Thursday

 

GRADING SCALE for READING LOGS:

4 – The student analyzes what happens in a chapter and the noteworthy literary elements in the chapter to larger ideas (themes) and how they relate to the novel as a whole. Journal has a short but detailed summary (synopsis), 3-4 noteworthy literary elements, and 3-4 unfamiliar words (vocabulary). 

3 – The student can analyze what happened in a chapter and make connections with larger themes or how the action in the chapter connects/relates to the novel as a whole.  The student is beginning to analyze the meaning of literary devices in connection with larger meanings (example how symbols reinforce main ideas).  Journal has a short detailed summary (synopsis), 2-3 noteworthy literary elements, and 2-3 unfamiliar words (vocabulary).

2 – The student can summarize the events in a chapter discussing what happened with good detail.  The student can list literary devices but might not be able to analyze them and connect them to larger ideas.  The student is beginning to make connections between what happened in a chapter and how it reinforces larger themes.  Journal could also be missing vocabulary words or might only list literary elements.

1 – The student can summarize events in the chapter, but is not able to accurate list literary devices or make connections on how the chapter reinforces larger themes or ideas.  

 

 

Unit Learning goal: Students will be able to create a multi-part literary project that details the following items:

The Literature Project  

Rationale: The purpose of this project is to assess your ability to read, summarize, analyze, and connect pieces of literature as well as assess your writing skills.  This is your chance to show me everything you know and have learned.  This is your chance to dazzle, shine, dance, sing, shout (during your presentation).

Assignment: You will read A Brave New World.  This final project will consist of five parts. 

1) A reading log revealing your engagement with the literature.  This part should be very thorough and should contain all the things listed below.

2) A creative connection

3) A book summary/personal response paper

4) An analysis focusing primarily on the development of one striking element in the novel: symbolism, characterization, figurative language, theme, plot and how that element contributes to the development of the novel’s overall meaning.

5) A connection—a one page paper connecting the book to a short story or novel read last year by either symbolism or theme. 

6) A presentation (this could be creative—and has to be 3 minutes with visual aids): this is an overview of your project and your understanding of the novel.

POINT VALUES: The analysis is worth 100 points each.  The log, creative connection, personal response, presentation, and connections are worth 50 points each.  Therefore, the total point value is 350 points.  This is nearly your entire project grade for the semester.

EXPECTATIONS:

THE READING LOG:  The reading log reveals your engagement with literature.  Furthermore, a detailed reading log will significantly aid you in the development of the rest of the project.  After reading each chapter, you should write in your log:

n  A short synopsis of the action and character development

n  Your interpretation of the significant events occurring in the chapter

n  Noteworthy figurative language and other literary elements

n  Vocabulary—unfamiliar words

Please note that the copying of Cliff Notes or Internet Sites is plagiarism.  I want only your thoughts, don’t steal.  Cheating will equal a ZERO. 

THE CREATIVE PART:  Choose one of the three options below:

Take a minor character and write a 1-2 page monologue / journal entry about what they think of the situation / action / motivations in the book so far. 

Make a newspaper story about one of the major events of the novel. How would a journalist take on those events and how would that story be different than John or Bernard's perspective.

Draw a picture (or some sort of visual representation) drawing from the reading. Be sure to include a written component explaining why you chose to create your visual representation.

Book Review/ Personal Response:  Give a detailed summary of the book.  What did you like?  What did you not like?  Would you recommend this book to a friend?  Why or why not?

THE LITERARY ANALYSIS: Choose one literary element of the book and develop a thesis around it.  Back up your thesis statements with proof from the text.  This paper should be at least 3 pages.

THE CONNECTION: 1-2 pages connecting the novel to a short story read in class.  You may focus on theme, characterization (think dynamic), or figurative language.

THE PRESENTATION:  3 minutes—this should be an overview of your project and what you learned.  It should include a visual aid.  

   

Scale/Rubric relating to learning goal:

4 – The student can create A Brave New World project that relates the novel the real world citing both textual evidence and examples from contemporary society. 

3 – The student can create A Brave New World project that incorporates all sections of the project.

2 – With some direction/help from the teacher the student is able to create A Brave New World project that incorporates all sections of the project.

1 – Even with help from the teacher the student is unable to create A Brave New World project that incorporates all sections of the project.  The student may be able to do some sections, but not all of them. 

Objectives (smaller chunks of overall goal) and suggested time periods

Students will be able to

1)  Outline the plot

2)  Discuss Brave New World as a 3-part structure

3)  Discuss the importance of the following characters (including the meaning/allusions of their names): Bernard Marx, John the Savage, Linda, Lenina, D.H.C. (Tomakin), Mustapha Mond, Helmholtz Watson, Henry Foster, Fanny Crowne, Pope.

4)  Give and explain at least three scenes that fit the following themes:  The Meaning of Freedom, Individual vs. Society, The Meaning of Power

5)  Discuss five ways people are controlled in this society

6)  Discuss the title and how its meaning changes throughout the course of the novel

7)  Discuss whether or not the novel contains any elements of hope

8)  Discuss why Shakespeare is referenced so often

9)  List and discuss at least three literary and three historical allusions and how they relate to the meaning of the novel as a whole

10)          Explain how and why everyone is similar

11)          List Two Symbols other than FORD and discuss how they relate to the meaning of the novel as a whole.

12)          List and explain three ironies

13)          Discuss death in this novel and the deaths of the following: Linda, John, and the average person in this society.

14)          Explain the “Bokanovsky Process”

15)          Analysis with proof from the text whether Mustapha Mond is really powerful or is controlled by society as much as everyone else.

16)          Keep a chapter by chapter reading blog.

17)          Create a drawing/poster of a major scene in A Brave New World and explain the meaning of that scene.

Essential Questions:

What is the price of freedom? 

Is technology a good thing?

How does heritage shape us?

What if everyone was the same?

What are the dangers of genetic engineering? 

What is the meaning of family or home?

Begin thinking about what your analytical essay
Possible things to write about:

-Meaning of the title (as a symbol)
- How people and why people are controlled
- World Stat's motto: Community, Identity, Stability (and how it works in the novel)
- The purposes of the numerous sayings such as "Ending is Better than Mending" (think consumerism)
- Setting as symbol
- The book is a cautionary tale against?
- Soma
- Shakespeare (how he is used/reference and what those references mean)?
- Caste system
- Meaning of John and Lenina's relationship
- FORD

Quotes about FORD
"in this year of stability, A.F. 632" (Ch. 1)
"the time of Our Ford"(Ch. 3)
"You all remember that beautiful saying of Our Ford's: History is bunk." (Ch. 3)
"Ford's in his flivver. All's well with the world." (Ch.3)
"Don't keep his Fordship waiting." (Ch. 3)
"The introduction of Our Ford's first T-model ... [was] chosen as the opening date of the new era." (Ch. 3)
ponder the quotes, and then ask them what on earth all this Ford business is about. You can use the questions below to help guide your discussion if you like.
What do all of these quotes have in common?
Who is Ford? When did he live? What did he do?
What's a flivver, and what do you think that expression means?
What seems to be Ford's significance in this society?
What do you make of phrases like "Our Ford" and "his Fordship"?

Here are a couple of questions you can ask if you need to probe a little further.
If Ford has more or less replaced God in this society, as suggested by the phrases "Our Ford" and "Ford be praised," what qualities, virtues, or morals must this society value most?
Did anyone find out if Ford really claimed that "History is bunk"? What's the story behind that quote? Why do you think Huxley referenced it?
Why couldn't Huxley have chosen someone like Edison, who was credited with numerous technological advances, to be the deity figure of Brave New World?