Teaching the epic through ghost stories
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=225
A lesson plan for grades 9–10 English Language Arts
In this lesson, students examine the connection between ghost stories and epics. After students are engaged in brainstorming a list of the qualities that make ghost stories vivid, they attempt to write their own stories. Students use a series of questions to guide their creation of an original ghost story, making sure to concentrate on characters, conflict, resolution and setting in the story. While classmates share their ghost stories, students participate in active listening by identifying the characteristics they listed in the brainstorming activity. Then the teacher introduces the genre of epic by explaining their importance in European, African, American, and Asian oral cultures. After a brief comparison of ghost stories and epics, students hypothesize reasons for the similarities between ghost stories and epics. Readwritethink provides several links to online collections of ghost stories.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 9
- Goal 5: The learner will demonstrate understanding of various literary genres, concepts, elements, and terms.
- Objective 5.01: Read and analyze various literary works by:
- using effective reading strategies for preparation, engagement, reflection.
- recognizing and analyzing the characteristics of literary genres, including fiction (e.g., myths, legends, short stories, novels), non-fiction (e.g., essays, biographies, autobiographies, historical documents), poetry (e.g., epics, sonnets, lyric poetry, ballads) and drama (e.g., tragedy, comedy).
- interpreting literary devices such as allusion, symbolism, figurative language, flashback, dramatic irony, dialogue, diction, and imagery.
- understanding the importance of tone, mood, diction, and style.
- explaining and interpreting archetypal characters, themes, settings.
- explaining how point of view is developed and its effect on literary texts.
- determining a character's traits from his/her actions, speech, appearance, or what others say about him or her.
- explaining how the writer creates character, setting, motif, theme, and other elements.
- making thematic connections among literary texts and media and contemporary issues.
- understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts.
- producing creative responses that follow the conventions of a specific genre and using appropriate literary devices for that genre.
- Objective 5.01: Read and analyze various literary works by:
Grade 10
- Goal 5: The learner will demonstrate understanding of selected world literature through interpretation and analysis.
- Objective 5.01: Read and analyze selected works of world literature by:
- using effective strategies for preparation, engagement, and reflection.
- building on prior knowledge of the characteristics of literary genres, including fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry, and exploring how those characteristics apply to literature of world cultures.
- analyzing literary devices such as allusion, symbolism, figurative language, flashback, dramatic irony, situational irony, and imagery and explaining their effect on the work of world literature.
- analyzing the importance of tone and mood.
- analyzing archetypal characters, themes, and settings in world literature.
- making comparisons and connections between historical and contemporary issues.
- understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts.
- Objective 5.01: Read and analyze selected works of world literature by:
