 1980s. The book is only 110 pages long with 44 chapters known as vignettes - brief verbal portraits - yet the male and female characters Cisneros brings to life, and the settings, plots and themes she weaves into this powerful story will give every student in this course a great deal to reflect on and analyze.
Video lectures, Discussion Forums, Journaling, oral discussions and daily assessments will be integrated into each lesson plan. An Assessment 'OF LEARNING' midway in the unit and a PowerPoint assignment based on the novel and due at the end of the course the conclusion of this unit will be graded and applied towards a final course mark.
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen is a popular and frequently performed classic play. It focuses on the character of Nora and her struggle to overcome the limitations of outside social pressure. It is a story about family and gender roles, marriage and relationships and the everyday struggles that characters face within their lives, families, relationships and society.
Video lectures, Discussion Forums, Journaling, oral discussions and daily assessments will be integrated into each lesson plan. Ongoing For/AS Learning Assessments on the literary elements will be part of this unit.
Students taking this course must obtain a print copy of The House on Mango Street. Daily highlighting and annotation directly on the page can only be done with a print copy.
Consult the school which can order copies or you may purchase a copy on your own. Please allow time for delivery if ordering online.
Students to post their questions here.