Inviting Other Multiple Theoretical Perspectives

"Say"

 

1) Milner & Milner—Bridging English

2) Appleman, D.—Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary Theory             to Adolescents (Chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5)

 

            When teaching reading in the classroom, it is important for students to see multiple perspectives while analyzing literature.  Using multiple theoretical perspectives while engaging in literature is a brilliant way to show students how texts can be analyzed in multiple ways.  Milner and Milner’s text, Bridging English, and Appleman’s text, Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literacy Theory to Adolescents, both give convincing arguments of why multiple literary theories should be taught to high school adolescents.  Additionally, both texts give great examples of how teachers can actually use specific theories in the classroom.  Altogether, showing students how to approach texts through multiple literary theories will make them better readers and better analyzers.

            Milner and Milner’s text approach literary theory through a term called “critical synthesis.”  The authors say that “in critical synthesis the reader takes a step further back from the text and regards it with a conscious, if rudimentary, knowledge of literary theory” (Milner and Milner 2008).  Essentially, this means that critical synthesis is used to ask readers to look at a text through a specific theoretical eye.  This will also help students learn how to make better informed personal responses.  They will learn how to grasp their opinion and then find relevant evidence to support that opinion (Milner and Milner 2008). 

            Milner and Milner also go on to suggest multiple different forms of criticism that would work well in the classroom.  These include: early critics (Plato and Aristotle), Moral/Philosophical, Historical/Biographical, Formalist, Rhetorical, Freudian, Archetypal, Feminist, Marxist, Deconstructionist, Reader Response, and New Historical.  Though the two authors give great mini summaries of what each of these different theories are (which is great if you need a little reminder), my favorite part of the critical synthesis section is when they introduce class strategies to show teachers how to use critical synthesis in the classroom.  Students need to be introduced to literary theories in ways that they can practice making sense of them.  A PowerPoint that just explain what each theory is will not teach students how to identify literary criticisms in written work; they will need hands on experience to make sense of it all. 

            My favorite strategy given to us by Milner and Milner is the “Jigsaw Group.”  This strategy involves students breaking up into groups, and identifying a specific theory with their piece of literature (every group has the same piece of literature).  After students have worked with their groups to find evidence of their specific criticism, students will then move into groups where only one person from each former set of groups is allowed in.  This will ensure that all groups have representatives from every school of thought.  Each group will then get to see evidence of how every criticism can be argued.  This is a great activity that gives students hands on experience with critical synthesis. 

            Though this does not have to be completed in every lesson, it is important that teachers do introduce students to critical synthesis frequently throughout the year.  This challenges students think about the text in a completely different way than they would have originally.  This could make students more consciences of authorial intent, and it can also show them how to challenge authorial intent as well.  Altogether, Milner and Milner argue that literary theory needs to be implemented into the secondary English level classroom.    

            Along with Milner and Milner, all of the Appleman chapters from Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary Theory to Adolescents also gave sufficient arguments about implementing literary theories in high school English classrooms.   Though English teachers love it because—let’s face it—we love English, many students do not understand it as easily as we do.  Therefore, we have to make it interesting and relatable if we want students to learn about it (Appleman 2000).  In particular, I really enjoyed Appleman’s Ray Ban example because it was a concrete way to show students what it means to approach literature through different theories.  I can definitely see myself using this in the future.  Appleman gives great emphasis on viewing literary criticisms through specific lenses.  This is important because it is also showing students that they do not have to agree with the argument to find evidence for it; students are just being asked to find information to support a specific lens.

            In a few chapters, Appleman discusses how popular the Marxist and feminist criticism are becoming in the classroom.  These two criticism can introduce students into seeing how literature can take “cultural and political prisms” as well (Appleman 2000).  Because both of these criticisms have political undertones, they are often taught to students together.  Additionally, I think these two criticism are really good ways of introducing literary theories to students because they are easier to identify in texts in comparison to more abstract criticisms.  Furthermore, these two lenses can help students craft their own personal responses.  By adding in cultural and political elements, students can craft more defined arguments and opinions towards specific literary works.  Furthermore, Appleman gives text examples that can work with both of these theories.  For example, she discusses how Hamlet can expose both feminist and Marxist theories.  By implementing literary works that can be read through multiple lenses, we are sculpting are students to becoming more efficient readers (Appleman 2000).

