LGT GILDED AGE Feb. 14 - March 25

The Gilded age—Bridges to the 20^th century

                                                English 11 Feb. 14 – March 25, 2011

                                                       Mr. Carson-room 500

                                                                                                                                               

In lieu of recent proposals to alter a major aspect of the American Classic novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, we will be looking at "n***er-Jim" [and the other 218 degrading references to African Americans] being changed to "slave" we will scrutinize the social, political, moral, literal implications of this euphemistic change.

Additionally, we’ll be looking at Western Expansion, The Transcontinental Railroad and the first Chinese American’s influences and stories.

Correlating Quotes 

                                          

“We are born in a Pullman house. We are fed from a Pullman shop, taught in a Pullman school, catechized in a Pullman church and when we die, we shall be buried in a Pullman cemetery and go to in a Pullman hell.”

                                                —Pullman employee on life in a Pullman town, 1883

“Gilded - covered in a thin layer of gold. Often hiding something unattractive underneath.”

                                                                                                            Mark Twain (1835-1910)

“Watson—come here—I want you.”

                        Graham Bell to his partner Thomas Watson 1876

“We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas, but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate.” 

                                                            Henry David Thoreau

“Today, production is left to anarchy, and only tyranny, the twin sister of anarchy, is organized.”

                                                                                Daniel de Leon, Socialist Leader, 1896

“I’ve learned to make my mind large, as the universe is large, so that there is room for contradiction.”

                                                                                               Maxine Hong Kinston (1940-                       

Essential Questions

Is this change [“slave”] an attempt to "save" young people from the embarrassment of saying this word while discussing it, or is it an attempt to erase a certain shameful part of American History?

Are Euphemisms and Politically Correctness destroying language?

How had other cultures helped to shape the expansion of the “Wild” West?

How important was the Wilmot Priviso and other new laws and acts shaping the growing country?

 

Materials: — Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain

—Chinese America: The Untold Story of America’s Oldest New Community, by Peter Kwong & Dusanka Miscevic—selected essays— ISBN—1-56584-962-0—2005

Introduction, Chapters 1 and 3

—Cultural Curiosity: Thirteen Stories about the Search for Chinese Roots, edited by Josephine M. T. Khu—selected stories—ISBN—0-520-22341-1—2001

—http://www.asian-nation.org/first.shtml

—    CURRENT EVENTS (may include one or all from these below)

o       “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” (Jan 11  and other February episodes)

o       “The Colbert Report” (selected episodes 1-11 through 2-28-11)

o       excerpts from George Carlin stand-up routines “Euphemisms” from When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? (min. 57:45 – 1:00.35)  1:34.35—1:42.37  1:46.10—1:54.31 (PC language)

o       “Real Time with Bill Maher”, D. L. Hughley (Friday, January 28, 2011)

o       PBS Nightly/World News

Themes: Chinese Influence/identity, complicity, euphemisms, morality, othering, family, brotherly-love, Post-War Rhetoric, Transcontinental expansion, idioms, The Gilded Age, Twain’s Masterpiece, Art imitating Life, Censorship, colloquialisms, hypocrisy of civilized society, Superstitions, Lies and Cons

Time frame 6 weeks

Common Core Standards

Writing (College Readiness - #1, 2, 7 and 8) = Nature-Nurture Debate Essays + Huck Finn

 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Explore and inquire into areas of interest to formulate an argument.  

            a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

            b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.

            c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. 

            d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.         

         e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

            a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

            b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.

            c. Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.

        

         d. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic. 

            e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

            f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).

7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.        

       a. Explore topics dealing with different cultures and world viewpoints. 

8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and over-reliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

Reading

.        —Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

.         

.        —Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

.         

.        —Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

.         

.        —Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

.         

.        —Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

                                Thomas Alva Edison — 1847-1932

.        —Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

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.        —Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

   —Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from within the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

.        —Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work

Writing

.        —Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

—Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

Listening

— Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

            a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.

            b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.

            c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.

            d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task. 

            e. Actively seek to understand other perspectives and cultures and communicate effectively with audiences or individuals of varied backgrounds. 

At the end of this unit I will be able to:

1.  Writing for SELF 

           

a—Begin to assert scholar’s own unique voice

b—utilize greater understanding of terms, vocabulary and themes

c—explore creative voice through original “slave narratives”

2. Continued work on effectively producing stronger Transitions, using vocabulary and cited quotes 

           

a—eliminating GFEs = Gross Factual Errors  -misspleeled names, wong dates

b—improving overall quality of daily writing

c—bridging Humanities themes and background information within writings

             

3. Understand Greater importance of Reading

           

a—For content—new uniquely American genre

            b—building stamina (up to an hour every night, including weekends and holidays)

            c— building vocabulary, for practical use

           

5. Continue to utilize five of eight methods of Time Management (College Readiness)

           

a— study groups

            b— bi-weekly visits with Guidance Counselors

c— communicating concerns and strengths

d—delegating and compromising

e—re-organizing

f— PRIORITIZING

g— dissect the 24-hour day into manageable hours of production, rest, relaxation and extras

6. Continue utilizing more technologies:

            a—continued perusal of  www.mygradebook.com , www.goodreads.com , www.freerice.com , www.easybib.com—to create the flawless bibliography; www.easywhois.com —to learn whom own a domain; —   http://quizlet.com/3603567/transcendentalist-poetry-terms-flash-cards/ quiz vocab words,

b—www.bigwords.com, www.textbooks.com or www.half.com — to order cheap books

            c—better utilizing BOOLEANS, KEYWORDS and other tools for Safe Searching

d—e-mail to send ATTACHMENTS of written work, PowerPoints and photos

to fellow classmates, team members and teacher for edits, feedback and credit.

            e. — Saving everything in three places: laptop, Flash and e-mailing everything as RichText, Word 1997 or similar documents that MHSHS computers recognize and can open.

Vocabulary

 blasé, predicament, “racialized”, mahjong, enclaves, ideology, metaphysical, pathos, despotic, amicable, ostentatious, abundant, animosity, transcendental, obdurate, surreal, realism, mysticism, existentialism, objective, subjective, paradigm, stratum, belligerent, affluent, eulogy, idolatry, accrue, pseudonym, acquaintance, compliant, merit, embellishment, ambuscade, snuffbox, jibe, spellbinding, lick, ransomed, antipathy

Anticipate your learning

Based on my prior knowledge and review of this sheet, what am I most interested in learning about in this unit?

Knowledge Inventory  =   K-W-W-L

Action Plan

If you need to continue working with this material, what are you going to do to improve your grade? Those steps are your action plan.

My Action Plan includes: (place date(s) of all methods used alongside all that apply)

.        _______________Speak to my teacher

.        _______________Attend SOS

.        _______________Go to Lunch and Learn

.        _______________Speak to my counselor

.        _______________Meet with other students

.        _______________Study from outside resources (websites)

.        _______________Complete Castle Learning questions

.        _______________Create review sheets and/or flashcards

.        Exchange phone number and/or email with two students to get missed assignments

.        _______________Determine what I can do differently

.        _______________Write down specific questions that I still have

.        _______________Redo assignments

Other ______________________________

“…the first truly American writer, and all of us since are his heirs.”

                                                                         —William Faulkner (1897-1962)

“All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called "Huckleberry Finn." all American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.”

                                                                        —Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

“The mark of how good “Huckleberry Finn” has to be is that one can compare it to a number of our best modern American novels and it stands up page for page, awkward here, sensational there - absolutely the equal of one of those rare incredible first novels that come along once or twice in a decade."

—Norman Mailer (1923-2007)

“We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.” ~ Lloyd Alexander