“Of Plymouth Plantation”—CCSS Exemplar Lesson Plan, Seminal U.S. Text
Rationale for this Unit Plan:
“The Literature Task plays an important role in honing students’ ability to read a complex text closely, a skill that research reveals as the most significant factor differentiating college-ready from non-college-ready readers. This task will ask students to carefully consider literature worthy of close study and compose an analytic essay” (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, a developer of the assessment for the Common Core to be used in thirteen states and the District of Columbia).
Please note that this is not an official publication of the CCSS, but one that I created using CCSS guidelines.
Standards Addressed: RI.11-12.1, RI.11-12.2, RI.11-12.3, RI.11-12.4, RI.11-12.5, RI.11-12.6, RI.11-12.8, RI.11-12.9, RI.11-12.10, W.11-12.1, W.11-12.2, W.11-12.4, W.11-12.5, W.11-12.9.
All page references refer to The Language of Literature textbook, American Literature, published by McDougal Littell, © 2003.
Frontloading: Explain to students that they are about to read a seminal American text. You may want to review key aspects of the Puritan worldview, including the terms “special providence,” “theocracy,” “Bible Commonwealth,” “grace,” “New Eden,” “saints,” “original sin,” “total depravity,” "predestination," etc. You may also want to impress upon students that the Puritans saw themselves as “New Israelites” and were reactionary and more conservative than other groups within England at the time. They did not believe in progress, and preferred a return to the past. Some of the language that they used in their chronicles, histories, and sermons was considered archaic even for the period in which they lived. Oftentimes, students believe that the original settlers in what would become America, believed in democracy. Democracy would have been considered blasphemous by Puritan standards. It is much later in American history, the time of the Enlightenment (mid-1700s) and the founding of our nation that the novel ideas of “equality,” “democracy,” and “progress” became part of the national discourse. Also emphasize with students that Puritans believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible, and that they referred to the Bible for ideas about law and government, as well as societal values and attitudes. The Puritans were “People of the Book” in every aspect of their lives.
Class Reading: Because the language of this selection is very difficult, teacher scaffolding will be needed throughout. It is not the type of text that you can have students read first on their own. They will have too many questions and become easily frustrated. I suggest that you read the selection aloud, telling students that you will often replace difficult words in the actual text with words that they will understand. You should pause, paraphrase, and ask guiding questions throughout.
Reciprocal Re-Reading and Note Taking: After you have read the selection aloud to students (you may want to chunk the reading of this selection over two lessons), have students reread the selection with peers (no more than three per group). Use the handout below to help facilitate group understanding and discussion.
Class Discussion: Have students from different groups share what they have discovered through their reading with the class as a whole.
Writing Assessment: Have students write a few paragraphs on any of the following topics. Remind students to cite the text of Bradford in their essays for the first three topics below—
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Handout for a Close Reading/Analysis of “Plymouth Plantation” by William Bradford
1. Read the first two paragraphs on page 82. What about the language seems strange to you? How do you think a modern American would paraphrase what Bradford, the author, is saying?
2. What adjectives (describing words) does Bradford use as he writes about this new continent and the people who live here? Make a list of the words that he uses. What do those words suggest about Bradford’s attitude (tone) towards this new place and the inhabitants?
3. The Puritans were a devout people who believed that the Bible should be at the very center of every aspect in their lives. Count the number of references to the Bible, God, Heaven, special providence, Lord, and other religious-sounding words or phrases from pages 82 through 85. How might the Puritan religious perspective affect their attitudes towards, and interactions with, a group of people who do not share their background?
4. Emotional appeals (pathos) are parts of a text that an author uses to persuade his audience on an emotional level. Bradford wrote this seminal U.S. text with future generations in mind. Cite sections of the text that are meant to evoke feelings/emotions in a future reader. What feelings/emotions do you think Bradford is trying to generate in each of the examples that you cite? Do you think he is successful? Does he convince you? Why or why not?
5. Skim the entire selection and make a list of archaic-sounding words. Select any three sentences to rewrite in the English that we use today. How are your sentences different from the sentences that Bradford wrote? Are they shorter or longer? What do the differences in wording suggest about the difference between Puritans and people who are living in America today? How are books that are published today different from Bradford’s book?
6. Prose writing (writing that is not poetry) uses different modes of discourse (ways of writing). Sometimes an author uses narration (tells a story); at other times an author will use description (imagery), exposition (explaining something), or persuasion/argumentation (making an argument; trying to convince his audience to think a certain way). Find sections of Bradford’s text where he uses these different modes of discourse. Are those parts effective? Which parts of this selection do you like best and why? Which mode of discourse does Bradford use most?
