Standard - CC.1.2.11-12.

A: Determine and analyze the relationship between two or more

central ideas of a text, including the development and interaction of the central ideas;

provide an objective summary of the text.

Bunyan, J. (2011). Part 1. In The Pilgrim's Progress (pp. 3–165). Penguin.

The Pilgrim’s Progress would be an outstanding tradebook for students because of its allegorical

style. The allegory genre allows the reader to look past the sometimes confusing other literary

elements of a story and see the author’s intent more directly. The story is also filled with main

ideas that relate to one another such as pilgrimage to find one’s meaning in life, the existence of

difficulty and deception in the world, the importance of companionship, and the list goes on. It is

also an easy text to create an objective summary for.

Levine, R. S., & Franklin, B. (2017). The Autobiography. In The Norton Anthology of American

Literature. Beginnings to 1820 (9th ed., Vol. A, pp. 467–585). story, W.W. Norton &

Company.

Benjamin Franklin’s account of his life would fit this standard because of the implicit and

explicit ideas that Franklin writes about. One of the ideas first given is the benefit of vanity. It

would challenge the students because vanity is typically seen as a negative quality. He also talks

about the value of self-sufficiency, happiness, self-discipline, and education. In addition to the

long list of motifs, making a summary would be attainable for students since it is a story about a

person’s life.

Levine, R. S., & Frost, R. (2017). The Road Not Taken. In The Norton Anthology of American

Literature (9th ed., Vol. D, p. 230). poem, W.W. Norton & Company.
This poem by Robert Frost would give students the opportunity to compare his view of two

roads, one being the road less traveled. The idea of the road less traveled is well-known so it may

make the poem more accessible to students, thus, making it an ideal tradebook. The central idea

that students can relate to would be the more general motif of journeying through life. Especially

since students are at an age when they have many life decisions ahead of them, this poem can be

something they relate to. Its relatively uncomplicated ideas (at least for a poem) will make

providing an objective summary a reasonable task for students.

Shakespeare, W. (2018). Much Ado About Nothing. (B. A. Mowat & P. Werstine, Eds.). Simon &

Schuster Paperbacks.

Shakespeare’s play, Much Ado About Nothing, is somewhat easier to comprehend than some of

his other works, therefore, making identifying central ideas an appropriate assignment for

students in high school. Some of the main ideas include love being restored in the end, whether

there is such a thing as good/justifiable deception, and the power of forgiveness. Students should

be able to determine the key events, characters, etc. in the plot to give a sufficient summary.

Students could also be shown clips from the movie rendition of the play (included as one of the

resources below) to aid in this process.

https://www.commonlit.org/en

Common Lit would be a good tool for teachers following this standard because you can look up

various texts based on the theme. Teachers can also filter their search based on what type of text

they are looking for (e.g. poem, short story, historical document, etc.). This would allow the
teacher to find unique and diverse works for students to study without spending an extensive

amount of time on the process of determining what would be a good fit.

https://student.freckle.com/

Freckle is a platform that teachers, students, and families can use. It would be particularly helpful

for students because they can use it to practice the information they have learned. They also have

instructional videos and other resources based on standards, including standards related to

determining main ideas and creating objective summaries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Eepm6Px5pc

This YouTube video by Khan Academy covers the basics of producing an objective summary.

Some students may be unaware of the significance of making a summary objective and not

subjective. This short video points out that opinions aren’t bad, but while summarizing, it’s

important to point out the facts alone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGMEYcUmHR4

This YouTube video would be a good resource for students because it covers how to look at

information given in a paragraph to determine the main ideas present. I found that the

explanation in this video was more developed then some of the shorter ones that would be better

for earlier grade levels.

Standard - CC.1.3.11-12.H: Demonstrate knowledge of foundational works of literature

that reflect a variety of genres in the respective major periods of literature, including how

two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

Levine, R. S., & Poe, E. A. (2017). The Black Cat. In The Norton Anthology of American

Literature. 1820-1865 (9th ed., Vol. B, pp. 670–676). short story, W.W. Norton &

Company.

“The Black Cat” is a well-known work by Edgar Allan Poe that meets this standard first by being

a foundational work of literature during the time period. It represents the short story genre, and it

more specifically falls into the category of American Gothic literature. The creepy story is a

good tradebook because it not only meets this standard, but it also will catch students’ attention

with its startling plot.

