Here are some examples of work that I have done in the past.
From ENG 375: A Canon of Texts that I would teach in a future classroom
My Cannon for Adolescents
As a teacher, deciding which texts to incorporate into your curriculum is a big undertaking. Which texts you include and which you don’t are important to think about because it makes an impact on your students. I think the best curriculum for adolescents involves texts from multiple genres, dealing with interesting themes that are representative of authors of different gender and ethnicities. Not every student is going to be passionate about classic literature; so you have to vary the texts and teaching strategies in your classroom to try to reach the interests of your students.
From ENG 375: A Canon of Texts that I would teach in a future classroom
My Cannon for Adolescents
As a teacher, deciding which texts to incorporate into your curriculum is a big undertaking. Which texts you include and which you don’t are important to think about because it makes an impact on your students. I think the best curriculum for adolescents involves texts from multiple genres, dealing with interesting themes that are representative of authors of different gender and ethnicities. Not every student is going to be passionate about classic literature; so you have to vary the texts and teaching strategies in your classroom to try to reach the interests of your students.
In my cannon, or my list of texts I would teach from, I have noticed that I have a reoccurring theme and that is texts that are from American authors, dealing with issues in America both past, present and in the future. I think that I am naturally more interested in national events rather than international ones. I would take a guess that this is also true for adolescents as well. Themes and ideas that Americans dealt with in the past are often still present today, such as economic disparity and racism. I think that high school kids are at the age where you can discuss important if not uncomfortable issues and read a book, like To Kill a Mockingbird that uses the n-word. That being said, the texts I have chosen would be geared towards Junior/Senior English students due to their content. So in my cannon I do take a very general chronology of American texts, beginning with texts as I mentioned, To Kill a Mockingbird and ending with texts that deal with future societies, such as The Hunger Games.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I think this is an excellent book to read and to teach. The setting, Alabama in the 1930’s, is very different from Central Illinois in 2011, but the characters seem so personable and many of the issues are still lingering in our society today. One of the book’s major themes is tolerance of others, and specifically tolerance of race and gender. Many other lessons are presented throughout the book but I would focus on this theme as other texts I have chosen deal with it also.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I think this is an excellent book to read and to teach. The setting, Alabama in the 1930’s, is very different from Central Illinois in 2011, but the characters seem so personable and many of the issues are still lingering in our society today. One of the book’s major themes is tolerance of others, and specifically tolerance of race and gender. Many other lessons are presented throughout the book but I would focus on this theme as other texts I have chosen deal with it also.
“The Wife of His Youth” by Charles Chestnut
This short story is a light-hearted look at life after the Reconstruction period. The main character Mr. Ryder was once a slave in his youth, but after obtaining freedom moved North and became accepted into white society. He must have had light skin tone, which is an interesting issue in itself. As a slave he had married a woman but it being a slave marriage it wasn’t legal so he never went back for her. This woman comes to his home looking for her long lost husband, and he realizes that this was the wife of his youth. I chose this story because it was short, but also because it brings up issues of race, and class during this interesting time in our history.
This short story is a light-hearted look at life after the Reconstruction period. The main character Mr. Ryder was once a slave in his youth, but after obtaining freedom moved North and became accepted into white society. He must have had light skin tone, which is an interesting issue in itself. As a slave he had married a woman but it being a slave marriage it wasn’t legal so he never went back for her. This woman comes to his home looking for her long lost husband, and he realizes that this was the wife of his youth. I chose this story because it was short, but also because it brings up issues of race, and class during this interesting time in our history.
“Neighbour Rosicky” by Willa Cather
This is a “feel good” story about a poor farmer’s love for life. Issues of immigration, poverty during the Great Depression and life on the farm are present. The main character does die in the end of the story, but he dies happy so the reader also feels it is a happy ending. I think it is important to have stories like this in your class, that aren’t all gloom and doom.
This is a “feel good” story about a poor farmer’s love for life. Issues of immigration, poverty during the Great Depression and life on the farm are present. The main character does die in the end of the story, but he dies happy so the reader also feels it is a happy ending. I think it is important to have stories like this in your class, that aren’t all gloom and doom.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This book is the epitome of showing the “American Dream” during the Roaring ‘20s. I read it in high school and it is very prevalent in many high school English curriculums. What I remember most about our analysis of it in high school was the use of colors and how that adds to the complexity etc. Along with the plot, it is interesting to look at those stylistic features of the text.
This book is the epitome of showing the “American Dream” during the Roaring ‘20s. I read it in high school and it is very prevalent in many high school English curriculums. What I remember most about our analysis of it in high school was the use of colors and how that adds to the complexity etc. Along with the plot, it is interesting to look at those stylistic features of the text.
Show “American Dreams” (2002-2005)
Moving along into the Sixties, I thought this show captured the time period well and was created for teen viewers, so it could spark an interest with the students. It shows one family, the Pryor’s, from Philadelphia. The older brother goes off to war in Vietnam and the sister frequents the set of American Bandstand, the teen TV phenomenon of the time. When this show aired I was in high school and I actually did watch it and I liked it. It had romance and cameo appearances by singers etc. I would show an episode or two in class.
Moving along into the Sixties, I thought this show captured the time period well and was created for teen viewers, so it could spark an interest with the students. It shows one family, the Pryor’s, from Philadelphia. The older brother goes off to war in Vietnam and the sister frequents the set of American Bandstand, the teen TV phenomenon of the time. When this show aired I was in high school and I actually did watch it and I liked it. It had romance and cameo appearances by singers etc. I would show an episode or two in class.
Music from the Sixties and Seventies
I think it would be fun to go along with the show to play some popular music from that time. The show has a very good soundtrack and I would do a short analysis of the type of music that was popular, types of dance moves etc.
I think it would be fun to go along with the show to play some popular music from that time. The show has a very good soundtrack and I would do a short analysis of the type of music that was popular, types of dance moves etc.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
This is a fairly recent book that has become pretty popular with adolescents. It is set in a future time that it not really specified, but the society functions in a very different and extreme way from what we are used to. I liked that the protagonist was female and that she was a role model figure, had a strong character etc. The book is lengthy, but it is a fast read. A movie is in the works I believe so I could include clips from that if it was available.
This is a fairly recent book that has become pretty popular with adolescents. It is set in a future time that it not really specified, but the society functions in a very different and extreme way from what we are used to. I liked that the protagonist was female and that she was a role model figure, had a strong character etc. The book is lengthy, but it is a fast read. A movie is in the works I believe so I could include clips from that if it was available.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I would also include this book in my cannon. It is a great book and it basically says “Save the books!”, “Save the knowledge!.” The main character, Guy Montag, is a fireman whose job entails burning all books that are found in people’s possession illegally. In this society the government has ordered that some books be destroyed as a way to censor the ideas people are exposed to. Like many adolescent texts this is a story of maturation for Montag. I think the message is appropriate for a classroom setting and a junior/senior class.
I would also include this book in my cannon. It is a great book and it basically says “Save the books!”, “Save the knowledge!.” The main character, Guy Montag, is a fireman whose job entails burning all books that are found in people’s possession illegally. In this society the government has ordered that some books be destroyed as a way to censor the ideas people are exposed to. Like many adolescent texts this is a story of maturation for Montag. I think the message is appropriate for a classroom setting and a junior/senior class.
