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English 11
Lesson Activities
Early American Literature: Analyzing Context
The Lesson Activities will help you meet these educational goals:
21st Century Skills— You will use critical-thinking skills and effectively communicate your
ideas.
Directions
Please save this document before you begin working on the assignment. Type your
answers directly in the document.
_________________________________________________________________________
Self-Checked Activities
Read the instructions for the following activities and type in your responses. Click the link to
the Student Answer Sheet at the end of the lesson. Use the answers or sample responses to
evaluate your own work.
1. Reading Indigenous Voices
Read one American Indian poem, story, or tale. As you read, pay attention not only to the
work’s overarching theme, or main idea, but to its syntax (sentence structure), images
(mental pictures drawn with words), figures of speech (poetic devices such as metaphor
and simile), and symbols (something that represents another thing, such as a cross for
Christianity).
Syntax can refer to the length of a sentence and its resulting flow and pace (or speed of
reading) and the use of inversion (a different word order than what is commonly
expected). How would you describe the syntax or the work you read? What is the
relationship between its syntax and the oral tradition that characterizes American Indian
literary works and poetry in general?
Type your response here:
How did you do? Check a box below.
Nailed It!—I included all of the same ideas as the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
Halfway There—I included most of the ideas in the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
Not Great—I did not include any of the ideas in the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
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2. Analysis of “As Weary Pilgrim”
a. Read “As Weary Pilgrim,” written by Anne Bradstreet in 1669. Take notes as you read
the poem closely, from a line-by-line perspective. Review the poem again and then
complete the following analysis chart. Be sure to cite evidence from the poem to
support your answers.
Type your response here:
Line
Question
2
Why does Bradstreet write that the
pilgrim “Hugs with delight his silent
nest”?
6
What are “his dangers past, and
travailes done”?
20
What does Bradstreet mean by “With
sins . . . vext”?
22
What is “Clay house” a metaphor for?
44
What does it mean for Christ to be a
“bridegroom”?
Answer/Explanation
b. After closely reading the poem and analyzing certain lines, read the poem aloud
before answering the following questions about “As Weary Pilgrim.”
Think about common poetic devices that you have learned about in class (e.g., rhyme,
alliteration, metaphors). What common poetic devices does Bradstreet use in “As
Weary Pilgrim”? Explain how the poetic devices are used and why you think
Bradstreet uses them.
Type your response here:
How did you do? Check a box below.
Nailed It!—I included all of the same ideas as the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
Halfway There—I included most of the ideas in the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
Not Great—I did not include any of the ideas in the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
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Teacher-Graded Activities
Write a response for each of the following activities. Check the Evaluation section at the end
of this document to make sure you have met the expected criteria for the assignment. When
you have finished, submit your work to your teacher.
1. Analyzing American Literature
a. Analyze at least five passages (two or three paragraphs each) from one of the works
listed here:
 Cotton Mather, Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts and Other
Possessions (1689)
 Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741)
 Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776)
 Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1784)
Pay attention to content (e.g., descriptions of the environment and people, arguments
and viewpoints, historical clues), writing style (e.g., word choice, tone, use of
figurative/poetic language, rhetorical language such as rhetorical questions and direct
addresses to the audience), and the intended audience.
Type your response here:
b. Answer these questions about the audience for the work you read.
1. Describe the intended audience for your selection (note, for example, their social
class, beliefs, historical background, and political views)? What are the textual
clues that that reveal the intended audience?
Type your response here:
2. How would a contemporary audience (that is, you and your peers) respond to the
piece you selected?
Type your response here:
3. What is the relationship between the audience and the historical context of the
piece?
Type your response here:
c. Think about the historical context of the work you read and answer these questions.
1. What historical events can you identify in the work? Cite passages to support your
answer.
Type your response here:
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2. What comment or viewpoint on life does the author make about the primary
historical event conveyed in the piece of literature?
Type your response here:
Evaluation
Your teacher will use this rubric to evaluate the completeness of your work as well as the
clarity of thinking you exhibit.
Activity 1: Analyzing American Literature
Developing
(2 points)
Proficient
(3 points)
Distinguished
(4 points)
Concepts
 The student has completely analyzed five or more passages in the selected work of
literature.
 The student has thoroughly and accurately analyzed the content and writing style.
 The student has accurately identified the intended audience using appropriate textual
clues.
 The student has accurately explained the relationship between the audience and the
historical context of the piece.
 The student has identified many historical events, citing appropriate passages to support
the claims.
 The student has thoroughly and accurately analyzed the primary event from the author’s
perspective.
 The student has analyzed at least five passages in the selected work of literature.
 The student has adequately and correctly analyzed the content and writing style.
 The student has clearly described the intended audience by providing relevant textual
clues.
 The student has explained the relationship between the audience and the historical
context of the piece.
 The student has identified multiple historical events and cited relevant passages to
support the claims.
 The student has correctly analyzed the primary event from the author’s perspective.
 The student has analyzed at least three passages in the selected work of literature.
 The student has struggled to analyze the content and writing style.
 The student has struggled to describe the intended audience by providing somewhat
relevant textual clues.
 The student has struggled to explain the relationship between the audience and the
historical context of the piece.
 The student has identified a few historical events and cited somewhat relevant passages
to support the claims.
 The student has struggled to analyze the primary event from the author’s perspective.
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Beginning
(1 point)




The student has analyzed a few passages in the selected work of literature.
The student has not effectively analyzed the content and writing style.
The student has not effectively described the intended audience.
The student has not effectively explained the relationship between the audience and the
historical context of the piece.
 The student has identified just one historical event and cited a passage to support the
claim.
 The student has not effectively analyzed the primary event from the author’s perspective.
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