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A Detailed Course Overview

ENGLISH A1: LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE


Mr. Eric Moore Gyeonggi Suwon International School

Modified May 2011

Course Outline A1: Literature and Language HL

Table of Contents
Part 2: Language and Mass Communication ................................ ........................... 4 Objectives and KIs/GQs: ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 4 Assessment ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 4 Resources (Ideas) ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 5 Part 4: Literature - Critical Study ................................ ................................ .............. 5 Objectives and KIs/GQs ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 5 Assessment ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 6 Resources (Ideas) ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 6 Part 1: Language and Context ................................ ................................ ..................... 7 Objectives and KIs/GQs ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 7 Assessment ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 8 Resources (Ideas) ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 8 Part 3: Literature: Texts and Contexts ................................ ................................ ..... 9 Objectives and KIs/GQs ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 9 Assessment ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 10 Resources (Ideas) ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 11

Modified May 2011

Notes: y With the objectives of each part, I include KIs and GQs, both. KIs are subbulleted under objectives in black, GQs are likewise sub-bulleted, but are red, and denoted with a GQ . o The distinction between KIs and GQs is significant inasmuch as KIs are intended to be general quasi-philosophical inquiries that deal explicitly or implicitly with how we know or how knowledge is transmitted or developed. Guiding questions, on the other ha nd, and less open, more focused on directing the students toward intended responses or at least intended ranges of thought. KIs are directly related to ToK and can be coordinated with the TOK teacher for further exploration (for example, when studying the effect of language on culture, the TOK teacher could bring up the more directly philosophical inquires into things like the Wharf hypothesis (briefly that all thought is contingent on language). In this way, KIs allow the students to integrate their learning into other courses, whereas GQs are more internal to the class. The course actively uses prose (novel, short story) and drama in the literature sections, but it is recommended that supplementary poetry be utilized as well to help prepare the students for the possibility of poetry showing up on the final exams. The structure of the course intends to allow the language units to take a more philosophical and contemporary application approach in contrast to the literature units, which seek to utilize the matched language unit by treating it as a hermeneutical study. In other words, part 2 and 4 are taught the same year, and in that order such that part 2 (language and media) might lay groundwork for an analysis of the literature, in part 4, through sensitivity to details and implications. Likewise, part 1 and 3 are taught in the same year and in that order such that part 3 language and context can lay the groundwork for application in part 4 literature: text and context. In this way, parts 1 and 2 become useful tools for the study of literature in addition to being units of study in themselves.

A total of 4 works must be chosen from the PLA, and 1 from the PLT, in addition 1 may be chosen freely, for a total of 6 texts being studied in this course (see notes in guide for the definition of a text ). These 6 must come from 2 different: Places, Times, and Genres. This is reflected by choices as seen here: Places: 1) Africa (Fugard) 2) America (Miller, Dillard) Times: 1) C20 (Dillard, Fugard, Miller) 2) C19 (Poe)

Genres: 1) Drama (Fugard, Miller) 2) Prose (Dillard)

Modified May 2011

Part 2: Language and Mass Communication


Objectives and KIs/GQs:
1. Examine different forms of communication within the media. a. How does means of communication affect the way that something is understood? b. What is the impact of linguistic shifts in our contemporary world? 2. Show an awareness of the potential for educational, political or ideological influence of the media. a. Does media have potential for good or evil in education, politics, or ideology? b. GQ:Speculate/consider: How would historical and/or literary figures have utilized contemporary media, and to what effect? (e.g. Would Hitler Blog? MLK Tweet?) c. How can/do both those in position of authority and those who are not use language and media to promote their views? How has this changed in the last 5, 10, 15, 20 years? 3. Show the way mass media use language and image to inform, persuade or entertain a. GQ: Is it significant to consider one s audience? Does this change in degree based on the type of communication? If so, why? b. How are the different Ways of Knowing, (inc. emotion, sense perception, and reason) utilized through language? c. Is language restricted to speech (written or spoken)? If not, what else is included in language? How do we see this reflected in the mass media? d. How do different types of media (speech, text (digital and print), images, film, etc affect the material being communicated? For example, if one were to read about the 1913 Easter Rising in Ireland in the form of: (1) a poem, (2) a newspaper article from the UK, (3) a newspaper article form Ireland, (4) a (fictional) blog, (5) a FB status update, tweet from a friend and/or celebrity how do each of these means change the way we experience the event? To what effect?

