This is a syllabus for 10th-grade English course called "Monsters of Modern Literature." The course explores how modern authors used the category of "monstrosity" to get readers thinking about what makes us human, whether it's possible to lose touch with our humanity, and whether we can recover our humanity after we've lost it. All while reading phenomenal works of literature! The curriculum makes a great fit for regular 10th-grade English, Honors English, and Pre-AP English.

Skills Objectives: The curriculum is designed to build foundational skills in the formal analysis of literary texts. It equips students with the tools and techniques for analyzing the formal elements of various literary genres: novels, plays, poems, and graphic novels.

Listed below are the 8 units, core texts, and writing resources featured in this 10th-grade English syllabus. View any resource by clicking on the corresponding link....

Unit 1: Monsters of the Scientific Revolution

• Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1818/1831) — the first sci-fi novel

Unit 2: Monsters of American History

• Octavia Butler, Kindred (1979) — sci-fi novel that alludes to Frankenstein!

Unit 3: Poetic Form: Imagery & Figurative Language

• Analyzing Poetry: Literary Devices & Themes

Unit 4: Moral Monsters: Friendship & Ethics

• Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner (2003)

Unit 5: Can a Hero Become a Monster?

• William Shakespeare, Macbeth (1606)

Unit 6: The Impact of Beauty Standards

• Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (1970) — alludes to Macbeth!

Unit 7: Themes in Modern Poetry

• Analyzing Poetry: Literary Devices & Themes

Unit 8: The Making of Monsters

• Art Spiegelman, The Complete MAUS (1993)

Writing Instruction Tools

• Writing Analytical Papers

• Introducing Quotations: How to Properly Embed Textual Evidence

Discussion Tools

• Discussion-Based Teaching Toolkit: Socratic Seminar Rubrics

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for top-quality teaching resources on great literature. Each unit was created by a Ph.D. in English who has taught for over 20 years and published award-winning essays on modern fiction and poetry. Get the very best lesson plans with Rigorous Resources!

If you have any questions about this syllabus or the unit plans, please don't hesitate to get in touch via the email address below. I'm eager to do everything I can to make sure you have an amazing experience in the classroom.

Finally, this syllabus will always be free — so please don't hesitate to share the link with your colleagues. If you'd be willing to leave a brief review, I'd be sincerely grateful for your support. I love hearing from the amazing teachers who share a passion for great literature!

Happy teaching,

Adam Jernigan

adamjernigan@gmail.com

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