1 Note to Instructors
Greetings Instructors,
Welcome to the Open Educational Resources (OER) collection for Introduction to Literature.
This collection is not a “course.” It is a collection of materials designed to assist instructors in teaching and presenting the concepts of Introduction to Literature. Instructors are urged to pick and choose the items that will add to their lesson plans; then instructors can make these items available to students through the LMS, in-class presentations, or even as hand-outs. The material can be used in conjunction with other items instructors find or prepare, or the material can be used as a sole source for the class.
This collection is designed to be helpful for programs or regions that choose not to require students to purchase an actual textbook. Literature anthologies are usually large, cumbersome, and expensive—and most of the literature in the bought anthology cannot be covered in a one semester class. This collection is low cost and easy to access.
The information is divided into 2 major categories:
- Information and activities that give students background and terminologies for studying literature
- A collection of literature including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and drama
While the information provided is complete and ready to use for an Introduction to Literature course, it is NOT considered all-inclusive. Instructors can use these Creative Commons licensed items any way they see fit. However, instructors can also supplement with their own lessons and ideas.
This collection is also a continuous work in progress. We are able to add to this collection easily, keeping it timely, fresh and ever-improving. We are open to new items and ideas.
The rest of this chapter includes a number of student activities designed to help them think critically about and analyze literature. Feel free to draw on these activities as you see them being helpful to your lesson plans.
In-Class Writing Activities
1. Characterization
List all the things you know about the main character of your book.
2. Point of View
Rewrite a scene in which a secondary character appears, but now tell it from this character’s point of view.
3. Climax
Identify the climax in the story. List all the crises that led to this moment.
4. Symbolism
a) Identify a recurring image in the story. Consider what that image represents, and why it was used more than one time.
b) Write a poem, using that image in your first line.
5. Diction
a) Copy your favorite line from the reading.
b) Memorize it.
c) Rewrite it, saying the same thing with entirely different words.
6. Vocabulary
Find three words from the reading that are new to you. Write the definition of the word and then write a sentence that appropriately uses the word.
7. Theme
Compare and contrast the ways [name two authors] talk about [name theme] in the stories we read in class.
8. Reading Response
Discuss what you see as the most striking, powerful, problematic, or detrimental features of the story. Explain your reaction to the text with specific examples.
9. Setting
Think about a setting of the story. Write a descriptive paragraph in first person, pretending that you are in that scene. What do you see, hear, smell, feel?
10. Dialogue
Insert dialogue tags and description into the following conversation:
“My mom is coming over.”
“When?”
“You don’t need to get upset. She’s just coming for a few nights.”
“When?”
“I hate it when you do this. If you just gave her a chance, you’d see that she’s a good person. You might even like her.”
“When is she coming?”
“I told her you’d pick her up at four.”
“Ok.”
Character Analysis
Overview
Create a poster or Facebook page or video (or other creative response) to introduce your character. Be sure to give a thorough picture of who he/she is, and do so in a way that presents him/her in a smart and creative way.
Process
1. Choose your character.
Be sure to select a dynamic character from any of the readings in units 1 or 2.
2. Read and re-read the story, taking notes about the character.
Notice every place your character appears and consider how the author describes him/her, what kind of relationships he/she has, how his/her actions move the plot forward, and what kind of struggles he/she encounters.
3. Choose the main idea.
Gather your notes and look for the main idea that has emerged. This will become your thesis statement.
4. Sketch a plan.
Consider the best way to introduce your character to your audience based on your thesis statement.
5. Create the poster, Facebook page, or video.
Carefully craft your presentation.
Criteria
Your project will be graded on the following criteria:
25 points: Drafts material
Have you taken notes, written out a thesis statement and a plan? (And has it been turned in?)
5 points: Choice of character
Have you chosen a character that is dynamic (i.e., does he/s she change)? Does the story reveal adequate information about the character (i.e., is there evidence for your claims)?
15 points: Thesis statement
Do you have a clear message that you want to communicate about this character?
35 points: Implementation
Have you been able to communicate that message using evidence from the story?
10 points: Creative energy
Have you demonstrated interest in the project by coming up with creative ways to communicate your message?
10 points: Professionalism
Does the product have a good look/feel and is it free of errors?
Close Reading
Overview
A close reading is a study of the detail in a short section of a text and an explanation of how that detail and that section are related to the entire text. In thinking about literature, you should always refer back to the detail of a text as well as to its grander effects. The project requires critical thinking and concise writing.
Prewriting Process
1. Re-read or re-watch one of the readings and/or films we have studied so far this semester, taking notes while reading or viewing. Look for patterns, tensions, or questions that emerged in what you noticed.
