Cynthia Hirsch Kosut
"The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman."
--Willa Cather, O Pioneers!
Overview
To practice recognizing thematic ideas (e.g. conservation,
big business, immigration, philanthropy, labor) of the 20th century in the writing
of a period author.
Objectives
Students will read and discuss "Tom Outlander's Story" from The
Professor's House by Willa Cather in order to:
- Connect the study of 20th century notable authors to a previous year's curriculum about
the Southwestern United States
- Identify some of the themes which repeatedly appear in the century
- Analyze a novel as a reflection of a period
Time Required
Two hours class time, plus homework.
Recommended Grade Level
Middle School
Curriculum Fit
Interdisciplinary (History, Geography, Language Arts)
Resources Used
Procedure
- Introduce reading assignment by recalling summer reading. Willa
Cather's novel Death Comes for the Archbishop, set in the Southwest, appears as
#61 on the 100
Best English-Language Novels of the 20th Century. Willa Cather has written about many of the issues which come up in
discussion of the early 20th century. The second half of her novel, The Professor's
House, is set in the Four Corners area, the region of the Southwestern United States
that our fifth graders study and visit. Therefore, her discussion of the ethics of
collecting artifacts and the study of archaeology are of particular interest.
- Begin reading "Tom Outland's Story," Part 2 of the novel The
Professor's House by Willa Cather in class.
- Homework Assignment: Finish the reading as homework. Come to class on
prepared to discuss what you have read and with a list of unfamiliar vocabulary words.
- Classroom activity: Work in group of three using large white boards or
sheets of white paper to make a web of the themes or threads of the early 20th century
from Cather's novel. Have students make a list of new vocabulary words and define
them in context during discussion. As a class discuss themes that appear such as
conservation, big business, immigration, philanthropy, labor.
- Writing assignment: Write at least a two paragraph analysis of the
statement by Willa Cather "The history of every country begins in the heart of a man
or a woman," applying the themes we discussed in class to this quote.
Evaluation and Extension
- Assess the class' ability to recognize 20th century themes through discussion of
Cather's writing.
- Assess the student's ability to apply these themes back to Cather's writing by applying
Cather's quote to their reading and discussion.
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