Levine, R. S., & Sigourney, L. H. H. (2017). “Slavery”. In The Norton Anthology of American

Literature. 1820-1865 (9th ed., Vol. B, p. 111). poem, W.W. Norton & Company.

The poem, “Slavery”, by Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney would be an effective tradebook for

this standard for a few reasons. First, it represents an important (and sometimes neglected) genre:

lyric poetry. It also addresses the topic of slavery just as Huckleberry Finn does. Slavery was an

issue that writers of various genres considered during this time period, and poetry was not an

exception.

Levine, R. S., & Thoreau, H. D. (2017). Slavery in Massachusetts. In The Norton Anthology of

American Literature. 1820-1865 (9th ed., Vol. B, pp. 1144–1155). essay, W.W. Norton &

Company.
“Slavery in Massachusetts” was given in the form of a speech and an essay. This type of

informative text is often not seen by students as typical reading material. Because of this belief, it

is critical that students are exposed to speeches/essays and other genres that are overlooked. The

address also deals with the controversy surrounding slavery.

Twain, M. (2008). Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. (R. G. O'Meally, Ed.). Barnes & Noble

Classics.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would be a good tradebook for this standard because it is a

classic novel that deals with controversial viewpoints on race and slavery. Teacher-guided

discussion can help students evaluate what they think the purpose of the story may be and how it

was relevant to the time period. While the work was written after the Antebellum Period (unlike

the other works), the story was set in the early 1800s which makes it relevant to the time period.

https://www.britannica.com/art/American-literature/Hawthorne-Melville-and-Whitman

This website would be a useful resource for me as the teacher because it gives an overview of

American literature during the 1800s. Many of the authors of the tradebooks I included are

mentioned (or talked about extensively) on the webpage. It groups writers into different

categories based on their style such as gothic, transcendental, historic, etc.

Serial Reader - Classic Books App

This app would be a good resource for students because it has the person subscribe to whatever

classic books they want to read. After subscribing to a book, they can read an issue each day

which takes 20 minutes or less to read. There is also an option to look up words and take notes
while reading. The short daily goals can motivate students to read every day and increase their

knowledge of foundational works of literature.

https://youtu.be/FePm0O1agag

This YouTube video gives a broad overview of the Antebellum Period. I think it would be useful

in helping students understand the context of what they are reading. The downsides of the video

are that some of the information is not relevant to what the literary works are talking about and

that a few of his closing remarks could be controversial. I would use this in class and only show

part of it to avoid these problems.

“The Classic Books of America” (1976)- Maugham, W. Somerset

http://proxy-geneva.klnpa.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db

=asn&AN=18011308&site=ehost-live

This newspaper article from the Saturday Evening Post would be a good resource for students. It

can be found using the EBSCOhost database. The article considers classic literature and its

stylistic value. This would enable students to not just read classic works, but also understand

why they should be interested in reading them.

Standard - CC.1.2.9-10.A: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development

over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific

details; provide an objective summary of the text

“The Declaration of Independence” (1776). Washington.

“The Declaration of Independence” would serve as a good informational tradebook because

students can identify multiple central ideas in the text. The short document talks about freedom,

the pursuit of happiness, and what government should look like. Given the length and familiarity

of the text, students should not have much trouble creating an objective summary.

McCarthy, C. (2006). The Road. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

The Road’s deeply moving themes of persevering through trials and family loyalty are present

throughout the story’s post-apocalyptic plot. Students would be able to pick up on these themes

and others as they summarize the text.

Shelley, M. W. (1982). Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus, the 1818 Text. (J. Rieger, Ed.).

University of Chicago Press.

Frankenstein would be a useful tradebook for students because multiple central themes/questions

are raised. One important theme is the pursuit of knowledge. There are three perspectives given

in this book which help the reader get a more accurate understanding of what actually happens in

the story. This theme is explored in different ways by the three characters and would require

thoughtful reflection by the students.

Westover, T. (2018). Educated: A Memoir. Random House.

Educated is the powerful memoir of Tara Westover that would make students realize the

relevance of various themes. The overarching theme is the value of education and learning. The

book also questions the reliability of memory and the difficulty of identity in an unstable home.

