This unit is designed with a senior English class in mind. My school places a heavy emphasis on STEM classes, and, due to block scheduling, English is often the only humanities class that students attend. For many students, English poses a separate set of challenges from their other classes, because it incorporates abstract ideas and relies on discussion in ways that STEM courses often do not. Additionally, in my school, high school students follow a block schedule, so each class session lasts roughly 90 minutes. Engaging texts and meaningful activities are therefore extremely important, particularly for seniors. This unit offers students an opportunity to connect with a book that is difficult but rewarding.
The activities and strategies described in this unit are designed to show students a new dimension to reading. In my senior classes, there are usually several students who find reading tedious and struggle to see its benefits. My goal is to give these learners a positive experience with literature by approaching a text from a different angle than they may have previously considered.
