Intro to Literary Criticism - Presentation & Introductory Handouts
"Much literary criticism comes from people for whom extreme specialization is a cover for either grave cerebral inadequacy or terminal laziness." John Kenneth Galbraith
This presentation is usually shown to students for the last 20 minutes or so of class - on a day that is generally given over for them to prepare their Macbeth Plays which will be going on the very next day of school. They are given a handout - but it can seem confusing on a first go around and the presentation should help them understand what they are doing and what is expected of them. It should also be noted that this is the kind of extended project that makes much more sense once it is actually begun. In giving the presentation, the teacher can answer any questions that the students have - and to give them an idea of both the rewards and the difficulty of this endeavor.
Lesson Overview - An Introduction to Literary Criticism: Presentation & Handouts
The First (and main) Handout
The Goals of the Unit
The first handout (2-sided) has a brief description of this project - its goals, methods, challenges, and rewards. Here is how it begins (I usually have a student read it out loud): "These will be a different kind of journal than what you have been doing so far this year – the vast majority will be written and kept in a binder. They will require a great deal of self-discipline and commitment on your part. Do not fall behind – the entire unit on Literary Criticism will take 7 days – during that time it will require a lot of your time – in class and at home – but the rewards are great: The kind of nonfiction reading and writing you will be doing are incredibly beneficial both in terms of having a greater command of English and Language Arts and they are also a great preparation for your SAT (and ACT) test later this year."
What is Literary Criticism
Next, there is a description of just what Literary Criticism is. Here is the beginning of that section: "According to Hazard Adams in The Interests of Criticism (1969), literary criticism is "a disciplined inquiry into the nature and function of literature. It is a branch of philosophy (aesthetics and epistemology), and it develops and changes dialectically in accordance with philosophy and epistemology. Thus it is and must be self-aware, self-critical, and evolving." Again, I have one or two students read this section aloud - and I answer any questions.
The process
The handout goes on to give a description of how the students will complete their journals (this will be gone over in the presentation as well). Because it goes into some amount of detail - I ask that you look at the handout and/or presentation found below for more on that procedure.
A Timeline (What's Due)
Finally (on this side), there is a schedule for what is due, and when. It breaks down and lists the readings (including the all-important order that the handouts should be read in) and the journals - giving dues dates. for the entire project. The students are told (if it's not on the handout then I tell them verbally) that there will be two random checks of their journals during class. I will, in fact, walk around the room and glance at their journals every day while they do their Group Work (after the quiz) - and they will not be allowed to work in a group if it is not up to date (or if they fail the reading content quiz).
The back of the handout has an outline of some of A.C. Bradley's ideas about Shakespearean Tragedy (for their reading suite).
It should also be noted that the students are told to put this first handout in their Binders on the very first page where they can easily access it (they need to have a binder with at least eight separated sections.
The Presentation
After going over the handout, I show a presentation on the mechanics of the Literary Criticism Unit to really make sure they have an inkling of how this will be done (though as I said earlier it becomes very clear ones they've begun). I've included both the Power Point and the PDF version of this presentation - whichever works best for you. I present the slide show - and then ask the students if they have any questions.
Literary Criticism Journals - Handout #1 - An Introduction & Schedule
See the description above - this is a two-sided handout with instructions for the students' journals and a schedule of what is due, when. On the back is an outline of A.C. Bradley's ideas about Shakespearean Tragedy to help them with their first readings (in the future all Readings will be on the page of that respective school of Literary Criticism - ie this would be found on the Day 1 - Old School page.
Intro to Literary Criticism Presentation
This presentation does NOT go over what Literary Criticism is - but instead helps the students understand how their reading and journal writing will work. The presentation is pretty self-explanatory - but if you have any questions, you should consult Handout #1 found above.
Remote Teaching
I did not do Literary Criticism the year we were remote - but really there is no reason not to - with the greatest challenge being that the students are doing the work on their own and are coming to an understanding of the concepts.
IntrotoLiteraryCriticism20160211.m4aClass Recordings
Audio - a recording of the Slide Show Introduction
We go through a Prezzi [now a Power Point or PDF] that I created that gives the students a basic introduction to the Literary Criticism Unit. We go over the procedures: group work, solo work, free thoughts, etc - so that when we actually begin the unit, it will go a lot smoother.
Students are instructed to put this rubric on the first page of their Literary Criticism Binders. There are two check-ins - two grades for this unit - both of them unannounced - so students should be up to date at all times. In addition to being a rubric - it breaks down in great detail - exactly what is expected of them - including how many questions (or readings) there are for each part of each day's entries: Readings for that Day (notes are graded), Questions for Today, Group Work Questions, and Solo Work.
Because you don't want to deprive students of their Journals during this unit - I usually do the first check-in (Grading) while they are watching the first part of Exit Through the Gift Shop - I will only collect as many as I can get graded during that time - and will grade the rest the next day - during the class period - asking them to take out the work and readings that they need for that class. The second check-in is not so rushed and I usually collect the binders after the Final Exam to grade them.
NOTE: I always gave students a chance to revise their binders (journals) if they did it BEFORE the final. I told them that I would change the grade they got for Check-In #1 (the only checkin that I offered this) to an average of their original grade with what they would have gotten with the revised journal. In other words, if they got a 50 on the first check-in - and then they revised it, gave it to me (before the final on Literary Criticism) - and the new assessment of their Journal lands them what would have been a 90 - I will change the recorded grade for that check-in to a 70.
Day 1 - Literary Criticism - Old School Criticism and its Flaws: In order for students to have an appreciation (not to mention, understanding) for modern Literary Criticism, it's necessary to catch at least a glimpse of what has come before. Perhaps the most influential early literary critic of Shakespeare was A.C. Bradley - which, in turn, was a distilling of Aristotle and that Greek Philosopher's take on drama and tragedy. This Lesson's readings begin with a handout on some of A.C. Bradley's primary pronouncements on Macbeth. That handout can be found on the back of the Introductory Literary Criticism Handout (the last lesson) or below. The next reading (found below) is a short article by Bradley about the witches in Macbeth. Finally, the students will have read (for today) a modern critic's (Russ McDonald's) analysis of some of Bradley's ideas
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
Thoughts on the Lesson
I probably only added this presentation 4 or 5 years into my having done this unit - but it really does give the students another tool to grasp the process and how important each step is. The ideas they are learning are so challenging, BUT the way this is designed has each step - the reading, the various parts of the journal, building on what came before.