Literature+with+a+capital+L

Should your book be included in the canon (read What is a Literary Canon) or shot from a cannon?

How do teachers select required reading for their courses? How should they?

Should the novel you selected from the AP English Language Reading List be required reading in a high school course?

In this unit of study, you will research how and why books are selected by instructors, review the book you chose to read, and provide your own recommendation/rationale for the proposed inclusion or exclusion of your novel.

**Click HERE for the Gates LDC Unit Plan.**

FIRST: Open the attached file, complete it, and save it to your Final Portfolio folder in the P drive.

NEXT: Read the following articles. Open the attached file and use it to guide your reading. After completing the Evaluating Research for Writing template, save it to your Final Portfolio in the P drive.


 * Group Activity: Evaluation of Complex Texts on Newsela **

__** Articles **__
 * //Worthy Texts: Who Decides [[file:Book Rec Worthy Texts-Who Decides.docx]]//
 * //​High School Reading Lists Get a Modern Makeover//
 * //Too Dumb for Complex Texts?//
 * //What Makes a Book Worth Reading?//
 * //How Much Does the Time Book Review Matter?//


 * Professor Word: ** Install on your computer to locate high-frequency SAT words

__**Vocabulary Semantic Map**__ __**Evaluating Research for Writing Template**__

NEXT: Locate published reviews of your book. Find TWO reviews that include information/quotations that you could use to support or rebut your proposed thesis that defends, challenges, or qualifies the assertion that your book should be required reading in a high school course. Use the Three Cs template to document your findings. Save the template to the Final Portfolio in the P drive. Consider using the following sites: --Google Scholar --KYVL: Use EBSCOHost --Reviews of Books.com --DC Public Library Literature Resource Center --New York Times Book Reviews --L.A. Times Book Reviews --Kirkus Book Reviews

__**MLA Scavenger Hunt**__ Purdue Online Writing Lab

media type="custom" key="22018022"
 * Avoiding Plagiarism**


 * Final Product:** Respond to the following. Save the completed essay in the Final Portfolio in the P drive.

Should your novel be required reading in a high school English classroom?
 * After reading one of the novels on the AP English list, reflecting upon your own experiences with reading in high school, analyzing articles discussing the creation of and relevance of the literary cannon, and researching published reviews of the novel, write an essay that provides specific examples from the text and evaluates the appropriateness and importance of the novel in a high school setting. Be sure to support your position with evidence from at least three outside scholarly sources using MLA citation. ||

Introduction: Attention grabber (memorable scene, quote, statistic, question, narrative, etc.)  Explanation of issue and needed background  Forecasting passage  Thesis statement (claim and because clause)
 * Consider presenting the argument in classical format. **Argument should be typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. sans serif font. No page/word limit, but argument must be at least six paragraphs. Include information from at least three scholarly sources and cite them using MLA format.
 * Works cited list **should appear in alphabetical order with reverse indentation (first line is left justified and all others are indented).
 * Essays DO NOT have to be presented in this order, but all the information should be present. **
 *  Organizational Plan for an Argument with a Classical Structure **


 * Thesis statement: **


 * Attention grabber: **

 Presentation of Writer’s Position: Main body, presents and supports each reason in turn  Each reason is tied to value or belief held by audience
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Reason One: **

//<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Provide concrete (from text) and commentary (connections) //
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Support: **

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Reason Two: **

//<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Provide concrete (from text) and commentary (connections) //
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Support: **

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Reason Three: **

//<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Provide concrete (from text) and commentary (connections) //
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Support: **

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Summary of Opposing Views: Should be fair (not biased) and complete
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Opposing View: **

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Response to Opposing Views: Refutes (shows weaknesses) or concedes (shows strengths) to opposing views
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Response to Opposing View: **

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Conclusion: Brings essay to closure, sum up argument (without repeating) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> Leaves strong last impression <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> Often calls for action or relates topic to larger context of issues <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> Can close with narrative, stat, quote, answer to previous question, etc.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Conclusion: **