SuccessLink Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education Friday, September 3, 2010

Great Teaching Ideas

lesson & unit viewer

The Human Comedy: Connections in Literature and Life

published on: 6/15/2009

Contributing Teacher(s): Diane Tinucci

Subject Area: Communication Arts/Reading/literature

Grade Range: High School (9-12)

Materials Needed:

Class set of the novel, The Human Comedy.

Objective:

Compare and contrast comedy and tragedy genre
Identify significant criteria in evaluating the AP Lit Open Question
Describe intended functions of a author choice of plot and/or character in author’s larger purpose
Structure a lit analysis essay thesis and body paragraph with emphasis on well-organized, reasoned, specifically supported body paragraphs
Write successfully to an AP Lit timed, in class prompt

Essential Question:

How do an author’s creative storytelling choices support his or her larger intentions of effecting intellectual and emotional response to his or her writing AND how can you, as students craft a respected essay about your understanding of those connections to the Open Question, one of the standard essay type questions on the national AP Exam?

Instructional Strategy: Prior Knowledge & Connections

Process Standards:

Goal 1.1 develop questions and ideas to initiate and refine research
Goal 1.4 use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize information
Goal 2.1 plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences
Goal 4.1 explain reasoning and identify information used to support decisions

Content Standards:

Communication Arts 1 - Speaking and writing standard English (including grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, ...)
Communication Arts 2. Reading and evaluating fiction, poetry and drama
Communication Arts 4. Writing formally (such as reports, narratives, essays) and informally (such as outlines, notes)
Communication Arts 5. Comprehending and evaluating the content and artistic aspects of oral and visual present...

Communication Arts 6. Participating in formal and informal presentations and discussions of issues and ideas

G.L.E.:

CA - Wr - 1 - A - 09
(Writing, Apply a writing process in composing text, Writing process, Grade 9-12.)

Time Allowance: 3 Weeks independent reading time in the summer, and three week unit in early first semester of course

Technological Resources:
The first assignment of this unit asks groups of students to develop an understanding of the requirements and structure of the national AP Exam Open Question. The development of that definition will be derived from preselected Internet sites (see Open Question Resources) as well as information read in literature textbooks. With this group exercise as well as one within the unit on how the Open Question should be graded, students must “teach” their findings to the class, and they will probably use Power Point or some Smart Board computer created display to do this. Within the unit, students participate in two additional group definition clarification assignments, and both are accompanied by relevant Internet Resource link lists. Although students must hand write their final unit test in class essays, they will use word processing to create a “quasi” essay which demonstrates their basic literary analysis essay skills. Some teachers might have the ability to use Turn It In or some other such plagiarism discouragement software as the students submit their final essays. A few Human Comedy teaching resource web links have been included in my Unit Description section.

Extensions:
Later AP Lit lessons will recall this unit and the basic mindset established with it. Certainly, one major aim in AP Literature is to prepare students to achieve successfully on the national spring exam. This unit is rich in laying groundwork for skills needed to do that in its direct teaching of the requirements and evaluation of the Open Question and of the basic skills needed in quality literary analysis essay writing. The concepts of literary comedy and tragedy will be visited again, as will consideration of author title choice. Close reading skills will be employed often; in future units, students will create the discussion questions beyond just responding to them. First mention of rhetorical devices and the author’s deliberate creation choices in service of intention will lay the groundwork for the year’s literature discussion.

Integration:
As stated before, the AP Literature mindset is that authors, aka artists and composers, deliberately create artistic experiences, and that their creation strategies and methods are aimed at affecting intellectual and emotional responses from their audiences. Of course, in AP Literature, we talk of how authors do this, but, in AP Lit, I continuously mention that all artists share this approach. We talk of how inclusion of film background music evokes emotion. We talk of the principles of drawing and how color and line and balance create different experiences. The natural connection to all artwork is continuously recalled in AP Lit. One optional quality connection instructors might add to this unit is the comparison of the Human Comedy film to the novel. The film, though older and black and white, holds up well, and creative teachers could isolate portions for consideration and comparison with portions of the novel. Doing this would establish the early skill of comparing and/or contrasting with a purpose – that one does not just note similarities, but does so in service of a larger point or stance. Connections are drawn, too, throughout the course, of the strategy of creation of a literary analysis essay or any analytical essay to writing a geometric proof. In both, steps of reasoning are explained in deliberate order to culminate in one large reasoning assertion. Connections are also drawn between the study on an author’s writing method and the realization that students, at times, are authors, and, as such, have literary tools to choose and manipulate to affect their own deliberate experiences. Sadly, and I don’t think this should be dwelled on much at all, this story deals with loss during war. Obvious connections to that and current events smack us all in the face.

