Lesson Plan #1: Comprehension
Grade Level: 12
Subject: English
Objective:
- TSW compare affect of media on culture today with the 1950's.
- TSW evaluate Holden Caufield's reasoning throughout J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye .
Relevance or Purpose:
- Student is able to comprehend effect society plays in shaping the minds of people.
Previous Knowledge:
- The students have completed Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye and have participated in several classroom discussions about the work. Primarily, the discussions have dealt with Holden's actions and the results of those actions.
Assessment:
- Completion of a journal entry, chosen from one of the assigned topics. Journal entry must support their opinion with specific, concrete examples from the text.
Materials:
- Television/VCR.
- Clips of Television Commercials from the 1950's
- Five random magazines from the school library.
Procedures:
- Show class ‘racy' television commercial clips from the 1950's. During the video, inform the class why these commercials were considered racy in the 1950's.
- After the video, have the class openly discuss their thoughts on the commercials. Get the students to compare those racy commercials with some racy commercials of today. Ask the student how the commercials of today differ from those of the 1950's.
- Discuss the problems of society in the 1950's and the problems of today. Ask the students if they see any correlation between the media and how society is different today. Is society better or worse?
- Holden believes that with age comes corruption. Have the class openly discuss how Holden's views of society and aging help aid his actions throughout the novel.
- Remind the students that Holden Caulfield wanted to save the younger children from the corruption of the world. Point out the specific passages in the novel where Holden attempts to save the children from the corrupt world (Ex. When Holden is in Pheobe's school and he sees profanity on the walls and tries to rub it off the walls).
- Divide the students into five groups. Distribute a magazine to each group and have them look through the magazine for images they believe are not appropriate for younger children.
- Have each group present their findings to the class. Ask questions to each group about their presentation, attempting to gain more in-depth thinking about their findings.
- Review with the students the effects society has on the development of young children. Reinform the class about Holden's beliefs on society and how he reacted to those beliefs.
- Give the students two choices for a writing assignment to be completed in their journal: (1) How would Holden react to the images and customs in today's society? Would he go about things the same way? How might you handle things differently than Holden? ; (2) Do you think Holden is justified in thinking negatively about aging and society? Why or why not?