2. Choose a short passage that you can focus on. (Write out the transcript if using a video.) The passage should be a key section of the work, and should contain concrete imagery. Consider whether this passage reinforces, adds a new dimension, or subverts the themes as worked out in other parts of the work? How? Why? How does this section help you to understand the entire piece?
3. Consider how the concrete imagery in the section is working. Does the image work as a symbol in some way? Does it affect your emotions or intellect or understanding of the story?
4. Carefully comb through all the words, using the margins to record your thoughts. Note the figures of speech. Look at word choice. Pay attention to the details.
5. Decide on a thesis, create a structure for your paper that will support that thesis, and then use evidence from the text to support your main points. (This becomes your outline.)
Writing Process
1. Quote the passage (or transcript) directly, set off at the top of the page like an epigraph.
2. Create a title that captures the heart of your thesis.
3. Briefly summarize the passage.
4. Place this section within the context of the whole text. Why is it significant to the plot, character development, or other concerns? If it is comic relief, say so. Does it recapitulate, perhaps, in a “miniature,” the major plot? Or does it perhaps indicate a counter-movement, an uneasiness, even contradicting major themes?
5. In separate paragraphs, discuss your most interesting discoveries in the areas of themes, details, vocabulary, language/style, structure, progress/
movement, and metaphors. Outline the interesting ideas you have discovered, quoting the significant relevant lines—even quoting lines outside your passage if you need to make connections. You should always be moving toward revealing why that particular “evidence” points toward a specific judgment about the text as a whole. Continually ask: Is my passage reinforcing, adding a new dimension to, or subverting what I know in general (from lecture and class discussion) about the text?
6. Conclusion? A “close reading” usually ends with a paragraph that opens up and points towards even grander potential meanings for the passage. (In other words, don’t just repeat everything you said.)
Format
600-800 words
MLA style
no outside sources (Works Cited page still needed for the work you are analyzing)
Symbolism Assignment
Listen to a reading by the author of the poem “Alley” (or read it below) and think of possible meanings. Maybe list some of the major images.
1. Find at least 3 items that could be symbolic.
A symbol means what it actually is… and more.
For example, a cross or a crucifix is a piece of metal shaped like the letter T. But it obviously has more meaning. It can stand for Christianity, Jesus, suffering, or countless other concepts.
When explaining a symbol, be sure to tell how it relates to the poem. How does the symbol add meaning to the piece?
2. Are there enough symbols in the poem to create an allegory?
An allegory is a narrative with a series of symbols. Each symbol stands for something specific, almost like a code.
Is there enough “story” in this poem to make it a narrative? How would uncovering an allegory in this poem help reveal the meaning?
Alley
by Tom Chester (May 2000)
There are alleys in my neighborhood
About a century old.
They are cinders and stone.
Around the fringes so little grows.
Find sparse tufts of weeds.
Their hearts are sinew,
Pale with rock dust–
Pioneers stuck on badlands.
Take the alley.
Hide in the narrow memories of tarpaper.
Rest in velvet bench seats
Of big bodied Chevys
Like innocent, rounded pin-up girls.
Look away from chiseled front doors
Extra-green manicured lawns
White crisp siding
And smooth blacktop drives.
In my alley
I found an arm
Of a child’s doll like a cherub-
Dirty and broken, fallen to earth.
I found soiled lace and feathers too
In an oil can drum
Not far from view.
In my alley
Even angels hide
When their hearts aren’t pure enough to fly
On the right side
Where the brethren don’t want them
Round back of the house.
Take the alley
A shortcut for some
Who embrace the seedy, forgotten race.
I jump the fence in my alley.
I know my place.
I travel with broken angels by night.
I hide in the day and stay out of sight.
Compartive assignment
Overview
Compare two or more literary works that we have studied in this class. Your comparative essay should not only compare but also contrast the literary texts, addressing the similarities and differences found within the texts.
Step 1: Identify the Basis for Comparison
Identify the basis of comparison. In other words, what aspect of the literature will you compare? (Theme, tone, point of view, setting, language, etc.)
Step 2: Create a List of Similarities and Differences
Carefully examine the literary texts for similarities and difference using the criteria you identified in step 1.
Step 3: Write a Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is the author’s educated opinion that can be defended. For a comparative essay, your thesis statement should assert why the similarities and differences between the literary works matter.
Step 4: Create a Structure
Before drafting, create an outline. Your introduction should draw the reader in and provide the thesis statement. The supporting paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence that supports your thesis statement; each topic sentence should then be supported with textual evidence. The conclusion should summarize the essay and prompt the reader to continue thinking about the topic.
Word Count: approximately 1500 words
Outside Sources needed: none (but use plenty of textual evidence)
Style: MLA
