Text Set Overview:
- Audience: 11th grade; students at or below standard grade level
- Anchor Text: Of Mice and Men
- Essential Question (Purpose): What is our responsibility to other humans? Community? Ourselves?
- Formats: fiction (novella), non-fiction essays, vintage t.v. episode, poem, graphite art, drama (play), cartoon art
- Novella: John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men
- Essay: Garrett Hardin's Lifeboat Ethics
- Essay: Peter Singer's The Singer Solution to World Poverty
- Film: Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone: The Shelter
- Poem: Emily Dickinson's If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking
- Art: Lee Teter's graphite A Civil Goodbye
- Theater/Drama: The Crucible, Act I, Scene V (Character Focus: Tituba)
- Cartoon Art: Patrick Forde's and Chris Maddin's: The Good Samaritan
Of Mice and Men (Anchor Text)
NOVELLA. This Northern Californian tale exposes the conditions of migrant workers during the years of the Great Depression. The story traces the loyal yet unbalanced friendship between George and Lennie, opposites in both brain and brawn and unusual during the epoch of struggle and survival of the 1930's. Through the novel's two main characters, students confront the challenges and ugly truths of what it means to be truly committed to another human being. The major theme of the novel which reflects the sacrifices demanded of relationships resonates personally with teens who protectively crave acceptance and friendships. The novella packs a plethora of thematic layers and haunting motifs. Of Mice and Men speaks directly to the essential question of responsibility as George must make a most heartbreaking decision to "save" his friend.
"Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping the Poor"
ESSAY. At a higher complexity, this essay introduces challenging arguments from moral, ecological, and economical perspectives. The author argues, as the title suggests, that altruism is realistically detrimental, that equality is an injurious idealism. The essay highlight the difficulties and nebulous quality of individual responsibility to one's self, one's nation and to others. It serves as a counterargument to Singer's essay which follows. As an argumentative nonfiction work, the essay presents an alternative teaching of English Language Arts which focuses more on language and persuasive appeals..
"The Singer Solution to World Poverty"
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE/ESSAY. (Published in New York Times Magazine, 1999.) This essay argues for altruism, commitment to others, and the purging of wasteful luxuries. As a nonfiction, moderately challenging work, it serves as a direct counterpoint to the previous essay "Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping the Poor." The article also works as a teaching tool in identifying rhetorical argument through the examination of linguistic devices.
The Twilight Zone, "The Shelter"
T.V./FILM. An agreeable and well respected doctor and his family are entertaining guests when there comes an announcement of a potential nuclear attack. Suddenly, civilized and friendly neighbors turn on one another as they desperately try to seek shelter in the only bomb shelter available - the very one built by their host. A blast from the past, this vintage episode "The Shelter" demonstrates the dilemma of self-preservation vs obligation to others in times of crises. The episode is a visual means of exploring the themes of obligation and clearly mirrors the sentiment in the essay, "Lifeboat Ethics."
T.V./FILM. An agreeable and well respected doctor and his family are entertaining guests when there comes an announcement of a potential nuclear attack. Suddenly, civilized and friendly neighbors turn on one another as they desperately try to seek shelter in the only bomb shelter available - the very one built by their host. A blast from the past, this vintage episode "The Shelter" demonstrates the dilemma of self-preservation vs obligation to others in times of crises. The episode is a visual means of exploring the themes of obligation and clearly mirrors the sentiment in the essay, "Lifeboat Ethics."
"If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking"
POEM. Emily Dickinson's single stanza poem is simple and straightforward without difficult language or inverted syntax normally associated with poetry ranking it low in complexity. The poem speaks to the author's expression for life's purpose - in this case the poet's is fulfilled in the acts of serving others. This quiet alternative text is an excellent means of stimulating personal self reflection. .
POEM. Emily Dickinson's single stanza poem is simple and straightforward without difficult language or inverted syntax normally associated with poetry ranking it low in complexity. The poem speaks to the author's expression for life's purpose - in this case the poet's is fulfilled in the acts of serving others. This quiet alternative text is an excellent means of stimulating personal self reflection. .
"A Civil Goodbye"
GRAPHITE ART. This piece demonstrates the opposing pulls of obligation, especially in times of strife and conflict. Here a Civil War soldier feels the emotional pull between his loyalty to an intimate and his duty to his country. Students should find this visual one of low complexity due to its realism and undeniable pathos.
GRAPHITE ART. This piece demonstrates the opposing pulls of obligation, especially in times of strife and conflict. Here a Civil War soldier feels the emotional pull between his loyalty to an intimate and his duty to his country. Students should find this visual one of low complexity due to its realism and undeniable pathos.
THE CRUCIBLE, Act I, Scene V:
DRAMA: Act 1, Scene V of this this play mirrors the motif of panic, chaos, and self-preservation expressed in the Twilight Zone episode, "The Shelter." In this climatic scene at the end of Act I, Tituba realizes that the frenetic energy of the villagers has reached a point beyond reason or repair. She stands accused of bringing witchcraft to the superstitious Salem Village. Recognizing that her life swings in the balance (no pun intended), she diverts blame from herself by sacrificing innocent others. Viewing the drama's performance in the provided utube clip helps students who might otherwise struggle with the unfamiliar stage directions and antiquated English. As such, the drama presents as at a medium complexity which allows for a clearer link to the central theme of clashing responsibilities between self, others, and truth.
youtu.be/wIqDBtYmKE4