A Literature-Based Unit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

A Literature-Based Unit - Assignment Example A focus will be on examining each piece of literature for its own sake and how that story relates to students' lives. This reading unit is prepared for eighth graders in a 7th-12th grade gifted program. Their reading list is based on some books that should probably be part of college coursework. Additionally, there are other books that are easier than college-level, just in order to give students a variety of material with which to work. Students should come prepared to class ready to discuss the texts in the context of how societal rules shape us, and how they shape the characters in these books. Further, students will have a rationale for reading each book and their links to language and culture. This novel will get everyone thinking about how societal cues are used and what are the unwritten rules of secret societies. "Privacy, he said, was a very valuable thing. Everyone wanted a place where they could be alone occasionally. And when they had such a place, it was only common courtesy in anyone else who knew of it to keep his knowledge to himself."1 This novel will get students thinking about the social morays involved in moral scruples that come along with the extramarital affair. This is advanced material and should not be taken lightly, as it is a very delicate subject for 8th graders: "He hadn't seen her for three days, and because of her husband's return from abroad didn't know whether it would be all right for that day or not, and didn't know how to find out. The last time he had met her was at his cousin Betsy's country house."2 3. Dahl, Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. New York: Bantam, 1977. This novel is the story of a young boy who must overcome the social shame of being poor by winning a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and ultimately overcoming his fears. This is a wonderful tool to demonstrate different attitudes among children. "Something crazy is going to happen now, Charlie thought. But he wasn't frightened. He wasn't even nervous. He was just terrifically excited. And so was Grandpa Joe. The old man's face was shining with excitement as he watched ever move that Mr. Wonka made."3 4. Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Penguin, 1997. Jane Eyre is a novel which is the story of a governess living in trying economic times amidst the societal strictness of early 19th-century England. It is about a woman overcoming her own personal struggles in order to find happiness. "To pass [Thornfield's] threshold was to return to stagnation; to cross the silent hall, to ascend the darksome staircase, to seek my own lonely little room, and then to meet tranquil Mrs. Fairfax,a nd spend the long winter evening with herto slip again over my faculties the viewless fetters of an uniform"4 5. Hardy, Thomas. Jude the Obscure. New York: Airmont Publishing Co., 1966. Jude the Obscure is somewhat of a depressing novel, but nonetheless, it is a good book concerning relationships. Jude Fawley is a