Activity Overview
As you read a work of literature from each movement, ask students to track the author(s) and themes. By the end of the year, students will be able to reflect on themes that endured over time and distinguish them from themes that were a direct result of the period.
In the example below, a student created an author board for Edgar Allan Poe after reading his works from the Romantic/American Gothic movement. Students can extend their storyboards to track one author from each period or to do all the authors read during class on separate storyboards. The options are endless!
Example:
Romanticism/American Gothic: 1800-1865
Edgar Allan Poe was a Gothic writer specializing in short stories of the macabre and bizarre. His well-known works, "The Raven", "The Cask of Amontillado", and "The Tell Tale Heart", are prime examples of Gothic literature with eerie settings and grotesque themes.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard illustrating the different authors and themes in a literary movement
- Use the template provided by your teacher
- In one cell, note the literary movement and time period
- In the other cell, identify an author and describe how their work fit in with the movement
- Add additional cells and authors as desired
- Create illustrations using appropriate scenes, characters, and items
Lesson Plan Reference
- [ELA-Literacy/RL/11-12/9] Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics
- [ELA-Literacy/W/11-12/6] Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information
- [ELA-Literacy/SL/11-12/2] Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data
- [ELA-Literacy/SL/11-12/5] Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest
How To Compare Authors From Different American Literary Movements
Select Authors
Introduce students to different American Literary Movements from various time periods. Ask the students to identify the most popular authors with many contributions to the movement. After students are more familiar with the works of the authors and their backgrounds, teachers can ask them to select two different authors from two different movements for comparison.
Discuss Themes and Central Topics
Ask the students to identify the topics each author talks the most about. This will help the students understand the influence of the time period and social issues in the era of the author. Students can also compare two authors from the same movements and time period to analyze if there are any common themes or similar ideas the authors are discussing.
Examine Cultural Influences
Talk about the ways that political, social, and economic aspects of the larger culture impacted each movement in greater detail. Ask students questions such as what impact these variables had on the writers' viewpoints. Students can also relate this analysis to contemporary examples and see how modern issues and culture are represented in the writings.
Analyze Different Philosophies
Investigate the writers' worldviews and philosophical tenets in each movement. Students can examine details such as what were the differences in their viewpoints and beliefs, and how they showed themselves in their writing. Ask the students to also present their own analysis of these philosophies and discuss their opinions with the class.
Promote Critical Thinking
Encourage the students to assess the importance of each movement and its writers in order to promote critical thinking. Teachers can conduct other activities and give projects that require students to analyze things critically.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Authors of American Literary Movements
Who are some prominent writers from the Harlem Renaissance movement?
Notable individuals who have contributed to the growth of African American art, literature, and music are Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston.
What approaches do writers of postmodern literature take when addressing questions of reality and identity?
Through challenging authority, dismantling conventional ideas, and embracing the flexibility of identity structures, postmodern writers investigate questions of reality and identity. Students can explore this era further by finding out more about the social and cultural influences that became the reason behind this philosophy.
What traits did Modernist writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and T. S. Eliot have in common with their writing style?
Stream-of-consciousness writing where readers are aware of the narrator’s thoughts and feelings, and different narratives were among the techniques used by modernist writers to explore themes of alienation, disillusionment, and the effects of societal change.
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American Literary Movements
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