Assessment
1. Written Task (Type 1 or Type 2 *) Students will explore in WT one of the KIs above, or a task of their own choosing, with teacher assistance. 2. OA Students will decide on an appropriate OA and gain teacher approval. These will be presented to the class with guidance to ensure that the student is demonstrating attainment of one of the learning objectives for Part 2. 3. Paper One (Practice #1) During the semester exam, students will be given two previously unseen passages from non-literary texts for analysis, of which students select one. Students are instructed to write an analysis
*Recommend

(see pp. 44-47 of the guide)

Modified May 2011

of one of the texts, including comments on the significance of any possible contexts, audience, purpose and the use of linguistic and literary devices. Two guiding questions will be provided to encourage the students to focus on an aspect of the course that we have covered to this point.

Resources (Ideas)
1. Senator McCarthy speeches vs. Good Night and Good Luck 2. Advertisements for deconstruction (on Youtube) 3. Newspaper articles (E.g. Dragon Mom ) presenting opinions on opposing sides. 4. Samples of news from Foxnews.com vs. World Socialist News 5. Tabloids vs. Gossip Mags vs. respectable newspapers 6. Photos/Photojournalism (e.g. Dorothy Lange, others more modern?) 7. Articles from Travel Magazine about solitude vs. extract from Robinson s Crusoe. 8. Graphic Novels/Political Cartoons TBD: For each text/topic explore in detail how this will be used for each (applicable) learning outcome. Topic/Text LO1 LO2 LO3

Part 4: Literature - Critical Study


Objectives and KIs/GQs
1. Explore literary works in detail. a. GQ: What is the difference between explicit and implicit meaning in a work of literature? How are these affected by social and political context of a work? b. GQ:How do works fit within larger groupings (e.g.an extract within a larger work, a story or poem in a collection, a book in a series, a text within a genre, period, etc)? c. GQ: How are language, structure, perspective, and characterization, and other key features of literature utilized to generate desired response/understanding in the reader? What would be the effect if any of these were changed? 2. Analyze elements such as theme and the ethical stance or moral values of literary texts.

Modified May 2011

a. Can art (specifically literature) be used as a vehicle to communicate ethical or moral values? With what strengths and weaknesses? b. GQ: What ethical/moral stances are demonstrated in this work? How do you know? (Provide evidence). c. Does perspective affect what is right and wrong? If so, how does the use of perspective or narrative styles in literature affect the way readers determine what is right and wrong? Can literature, therefore be manipulative? d. GQ: What perspective is the text demonstrating/coming from? How does this affect our perception of the topic(s)/theme(s) covered therein? How would the text be different if told from a different perspective? 3. Understand and make appropriate use of literary terms. a. GQ/KI:What is Jargon and why is it used? b. GQ: What example are there in the text of the following literary devices, and what impact do they have on the aesthetics/theme(s)/or meaning of the text? i. Imagery, Persona, Symbolism, Irony, Tone, Metaphor/Simile, Personification, etc

Assessment
1. Written Task (Type 1 or Type 2) Students will explore in WT one of the KIs above, or a task of their own choosing, with teacher assistance. 2. IOC at the conclusion of this unit, students will complete their individual oral commentary, thereby engaging in a critical examination of a particular extract drawn from a work that has been studied in part 4. The individual oral commentary allows students to analyze the relationship between formal elements and meaning in a particular literary text. 3. Paper Two (Practice #1) During the semester exam, students will be expected to respond to one of the 6 provided (By the IB) questions in a way that shows their understanding of the learning outcomes demanded in part 4 of the course. They are expected to refer to at least two of the texts they have studied in class, analyzing the works in the light of the way in which the contexts of production and reception affect their meaning.

Resources (Ideas)
1. Three Texts From the PLA Text/Author
Master Harold and the Boys / Athol Fugard Death of a Salesman / Arthur Miller Teaching a Stone to Talk/ A. Dillard

Genre
Drama Drama

Location
Africa USA

Period
C20 C20 C20

Prose

USA

*This could be contrasted to excerpts from Heart of Darkness.

