JHolmes

John Holmes EDC 448 10/22/09 Annotated Bibliography of Diverse Text Set Introduction: These texts are compiled here with the intention of being used by a 12th grade English class, before, throughout, and after the reading of the principal text, the novel __Brave New World__ by Aldous Huxley. The texts here are of varying difficulties, some of which are appropriate for high performing students, and others which present the same information in a simpler fashion.

Text #1 · **Citation:** Huxley, Aldous. (1932) //Brave new world.// New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. · **Summary:** //Brave New World// is a classic novel by Aldous Huxley which outlines an imagined future society in which people are controlled by the government by means of genetic engineering, social conditioning, caste structuring, and available amusement. · **Rationale:** I chose this novel for this unit because I feel it has a lot to say about our society and our future. In the novel, Huxley draws out trends that he observed to an extreme but logical conclusion, and as society changes, his vision becomes truer by the day. The novel is also incredibly well written and enjoyable to read. · **Use of Text:** //Brave New World// will be the main text of this text set. Students will read it aloud in class and outside of class as homework. The class will engage in discussions about the themes explored in the novel, such as identity and governmental control. · **Attachment:** The novel is 259 pages long and is therefore not included. Text #2 · **Citation:** Nance, G. (1988). //Aldous Huxley.// New York, NY: The Continuum Publishing Company. · **Summary:** This book is a collection of essays on the subject of Aldous Huxley’s work, but the only portion which I will use in my class is the first chapter, entitled “The Life Theoretic” which is a 20-page biography of the author. · **Rationale:** I think it’s important that students get a good idea of the author’s life before they read the story, because they will be able to find things in Huxley’s life that relate to what he wrote. · **Use of Text:** Before my students begin reading the novel, I will assign them to read the 20-page biography for homework. · **Attachment:** The text is located in a 154 page book and is therefore not included. Text #3 · **Citation:** Baker, R. (1990). //Brave new world – history, science, and dystopia.// Boston, MA: G.K. Hall & Co. · **Summary:** This book is a collection of essays on the subject of the scientific and historical background of //Brave New World,// but the only portion of the book I will be using for my class will be the first three chapters, entitled “Historical Context,” “The Importance of the Work,” and “Critical Reception.” · **Rationale:** I believe these chapters provide useful information because the reaction of others at the time of the book’s release tells us a lot about the time period. · **Use of Text:** I will have my students read the “Historical Context” essay before they begin the book and the other two chapters after they finish. We will do these readings in class, because the essays are fairly complicated, and my students may need scaffolding in order to understand them. · **Attachment:** The texts are located in a 156 page book, and are therefore not included.

Text #4 · **Citation:** Iacocca, L. (Dec. 1998). //Time 100: Henry Ford//. Retrieved October 20, 2009 from Time Magazine website: [] · **Summary:** This article, published as part of Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, describes the staggering influence of Henry Ford’s assembly line business model on the economy of the 20th Century. · **Rationale:** I felt it was important to include information on Ford because the values of the dystopia presented in the novel are based in mass production and consumption, and the people go so far as to worship Ford as a godlike figure. · **Use of Text:** I will present the article to students after students read Part One of the novel, which introduces the characters’ reverence of Ford. I will have the students read the article as a group and discuss where in the reading they can see evidence of Ford’s influence. After the group work, we will discuss our findings as a class. · **Attachment:** Since the article is over five pages long, it is not attached. Text #5 · **Citation:** McMillen, S (artist). 2009. //Amusing ourselves to death// [online image], retrieved October 12, 2009 from [] · **Summary:** This comic compares Huxley’s vision of dystopia as seen in his novel with that of George Orwell’s __1984__, and also draws parallels between __Brave New World__’s society and ours. · **Rationale:** I selected this for two reasons; The comparison to Orwell provides a valuable counterpoint to Huxley’s dystopia, as it shows a controlling society which uses very different means. It is also quite useful because it is likely that many high school seniors will have already read __1984__ as it is much more commonly used in curriculums than __Brave New World__. Also, the comic draws a powerful and disturbing parallel between Huxley’s vision and our reality. · **Use of Text:** I will show the comic to the class after we have finished reading the book. I will invite students with prior knowledge of __1984__ to share their opinions on the comparison, as well as ask students for their opinion on the parallels McMillen draws between our world and Huxley’s vision. · **Attachment:** The image is available online. Text #6 · **Citation:** //Aldous Huxley: The author and his times.// (2009). Retrieved September 21, 2009 from Soma Web Website: http://somaweb.org/w/huxbio.html · **Summary:** This is a brief biography of the author of //Brave New World//, Aldous Huxley. · **Rationale:** I chose to include biographical information about the author because I feel it is necessary to understand from what happenings in his own life the author drew inspiration for the novel. I chose this particular biography because it is short, uses simple language, and relates the information to concepts in //Brave New World.// · **Use of Text:** I will have students read this text after finishing the novel so that they will understand the references to the text. · **Attachment:** A copy of the article is attached.