Differentiation:
Part of this unit’s work is to determine the significant criteria on which the AP Exam Open Question is evaluated. After the students compile their group lists of “discovered” criteria, have each class create a first grading scale for their Open Question essays. Of course, you, as teacher monitor these creation sessions, but you will see that the students create a grading sheet not too different than what you have. This is early in the year; you can revisit the first grading sheets and tweek and reevaluate as the students grow in skill. Offering topic choice in the quasi essay is a natural differentiation strategy. Preapproval of topics assures that all will be working at a quality skill level. Students will be happier workers in that power over the choice of the topic of a major evaluation piece. Differentiation lives in the creation of open question grading guidelines, and it can be affected by having the students brainstorm, say ten significant criteria, and, then, after they have written a practice essay, have them choose eight of the ten on which they want to be graded. Choice and personal creativity exist richly in the group activities, where students choose study research and methods of presentation to their classmates. Such choice is differentiation. This unit, offered at the start of the semester, helps students “learn” the teacher and his or her grading methods. Using the essay commenting strategy touted by NCTE, I comment profusely on the rough draft, as opposed to on the final draft, where, those improvement suggestions might go ignored in the search for the final grade. In doing this, the instructor can be a partner in improvement before he or she “lowers” the red pen. I mention all this because, in carefully examining a rough draft, an instructor has an accurate read on the understanding and writing skill level of each student, which is essential in differentiation. From that informal essay feedback, the teacher can offer appropriate guidance, which is definitely differentiation. Now, grading that essay won’t be the first opportunity that the teacher has to gauge understanding. Student discussion will reveal at what pace and at what skill level students gain understanding of this method supports message approach to literature. Now, AP Lit is a course where students of higher ability and interest self select themselves into a rigorous course, and, quite frankly, an instructor is not facing quite a range of ability levels.

Assessment:
Assessment is included with various assignments and activities. As unit objectives build on each other, so does assessment - with activity assessments checking understanding of skills leading to the larger understanding of the beginning writing skills necessary to earn highest respect on literary analysis and specifically AP Exam Open Question writing. Specifically, assessment guidelines are included for the two group rapid research activities on defining the Open Question and identifying the criteria on which the Open Question is graded. Grading guidelines are included for the Quasi Essay and a sample template is included for the final “unit test,” the open notes, open book in-class writing of the Open Question. I would like to talk a bit more about that Open Question assessment. The Human Comedy unit is a first unit in the AP Lit year, so that, not only is it a first building of skills, it is a first building of something more difficult, a first building of student confidence in achieving those skills. This unit has students begin the long road of identifying what will be asked of them in a national exam essay question. (Beyond understanding what is asked, over the year, students will have to gain confidence that they can produce what they have been asked to produce.) So, for this first unit, we use a fairly straightforward work to “practice” in-class essay writing. So this unit asks the students to understand the question and gain first understanding of the criteria with which it will be evaluated. But, then, the students are asked to write such an essay, IN-CLASS, as final evaluation of their work in this unit. I think that is too great a leap, so, that, even though I have attached the final questions for the various periods (so kids don’t give friends upcoming knowledge of what it on the test) and a grading sheet, I STRONGLY SUGGEST my colleagues do at least two in-class Open Question, open notes, open book practice writings ahead of the actual graded test. These practices should not be graded according to the teacher guided but student compiled grade sheet, and groups should discuss gradings and improvements after each practice. Teachers can use such practice to identify which students will need help in which areas and can give private support early, so that every student will score well on this first unit of the year. Early on and throughout the course, it is almost as much about confidence in college level AP skills as it is gaining the skills themselves, I believe.

Description: This unit is presented early in AP Literature study. Basically, it builds on early efforts to develop the mindset of: How does author method support message? Later in AP Lit study, we highlight various literary concepts one by one and speculate on how their choice drives story impact. Now, before that close study, we take larger, more well understood literary components in a highly approachable novel, The Human Comedy, by William Saroyan, and explore how character and plot are deliberately built to build larger author intention. Understanding plot and character in The Human Comedy is pretty straightforward. Helping students gain confidence in making those connections runs hand in hand with helping students gain new confidence in understanding the structure of one of the two types of essay questions they will encounter on the AP Literature credit qualifying test, the Open Question. In the Open Question, students are asking to consider a given concept, illustrate where that concept occurs in quality literature of choice, and connection those specific concept illustrations to larger author intention. This unit, then, takes students through exploration of concepts of comedy and tragedy to later justify connection or contrast to story title to discussion of the work and early development of close reading skills. Students will work in groups to explore the structure and expectations of the Open Question and will be guided through writing one with The Human Comedy as its subject. Students will begin their yearly study of how the Open Question is graded. Final assessment in the in-class writing of a choice of Open Question prompts with The Human Comedy as its subject. In the real spring exam, students must quickly choose about what novel to write: for this assessment, students have choice over question prompt. In addition, this unit helps students learn how groups function in the new teacher's classroom. Please see lesson for resources.

Classroom Component:

Objectives Handout to Students

As we begin our AP Literature journey together, we will work to develop the AP mindset of analytically exploring literature. Yes, the plot is engaging and the characters complex, but your new first question is “Why?” What was the author thinking as he or she deliberately crafted the sequence of events, the people who would trip through it, or the stage on which it was set. As we have begun to discuss, the generally guiding question is, “How does the “how” support the “what?” Stated differently, consider
“How does author method support message?” What did the author want, intellectually and emotionally FROM the reader, and what did the author do, in the creation of the literary artistic experience to lead the reader to those ends?

