### Lesson Plan: Introduction to Literary Criticism
**Grade Level:** 11
**Subject:** Language Arts
**Duration:** 90 minutes
**Topic:** Introduction to Literary Criticism
---
#### Objectives:
1. Students will understand the purpose and different types of literary criticism.
2. Students will be able to identify key features of various literary criticism approaches.
3. Students will apply a particular type of literary criticism to a given text.
---
#### Materials Needed:
- Copies of a short literary text (e.g., a poem or short story) for analysis
- Literary Criticism Handout (explaining various approaches)
- Whiteboard and markers
- Projector and computer for presentation (optional)
- Notebooks and pens for student notes
---
#### Standards:
- **RL.11-12.1:** Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- **RL.11-12.5:** Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning.
- **W.11-12.1:** Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
---
#### Lesson Procedures:
##### Introduction (10 minutes):
1. **Hook:** Begin with a discussion question: "What makes a book or poem 'good' or 'bad'?" Invite several students to share their opinions.
2. **Objective Overview:** Introduce the concept of literary criticism and its importance in analyzing texts, explaining that it helps us delve deeper into a text’s meaning and value.
##### Direct Instruction (25 minutes):
3. **Presentation:** Use a brief PowerPoint or lecture to outline the main types of literary criticism:
- **Formalism/New Criticism:** Focus on structure, form, and literary devices.
- **Historical/Biographical Criticism:** Examining the author’s life and historical context.
- **Marxist Criticism:** Analyzing class struggles, economic issues, and societal structures.
- **Feminist Criticism:** Exploring themes related to gender and power dynamics.
- **Psychological/Psychoanalytic Criticism:** Inferring deeper psychological motivations in characters or authorship.
- **Reader-Response Criticism:** Considering the reader’s reception and interpretation.
4. **Handout Review:** Distribute and review the Literary Criticism Handout with key points for each type.
##### Guided Practice (20 minutes):
5. **Group Activity:**
- Divide students into small groups (3-4 per group).
- Assign each group a different type of literary criticism.
- Provide each group with a short literary text (e.g., Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”).
- Ask groups to analyze the text using their assigned approach and prepare a brief presentation on their findings.
##### Independent Practice (25 minutes):
6. **Individual Analysis:**
- Students will choose a text they’ve read (either from the class curriculum or independently).
- Each student will write a one-page analysis of their chosen text using one of the literary criticism methods discussed.
##### Conclusion (10 minutes):
7. **Group Presentations:**
- Allow groups to present their analysis results.
- Facilitate a class discussion comparing the different perspectives and what each approach reveals about the text.
8. **Reflection:** Ask students to write a brief reflection on which type of literary criticism they found most interesting or useful and why.
##### Assessment:
- **Formative:** Observe group discussions and presentations for understanding of key concepts.
- **Summative:** Review the one-page individual analyses for comprehension and correct application of literary criticism.
---
#### Homework:
- **Reading Assignment:** Assign a longer text (e.g., a novel or play) for upcoming lessons.
- **Journal Entry:** Reflect on how literary criticism might change their reading habits or perspectives on literature.
---
#### Extensions and Modifications:
1. **Extensions:** Encourage advanced students to explore intersectional approaches combining multiple criticisms.
2. **Modifications:** Provide additional support and simplified handouts for ELL students or others needing differentiation.
---
#### Reflection:
After the lesson, evaluate student engagement and understanding. Consider anonymous student feedback for continuous improvement.
---
This lesson plan aims to introduce Grade 11 students to the foundational concepts of literary criticism and provide practical opportunities to apply these concepts.