Once the students have completed their research and all the connected written reflections, I intend to make them read four essays that analyze racism and stereotyping (including one supported by the feminist theory) in
Invisible Man
. I reserve these readings to the AP students whereas the students in the regular class will only listen to the AP students' presentation of these essays. I also want the AP students to model how they choose their argument for the final project and how they intend to support it.
10
This concluding piece requires the students to argue their responses to the essential questions (How does Ralph Ellison view his society? How much is his main character affected by Ellison's own experience? How is the structure of the novel affected by its historical background?), and support their analysis with evidence from the novel and at least five or six sources. They can choose to write:
· A speech in which the narrator/main character argues about his identity and the effectiveness of the Brotherhood.
· A speech in which the narrator/main character refutes his expulsion.
· An essay in which they have to respond to the essential questions and support their thesis with specific references to the novel and to some of the sources they have collected in the course of the unit.
· A literary analysis in which they have to explain how the author uses specific literary devices like for instance the narrative voice, diction, symbolism, tone, and/or figurative language to express his vision of the American culture in the first half of the twentieth century.
· An oral presentation in response to the unit essential questions for the students who struggle most and/or are in Special Education.