Now, not to make you crazy, but, as you develop a consciousness of author intention in creation, it might not be a bad idea to understand how you will demonstrate that finely honed consciousness to the AP Exam (a thousand years away, in May) evaluators. What is it exactly that they want of you?

So, let’s start examining components of a story and speculating on their intended function. Let’s, too, look at one of the types of short essays you are asked to write, and talk about what it asks and what you need to do to blow them away with your answer.
(Secretly, you think, where is the “comedy” in The Human Comedy? Actually, we will speak of that, too!)
So buckle up. In your first AP Lit unit, you will learn:

the complete description/definition of comedy and tragedy
the complete description of task in the AP Exam third short essay question, the Open Question.
the identification of significant criteria in evaluating the AP Lit Open Question
the possible intended functions of a author choice of plot and/or character in author’s larger purpose.
how to structure a literary analysis essay thesis and body paragraph with emphasis on well-organized, well-reasoned, and specifically and intelligently supported body paragraphs.
how to write successfully to an AP Lit Essay prompt in a timed, in-class session.

In addition, you will learn how groups function in this classroom to contribute to overall class learning AND my expectations and procedures in essay grading.

AP SUMMER READING PROMPTS

Note to Colleagues: At our school, we ask students enrolled in AP Literature to do some summer reading and writing. We vary required and choice readings summer to summer but have included The Human Comedy by William Saroyan in our list frequently. More than just ask the incoming students to read, we set a rough reading schedule and post reflection questions coinciding with suggested reading questions for students to choose to respond to. Twice during the summer, we ask that the students chose responses to send to their instructors, as much as so the students can begin to know the quality of writing expected in this course as so the instructors can begin to know their students before the start of class.

These, then, are the summer prompts for Human Comedy. It is beyond wonderful to begin a school year with a discussion of literature already read. Human Comedy seems an easy read, and actually, it is, and it is a wonderful first analysis vehicle with which to begin to teach analysis skills and to build student confidence in their ability to do this.

The Human Comedy

Introduction

#1 Chapter 1 through 10

How do adults treat the children in this story? Cite at least three examples and consider whether this treatment is realistic? What larger ideas, attitudes, and emotions might Saroyan be trying to communicate through this depiction of adult/child relationships?
Compare and contrast chapters 1,2 and 9 in their structure and subject matter. Offer a theory for their connections and differences.
List the various emotions Saroyan wants the reader to feel while reading Chapter 5. For the three most prevalent, describe how Saroyan's writing helps create that emotion.
Choose three of the following four pages (13, 15,21,28) and study the last ideas presented in the chapters. Explain the possible meanings of those last ideas and how they might indicate Saroyan's purpose in writing The Human Comedy.

#2 Chapters 11 -18

List the various emotions Saroyan wants the reader to feel while reading Chapter 17. For the three most prevalent, describe how Saroyan's writing helps create that emotion.
Who is Mr. Grogan and what are the most significant things Saroyan has him do or say? In what ways are his beliefs similar to or different from Mrs. Hicks, the history teacher?
Cite at least five references to music or singing or related topics. Explain their contexts and offer a theory or two for this repetition of context.
How are women characterized in this novel? Refer to Mary, Bess, Mrs. Macauley, "the girl on the corner," Diana and Miss Hicks in your response.

#3 Chapters 19 - 30

Cite at least five references to home or related topics. Explain their contexts and how these statements help the reader understand various interpretation of the concept of "home."
Study Chapter 23 and Homer's nightmare. What past events and ideas does it recall and what future events does it suggest? How does the inclusion of this nightmare help Saroyan either develop his characterization of Homer or accomplish his purpose in writing The Human Comedy?

Many characters appear briefly in The Human Comedy. Choose two of the following and speculate on Saroyan's intention of including them.

Diana	Mr. Ara
Lionel	Rosalie Simms-Pibity
Auggie Gottlieb	Dolly Hawthorne
"the girl on the corner"

How realistic are the events in Chapter 22? Speculate on what Saroyan illustrates to the reader in creating "the story" contained in Chapter 22 - Let There Be Light. Don't ignore its title.

#4 Chapter 31 to the end

Explain the meaning and larger significance of four chapter titles in this reading selection.
Cite at least five references to death or killing or related topics. Explain their contexts and how these statements/references help the reader understand various interpretations of the concept of death.
Speculate on why Saroyan had Mr. Mechano have such a profound effect on Ulysses.
List the various emotions Saroyan wants the reader to feel while reading Marcus' letter to Homer in Chapter 33 - A Letter From Marcus to His Brother Homer. For the most significant emotions, describe how Saroyan's writings help create those reactions. What realization does Saroyan want the reader to achieve after having read the letter?
What kind of town is Ithaca? Does it maintain the same characteristics throughout the novel? Is it a real place?
Are the family members' reactions to Marcus' death realistic? How does Saroyan further his purpose in creating this horrible event to end the book? How is this story a comedy?

