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E238 Lesson Plans

The following is a collection of lesson plans for a typical course in W238 Twentieth CenturyFiction. Since there is no required booklist for teaching E238, these lesson plans will have a

general focus whenever possible, only mentioning specific books for example purposes. As aresource and guide, lesson plans can be adapted to fit the specific texts from your classes. Alllessons are designed for a 50-minute course.

E238 Lesson Plans

Lesson 1 (Week 1)

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

Become familiar with the course and

each other Understand the context surrounding the

course

Prep

One of the challenges of teaching E238 is thediversity of the stduents in the class in terms of

majors and years, freshman to seniors. Somewill have a background in literature, but mostwill not. They have read Harry Potter andTwilight which we can consider a base to buildon. Still providing some background of the

history of the 20thcentury fiction including what

changed between the late 19th century and theearly 20th (modernism) can provide a basis forthe semesters discussions.

Materials

Woman and the Sailor Exercise

Lecture notes on the course context

Leadin

Some students may have prepared for classtoday by buying the textbooks. This means that

many of them are shaking in their seats, alive

with the fearful prospect of so much reading.This is good for them. The course will require alot of reading and there is no reason to pretendotherwise. Still, you can alleviate their fears by

assuring them you will be their knowledgeableguide through the intimidating texts.

Activities

Attendance ( 5-10 minutes)

Distribute and review your syllabus (10-15

minutes)

Spend time looking at the document with your

students. Discuss the course description, yourcontact information, your grading system, andkey course policies. You might not discuss everysingle thing in detail; If you dont (and even if

you do), remind students to reread the documentafter class and to email you with any questions

or concerns.

An absurdly Brief History of Western

Intellectual Thought (10-20 minutes)

The following is a brief outline of possible

lectures you would like to touch on to help

Connection to Course Goals.Introducing students to

each other and the course prepares students for what

lies ahead.

Tip. Writing a daily schedule to fit the needs of your

particular class can help solidify daily class goals in

your own mind, and build connections from one class

to the next.

Tip. Remember to prepare handouts and

transparencies well in advance of your class, so that

you are not stuck in a line at the copier two minutes

before class!

Attendance; Daily writing exercises or quizzes can

be a convenient way to take attendance, though a

time tested sign in sheet can really help in class of

46!

Tip. Get students used to engaging in class by calling

on them to read parts of the syllabus; this can also

help you learn their names fater.

Tip. The formality of your introduction will help set

the tone for the semester, and remember that it is

much easier to become less formal as time goes on

than it is to become formal.

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Contextualize 20th century fiction within the

history of literature. While this is not an

introduction to a humanities course, somehistory cannot hurt, especially since intellectual

and literary history will find its way into yourcourse in many ways. A lecture touching onthese points might provide a necessary

foundation, particularly in highlighting thetransition from the late 10thto the 20thcentury.

Depending on your teaching style, this lecturecan be run with hyperbole, meaning you areaware of how absurd it is to give a lecture ofwestern intellectual thought in 10 minutes.

First there was a big bang.

1.

Antiquity /Greco Romana. Socrates/Plato/ Aristotle

b. Forms/ archetypesc. Poetics

2.

Emergence of Christianitya. Monetheism

b. Appropriation / Audiencec. Fall of Rome

d. Augustine merges Christianity withPlatonic thought

e. Thomas Aquinas merges scienceand Christianity

3. The Modern Worldviewa. RenaissanceIndividualism

b. ReformationMartin Luther

c.

The Scientific Revolutin Kepler,Copernicus, Galileo

d. Philosophical Revolution Kepler,Copernicus, Galileo

e. Philosophical Revolution Descartes, Bacon

f. Science and religion at war?

4. The Modern Mind20thCentury

a. Science victory? Darwin.b. Industrializationc.

Nietzche, Marx, Freud

d.

Changes to every contexte. Woolf, Joyce, Other arts Make it

new! (Pound)5. Post Modernity

a.

Textuality/ Appropriation

b. Destabilizing of the central or theemergence of new voices!

The Woman and the Sailor (15-20 minutes)The following exercise has two major

objectives, both of which connect to coursegoals:

Allows the students to become familiarwith each other and working in groups

Allows students to see that multiple

readings / interpretations of the sametext are not only possible, they are

indeed welcomeStep 1: Distribute the exerciseStep 2: Read the story aloudStep 3:Ask students to do an individual rankingof their favorite charactersStep 4:Put Students into groups of 4-5 and

a.)

Have them introduce themselves

b.)

Have them come to a consensus on agroup ranking of the characters

Tip: You know what approach will work best for you,so adapt this lecture to fit the way you would like to

contextualize the course.

Tip: it might be worth mentioning whatconstitutes the literary canon, and how the

canon is dynamic, constantly challenged,expanded and contracted, thanks in large part todevelopments during the 20thcentury.

Tip. One of the most exciting things about a

course on the 20th century fiction is the chanceto show students how drastically the canonchanged, with a polyphony of new cultural and

gender voices.

Transition. Now that we are experts ineverything from Plato to Pound, lets take thetime to get to know each other!

Tip. Group work is an effective way to enhancestudent learning; it touches different learning

styles and takes some of the burden off of yourshoulders.