Reflect on your year of learning by thoroughly and deeply answering two of the Essential Questions for English 10H in the format of your choice.
Purpose: To end the course with a look back on the texts we have studied in order to answer the essential questions of the 10th grade American Literature course.
Directions: Using a medium of your choice (an essay, a digital poster, a video, a podcast, speech, art piece, a 3-D model, multi-media creation, etc. – your imagination is the limit here), thoroughly answer your choice of TWO of the essential questions from the course in a single project:
American Literature Honors essential questions:
– How does literature help us to better understand ourselves?
– What does it mean to be an American?
– How do individuals develop values and beliefs?
– What is the purpose of STORY?
Your answers must include a minimum of four (4) texts, one (1) of which must be an assigned full text, that we read this year. You may use more than four texts and are encouraged to use multiple texts per question. Using a text means including and explaining examples, direct quotes, characters, or other literary devices from the text to help answer the question and explain your thesis. You may also draw from other classes and your own experience.
To thoroughly answer the questions, you may need to include an explanation, written work, or some other way to express your ideas if it is not immediately obvious in the medium you choose. I reserve the right to require an additional piece of explanation.
Here is a list of texts we read this year to remind you:
Full texts
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Your independent/optional reading choices (may use as supplement, but not as only full text)
Short Stories
“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe
“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe
“Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison
“The Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gillman
Your choice of other short stories:
“The Fun They Had” by Isaac Asamov
“The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury
“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
“The Flowers” by Alice Walker
“Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin
“Wilshire Bus” by Hisaye Yamamoto
“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
“Tony’s Story” by Leslie Marmon Silko
“The Wife’s Story” by Ursula LeGuin
“The Cactus” by O. Henry
“Eve’s Diary” by Mark Twain
“A Dark Brown Dog” by Stephen Crane
“Once Upon a Time” by Nadine Gordimer
“A Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl
FAQs
If I make an art piece, do I need to write anything? Short answer: probably. Longer answer: If your art piece includes obvious answers to the questions and use of the texts, then you may not have to write much. Please show your piece to your teacher before submitting to be sure.
How long do my explanations need to be? As long as they need to be to assert your thesis, effectively use the texts, and explain your analysis
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Does it matter what texts I choose? Can they all be novels (or short stories, poems, etc)? While it is possible to do so, a variety of genres will likely give you a deeper understanding of the essential questions.
If I have another idea for a project that is not on the list, can I do that instead? Check with me before starting a project if you’re not sure. I can help provide guidance to make sure your idea will be appropriate for this assignment.
When is this due? This is due before 7:45am on the final day of class (there will be another final activity in class that day)
How will my project be graded? All requirements and instructions must be followed in order to score well. Beyond that, your project will be graded holistically (as it comes across overall, considering the various components). Keep the following things in mind:
Tailor your project and message with a specific audience and purpose in mind… make rhetorical/artistic choices that reflect your purpose
Consider the conventions and expectations of the medium you choose and make choices accordingly (if you aren’t comfortable with the variety or conventions in poetry, for instance, you may want to choose something you have more comfort with)
Show depth of thought and your unique perspective (narrowing your lens in looking at the question will likely add to your success)
Think critically about the texts… remember that these questions are “essential” because they have NO easy/correct answer
Do I need to include the title of the text and the author when I use it? Do I need to cite page numbers (if applicable)? As always, if you are using evidence (direct quotes, ideas, etc.) from a text, you must give credit to the author