Opening the Open Question

In addition to reading and discussing The Human Comedy together, we will be analyzing the Open Question, one type of essay question you will be asked to address many months in the future on the AP exam. The Open Question is the third of three shorter essays you will be asked to write. Although its request changes, its more general structure has remained constant for many years.
In this quick research exercise, we are going to look at some specific Open Questions and use them to devise a general description of their structure. In groups, we will teach each other what we have learned. Your group tasks are to:

Read and study at least six Open Question questions from the 1990 – 2008 exams.

Using those questions, inductively devise a clear, concise, written description of the general structure of the Open Question.

Create a teaching visual aid that displays an actual Open Question and demonstrates how your structural definition is illustrated by the question. During our AP “journey” this year, the Open Question will be referred to continually, and we need to have a rich, common understanding of what that is. Your group’s task is to clarify and explain your best friends (aka – your AP classmates) that rich description of the full request components of the Open Question. So, your group should read and dissect a variety of past AP Exam Open Questions and to use them to discuss and agree on exactly what it is that that Open Question wants of you. Once you have consensus on what the Open Question is, find a way to diagram or “draw” its structure for the rest of us, and use the sample questions as examples to prove the worth and truth of your diagram.

Teach the rest of your class the general structure of the Open Question using your written description and your visual aid. Each group member must actively participate in the presentation.

You and your group members will be given one day in the library and an AP Open Question Resources list to research the information you need, and a few days later, you will be asked to make a presentation to the class of your findings. The grading guidelines on the back of this page (printed below for convenience) should help you know what is important about completing this assignment in a quality manner.

(These resources would be posted to the school website, so the links would be active and convenient.)
AP Open Question Resources
List of Open Questions
http://homepage.mac.com/mseffie/AP/APOpenQuestions.html

List with categorization of concepts offered
http://www.kisd.org/khs/english/senior/thirty_years_of_ap_open_question.htm

From an AP Lit staff development resource manual on tone, a chapter on how to prepare the student for the Open Question on Page 32
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/Eng_Lit_SF_Import_Tone07.pdf

College Board Overview of AP Literature
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_englit.html?englit

Sample Questions and Scoring
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/english_lit/samp.html?englit

Report Assessment Criteria - 25 Points

Each group member will receive the same score.

Presentation Criteria

Clear Purpose - Audience knows why you are presenting this information. You have developed a central idea around which all your information revolves and you have clearly stated this focus (your thesis) to the audience.

Clear, stated (5)

Apparent (3)

Unclear, Inconsistent (1)

Sufficient, Specific, Relevant Information - You are sharing quality as well as quantity information that directly pertains to your topic focus. What you share is worth knowing and is enough to impart more than surface understanding of the concept of literary setting. Your template and written description present complete, correct information and you have supplied specific examples to illustrate your findings.

Lots (8)

Much (6)

Some (5)

Clear Organization - You present your organization in a deliberate, logical order, so your listeners have an easy time following your ideas.

Definitely (3)

Reasonably (2)

Sometimes Unclear (1)

Teaching Aid Presentation – Your teaching aid enhances presentation of the structure and demands of the Open Question. Your teaching aid contains complete information, clearly presented. Your aid is neat and readable and significant to the understanding of the complete requests of the Open Question.

Something Great (5)

Something (4)

Nothing (0)

Team Spirit - Everyone in the group is responsible for participating in the presentation report. No one person should dominate the speaking. All for one NOT one for all.

All (4)

Few (2)

One (1)

Resources from lesson description

Unit Resources:

http://www.barrsenglishclass.com/humcom1.html

Vocabulary from The Human Comedy:

http://www.vocabulary.com/VUcthumancomedy.html

Film:

William Saroyan:

Grading the Open Question

Well, you certainly now know what those AP testers are asking you in the Open Question, Question 3 in the AP Lit Exam. Maybe we should start thinking about what those tester/graders are looking for in an answer. Remember those questions you studied to determine just what an Open Question consisted of?? It’s time to head back to some of them, but this time, to look at how they are graded. We have lots to talk about this year regarding that, but you may be comforted to know that graders use the actual responses given to make their grading sheets. They KNOW you wrote under pressure, so they are looking for insight and organization, but they are not looking for perfection. I bet you would like to know more about what they are looking for. To do that, go back and study at least three questions and their grading guidelines to complete the following group tasks:

Read and study at least three Open Question questions and their corresponding grading guidelines from the 2001 – 2008 exams.

Using those questions and their grading guidelines, inductively devise a specific list of three to five important requirements for scoring well on the writing of the Open Question.

Using those questions and their grading guidelines, inductively devise a specific list of two or three clear behaviors to avoid in writing of the Open Question.

Create a teaching visual aid that lists/explains your writing “Dos” and “Don’ts.”

Teach the rest of your class what you have learned about what is required for highest respect in writing the Open Question. Each group member must actively participate in the presentation.