Recommend (see pp. 44-47 of the guide)

Modified May 2011

If Excess time: could add in The Power of One by Bruce Courtaney as a supplement to MHaTB and TFA. y y These texts are specifically chosen for the way they allow the students to meet the stated objectives. For example in all three: Individuals or groups are subjugated both fictionally (e.g. Willie of DoS being rejected) and linguistically (Willy of MHB s poor linguistic ability reflective of his lack of class, intelligence, etc), which allows for analysis of how this is brought about (linguistically and socia lly) and why. Further, why do authors write about such issues, and to what effect? They lend themselves to discussions about who is empowered/disempowered and how/why? Each has a strong moral/ethical overtone and implications, and They move from relatively easy to relatively complex, allowing a gradual scaffolding of literary analysis and terminology ranging from the simple, overt symbolism of Master Harold to the more complex characterization and irony of Things Fall Apart. Things Fall Apart can be brought back up later, in part 3, through contrasting to Heart of Darkness and exploring the context in which each was written.

y y y

TBD: For each text/topic explore in detail how this will be used for each (applicable) learning outcome. Topic/Text LO1 LO2 LO3

Part 1: Language and Context


*This unit, in addition to being an independent part of the course is also designed to provide the students with analytical skills and background skills that will allow them to penetrate the Part 3 texts more effectively.

Objectives and KIs/GQs


1. Analyze how audience and purpose affect the structure and content of texts. a. How is what we know and how we communicate affected/shaped by our language and culture? i. In other words, what is the relationship between language, culture and cognition?

Modified May 2011

b. GQ: What is communication, and why does effective communication consider audience and purpose when developing structure and content of a text (oral or written)? c. GQ: How can we identify intended audience in previously unseen texts (e.g. speeches, ads, newspaper articles, etc ) 2. Analyze the impact of language changes. a. Is culture and/or thought contingent on language? If so, what happens when language is abbreviated, or languages are lost altogether? i. How is the current trend of Englishmania in the world affecting cultures? Can language spread be seen as neocolonization ? b. What is the effect of the digital age on language, and how does this impact our cultures and societies? 3. Demonstrate an awareness of how language and meaning are shaped by culture and context. a. Do cultural ideas translate? What kinds of things get lost in translation ? i. That is, can we isolate certain types of ideas or concepts that seem to have a higher likelihood of translation failure than others? If so, what can we learn from this information? b. Does culture create language or does language create culture, or neither, or both? c. Can the same event, picture, story, word, etc be understood differently depending on who is reading / unpacking it?

Assessment
1. Written Task (Type 1 or Type 2*) Students will explore in WT one of the KIs above, or a task of their own choosing, with teacher assistance. 2. Practice OA: Socratic Seminar Students will engage in a Socratic seminar analyzing guiding questions related to two or more works studied. This helps prepare them for both the OA and Paper 1. 3. OA Students will decide on an appropriate OA and gain teacher approval. These will be presented to the class with guidance to ensure that the student is demonstrating attainment of one of the learning objectives for Part 1.

Resources (Ideas)
y y y y y y TED Talk films Movie: Lost in Translation (Edited) Movie: Memoirs of a Geisha Movie: My Kid Could Paint That Articles of specialized interest that are in English, but undecipherable to most of us (e.g. a Rugby Game recap in Kiwi English) Arundhati Roy s Come September (2002) vs. Bush s War on Terrorism (2005) speech and/or State of the Union Address (2002)

Modified May 2011

y y

Readings: Chrystal, David. English as a Global Language. Cambridge: CUP, 2003. (recommended by Linda Olson) A chapter from Language and Power by Norman Faiclough (https://onlineworkshops.ibo.org/courses/mod/book/v iew.php?id=337 01&chapterid=17482) A chapter from The Metaphors we Live By by George Lakoff (https://onlineworkshops.ibo.org/courses/mod/book/view.php?id=337 01&chapterid=17482) Nettle, Daniel and Suzanne Romaine. Vanishing Voices. Oxford: OUP, 2000. (recommended by Linda--about language endangerment and extinction) Thomas, Linda et al. Language, Society and Power. 2nd Ed. London: Routledge, 2004. (accessible unpacking of languageissues related to various groups) TBD: For each text/topic explore in detail how this will be used for each (applicable) learning outcome.

