Basics of this Unit
Unit Summary:
In
this unit, we will be learning about and discussing both
Victorian literary themes and the various ways in which literature is studied
and interpreted. You will learn about multiple perspectives of interpretation
in literature, especially the key debate between the role of authorial intent versus reader
response. You will analyze Oscar Wilde’s The
Importance of Being Earnest and compare it to two other interpretations: the 2002 film version and
BBC audiobook. To conclude the unit, you will choose another text we've studied previously in-class and perform a comparative analysis with another interpretation of the text, presenting your findings to the class.
General Info:
This unit is designed for an English language arts class for the 9th-12th grade levels.
California Content Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.2
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA.Literacy.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).
CCSS.ELA.Literacy.RI.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate mulitple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to address a question or solve a problem.
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA.Literacy.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).
CCSS.ELA.Literacy.RI.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate mulitple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to address a question or solve a problem.
Big Ideas:
- How does writing express ideas, especially the ideas of its time period?
- How do we read and understand literature?
- What is the difference between authorial intent and reader response?
- How does context affect the meaning of a text?
- How do interpretations of a text in different mediums compare?
- How does the medium of a text affect its portrayal and meaning?
Student Learning Objectives:
Students
will be able to differentiate authorial intent and reader response correctly
when asked by the teacher. Students will be able to correctly identify two
elements constructing meaning in their text and examine the similarities and
differences between their text and a second interpretation. Students will be
able to complete their own comparison of two interpretations of another
Victorian work and share their analysis with the class in the form of a
presentation, as well as organize a map of different literary perspectives to
demonstrate their knowledge of interpreting literature.