As a class, we will use your lists to devise a simple grading sheet for evaluation of your Human Comedy “unit” test, a written, open book and open notes Open Question based on the novel.

You and your group members will be given one day in the library and an AP Open Question Grading Resources list to research the information you need, and a few days later, you will be asked to make a presentation to the class of your findings. The grading guidelines on the back of this page (printed below for convenience) should help you know what is important about completing this assignment in a quality manner.

(These resources would be posted to the school website, so the links would be active and convenient.)

To be honest, though, you could save much time in printing the grading scales for all the questions in the first link below for the group members to pass around and study.
AP Open Question Grading Resources
Sample Questions and Scoring
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/english_lit/samp.html?englit
College Board Overview of AP Literature
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_englit.html?englit

A weaker resource, at this site, a teacher has created a generic grading sheet. Scroll down to see it.
http://klss.cksd.wednet.edu/teachers/chrisse/2007-2008%20AP%20syllabus.htm

Report Assessment Criteria - 25 Points

Each group member will receive the same score.

Presentation Criteria

Clear Purpose - Audience knows why you are presenting this information. You have developed a central idea around which all your information revolves and you have clearly stated this focus (your thesis) to the audience.

Clear, stated (5)

Apparent (3)

Unclear, Inconsistent (1)

Sufficient, Specific, Relevant Information - You are sharing quality as well as quantity information that directly pertains to your topic focus. What you share is worth knowing and is enough to impart more than surface understanding. You have identified sufficient, significant, correct requirements for quality writing, as well as a few components of less respected writing. The grading criteria identified are fully explained.

Lots (8)

Much (6)

Some (5)

Clear Organization - You present your organization in a deliberate, logical order, so your listeners have an easy time following your ideas.

Definitely (3)

Reasonably (2)

Sometimes Unclear (1)

Teaching Aid Presentation – Your list is clearly presented by your teaching aid which supports understanding of the concepts you are explaining. Your aid is neat and readable and significant to the understanding of the requirements.

Something Great (5)

Something (4)

Nothing (0)

Team Spirit - Everyone in the group is responsible for participating in the presentation report. No one person should dominate the speaking. All for one NOT one for all.

All (4)

Few (2)

One (1)

Note to Colleagues – In this unit, which is a unit studied early in the year, we worked on reviewing and refining the structure and quality of literary analysis writing. Ultimately, the students wrote an “abbreviated” or “quasi” lit analysis essay based on their choice of connection of The Human Comedy to either John Donne’s Meditation XVII or the concept of comedy. The group activity below is a quick group “Jigsaw” type activity to start discussion on the understanding of literary/ dramatic comedy and tragedy, as well as Saroyan’s intention in choosing his title.

Student Handout starts here:

What Are You Laughing At?

So, hey, William Saroyan titles his novel a comedy. Is it? Is he being serious or facetious or something altogether different? What is a comedy? Last week, we worked in groups to pin down a common understanding of the Open Question. Perhaps (read that, “absolutely!”) we need to dust off our groups to pin down a common, correct understanding of the concept of comedy. (Love that alliteration!!)

Please

Reintroduce yourself to your group.
Send someone to the front of the room for two overhead transparencies and a pen.
Briefly share your understanding of the concept of comedy. Agree on a basic definition based on your assumptions.
Divide to conquer rapid research of the dramatic concept of comedy and tragedy.
Reassemble to share what you have NOW learned about comedy and tragedy.
Decide on a one sentence definition of comedy and a one sentence definition of tragedy and write both on one overhead. Don’t draw pictures or decorate; you don’t have time.
Use the other overhead to create a teaching aid to clarify the concepts of comedy and tragedy to the class. Think: what would you like to be shown by your best teacher to bring the concepts home for you???
Cap the pen tightly; be sure everyone’s name is on both overheads; and turn them in to the front of the room.
PS – Can any comedy NOT be a human comedy?

Comedy Tragedy

Name

Reading Quiz One - The Human Comedy - 23 points - 15 minutes

Complete sentences aren’t required, but complete information is. Let point values guide you as to the degree of depth of response required. If you want, replace and answer one question.

What “wondrous, unexpected thing” happened while Ulysses Macauley was watching the train pass in the first chapter? (2)

Character identification (1 point each) : Specifically describe the relationship of each character to Ulysses Macauley:
1. Matthew Macauley
2. Mary Arena

Specifically describe the relationship of each character to Homer Macauley:
1. Mr. Grogan
2. Marcus Macauley
3. Joe Terranova

How old is Homer and how old does he need to be to get a part time job? (2)

In what time period or year is this story set? (1)

Sometimes old Mr. Grogan is unable to perform his duties at the office. At those times, what exactly is wrong with him? (1)

What has Mr. Grogan told Homer to do when he finds Mr. Grogan in this state

while at the office (3)
while passing on the street (2)

What was Homer hired to do at his part time job? (2)
Mr. Spangler had the same teacher Homer now has in high school. Mr. Spangler also competed in a prestigious contest that Homer is interested in competing in. What is the contest and specifically how well did Mr. Spangler do? (3)
On the way to school, Homer saw a dilapidated fence. What did he do to it before continuing on to school? (2)

Name

Reading Quiz Two - The Human Comedy and “Meditation XVII” 23 points - 15 minutes

Complete sentences aren’t required, but complete information is. Let point values guide you as to the degree of depth of response required. If you want, replace and answer one question.

