Feminist Perspective Unit Plan
English IV, Period 1
12th Grade
6 Weeks
OVERVIEW/ RATIONALE
Learners have been learning to view literature through the lens of critical theory. When this unit begins, they will have finished a unit on the psychoanalytic perspective. With this unit, they will learn how to view literature and media through a feminist perspective because this is a common critical stance as well as a useful way to expose power dynamics, oppression, and relationships in texts. Before this unit, learners have written a series of body paragraphs in which they use evidence to support a topic sentence. They have experience summarizing their readings, and recently they began choosing the reading selections to summarize and applying the psychoanalytic perspective to each section of the text. In this unit, they will continue this work as well as learn how to summarize scholarly non-fiction. They have not had much experience choosing their own evidence in their writing, have had little class discussion, and have only written one complete essay (this year), so these are areas that will be focused on as well. They have recently begun to include transitions between paragraphs in their writing, and they will continue to refine this skill as well as work on developing warrants within paragraphs. I anticipate some issues concerning a number of students who lack consistent access to computers. One of these students with computer access issues is also an ELL student, so I may need to consult with the ESOL teacher for help modifying and creating accessible materials.
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
Learners will understand that...
Gender is a socially constructed idea.
Social constructions of gender and relationships between genders may both reflect and shape cultural ideology and power structures.
Exploring the dynamics of gender through identifying and analyzing patterns of thought, behavior, value and power can:
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Who has power over whom (physically, economically, politically, socially, or psychologically)?
What does it mean to be a woman in this culture?
Is the woman the subject or object?
What is considered socially acceptable?
How is the relationship between men and women portrayed?
How do men and women relate to each other?
What kinds of behaviors are rewarded? Punished?
How is anger/violence used?
Who or what has value?
How is success measured?
How are male and female roles defined?
How do men and women perceive of themselves?
What constitutes masculinity and femininity?
What roles are available to or expected of men and women?
Do characters take on traits from opposite genders? If so, what happens?
What is expected or allowed of men or women?
How can gender constructs be constricting? Beneficial?
What does society say women want/need?
What do women say they want/need?
What obstacles are blocking women from achieving their desires/needs?
How do women negotiate these obstacles?
GOALS/OBJECTIVES
Learners will be able to identify the main concepts of the feminist perspective, such as patriarchy, misogyny, sexism, objectification, and stereotypes. They will be able to apply this perspective to short works of literature and media and analyze these texts through this lens by finding and interpreting evidence using these concepts. They will be able to identify the author and summarize their argument for a scholarly essay. They will be able to apply a common set of questions to a variety of sources, culminating with both a creative work written from a feminist perspective and an essay analyzing one of the assigned texts through this perspective. They will help their peers understand the texts and revise their essays, and they will reflect on their own writing.
MATERIALS
Promethean board and pen; Edmodo; computer with internet access; handouts for students with non-working computers
English IV, Period 1
12th Grade
6 Weeks
OVERVIEW/ RATIONALE
Learners have been learning to view literature through the lens of critical theory. When this unit begins, they will have finished a unit on the psychoanalytic perspective. With this unit, they will learn how to view literature and media through a feminist perspective because this is a common critical stance as well as a useful way to expose power dynamics, oppression, and relationships in texts. Before this unit, learners have written a series of body paragraphs in which they use evidence to support a topic sentence. They have experience summarizing their readings, and recently they began choosing the reading selections to summarize and applying the psychoanalytic perspective to each section of the text. In this unit, they will continue this work as well as learn how to summarize scholarly non-fiction. They have not had much experience choosing their own evidence in their writing, have had little class discussion, and have only written one complete essay (this year), so these are areas that will be focused on as well. They have recently begun to include transitions between paragraphs in their writing, and they will continue to refine this skill as well as work on developing warrants within paragraphs. I anticipate some issues concerning a number of students who lack consistent access to computers. One of these students with computer access issues is also an ELL student, so I may need to consult with the ESOL teacher for help modifying and creating accessible materials.
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
Learners will understand that...
Gender is a socially constructed idea.
Social constructions of gender and relationships between genders may both reflect and shape cultural ideology and power structures.
Exploring the dynamics of gender through identifying and analyzing patterns of thought, behavior, value and power can:
- aid comprehension of media and literary works.
- give learners new ways to critically evaluate their worlds
- help learners enter into a scholarly discussion, find their voice, and share and defend their opinions
- enable learners to question the status quo and effect change
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Who has power over whom (physically, economically, politically, socially, or psychologically)?
What does it mean to be a woman in this culture?
Is the woman the subject or object?
What is considered socially acceptable?
How is the relationship between men and women portrayed?
How do men and women relate to each other?
What kinds of behaviors are rewarded? Punished?
How is anger/violence used?
Who or what has value?
How is success measured?
How are male and female roles defined?
How do men and women perceive of themselves?
What constitutes masculinity and femininity?
What roles are available to or expected of men and women?
Do characters take on traits from opposite genders? If so, what happens?
What is expected or allowed of men or women?
How can gender constructs be constricting? Beneficial?
What does society say women want/need?
What do women say they want/need?
What obstacles are blocking women from achieving their desires/needs?
How do women negotiate these obstacles?
GOALS/OBJECTIVES
Learners will be able to identify the main concepts of the feminist perspective, such as patriarchy, misogyny, sexism, objectification, and stereotypes. They will be able to apply this perspective to short works of literature and media and analyze these texts through this lens by finding and interpreting evidence using these concepts. They will be able to identify the author and summarize their argument for a scholarly essay. They will be able to apply a common set of questions to a variety of sources, culminating with both a creative work written from a feminist perspective and an essay analyzing one of the assigned texts through this perspective. They will help their peers understand the texts and revise their essays, and they will reflect on their own writing.
MATERIALS
Promethean board and pen; Edmodo; computer with internet access; handouts for students with non-working computers