Students can take these main ideas to reflect on how the story comes together and what the

implications of these ideas are.

https://learnwithmoose.maine.gov/

This website could be a valuable research for teachers of all content areas. Learn with MOOSE is

a government website with lesson plans and resources for teachers with students ranging from

PreK-12th. The modules focus on taking educational topics and applying them to real-life

situations/experiences.

https://www.nytimes.com/section/learning

This website would be a good resource for students because it gives them access to a wide

variety of student opinion articles, contests, films, etc. Students could do research on topics as

well as use the site to enter writing contests, thus putting into practice what they’ve learned about

theme. The Learning Network also has a plethora of teacher resources.

https://wqed.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/litel18-ela-theme/literary-elements-and-techniques-t

heme/

This video by PBS Learning Media covers the basics of how to find theme. Students generally

have a basic understanding of what theme is when they are in a high school class, but this video

can give them insight on how to consider different elements of a story and how they relate to the

theme(s).

“Someone Might be Watching—an Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” (2017)- Shelby

Ostergaard
This article by Shelby Ostergaard would be useful for students because it covers some of the

general features of dystopian fiction. It can be found on Common Lit’s website. Given that The

Road and a large number of popular new novels fall into this genre, it would be helpful for

students to better understand the common themes present in this type of fiction.

Standard - CC.1.3.9-10.G: Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two

different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.

Lee, H. (2012). To Kill a Mockingbird. Oxford University Press.

To Kill a Mockingbird would be helpful to students as a tradebook because of the strong

development of themes in this novel. Students can evaluate how themes and main ideas develop

differently in novels than in nonfiction and other fictional genres. It may be helpful to have

students also compare scenes in the book with scenes in the movie.

Levine, R.S., & Bradstreet, A. (2017). “To the Memory of My Dear and Ever Honored Father

Thomas Dudley Esq. Who Deceased, July 31, 1653, and of His Age 77.” In The Norton

Anthology of American Literature. Beginnings to 1820 (9th ed., Vol. A, pp. 224-226).

poem, W.W. Norton & Company.

This elegy by Anne Bradstreet presents powerful sentiments of family loyalty and duty. Students

can use this poem as a tradebook to analyze elements of poetry and, more specifically, elegies.

They can consider the differences between elegies and eulogies as well as the unique traits poetry

has compared to other genres.

Levine, R. S., & Douglass, F. (2017). Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American

Slave, Written by Himself. In The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 1820-1865

(9th ed., Vol. B, pp. 1163–1228). story, W.W. Norton & Company.

Frederick Douglass’ work, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave,

Written by Himself, is a powerful text that would be a perfect fit for this requirement. The

narrative is an autobiography that presents the perspective of a former slave. The autobiography

is a unique subgenre of nonfiction literature. Students can consider how autobiographies vary

from biographies in their form and style. They can also look at the differences that exist between

the genre and other types of literature.

U.S. Department of the Interior. (2016). Civil Rights Act of 1964 (U.S. National Park Service).

National Parks Service. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from

https://www.nps.gov/articles/civil-rights-act.htm

This article about the Civil Rights Act will help students see how the subject(s) of emphasis are

not the same in articles as in narratives, poetry, novels, etc. They can analyze the stylistic

differences between them and learn more about the significance of the content and format of

informational texts such as this.

https://www.loc.gov/

The Library of Congress’ website would be a good resource for teachers because you can search

for countless resources. They have periodicals, newspapers, audio recordings, photos, narratives,

and much more. The extensive collection of primary and other sources that the LoC has make it

easy for teachers to find narratives such as the one listed above, historical documents, and more.
https://www.commonlit.org/

Common Lit would be a good resource for students because it provides them with access to

countless texts (including 1800s American literature) where they could compare subjects/scenes

of different texts or representations. When you look up an author or work it will give you a brief

description of the writer in addition to the text(s) which may be helpful to the student. Also, I did

not see any adds or links to other sites that may not be trustworthy. This website could extend far

beyond this standard, but I think it is useful since it could provide a way for students to access

various literary works without having several books or an anthology. It must be noted that some

longer texts may only have an excerpt available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZASEsKwEvqE

This Khan Academy video talks about the basics of how a work looks very different depending

on what medium it is in. It talks about the tension that can be created as a result of this. For

example, he brings up how people will read a book, watch the movie, and then feel surprised or

disappointed that it does not meet their expectations.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/business_wr

iting_for_administrative_and_clerical_staff/genre_and_medium.html

This page on Purdue OWL’s website considers the relationship between genre and medium. This

will be an important distinction for students to learn, the separation of format and delivery. It also

goes over how these two are determined; if student’s read this prior to reading the other texts,

they could practice determining what the genre and medium are before, during, or after reading.
Standard - CC.1.2.9-10.F: Analyze how words and phrases shape meaning and tone in

texts.