When Homer and Hubert stayed after school for Miss Hicks, what did the track coach do to displease Miss Hicks? (2)

How did Homer become injured in the 220 low hurdle race? (2)

Why did Mr. Spangler run as quickly as he could to the Sunripe Raisin Company? (3)

What detained Mary and Bess on their way to delivering lunch to Homer? (2)

What did Diana and Mr. Spangler do that was unusual in the movie theatre? (2)

A minor crime almost occurred in the telegraph office. What happened? Give the essential details of the situation. (3)

Homer had a bad dream. In it, what troubled him? (2)

Mr. Ara owns a fruit stand. What frustrated him about his son’s behavior? (3)

I sent this file as it is a thoughtful list of class discussion questions on the first reading section of the novel.

Calendar Revision-Replace the existing calendar information and assignments with the following:
W, 9-12-Meet in library to search for critical article relating to outside reading. Bring suggested reading lists.
Th, 9-13-Prepare quality oral responses to two of the questions below-one from the first five and one from the second five. The only thing you have to write and turn in is an additional possible quality discussion question on the first section of the Human Comedy reading.
F, 9-14-Read the two sided Metaphysical Poet page and Meditation 17. If I decide to have a reading quiz, it will be open notes only on the Meditation.

Human Comedy discussion questions for Thursday.

Choose three of the following four pages (13, 15, 21, 28) and study the last ideas presented in the chapters. Explain the meanings of those last ideas and how they relate to Saroyan’s purpose in writing or his philosophy as a whole.
How do adults treat the children in this story? Cite at least three examples and consider whether this treatment is realistic and how it relates to Saroyan’s purpose in writing or his philosophy as a whole.
Cite at least five references to death or killing or related topics. Explain their contexts and how these statements help the reader understand various interpretations of the concept of death.
Compare and contrast chapters 1, 2, and 9 in structure and subject matter. Offer a theory for their connections and differences.
Cite at least five references to home or related topics. Explain their contexts and how these statements help the reader understand various interpretations of the concept of home.
Cite at least five references to music or singing or related topics. Explain their contexts and offer a theory for this repetition of concept.
Use Chapter 5 to “talk” a style analysis paper. Identify tones and report specific diction, detail and/or image support.
What does the reader learn about both Mrs. Macauley and Homer in Chapter 7?
How does Miss Hicks handle or discipline her class. Offer a theory as to why Saroyan sets up such a classroom structure. How does it fit his writing purpose?
Miss Hicks wants her students to discuss a textbook passage about the Assyrians. Summarize the passage and offer a theory as to what she wanted her class to learn from this report and why Saroyan included this report in his story?

Note to Colleagues – In this unit, which is a unit studied early in the year, we worked on reviewing and refining the structure and quality of literary analysis writing. Ultimately, the students wrote an “abbreviated” or “quasi” lit analysis essay based on their choice of connection of The Human Comedy to either John Donne’s Meditation XVII or the concept of comedy. The questions below are my created close reading of Meditation XVII, first and foremost to set up detailed analysis of the piece in class discussion, but, also, to demonstrate close reading, which will become a strategy throughout the year course.

Student Handout begins here:

Close Reading – Crawling around on hands and knees within the text to examine and explore the literal meanings and figurative implications of each word, phrase, and sentence.

Meditation XVII

(I choose this because I think it provides connections to the Human Comedy)

What are some reasons that bells might toll today?
Of those reasons, for what reason is the bell tolling as the author writes? How do you know?
Sentence one establishes a contrast in beliefs between two people. Who are these people and how do their beliefs differ?
To what does the speaker refer when he speaks of “my state”?
What does the speaker intend when he calls the church “catholic”?
In sentence two, to whom does “she” refer? What are the connotations of using “she?”
In sentence three, is “she” the same “she” as in sentence two?
In sentence three, to what do “body” and “head” refer? What are the implications/connotations of using those diction choices?
In sentence three, what is the subject of “ingrafted,” and what are the implications/connotations of choosing this word?
Sentences three and four have “she” doing two actions. What are they are what are the connections between and implications of those actions.
Line 9-a colon follows “concerns me.” What does that punctuation usually signify? Is it signifying that here?
Line 10+ The author speaks of books and volumes. To what is he really referring; what figurative/poetic device is the author using in speaking of books; and what are the connotations of making this “library” J connection?
Line 11-To what does the speaker refer when he speaks of “translation?” Who are the “translators?”
Line 13- To what does the speaker refer when he speaks of “scattered leaves?”
Line 14- To what does the speaker refer when he speaks of “that library?”
Line 15+-In what way does a bell “call upon” a preacher?

