Unit+2+World+Literature+Asia

Unit 2 World Literature: Asia

 * Overview:**
 * Exposure to classical texts, myths and the philosophical ideas from the ancient world will enable students to address universal human themes and gain a better insight to the influence of traditional Western expansion. Students will gain understanding from exposure to a myriad of cultural text, foundation documents and linguistic development.


 * Focus Standards:**
 * **RL.9-10.2:** Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
 * **RL.9-10.5:** Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
 * **RI.9-10.1:** Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
 * **RI.9-10.4:** Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
 * **W.9-10.7:** Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
 * **W.9-10.10:** Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
 * **SL.9-10.1:** Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on //grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues,// building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
 * **L.9-10.2:** Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Suggested Student Objectives:

 * Explore ancient and modern works of literature from Asian countries, particularly China, India, and Japan.
 * Consider how Asian literature both draws on and questions cultural traditions.
 * Consider how certain Asian authors integrate Western literary influences into their cultural contexts.
 * Compare two or more translations of a single poem.
 * Write a close literary analysis of a work of poetry, fiction, or drama, considering language use and literary elements.
 * Offer insightful inferences regarding the themes of the text.
 * Create a clear, original, specific thesis statement.
 * Organize concrete evidence and supporting textual details to support a thesis statement.
 * Use precise language, avoiding casual language and clichés.
 * Write appropriate transitions to organize paragraphs.
 * Analyze how philosophy influences literature.
 * Understand how literary devices convey theme.


 * Suggested Texts**

Drama: Novels: Short Fiction : Poetry: Non-Fiction:
 * M. Butterfly (David Henry Hwang) - US
 * //Nectar in Sieve// (Kamala Markandaya) - India [|("Work Without Hope" - Coleridge)]
 * [|Siddhartha (Herman Hesse) - Germany]
 * //Lost Names// (Richard Kim) - Korea
 * [|Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Pu Songling, ed.) - China]
 * //Rashomon and Other Stories -// selections (Ryunosuke Akutagawa) - Japan
 * //The General Retires and Other Stories// (Nguyen Huy Thiep) - Vietnam
 * //[|The Epic of Gilgamesh]-// s[|hortened version] //-// Mesopotamia
 * “[|A Song of Ch'ang-kan]” (Li Po) - China
 * [|The Golden Craft (Rabindranath Tagore)] [| - India]
 * [|The Ramayana (attributed to the Hindu sage Valmiki) - Sanskrit]
 * [|“Substance, Shadow, and Spirit”] (T’ao Ch’ien) - China
 * [|The Tao Te Ching (Lao Tzu)] [| - China]
 * [|The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet - selections (Benjamin Hoff) - US]
 * //Six Records of a Floating Life// (Shen Fu) -China