Text #7 · **Citation:** Jones, N., Ronson, M., Smith, T. (2008). //Fried chicken// [Recorded by N. Jones and T. Smith]. On Untitled [CD]. USA: Island Def Jam. (2008) · **Summary:** This song by popular hip-hop artists Nas and Busta Rhymes is a humorous look at the dilemma of enjoying “soul food” despite its infamously unhealthy nutritional qualities. · **Rationale:** I have included this text to draw parallels between the destructive nature of the food as described in the song and the way Huxley’s dystopia in the novel uses things that people enjoy in order to control them. By choosing a recent song by popular artists, I hope to be able to capture the students’ attention. · **Use of Text:** I will supply a photocopy of the lyrics to students and play the song during a class period. I will then guide a discussion about the similarities and differences between the situations presented in the two works. · **Attachment:** Song lyrics attached. Text #8 · **Citation:** //Interview (1968) with Aldous Huxley.//(2008). Retrieved October 13, 2009, from BLTC Research, Web site: http://www.huxley.net/ah/huxley-interview.html · **Summary:** This is a series of interviews with the author in which he talks about his work over 30 years after its original publication, as well as observing the continuation of the trends which he isolated in the novel. · **Rationale:** I think this is a good text to include because it allows the students to hear Huxley’s own reflection on his work after the fact, as well as his opinions on the progress of society since. · **Use of Text:** Due to the length of the clips and the possibility of the content being a little too abstract and complicated for students, I would make it available to students to watch at their own leisure, with no assessments attached to it. · **Attachment:** Since this is a video available online, it is not attached. Text #9 · **Citation:** //Spark notes: Brave new world: quiz.// (2009). Retrieved October 13, 2009, from Spark Notes, Website: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bravenew/quiz.html · **Summary:** This online quiz presents multiple choice questions which gauge the understanding of plot and characters in the story. · **Rationale:** I chose to include this piece because it will allow students to assess whether they understand what has happened in the story as they read. · **Use of Text:** I will have the students refer to the quiz at their leisure as they read on their own in order to test for themselves whether they understand everything. · **Attachment:** Available online. Text #10 · **Citation:** colettelawrence. (2008, February 25). //Brave new world 1-26, Brave new world 27-52// Retrieved October 13, 2009 from Quizlet. Website: [] and http://quizlet.com/205077/brave-new-world-27-52-flash-cards/ · **Summary:** These interactive online quizzes provide students the opportunity to study vocabulary words from the novel and test their comprehension. · **Rationale:** I chose to include this vocabulary activity because it is an interactive method of studying important definitions. Since there are many words in the novel that even honors students may not be familiar with, it will be very useful to practice with them. · **Use of Text:** I will have the students use the online activities to gauge their understanding of vocabulary definitions and help them study before I give them an assessment of vocabulary knowledge. · **Attachment:** Available online. Text #11 · **Citation:** N.A. (2009) //Readinggroupguides.com – Brave new world by Aldous Huxley//. Retrieved October 18, 2009 from Reading Group Guides website: http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_B/brave_new_world1.asp · **Summary:** This reading guide features a list of discussion questions meant to prompt the reader to probe more deeply into analysis of the novel. · **Rationale:** I chose to use this text because the questions included are very thought-provoking, and upon considering them, my students will come away with a deeper understanding of the novel. · **Use of Text:** In class, I will use these questions as a guide while forming my own questions that I will ask in class as we read. As the questions on this site are written with adult book clubs in mind, it will be necessary to simplify some of them for my high school students. · **Attachment:** Available online.


 * Using the Texts Together**: With these texts, I hope that my students will be able to get a grasp of Huxley’s idea that governments may control people by giving them what they want, and not only through repressive tactics. The biographical information will help students get an understanding about the circumstances in Huxley’s life that led him to write this novel, and the information about the book’s reception will offer other viewpoints. The song and the comic strip are additional illustrations of Huxley’s theme, showing that what we like may not be ultimately good for us. The comic strip goes a step further, and will hopefully get the students to start critically evaluating the real world around them, and decide whether certain forms of popular entertainment are simply “bread and circuses” type distractions, like many of the things in the novel. Certain texts, such as the video interview with Aldous Huxley as well as the chapters in the book __Brave New World – History, Science, and Dystopia__, are very challenging, and will be presented during a class period so that I can explain and clear up confusion as we use them.

Learning Objectives: Content Standards:
 * Standard 7: Enduring Themes**: //All students will use themes and topics from text to make connections and demonstrate an understanding of commonalities and diversity through exploration of universal issues.//
 * 7.1** //Connect personal experiences, school knowledge, and universal themes by recognizing the relevance to daily life.//
 * 7.2** //Understand how themes are shaped by and transcend historical and cultural contexts.//
 * Standard 9: Language Arts and Citizenship**: //All students will use language effectively and responsibly as members of a democratic society.//
 * 9.1** //Analyze the persuasive power of language and how it can become an instrument of change in their community, nation and world.//
 * 9.3** //Recognize the relationship between the individual and society in the application of effective and responsible language.//

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Reading Standards:
 * R-12-5.5:** //Explaining how the author’s purpose (e.g. to entertain, inform, or persuade), message, or theme (which may include universal themes) is supported within the text.//


 * R-12-16.1:** //Comparing stories or other texts to related personal experiences, prior knowledge, or to other books.//


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John, Brave New World is a challenging text for many high school students (probably even some college level students). I think that it is important to remember as you have that even though the text is difficult it shouldn't be left out of a struggling students ciriculum. They clearly need the same information in life to succeed so we as teachers shouldn't short change them. I really liked how you found some video clips to go along with your difficult text. It makes the content of __Brave New World__ ​ mething that they can physically see and understand. Especially for struggling readers I think that this type of material is so much easier to comprehend then just reading page after page of a novel where they aren't grasping any of the information. You also take a recent song and put it into your diverse text set. I thought that was awesome! I had not thought of doing something like that with a class. It is creative and fun and I think students will see that and relate to it. :) You did a great job of linking all of your texts and making them a fun task for high school students!! ~Emily