Literary Detectives Part 1
Posted by George SeferidisHow does a story unfold? What propels the plot? What motivates a character’s decision? How do authors use historical context to situate characters and conflict within a society or culture?
Our young literary scholars examined these questions in our humanities classes this fall. Building a foundation for close reading and analytical writing, students practiced annotating the text for comprehension, analysis and a variety of literary elements that we learned about while reading short stories. We focused on strengthening evidence-based interpretations of setting, plot, and conflict, using research to uncover the social and historical context of a text.
To round out our close reading, students learned how to write an argumentative literary analysis. They were able to organize, support, and elaborate an argument about the overarching conflict in a story and delineate its initiation, development and resolution. Seventh graders wrote on Aida Bortnik’s short story “Celeste’s Heart,” and Eighth graders analyzed Alice Walker’s “The Flowers.” With a strong foundation, students are now graduating to greater complexity and sustained application of these skills as we closely examine our first core novels.
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