7. Write a few sentences in which you explain Bradford’s main purpose or objective in writing this very famous book. Do you think he accomplished what he set out to do? What were some of his other objectives/goals?
8. If the Native Americans were to write something for their future generations (they passed down their stories through oral tradition, however), how would they describe the same experiences that Bradford records? How would their point of view have been different? Do you think that the Native Americans shared any ideas or attitudes about life that were similar to the Puritans, and vice versa? If so, what were those elements of common ground?
Extending the Discussion: The following links to contemporary news stories may help students connect ideas across time and place--
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19311098
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19498970
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12621225
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/the-godless-democrats-again/2012/09/05/623f662c-f76e-11e1-8398-0327ab83ab91_blog.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/democrats-rapidly-revise-platform-include-god/story?id=17164108#.UEqnf6Se6Qw
http://www.humanevents.com/2012/09/07/buchanan-a-godless-party-expels-the-creator/
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-07-04/opinion/davis.jefferson.other.words_1_church-and-state-religious-freedom-virginia-statute?_s=PM:OPINIONUni
- Bradford's major purpose in writing this chronicle and how particular sections of the text support that purpose.
- The Puritan worldview as depicted by the particular words (diction) that Bradford uses throughout this excerpt.
- An argument written by the Wampanoag people in which they rebut or agree with the chronicle written by Bradford (students should refer to specific points that Bradford makes).
- An imagined historical chronicle written for future generations of Wampanoag people by those tribe members who experience the arrival of the Puritans in their homeland. Be sure to remind students that the Native Americans had an oral tradition, and would not, in fact, have written a chronicle. You might even consider having students "tell" the chronicle to their classmates, rather than write it down.
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Handout for a Close Reading/Analysis of “Plymouth Plantation” by William Bradford
1. Read the first two paragraphs on page 82. What about the language seems strange to you? How do you think a modern American would paraphrase what Bradford, the author, is saying?
2. What adjectives (describing words) does Bradford use as he writes about this new continent and the people who live here? Make a list of the words that he uses. What do those words suggest about Bradford’s attitude (tone) towards this new place and the inhabitants?
3. The Puritans were a devout people who believed that the Bible should be at the very center of every aspect in their lives. Count the number of references to the Bible, God, Heaven, special providence, Lord, and other religious-sounding words or phrases from pages 82 through 85. How might the Puritan religious perspective affect their attitudes towards, and interactions with, a group of people who do not share their background?
4. Emotional appeals (pathos) are parts of a text that an author uses to persuade his audience on an emotional level. Bradford wrote this seminal U.S. text with future generations in mind. Cite sections of the text that are meant to evoke feelings/emotions in a future reader. What feelings/emotions do you think Bradford is trying to generate in each of the examples that you cite? Do you think he is successful? Does he convince you? Why or why not?
5. Skim the entire selection and make a list of archaic-sounding words. Select any three sentences to rewrite in the English that we use today. How are your sentences different from the sentences that Bradford wrote? Are they shorter or longer? What do the differences in wording suggest about the difference between Puritans and people who are living in America today? How are books that are published today different from Bradford’s book?
6. Prose writing (writing that is not poetry) uses different modes of discourse (ways of writing). Sometimes an author uses narration (tells a story); at other times an author will use description (imagery), exposition (explaining something), or persuasion/argumentation (making an argument; trying to convince his audience to think a certain way). Find sections of Bradford’s text where he uses these different modes of discourse. Are those parts effective? Which parts of this selection do you like best and why? Which mode of discourse does Bradford use most?
7. Write a few sentences in which you explain Bradford’s main purpose or objective in writing this very famous book. Do you think he accomplished what he set out to do? What were some of his other objectives/goals?
8. If the Native Americans were to write something for their future generations (they passed down their stories through oral tradition, however), how would they describe the same experiences that Bradford records? How would their point of view have been different? Do you think that the Native Americans shared any ideas or attitudes about life that were similar to the Puritans, and vice versa? If so, what were those elements of common ground?
Extending the Discussion: The following links to contemporary news stories may help students connect ideas across time and place--
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19311098
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19498970
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12621225
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/the-godless-democrats-again/2012/09/05/623f662c-f76e-11e1-8398-0327ab83ab91_blog.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/democrats-rapidly-revise-platform-include-god/story?id=17164108#.UEqnf6Se6Qw
http://www.humanevents.com/2012/09/07/buchanan-a-godless-party-expels-the-creator/
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-07-04/opinion/davis.jefferson.other.words_1_church-and-state-religious-freedom-virginia-statute?_s=PM:OPINIONUni