            Altogether, Milner, Milner, and Appleman all give great insight as to why literary theory is needed in the classroom.  Both works also give specific examples, class strategies, and possible literary works that can be read in multiple ways. Even though critical synthesis may not be needed every day, it is an imperative tool to use while teaching students how to form an argument and find text to support specific arguments.  All in all, this will foster growth and “expanded” thinking in high school English students. 

Do:    **I want this to count as one of my required "Do's."**

 

Subject:  English III Honors, 65 minutes

Topic: Teaching Literary Critics with Turn of the Screw passages

Title: “So What’s Your Theory?”

 

Objectives:

 

1) Citing evidence to support specific analysis of literary work. (RL.11-12.1)

2) Studying multiple interpretations of a specific text.  (RL.11-12.7)

3). Demonstrate perpetual knowledge of 19^th century foundational works. (RL.11-12.9)

 

Purpose:

 

The purpose of this lesson is to show students how to interpret texts through multiple literary criticisms.  By showing students how to look for specific evidence to support a specific claim, they are learning how to be better readers and better analyzers.  This skill will equipped them inside and outside of the classroom. 

 

Materials:

 

·         PowerPoint on literary criticisms

·         Class set of The Turn of the Screw

·         Class set of The Turn of the Screw passages

·         Paper

·         Pencils

·         Notecards labeled “Marxist” and “Feminist”

·         Blank notecards

 

Procedure:

 

Beginning: (10 minutes)

·         When students come in, there will be a writing prompt waiting for them on the board.  This prompt will ask them to reflect on The Turn of the Screw.  I will ask students to reflect on a major theme or aspect of the ending.  They will have five minutes to write.

o   We will be completing this lesson the day after we finished the literary work.

·         After they are finished, they will talk with a neighbor about their reflection. (3 minutes)

·         We will then come together and talk about all of their different approaches to the novella.  (2 minutes)

·         This discussion will not be too in-depth.  We will only hit major themes and aspects.  (5 minutes)

·         SEGUE: I will tell students to take notice in how many different readings came up from just one text.   Then, I will tell them to keep these in mind as we continue into the lesson.

During: (50 minutes)

·         I will show students a PowerPoint that explains what literary criticism is. Next, I will introduce a two of the major criticisms that are well known: Feminist and Marxist. (10 minutes)

·         Students will then be divided into small groups.  Each group will be given one of the major literary criticism that was discussed in class.  They will then discuss how their criticism could be supported in The Turn of the Screw.  (10 minutes)

·         After each group has brainstormed, we will then engage in a class discussion where each group discusses what they have found.  This will serve as a general introduction to each literary criticism and The Turn of the Screw.  In this discussion, students will be shown how multiple readings can be found in one text. (10 minutes)

·         Students will then get back with their groups.  They will be given notecards with passages and notecards labeled as feminist or Marxist.  Students will then work with their groups to match each passage with a specific criticism. 

·         I will be walking around to each group individually to see if they are on track.  I will also talk to students with their groups about the answers they chose.  This will enhance smaller communities within a larger community classroom.  (20 minutes)

·         SEGUE:  I will tell students to keep these different passages in mind as we enter into the last section of class.

After: (5 minutes)

·         As an exit slip, students must identify how a previous text we have read that year could be found as either Marxist or feminist.  These answers will be brief and submitted on index cards.

 

Evaluation:

Before: 

            Students need to have a working knowledge of The Turn of the Screw. 

 

During:  The journal reflection will count as a classwork grade.  The rest of class will factor into their participation grade.  To gain full participation points today, students will have to    actively participate with their groups.  If students are working diligently and create well         rounded responses as they identify passages with literary criticisms, they will receive an “excellent”.  If they do a mediocre job of this, they will receive a “satisfactory.”  If they do  not work at all with their groups, they will receive an “unsatisfactory”.

 Grading: In my classroom, the participation grade will be worth 10% of their overall grade.  An “excellent” will be recorded as a 100%, a “satisfactory” will be recorded as an 80%, and  an “unsatisfactory” will be recorded as a 60%.  At the end of each nine weeks, their daily participation grades will be averaged together to make up their participation section of      their grade. 

 

After: none

 

 

 ****NOTE:

It would not let me post the PowerPoint and passages that correlate with this lesson.  Instead, I have posted them into a wiki and here is the link:

https://sites.google.com/site/saydodocuments/home

 

In this link, you will find a tab labeled "Say/Do Due Sept. 19 2014."  You will find a copy of my "Say", a copy of my lesson plan with passages, and the PowerPoint that would correlate with my lesson.