Analyzing Lit: Middle School introduces students to literary analysis and the art of using literature to improve personal writing.
Students read and analyze a book following a chosen theme and discuss the theme with fellow students. In the second half of each week, students apply literary strategies from the book as they craft an original piece of writing. The class ends with a culminating writing project where students analyze the evolution of their thoughts over the four weeks of class and examine the relevance of their book and its themes in the context of modern times.
The book read for this class was ____________________________________________
Syllabus
Week One
Students begin by evaluating how setting descriptions enhance the theme under study. Next, they investigate literary devices the author uses to convey setting and practice imitating those moves in original writing.
Week Two
Students uncover methods the author uses to bring characters vividly to life. Students create a fictitious interview with one of the characters in the book to emulate strong techniques employed in the original text.
Week Three
The structure of the overall story is the focus this week as well as elements that make for strong action storytelling. Students practice strong plot advancement skills by retelling a scene from a character's point of view.
Week Four
Students bring together writing from previous weeks to create a complex examination of their book and theme in a final project. After a round of revision and final editing, students can celebrate some writing accomplished!
Common Core and Academic Standards Support
What follows is a word bank and set of skills associated with this class. Use them to craft your own learning narrative for use in year-end evaluations, charter school reports, or any other accountability source.
Word Bank
- Alliteration
- Analysis
- Audience
- Character development
- Close reading
- Metaphor
- Point of view/Perspective
- Setting
- Simile
- Story Arc
- Symbolism
- Theme
- Vivid detail
- Voice
Core Skills
- Analyze effective writing craft
- Cite textual evidence to support conclusions
- Compare and contrast books with similar themes
- Compare theme and content to personal experience
- Create a parallel story arc to the main story of the book
- Determine central ideas and themes
- Evaluate evolution of thinking across time
- Identify point of view
- Innovate a twist on the original story
- Maintain distinct writer’s voice
- Utilize dialogue to develop character
- Utilize literary devices in writing
- Use vivid detail to convey setting
- Write detailed, organized, structured original narratives
