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Rationale: Students will be analyzing the novel //A Northern Light// by Jennifer Donnelly with a new historicist (new historicist ) lens. Through the new historicist's (historicist's) lens, they will distinguish what gender and racial roles were present during the time the novel was written (early 1900s) and how the **time period** of the novel affected those roles.** ? What do you mean by setting? You've already referenced the time period so what do you mean by setting when you reference it in the second half of the sentence? ** They will better understand how Discourses shape texts by analyzing the novels' discourses from a contemporary reader's perspective. ** (Here Alyssa, the emphasis has to be on textuality not historical differences in gender roles...so for example you would argue (rationale is an argument) that students can better understand how Discourses shape texts by analyzing the novel's discourses from a contemporary reader's perspective. **) **(It seems to me you're working with New Historicism as much as with historical criticism.)** Students will also analyze the characterization in the novel and how the characters are affected by the discourses from the time period. Along with the historical context, //A Northern Light// is also a strong coming of age novel that follows many young people trying to find their way in the particular society in which the novel is set. This novel can also be viewed using a feminist lens. Mrs. Wilcox and Mattie are strong females who, eventually, find their way and do what other women have not yet done (i.e. write and go to college). This book can be analyzed in many different ways using New Historicism. Knowing the historical context of the novel will allows the students to analyze the gender/feminist roles and racism that were present during the time period and the discourse that were???? associated with them. I intend to use this novel in order to teach them the different lenses and discourses that are apparent within it. **Clarify for me the rationale for using the book. This paragraph explains what you intend to do but never answers the question why ? It's also not clear what you're teaching? A literary theory?** // A Northern Light // includes intertexuality as well and can be analyzed using other texts that were written about the time time period and historical events. I would also like students to focus on this intertexuality using the different texts.
 * One of the most interesting features of this novel is its intertextuality. The novel echoes another novel most explicitly and the plot of one novel generates the plot of the other. The //'s in the plots are significant. And, of course the 1925 retelling is based on an historical incident and the 21st century retelling is based on the 1925 "story." We could go on and on here--but intertextuality is the most salient feature of ANL.// **

New Historicism and Intertexuality ** In A Northern Light (Grade 9) **

** Stage 1—Desired Results ** Common Core Standards: RL.9-10.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.9-10.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.9-10.3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. RI.9-10.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RI.9-10.2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.9-10.7. Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account. W.9-10.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. W.9-10.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.) W.9-10.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. W.9-10.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically. W.9-10.7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. SL.9-10.1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. SL.9-10.5. Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. L.9-10.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.9-10.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. || Students will **understand** that… **(** makes no sense--//that how//)
 * ** Established Goals **
 * Reading Literature:**
 * Reading Informational Text:**
 * Writing:**
 * Speaking & Listening:**
 * Language:**
 * ** Understandings **
 * They can analyze the novel using a New Historicist's Lens
 * The disourses present in the novel are due to the 1900s time period in which the novel is set.
 * Gender/race affects characterization
 * The novel's intertexuality is due to many other texts written about the same time period and historical event.
 * Many characters accepted/challenged socially accepted discourses of the time period.

** (rethink the way you state understandings. They should all follow the same syntactical pattern in this list) **

 * **How different from gender roles?**
 * **These "understandings" are too general. Way too general.** || **Essential Questions**
 * How does the author shape discourses in the novel using a New Historicist's Lens?
 * What intertexuality features do you see in //A Northern Light// compared to other texts written about the same historical event? ||
 * Students will **know**…
 * How to analyze the novel using a New Historicist's Lens
 * The gender and racial discourses present in the early 1900s through textual evidence from the novel.
 * How some of the main characters, Mattie, Mrs. Wilcox, & Weaver, questioned these discourses (still not an ELA issue--you can say students will know how the novel's competing discourses shape a reader's understanding of the author's purpose)
 * Intertexuality within the novel. || Students will **be able to**…
 * Analyze novels using historical criticism.
 * Analyze the novel using intertexuality from other texts.
 * **What's the difference between gender and feminist lenses?** ||
 * Stage 2—Assessment Evidence **
 * **Performance Task:**
 * Students will conduct research on the historical events presented in //A Northern Light,// such as the Big Moose Lake Murder and how the intertexuality in //A Northern Light// is due to other texts written about the same historical event. // **What historical events?** //
 * Students will explain how the characters in the novel challenged the socially excepted discourses by analyzing the author's discourse using a contemporary reader's standpoint.
 * || **Other Evidence:**
 * Students will conduct multiple socratic seminars on the texts.
 * Students will be required to participate in discussions. ||

=Text Set=

//A Northern Light// by Jennifer Donnelly - Strong coming of age novel that students will be able to relate to in many ways. Also, the gender/racial issues in the novel are important for the students to know and analyze.
 * Fulcrum:**

//An American Tragedy// by Theodore Dreiser - A text about the Big Moose Lake Murder, which is the setting that the novel takes place in.
 * Context:**

Big Moose Lake photo - Helps the students to picture what they will be reading about in the novel.

The Glenmore - Where much of the setting takes place.

Chester Gillette - Man accused of killing Grade Brown in the Big Moose Lake murder.

Grace Brown - Victim of Big Moose Lake murder

[|//Century After Murder//] **-** A NY Times article that describes the Big Moose Lake murder and those that were affected by it.


 * Texture Texts:**

[|Book Review]- This is a book review for A Northern Light and may give the students some background on the novel. **(??? why a book review?)**

[|Murder Trial]- This is the** (well it's an account of??) ** murder trial of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette.

Murder in the Adirondacks by Craig Brandon - An account of the Big Moose Lake Murder.

A Place in the Sun film - Movie made about the murder.

Adirondack Tragedy by Joseph Brownell - An account of the Big Moose Lake Murder

Grace Brown's Love Letters Citizen Publishing Company - Copies of letters from Grace Brown to Chester Gillette





Write about one character from //A Northern Light// and explain how he/she challenged the conventional discourses of the time period. Include research that you have done on gender/racial roles during the 1900s. Compare/Contrast the intertexuality in //A Northern Light// to other texts written about the Big Moose Lake Murder.
 * Assignments**