Line 16-another bell is compared to the bell that “rings to a sermon.” For what purpose is this comparison made?
Line 17- Why does the speaker feel the tolling bell is “much more for [him]?”
Line 19- To what does the speaker refer when he speaks of “the occasion wrought upon him?” What are the connotations of wrought?
Line 20- Two “Who, but who” sentences are offered. What is the literal meaning and figurative effect of each? Why might the author have written two similarly structured sentences back to back?
What is the connotation of stating that “no man is an island” but rather “a piece of a continent?” PLUS Question 24
Line 25+-Define “clod” and “promontory” and explain their literal and figurative relationships.
For what reason does another’s death “diminish” the speaker?
To whom does “thee” refer in line 28?
Line 29-To what does “this” refer? Also, what does the author mean by “a begging of misery” and “a borrowing of misery?”
To whom does “we” refer in line 30?
In what way might “we” “fetch” misery from our neighbors?
To what does “it” refer in line 32? To what does “it” refer in line 33?
Line 32-What is “excusable covetousness” as a concept and author label for some situation.
Just what does the speaker call “affliction?” In what way can “affliction” be a “treasure?”
Translate into English, “Tribulation is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not current money in the use of it…” What is tribulation? To what does “it” refer? To what does “current money” refer?
Why does the author compare “affliction” to “gold?” Why locate the “gold” in the “bowels?”
How can the above-mentioned “gold” be “applied” to the speaker?

How might this passage connect to The Human Comedy?

The Human Comedy Quasi-Essay

Elaborating on a topic you select from The Human Comedy will dust off your skills in:

Formulating a clear, specific, relevant, meaningful thesis for an essay.
Formulating clear, specific, relevant main ideas for body paragraphs.
Selecting and reporting specific story incidents and examples to support, explain and clarify the body paragraph main ideas which in turn fully support the essay thesis.

Now, the really good news is that this is a quasi-essay, which will be clarified in class, but basically, you are responsible for planning an entire essay but only writing:

The essay title
The thesis that would be contained somewhere in the introduction
An outline of your choice of two of the minimum three body paragraphs in this essay containing:
1. The full sentence main idea of each paragraph
2. The specific phrase notation of at least three specific story incidents which would have been contained in this paragraph had it been written which would have supported the main ideas.
A fully written body paragraph containing its main idea and supportive details.

The grading guidelines are on the back. They (this sheet) needs to be stapled under your quasi-essay when you turn it in for full credit. Thank you. This really helps me.

Quasi Essay Topic Choice

At first, it sounds great that you have full freedom to choose your paper topic; then, the enormity of the possible choices begins to oppress. Some thought starters follow:

How are adult/child relationships characterized in the novel?
How are women characterized in the novel?
What kind of place is Ithaca?
Why does Saroyan create Mr. Mechano and why does he have such a profound effect on Ulysses?
How does Saroyan want his readers to understand the concept of home?
How does Saroyan want his readers to understand the concept of death?
What equally perfect title could be assigned to the book and why?
In what ways are The Human Comedy and Meditation 17 similar/connected?
Why is this book appropriately labeled a comedy?

Topic choice is yours, but keep it simple to preserve your sanity. Review the learning objectives and grading guidelines when choosing a topic. And, if it helps you to write the entire essay, go ahead and do that. You can underline the thesis and tell me which paragraph to grade.

Note to Teacher: This outlines the standard five-paragraph essay and highlights, in red, what the students need to turn in. For some, this Quasi Essay is difficult to understand; I assigned this to give the students less to write. Basically, they are turning in a five paragraph essay outline with a written out thesis and one totally written out paragraph. I believe, and I say to the class that if you can write one well supported literary analysis body paragraph, you can write as many as you need.
So, this, as an overhead or handout might help the students see what they have to turn in and what they don’t have to turn in.

Structure of the Quasi Essay

Introduction TITLE
1. A. Attention Getting Statement – The “Grabber”
2. Bridge – Logically relating or connecting the Attention Getter to the Thesis
3. Thesis Statement – Sentence stating intended message of the essay
Body
1. Body Paragraph One
  1. Topic Sentence or Main Idea – Sentence stating intended message of the paragraph which is a major subtopic of the thesis
  2. Three “Chunks” each containing, in no order:
    1. Inference, conclusion, commentary about the issue or literature under discussion
    2. Example, fact, or detail from the issue or literature which illustrates or proves the inference, conclusion, or commentary made.
  3. Final sentence connecting ideas established in the chunks to the topic sentence. “Based on what has been discussed, it is proven that …”

Body Paragraph Two
1. Topic Sentence or Main Idea – Sentence stating intended message of the paragraph which is a major subtopic of the thesis
2. Three “Chunks” each containing, in no order:
  1. Inference, conclusion, commentary about the issue or literature under discussion
  2. Example, fact, or detail from the issue or literature which illustrates or proves the inference, conclusion, or commentary made.
3. Final sentence connecting ideas established in the chunks to the topic sentence. “Based on what has been discussed, it is proven that …”
Body Paragraph Three – Save your best, most convincing idea for last.
1. Topic Sentence or Main Idea – Sentence stating intended message of the paragraph which is a major subtopic of the thesis
2. Three “Chunks” each containing, in no order:
  1. Inference, conclusion, commentary about the issue or literature under discussion
  2. Example, fact, or detail from the issue or literature which illustrates or proves the inference, conclusion, or commentary made.
3. Final sentence connecting ideas established in the chunks to the topic sentence. “Based on what has been discussed, it is proven that…

