Whole Class Text Study: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
E.Q: How can readers of complex texts effectively discern, and then communicate what they have discerned, about author’s craft, structure content and style?
Our purpose(s):
- To have a shared experience around a "classic" text that is suggested as an 11th grade exemplar by the Common Core Standards. We will consider if this text is one we feel should be read by all students as a whole class text as a part of our year-long analysis of the high school literary canon.
- To continue to develop our skills discerning and analyzing complex literary texts
- To continue to develop our skills communicating our arguments about the text in writing and discussion
- To use this text to practice for the literary analysis writing task on the Common Core Regents (part 3)
This Page has week-by-week tasks for you to complete.
*Be sure to check the weekly calendar to plan out your in-school and at home work depending on mini-lesson and discussion schedules!
*For Audio Files Scroll Down
Week 1
Read up to p.81 by Monday, October 31st and complete these two literary analysis tasks! Here's the rubric
Task 1: Quote Comment Question- Complete by Monday for any quotation pages 1-81. Linked Here!
Task 2: Watch a video lesson and respond to the follow up questions by Monday |
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This video, by another teacher named Amy Harter, is excellent advice about how to analyze literature more deeply so that you can create sophisticated theme statements (central ideas!). Click on the link to watch the video and answer the questions afterwards. This should help you with your analysis for Friday's discussion!
Welcome to Week 2
10/31-11/4: Calendar, Tasks and Rubric Linked Here!
Task 3: Watch this video about discerning themes & contribute to the discussion on TED Ed Discerning Themes Video Lesson
Task 4: Literary Analysis Response
For this 2-3 paragraph HAND WRITTEN response, you will need to identify a theme in the text and describe how Morrison uses a literary element or device to develop that theme. The regents calls a theme central idea - it's the same thing! This response mirrors part 3 of the common core regents.
Click here to visit my "literary language" page and take a look to refresh your memory and notice what you need to review. Then print it or copy it to your google drive. We will use this as a guide to review literary elements going forward.
The Bluest Eye Literary Response:
Please write a response (2-3 paragraphs) by hand/on looseleaf!
Identify a central idea (THEME) in The Bluest Eye and how the author’s use of one writing strategy (literary element or technique) helps to develop that central idea. Do not simply summarize the text.
Click here to visit my "literary language" page and take a look to refresh your memory and notice what you need to review. Then print it or copy it to your google drive. We will use this as a guide to review literary elements going forward.
The Bluest Eye Literary Response:
Please write a response (2-3 paragraphs) by hand/on looseleaf!
Identify a central idea (THEME) in The Bluest Eye and how the author’s use of one writing strategy (literary element or technique) helps to develop that central idea. Do not simply summarize the text.
- identify a central idea (a.k.a theme)
- identify one literary element/device (Examples include: characterization, conflict, denotation/connotation, metaphor, simile, irony, language use, point-of-view, setting, structure, symbolism, theme, tone, etc.)
- use text evidence to support your claim that demonstrates the element in action.
- explain how Morrison’s use of this element helps to develop the central idea
Linked Here is an Outline
And here are models from the regents
And here are models from the regents
Task 5- Socratic Seminar Prep- Our Socratic Seminar will be Wednesday, November 8th
Prepare for whole class socratic seminar discussion by considering: essential questions, excerpts/quotations, themes, this week's articles and any other tools that push your thinking!
How to prepare?
1. Finish the book AND read the FOrWARD of the book
2. Read at least 2 of these articles, annotate them and use them to layer your discussion
- On Beauty: Banning Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye
-The Economist, "Book Banning Education Standards" Think Progress,
-"The Bluest Eye Banning in Alabama"
- Looking for a challenge? This is a lengthy essay as part of a PhD thesis on "Racialised Beauty"
3. Viewing at least one of these clips as a reference
View: Melissa Harris Perry (from MSNBC news channel) on the proposed Ohio state ban of The Bluest Eye |
View: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED talk on "The Danger of a Single Story"
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Christy Reading the Text Aloud
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