| The Novel: Creating a World in Words Teacher: Marjory Zaik Subject Area: English Topics to be included: In this mid-level English course, we study the novel genre from the reader's point of view as well as the writer's, as we work with various strategies to appreciate and understand how a novelist creates a "world in words." The two novels we read together are, in order: Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. We also read at least one critical or journalistic essay about each of these writers and/or his/her novel. Sustained reading is further emphasized in an independent reading component. For at least three twenty-minute in-class sessions per week students read literature of their own choosing and make a reading log entry for each session. Students write book reports on their independent reading (or reading reports if full-length books are not read). In addition to classroom sharing of their work, students publish their book/reading reports, creative writing assignments and critical essays on the class website. We watch at least two films which treat themes common to the novels we are reading together. Skills: listening and reading comprehension; sustained silent reading; critical thinking; discussion; critical writing; creative writing; computer literacy. Assessment strategies: questionnaires; reading journals and logs; book reports on independent reading; reading and vocabulary quizzes; freewriting with thematic and conceptual links to the novels; visual representations of characters, scenes, chapters in the form of charts, drawings and posters; critical essays; creative writing (personal essays, characterization, setting, short stories, first chapter of an original novel); written exams. Course alignment with State Standards:
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