Donne, J. (1624). No Man is an Island. In Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, and Severall

Steps in My Sickness (Vol. Meditation XVII). essay.

This poem by John Donne would be an excellent choice for this standard because the use of

imagery affects the tone of the poem. The use of the phrase “No man is an island” (Line 1) is

particularly powerful because it indicates that no person is truly alone. Throughout the poem the

tone seems to indicate a connectedness that is conveyed by the author’s response to losing a

person. He talks about the loss of someone with words/phrases such as washed away, diminishes,

for whom the bell tolls, etc. The uses of words, phrases, and tone in this poem should be

identifiable with students.

Edwards, J. (1741). Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. jonathan-edwards.org. Retrieved

2022, from http://www.jonathan-edwards.org/Sinners.pdf.

This well-known sermon utilizes tone by beginning with harsh language about mankind’s fallen

state. He tells people that the only reason they are not currently perishing in Hell is that God

decided, in His goodness, to preserve them. However, at the end of the sermon, there is a hopeful

tone that talks about forgiveness of sins and God’s love for His chosen people. There is also a

sense of urgency in the conclusion. It is a call to not hesitate but to turn to God in repentance and

rely on Him alone for salvation.

King, M. L. (1963). I Have a Dream. NPR. Washington D.C. Retrieved 2022, from

https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-dream-speech-in-its-entirety.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech would be a prime example of the use of words and tone.

The speech uses descriptive language to make the listener understand the weight of what he is

saying. While many students know about his speech, many have not read or listened to it. This

will not only benefit their understanding of the power of language but also improve their

knowledge of our nation’s history.

Rose, R., & Fonda, H. (1957). 12 Angry Men. United States; Orion-Nova. Retrieved 2022, from

https://app.studiobinder.com/company/580e85847e7982164664e844/collab/5f560106337

de155bff09551/projects/5f3f90ccb41ae610e7924d0c/document/5f4a16c224555f62661f7

828?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=sb-app-link&utm_campaign=script&utm_content

=full-script-pdf-download&utm_term=12-angry-men-breakdown&filter=%257B%2522l

%2522%253A%25225f4a16da80437bd260927927%2522%257D.

12 Angry Men is a play about 12 men in a jury who are responsible for deciding whether or not a

man should be convicted of murder. It is an excellent example of this standard because it shows

how one person’s questioning of the facts can lead to reasonable doubt among others. The words

of one juror help the others move past prejudice. The play is a powerful demonstration of the

power of words and tone.

https://www.oercommons.org/

OER Commons is an online resource for teachers that has various materials that would be useful

in the classroom. There are lesson plans, activities, homework assignments, videos, and many

more helpful tools. You can research based on different standards (although there aren’t
resources for every standard) or just do a general search. I found a document as well as a video

on tone after a brief search.

https://www.readworks.org/

ReadWorks is a website that can be used by teachers and students and has audio recordings,

articles, activities, etc. There are other student resources that would prove useful for those

needing additional practice in various literary concepts. Students can also read a daily 10 minute

article that’s designed to improve their vocabulary and knowledge of various topics.

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-tone-in-writing#15qPV9VuIQu42NLtwwGbvK

“What is Tone in Writing?” (2021)

This article would be a good resource for students because it goes over many aspects of tone and

provideas examples of what it looks like in writing. The author includes two excerpts from

classic novels and goes over what the tone is by looking at language use, formal vs. informal

style, and point of view. The article also gives a list of 15 types of tone that writers can use.

Overall, it is a well-balanced article that can help students apply what they are being taught.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zt2g87h/revision/3

BBC’s article is a brief summary of tone and word choice. It gives explanation of how they relate

to the connotation of a word, the attitude the writer is conveying, etc. Since it is short, it would

be a good introductory read for students so they don’t get discouraged if they don’t feel confident

about how the two interact with language.