Conclusion
1. Wrap up ideas – review of the major ideas presented
2. Thesis review – a restatement of the purpose of the paper but NOT a repeat of the actual thesis statement
3. A concluding thought – something to consider beyond this discussion

Name

Human Comedy Quasi Essay Grading Guidelines - 64 points

Grading Criteria	Pts Possible
Essay title is creative and relevant. (3) It is not obvious. (1)	1 or 3
Attention Getting strategy is truly engaging and logically connected to thesis idea	_____/6
Thesis is clear, specific, relevant and meaningful. Thesis clearly communicates cause and effect connection between communication of theme and chosen literary element(s).	_____/6
Body Paragraph One contains: Clear, specific, relevant main idea relevant to thesis Three specifically reported story details illustrating main idea Explanation and elaboration of how each reported story detail, does, in fact, relate, connect and support the paragraph’s main idea – Phrase mention of detail	_____/5 _____/9 _____/6
Body Paragraph Two contains: Clear, specific, relevant main idea relevant to thesis Three specifically reported story details illustrating main idea Explanation and elaboration of how each reported story detail, does, in fact, relate, connect and support the paragraph’s main idea	_____/5 _____/9 _____/6
Body Paragraph Three contains: Clear, specific, relevant main idea relevant to thesis Three specifically reported story details illustrating main idea Explanation and elaboration of how each reported story detail, does, in fact, relate, connect and support the paragraph’s main idea	_____/5 _____/9 _____/9
Paper is free of Forbidden Partners. Write is not redundant and wordy.	_____/6
Direct quotations are smoothly blended into sentences.	_____/6
Paper is effectively and clearly organized	_____/6
Conclusion is appropriate and satisfying	_____/8
Mechanical errors (spelling, grammar, usage, etc.) do not detract from communication	_____/8
Grade sheet and “commented on” revised rough draft are included with turn in	_____/2

Name

Open Question- The Human Comedy-50 points

Please double space. Staple this question sheet on top of your answer before turning in. Don’t forget to turn in your The Human Comedy book and to be specific, rather than general in your writing. Offer the complexities and details that only the careful reader can provide.

Period 1

1996 Question

Weldon says about happy endings:

“The writers, I do believe, who get the best and most lasting response from readers are the writers who offer a happy ending through moral development. By a happy ending, I do not mean mere fortunate events - a marriage or last minute rescue from death-but some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation, even with the self, even at death.”

In a well-written essay, identify the “spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation” evident in the ending of The Human Comedy. Explain its significance to the work as a whole

Name

Open Question- The Human Comedy-50 points

Period 4

1970 Question

In The Human Comedy,

Choose a character and write an essay in which you

briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and
show how the character is affected by and responds to these standards

Name

Open Question- The Human Comedy-50 points

Make-Up Question

1992 Question

In a novel or play, a confidant (male) or a confidante (female) is a character, often a friend or relative of the hero or heroine, whose role is to be present when the hero or heroine needs a sympathetic listener to confide in. Frequently the result is, as Henry James remarked, that the confidant or confidante can be as much “the reader’s friend as the protagonist’s” However, the author sometimes uses this character for other purposes as well.

In The Human Comedy, choose a confidant or confidant and discuss the various ways this character functions in the work.

Open Question Grading Criteria

You will be scored from 1 – 10 on each of the following criteria our class identified as significant in writing the Open Question. Your two scored (but not “counted-scored”) Open Practice in class essays will guide you to desired success on the final unit Open Question essay. Remember, for all of these questions (but not on the actual test) you may use your novel and whatever notes you want to write your response.

Open Question Grading Criteria

“selecting apt examples” for support of insight. Excellent illustrations of inferences have been reported
“selecting specific examples” for support of insight. Story examples are nearly text references they are so true to what was originally written
“Cogently argue” – insightful inferences clearly connected to illustrative example
Inference and example exist in balance.
“Exhibit ability to sustain a thesis” throughout literary discussion
Perceptive Insights
“compose with clarity and sophistication” – ideas are easy to understand and ideas and insights are mature rather than obvious or elementary
Several important inferences support the thesis – more, rather than less subdivisions of the thesis idea are raised and described
Essay is well organized-using logical order of ideas as well as repetition, transition, and emphasis to lead reader through argument
Essay contains a variety of sentence structures.
Essay addresses all parts of the question
Essay answers exactly what was asked.

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For additional information contact :
Diane Tinucci
Lafayette High
Rockwood R-VI
(816) 671-4220
EMAIL: tinuccidiane@rockwood.k12.mo.us