Honors
English II
World Literature
You will be signing up to introduce a unit of study to
your class. You may work in groups of
no more than three. You must display
your information on a project backboard, and you must prepare a 5-10 minute
presentation on your group’s material.
Your grade will be based on your presentation of the required material,
accuracy, organization, and how well it is aesthetically displayed. At first glance, it may appear difficult to
find some of this information without first reading the work of
literature. However, much of this
information can be found in the introductions in your literature book, on
credible web cites or electronic sources, or within books available at the
public library. You will need to see me
at least a week before your presentation.
At that time I will give you helpful information for creating your
bibliography page and helpful places to look for information. You should not simply print pictures and
information from Internet sources and paste it to a backboard. You should, as a group, read the information
you find critically and organize your material creatively and appropriately.
Each project must address the following:
Author – You
should present the class with the basic biographical information about the
author(s) you have chosen. You should
try to address the author’s life, the time period in which the author lived and
wrote, and the effect or influence of the author’s life/surroundings on his/her
work of literature.
Setting – Be
sure to address the time and place of the work. Also, address the historical influence of the setting on the
characters. How is the setting crucial
to understanding the work of literature?
Vocabulary – You
should identify and define twenty new
words that the reader should know before reading the text.
Characters –
Introduce the main characters of the text and give a brief description
of each.
Basic Conflict –
Identify and summarize the basic conflict of the text.
Must Have Background Information – Identify and explain
information that the reader should know before reading the text. Be sure to address necessary historical
background information, little known facts, interesting tidbits, etc.
Critical Reception of the Work – How was the work of
literature received when it was first published? Why read this work of literature today? Try to find quotations from the author about the work or from
critics about the work.
Themes - What are
some universal themes evident in this unit that the reader should be aware of?
Bibliography – Using MLA format ( I have several books
with examples), you should create a bibliography of websites, books,
encyclopedia articles, etc. that would be useful for finding additional
information about your author(s) and work(s) of literature.
Introduction Project Sign Up Sheet
Short Story Unit I
“The Bet” by Anton Chekov
“How Much Land Does a Man Need?” by Leo Tolstoy
“The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol
Night by Elie Wiesel
Oedipus by Sophocles
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
Short Story Unit II
“Federigo’s Falcon” by Giovanni Boccaccio
“False Gems” by Guy de Maupassant
“Lay of the Werewolf” by Marie de France
“Pyramus and Thisbe” by Ovid
Novel (to be announced)