Topic/Text

LO1

LO2

LO3

Part 3: Literature: Texts and Contexts


Objectives and KIs/GQs
1. Consider the changing historical, cultural and social contexts in which particular texts are written and received. a. Every culture is defined by artist ~ David Dory, All art is an individual's expression of a culture. Cultures differ, so art looks different. ~Henry Glassie i. What is the relationship between art and culture? Does art challenge or shape culture, does culture challenge or shape art? Which comes first? b. GQ: As the old clich goes, The pen is mightier than the sword. Is it possible for literature to bring about real change in society? Is the answer to this question the same today as it was 200, 500, 1000 years ago? Why/not? c. GQ:How does art, and specifically literature develop over time and in different cultural environments? Are there threads that can be traced in the study of such developments? 2. Demonstrate how the formal elements of the text, genre and structure can not only be seen to influence meaning but can also be influenced by context.

Modified May 2011

a. GQ: How does Poe develop the original structure of the Detective Genre in such works as The Murders in the Rue Morgue or The Mystery of Marie Roget and how is this seen in all works of detective fiction (including contemporary t.v. shows) to this day? i. What is different when C.Doyle picks the genre up in the Realist period? (Film: Sherlock Holmes ) b. GQ: How does Stevenson s biography give insight into how and why he wrote Jekyll and Hyde ? How do our own experiences and cultural contexts affect the way we read it and interpret it? c. GQ: Could Poe s or Stevenson s work be published successfully today as contemporary authors? What would need to be changed? Why? d. GQ: How does the form of the detective story change when it is used by a Spanish author, and how does this reflect the impact of context on the creation of a culture/time? In what ways does Marquez put, as an editor puts it a whole culture on trial in her work? 3. Understand the attitudes and values expressed by literary texts and their impact on readers. a. How effective is literature as a vehicle for transmitting attitudes and values to readers? i. GQ: To what extent are Jekyll and Hyde and Chronicles commentaries condemning aspects of the author s respective societies? How would they have impacted their original target audience? Their new audiences (time/place)? b. GQ:What aspects / literary devices are used in the works we have studied that convey attitudes and values? c. How do linguistic choices affect the way a story, character, event, etc is perceived?

Assessment
1. Written Task (Type 1 or Type 2*) Students will explore in WT one of the KIs above, or a task of their own choosing, with teacher assistance. 2. (Paper One (Practice #2) During the MOCK EXAM, students will be given two previously unseen passages from non-literary texts for analysis, of which students select one. Students are instructed to write an analysis of one of the texts, including comments on the significance of any possible contexts, audience, purpose and the use of linguistic and literary devices. Two guiding questions will be provided to encourage the students to focus on an aspect of the course that we have covered to this point.) This is not actually related to this unit, but will be assessed in the Mock anyway. 3. Paper Two (Practice #2) During the MOCK EXAMS, students will be expected to respond to one of the 6 provided (By the IB) questions in a way that shows their understanding of the learning outcomes demanded in part 3 of the course. They are expected to refer to at least two of the texts they have studied in class, analyzing the works in the light of the

Modified May 2011

way in which the contexts of production and reception affect their meaning. 4. Final Exam: Paper 1, Paper 2

Resources (Ideas)
Text/Author
PLA: Selected Works* / E.A. Poe The Strange Case Hyde / R.L. Stevenson PLT: Chronicle of a Death Foretold /G. Marquez

Genre
Prose **FREE**

Location
USA **FREE**

Period
C19 **FREE** C21

Prose/Novel

Spain

*Selected works of Poe: (First 3 are true detective fiction, next three don t quite qualify, but introduce key elements of what is now used in detective fiction). y "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" y "The Mystery of Marie Roget" y "The Purloined Letter" y "The Gold Bug," which introduced a cipher and the protagonist's attempt to solve it. y "Thou Art the Man," was the first known inclusion of the use of ventriloquism to trick a suspect into confessing to a murder. y "The Man of the Crowd," which may well be the first story to include what later became known as "surveillance." These three works utilize a static genre (Detective Fiction) and trace its development through the romantic, realist, and modern periods and through American, English, and Spanish cultures of these respective periods. By keeping a constant (e.g. detective fiction), this allows us a backdrop against which we can assess change as brought about by contextualization in time and location. TBD: For each text/topic explore in detail how this will be used for each (applicable) learning outcome. Topic/Text LO1 LO2 LO3

Connections to TOK: What tells us more about our world: Science or Literature Water handout

Modified May 2011

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