Dystopia is defined by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as “an imaginary place where people lead an often dehumanized and fearful existence.” When envisioning a dystopian science fiction book, one can imagine a world filled with anything from a totalitarian regime to a viral pandemic that decimates or zombifies humankind. On the surface, dystopian sci-fi books are horrific in nature, but underneath the horror lies a powerful message. Read more at Suite101: Dystopia in Literature: An Overview of Popular Dystopian Science Fiction Books http://utopian-dystopian-fiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/dystopia_in_literature#ixzz0xdXPGu6w
In the Dystopia unit, students will read Aldous Huxley's Brave New World as a class. Next studetns will select a dytopian novel, read and discuss thematic issues including "duty and loyalty" as well as "power and corruption". Students will learn and identify the characteristics of dystopian literature and evaluate the choice novel in terms of those characteristics. Students will create a presentation about their dystopian choice novel. Reading choices for this unit include the following: 1984 by Gerorge Orwell, Handmaid's Tale by Margret Atwood, Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Pest House by Jim Crace , Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The AP Essay focus for this quarter is rhetorical analysis. Students will focus on the speaker, audience, purpose, context of various works. Students will analyze the passage according to the author's choices in order to deconstruct the author's message. A final in class timed writing of a rhetorical analysis will be one of the summative assessments for this unit. The other summative assessment will be a dystopian book discussion and group presentation using rhetorical anaylsis.
Grammar and Language Focus for this unit will be Language of Composition chapters 1-3, The Well-Crafted Sentence and diagramming Formative assessments will include vocabulary test, diagramming quizzes, in class writings, mc quizzes, class activities and projects.
Unit Objective: Students will be able to recognize, comprehend, and respond to rhetorical analysis prompts. Students will be able to analyze passages, determine the author's purpose and identify the use of rhetorical strategies. Students will be able to read and comprehend and respond to the various messages in dystopian works including Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.
Quarter One Skills: