Pentucket Regional High School

Teacher__Faye_____________________ Subject__English_________________

Time Frame	Content/Concepts	Essential questions	Skills/Thinking Processes	Assessment
September	Puritan Period Adventures in American Lit Plus handouts	What is American literature? Why should we study American Literature? Who was the first American author? What was the first American piece of literature?	Recognize major authors of the period Identify important features of the Puritan experience expressed in poetry and prose Increase vocabulary	Quizzes Tests Composition
October	Revolutionary Period Adventures in American Lit	What was unique about this time period? What techniques do authors use to persuade their readers? How can students become better persuasive writers? In what ways does persuasive writing impact students’ lives? How are the tensions of the time reflected in American Literature How does an author's style reflect the tensions of his/her times?	Demonstrate the effects of Puritanism on the Age of Reason Identify major authors of the period Identify literary elements in Neo-classical literature	Quizzes Tests Composition
November	Romantic Period Adventures in American Lit Plus handouts	What were some of the major political, social, economic, and cultural events and/or trends of this time period?	Identify major Romantic writers Identify specific elements in Romantic literature Relate the expansion of America to the development of Romantic literature	Quizzes Tests Composition
December	Transcendental Period Adventures in American Lit The Scarlet Letter Plus handouts	What major literary movements developed during this time period? Why? What themes were predominant in the writings of the time?	Identify major groups of writers during the New England Renaissance Identify principles of Transcendentalism in the literature of the period Relate contrasting views of the period Define literary techniques of the period	Quizzes Tests Composition
January	Civil War Period Adventures in American Lit	What were some of the conflicts/tensions of the time? How did this author's style reflect one or more of those tensions/conflicts? Which critical approaches are most applicable to this author's style?
February		What were the major achievements in the U. S. during this time period? Who were some of the prominent international figures of the times and what was their importance? Who were some of the prominent American writers and how did their work reflect the times in which they wrote?	Identify major authors of the period Identify recurring themes in works Identify literary elements
March	Realism and Naturalism Adventures in American Lit The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn	What types of writing (i.e. genres) were predominant during this period?  Why? How do authors make use of historical material for various purposes?	Identify major authors of the period Discuss the effect of social conditions on literature Identify literary elements Define Naturalism as an outgrowth of realism Identify characteristics of the realistic novel	Quizzes Tests Composition
April	Adventures in American Lit	What voices are most often heard in American literature? Why? How are various cultures defined in/by American literature? Which voices in American literature do we find most intriguing, surprising, disappointing, inspiring, and/or disturbing? Why? What is the value of finding one's voice in American literature? How might American literature change during our lifetime? Why?
May	Modern Period Adventures in American Lit The Great Gatsby A Farewell to Arms Plus handouts	? What is the American dream past, present, future? How are the roles of women and men portrayed in American literature? How does one define him/herself in a society that does not recognize him/her as equal? How do contemporary American authors create an overall sense of identity for their characters and speakers in an increasingly complex society?	Discuss the effect of WWI on American literature Identify major authors of the period Identify literary elements Identify characteristics of the Modern novel	Quizzes Tests Composition
June	Adventures in American Lit	What are the emergent forms of postmodern American identity? How do we understand this identity? How has the media industry complicated and "manufactured" a stereotyped American identity? How do contemporary American authors attempt to produce meaning in the Information Age?