World Literature Lessons
“The only purpose of education is freedom; the only method is experience.” Leo Tolstoy
These are the lessons that I used when I taught World Literature. The Lessons are arranged in Unit (big and small), and the Units are arranged - for the most part - chronologically as I taught them throughout the year. I believe very strongly in the power of connections - and you will find (I hope) that the units are connected with bigger ideas that cross both political and literary boundaries. Most, if not all, of my lessons are designed around the text being studied - with the upmost importance being given to the author's words. I hope you find something useful.
An Introduction
Day 0 - Poems Before The History of Love
Day 1 - Opening Discussion (pgs 1-19)
Day 2 - An optional (depending on how far you got) Mini -Lesson on 19-24
Day 3 - Discussion pgs 19-45 THREE WAYS to Discuss
Day 4 - How to survive in the wild - Group Work on 46-65
Day 5 - However We Know the Landscape - An Illuminated Text Long-Term Project
Day 6 - Discussion - 46 to 74
Day 7 - Discussion - 75 to 92
Day 8 - Discussion - Row Reading - 93 to 134
Day 9 - The Street of Crocodiles - A Cooperative Reading
Day 10 - Discussion 134-159 (Two Ways)
Day 11 - Group Work 154-170 Green Fields & Dirty Dishes
Day 12 - Discussion 170-190 Giving up a Tree
Day 13 - Discussion 191-218 The Longing that Exists between Species
Day 14 - A Final Discussion thru the end (knocking twice)
Day 15 - A Visit from Nicole Krauss (A Reading and Q & A)
Day 16a - Everything is Illuminated - Movie & related Questions
Day 16b - Wings of Desire - Movie & related Questions
Day 17 - An In-Class Essay
Day 18 - Presenting the student Illuminated Text projects
An Introduction
Day 0 - Poems Before Candide
Day 1 - The Opening Discussion
Day 2 - Group Work - Chapters 2 to 4
Day 3 - Discussion Chapters 4-8
Day 4 - The Search: Student Introspection & Discussion
Day 5 - Discussion Chapters 8-14
Day 6 - A Vertext Chapters 15-20
Day 7 - Group Work Chapters 21-24
Day 8 - Discussion Chapters 19-25
Day 9 - Three Ways - Chapters 21-28
Day 10 - A Final Discussion - 28 to the end
Day 11 - The Graduate Movie Questions
Day 12 - The Candide Exam
Day 13 - The Candide Essay
An Introduction
Day 1 - Poems Before The Things They Carried
Day 2 - Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home"
Day 3 - The Opening Discussion
Day 4 - Row Reading Discussion pgs 25-58
Day 5 - Row Reading Discussion pgs 59-81
Day 6 - Group Work or Row Reading pgs 82-110
Day 7 - Row Reading Discussion pgs 111-130
Day 8 - Row Reading Discussion pgs 131-154
Day 9 - Row Reading Discussion (or GW) pgs 155-179
Day 10 - Row Reading Discussion pgs 180-207
Day 11 - A Final Discussion (208 - the end)
Day 12 - Prose Analysis AP Essay Prompt
An Introduction
Day 1 - "War" A Short Story by Luigi Pirandello
Day 2 - Poems & Songs before All Quiet
Day 3 - DeRomanticizing War & the guy on the back of the bus
Day 4 - It was a Good Day - All Quiet Opening Discussion
Day 5 - Men in a War - All Quiet Chapter 2 Group Work
Day 6 - Black Pudding - All Quiet Chapter 2-3(4) Vertext Discussion
Day 7 - The Equation (men & horses) - All Quiet Chapter 4 Discussion
Day 7.5 - Snow Softly Falling - All Quiet Mini-Lesson (10 mins) - After Chapt. 4
Day 8 - Geese & Men - All Quiet Chapter 5 - Group Work
Day 9 - Luck & the Young Recruits - All Quiet Chapter 6 Part 1 - Row Reading Discussion
Day 10 - No Man's Land - All Quiet Chapter 6 Part 2 - Solo Work
Day 11 - A Loaf of Bread - All Quiet Chapter 7 Part 1 - Discussion
Day 12 - Talismans - All Quiet Chapter 7 Part 2 - Group Work
Day 13 - No Man's Home - All Quiet Chapt. 7 pt. 2 & Chapt. 8 - Vertext Discussion
Day 14 - Death of a Soldier - All Quiet Chapt. 9 - A Group Work (or Row Reading disc)
Day 15 - The Idyll - All Quiet Chapt. 9 & 10 pt. 1 - Row Reading Discussion
Day 16 - The Dying Room - All Quiet Chapt. 10 pt. 2 - Group Work
Day 17 - An Expression of Calm - All Quiet - A Closing Discussion
Day 18a - Children Playing Soldier - Grand Illusion Movie & Questions
Day 18b - Hail Fredonia - Duck Soup Movie & Questions (an alternate film)
Day 19a - No Man's Land - An All Quiet Essay on "Home"
Day 19b - Harmony of War - An All Quiet Creative Response Project
Day 20 - A Medley of All Quiet Illuminated Texts
Day 21 - An Exam for All Quiet on the Western Front
Silent Night 1 - The Christmas Truce of 1914 - Group Work
Silent Night 2 - War Games, an NPR story, and two songs
A Christmas Memory - A Reading and Homecoming
The Jewish Giant - A Radio Documentary & Student Reaction Pieces
Being Bullied & Bullying - A Lesson in Empathy
The Truth - A Poem by Randall Jarrell - solo, partner, then class discussions
Persepolis 1 - Poems before Persepolis
Persepolis 2 - The Opening Discussion (optional Group Work)
Persepolis 3 - Group Work #1 - The Slap - pgs 31 to 71
Persepolis 4 - Row Reading Discussion - pgs 72 to 117
Persepolis 5 - A Graphic Final Discussion - pgs 118 to 153
Persepolis 6 - Movie (Part 2) and Questions
Persepolis 7 - Songs & Connections
Dante, Pablo Neruda & Il Postino
Dante / Neruda 1 - A Trip to the Basement - A Personal Dante Journey
Dante / Neruda 2 - In the Dark Woods - The Inferno excerpt - Vertext Discussion or Group Work
Dante / Neruda 3a - A Spark & a Flame - A Creative Response Project for "The Inferno"
Dante / Neruda 4 - It Came for Me - The Poetry of Pablo Neruda - A Discussion
Dante / Neruda 5 - Metafora - Il Postino - Movie & Questions