Annotated Bibliography Prospectus #1 Revised

The books I have chosen are for either a 11th or 12th grade English class. They would be used to supplement a unit on George Orwell's 1984.

Lowry, Lois. The Giver.  New York: Dell, 1993. 

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Collins Perrenial Classics, 1998.

Beckett, Bernard. Genesis. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009

These text would help the students gain an understanding on the Utopian and Dystopian genre. Each book provides a different version of reality than the students are accustomed to and would help provide a frame of reference when reading 1984. All three books deal with the protagonist having to figure out his or her place in a society that restricts personal freedoms. These books could be used as a lead up to 1984 as it can be a challenging book for some students.

In addition to providing an entry to the world of utopian literature, these books also introduce students to various themes that would enhance thinking. These books are based on scenarios of oppressive governments in futuristic societies. These books would pose questions for students on the reach of government on personal thought and expression. Exposing the students to these themes would prove beneficial.  Censorship is also a heavy theme in these books and discussing this issue will provide students with an informed and original opinion on the topic.

Inquiry Question #1 Revised

Question: Should school curriculum's be able to teach more controversial novels and subject matter?


It is my belief that students who are deemed able to handle this material should have access to it in the classrooms. I feel many students become disillusioned with literature having spent a majority of their educational careers studying books that they have a hard time grasping. While I do not intend to devalue the importance of the "traditional cannon" it is my firm belief that students of the coming generations require more subversive material to hold their attention.


In my personal experience high school literature seemed dull. I could not forge a connection to the material and my life, an important step in appreciating literature. It was not until college where we analyzed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest that I began to fully appreciate the importance of analyzing literature. This book is quite dark and would not be deemed appropriate for the average high school student but this book taught to students who are seen as able to handle the material would both enjoy and appreciate this masterpiece.

Teaching of controversial material has several positive benefits for students. Controversial content inspires debate and discussion within the classroom.  A study conducted in 2007 concluded that a student who takes part in a classroom discussion is more likely to vote, "support basic democratic values," and "take part in a political discussion." If the discussion is handled responsibly and maturely I believe that content with a subversive nature could successfully and positively be taught within the classroom.

http://www.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=2016

Source:
Keith Barton and Alan McCully, "Teaching Controversial Issues...Where Controversial Issues Really Matter," Teaching History, June 2007.

Website Post #1 Revised

The website I found, Web English Teacher, can be used for teaching various units and lessons on poetry. This website, in addition to resources on a variety of English teaching topics, has a comprehensive list of poets commonly discussed in a high school curriculum. Clicking on a particular poet will bring up another page specifically devoted to that poet. This page features topics ranging from biographical information to criticism on the poets works.

Within the classroom this site would prove to be an invaluable resource. As mentioned before this website could supplement a lesson on poetry. Depending on the style of poem being studied the students could pick a poet and research biographical information. Then the students could pick a poem they like and attempt to recreate that poem themselves.

The second website I found, teacher2b, has a very comprehensive section on teaching creative writing.  Some of the tabs include teaching narration, control, description, and dialogue. Creative writing is a difficult concept to teach students as they think the term "creative" writing means they can neglect proper writing techniques in place of ideas or concepts. This website stresses the importance of staying within the boundary of proper writing styles. Within each tab is an exercise, allowing students to practice the concept being taught.

This site could be used at any point in a creative writing class. There is plenty of valuable information on the site to enrich any lesson.  This website encourages creative and original thought and is a step by step guide for effective writing. The prompts under each section could be used as classwork or homework for the students.