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E238 Lesson Plans
The following is a collection of lesson plans for a typical course in W238 Twentieth CenturyFiction. Since there is no required booklist for teaching E238, these lesson plans will have a
general focus whenever possible, only mentioning specific books for example purposes. As aresource and guide, lesson plans can be adapted to fit the specific texts from your classes. Alllessons are designed for a 50-minute course.
E238 Lesson Plans
Lesson 1 (Week 1)
Lesson Objectives
Students will:
Become familiar with the course and
each other Understand the context surrounding the
course
Prep
One of the challenges of teaching E238 is thediversity of the stduents in the class in terms of
majors and years, freshman to seniors. Somewill have a background in literature, but mostwill not. They have read Harry Potter andTwilight which we can consider a base to buildon. Still providing some background of the
history of the 20thcentury fiction including what
changed between the late 19th century and theearly 20th (modernism) can provide a basis forthe semesters discussions.
Materials
Woman and the Sailor Exercise
Lecture notes on the course context
Leadin
Some students may have prepared for classtoday by buying the textbooks. This means that
many of them are shaking in their seats, alive
with the fearful prospect of so much reading.This is good for them. The course will require alot of reading and there is no reason to pretendotherwise. Still, you can alleviate their fears by
assuring them you will be their knowledgeableguide through the intimidating texts.
Activities
Attendance ( 5-10 minutes)
Distribute and review your syllabus (10-15
minutes)
Spend time looking at the document with your
students. Discuss the course description, yourcontact information, your grading system, andkey course policies. You might not discuss everysingle thing in detail; If you dont (and even if
you do), remind students to reread the documentafter class and to email you with any questions
or concerns.
An absurdly Brief History of Western
Intellectual Thought (10-20 minutes)
The following is a brief outline of possible
lectures you would like to touch on to help
Connection to Course Goals.Introducing students to
each other and the course prepares students for what
lies ahead.
Tip. Writing a daily schedule to fit the needs of your
particular class can help solidify daily class goals in
your own mind, and build connections from one class
to the next.
Tip. Remember to prepare handouts and
transparencies well in advance of your class, so that
you are not stuck in a line at the copier two minutes
before class!
Attendance; Daily writing exercises or quizzes can
be a convenient way to take attendance, though a
time tested sign in sheet can really help in class of
46!
Tip. Get students used to engaging in class by calling
on them to read parts of the syllabus; this can also
help you learn their names fater.
Tip. The formality of your introduction will help set
the tone for the semester, and remember that it is
much easier to become less formal as time goes on
than it is to become formal.
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Contextualize 20th century fiction within the
history of literature. While this is not an
introduction to a humanities course, somehistory cannot hurt, especially since intellectual
and literary history will find its way into yourcourse in many ways. A lecture touching onthese points might provide a necessary
foundation, particularly in highlighting thetransition from the late 10thto the 20thcentury.
Depending on your teaching style, this lecturecan be run with hyperbole, meaning you areaware of how absurd it is to give a lecture ofwestern intellectual thought in 10 minutes.
First there was a big bang.
1.
Antiquity /Greco Romana. Socrates/Plato/ Aristotle
b. Forms/ archetypesc. Poetics
2.
Emergence of Christianitya. Monetheism
b. Appropriation / Audiencec. Fall of Rome
d. Augustine merges Christianity withPlatonic thought
e. Thomas Aquinas merges scienceand Christianity
3. The Modern Worldviewa. RenaissanceIndividualism
b. ReformationMartin Luther
c.
The Scientific Revolutin Kepler,Copernicus, Galileo
d. Philosophical Revolution Kepler,Copernicus, Galileo
e. Philosophical Revolution Descartes, Bacon
f. Science and religion at war?
4. The Modern Mind20thCentury
a. Science victory? Darwin.b. Industrializationc.
Nietzche, Marx, Freud
d.
Changes to every contexte. Woolf, Joyce, Other arts Make it
new! (Pound)5. Post Modernity
a.
Textuality/ Appropriation
b. Destabilizing of the central or theemergence of new voices!
The Woman and the Sailor (15-20 minutes)The following exercise has two major
objectives, both of which connect to coursegoals:
Allows the students to become familiarwith each other and working in groups
Allows students to see that multiple
readings / interpretations of the sametext are not only possible, they are
indeed welcomeStep 1: Distribute the exerciseStep 2: Read the story aloudStep 3:Ask students to do an individual rankingof their favorite charactersStep 4:Put Students into groups of 4-5 and
a.)
Have them introduce themselves
b.)
Have them come to a consensus on agroup ranking of the characters
Tip: You know what approach will work best for you,so adapt this lecture to fit the way you would like to
contextualize the course.
Tip: it might be worth mentioning whatconstitutes the literary canon, and how the
canon is dynamic, constantly challenged,expanded and contracted, thanks in large part todevelopments during the 20thcentury.
Tip. One of the most exciting things about a
course on the 20th century fiction is the chanceto show students how drastically the canonchanged, with a polyphony of new cultural and
gender voices.
Transition. Now that we are experts ineverything from Plato to Pound, lets take thetime to get to know each other!
Tip. Group work is an effective way to enhancestudent learning; it touches different learning
styles and takes some of the burden off of yourshoulders.