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NEH Hudson River Workshop Name: Vicki Wittman Course: American Literature Grade Level: 9-12 TRACING THE PAST FOOTPRINTS OF AMERICAN LITERATURE Rationale: The study of American Literature involves reading, discussing, and analyzing many forms of writing that all contribute to a unique American perspective. By looking to past primary source documents, the writers and the environment that influenced them, readers can gain a better understanding of a culture and it’s people. Essential Questions: ! What can primary sources tell us about a place and time? ! What was going on politically, economically, socially, and environmentally that is documented through primary sources? ! How did Washington Irving and the Hudson River establish an American Identity? Objectives: Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to ! Recognize various forms of primary sources can be considered literary works ! Understand stories from the past are influenced from someone’s perspective or interpretation of an event. ! Understand the written word gives an insight to the culture of a particular time period. ! Understand the influences that shaped American Literature. Materials: Primary source documents available such as postcards, letters, recipes, postcards, train schedules, inventories, catalogs from Colonial literature, American Revolution, and 18th century writing. These may be web based or print documents. Activity 1: Student response handout Cardstock paper cut to postcard size Postcards of Hudson River School Paintings or other nature postcards Writings from Washington Irving, Anne Bradstreet, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathanial Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickenson, which can be obtained from online sources or American Literature books. Procedure: Activity 1: Exploring primary source documents Students will have print copies of various types of primary source documents spanning the time from Colonial literature, the American Revolution, to 18th century writing. They will work in small groups exploring and reading the different types of documents available for approximately 20 – 30 minutes. After perusing documents the students will complete a handout asking them to select 2-3 pieces and explain their interpretation of lifestyle from that area and time period. Handout will include questions such as: What NEH Hudson River Workshop Name: Vicki Wittman Course: American Literature Grade Level: 9-12 types of transportation was available? What type of local food was eaten? How was food preserved? How did the environment, such as rivers influence the sources? Did this written source have anything that helped identify it as uniquely American? Activity 2: Postcard Activity Students will be assigned a fictional character and social role, such as a landowner, a businessman, a day laborer, a fisherman, a servant to the wealthy, or a young woman supporting a family during the 1700’s. Students then draw an image they may see from the perspective of their character. On the back of the postcard they are to a message describing what they are thinking about at the moment. Alternate activity – students are given postcards picturing Hudson River School Paintings and are asked to write a message from the fictional character to a family member who still lives in Europe. Activity 3: 19th Century Communication Using lesson developed by Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, students will read a letter by Irving to learn how he and his family communicated in the 19th century and compare it to how we communicate today. Students will begin by reading the letter and circling words they are not familiar with or how it is used in context. A brief discussion will follow about vocabulary and differences from 19th century writing and writing of today in regards to greeting, the thank you and the closing. Following the discussion students will write their own thank you letter, first in 19th century language then in modern English. Activity 4: Author background and expanded study of early American Literature writers. Students will read works by Washington Irving, Anne Bradstreet, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathanial Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickenson. Students will be expected to journal their reflections after each reading discussing what the piece tells the reader about place, time, and culture and what made it uniquely American. Assessment: Assessments will include the group handout from Activity 1 answering questions about group interpretations, individual postcard from Activity 2, thank you letters from activity 3 and the reflection journal from activity 4. NEH Hudson River Workshop Name: Vicki Wittman Course: American Literature Grade Level: 9-12 Student response sheet: Activity 1: Exploring primary source documents After looking over primary source documents, select 2-3 pieces and explain your interpretation of lifestyle from that area and time period. For each selection please answer the following questions: Why was this piece written, what was the need? What types of transportation was available? What type of local food was eaten? Could you tell how food was preserved? What could you discover about the culture of that time? How did the environment, such as rivers and land influence the writer? What helped identify this primary source as uniquely American? Student response sheet: Activity 1: Exploring primary source documents After looking over primary source documents, select 2-3 pieces and explain your interpretation of lifestyle from that area and time period. For each selection please answer the following questions: Why was this piece written, what was the need? What types of transportation was available? What type of local food was eaten? Could you tell how food was preserved? What could you discover about the culture of that time? How did the environment, such as rivers and land influence the writer? What helped identify this primary source as uniquely American?