UNIT PLAN – THE THINGS THEY CARRIED PBwrks.doc

RationaleThis unit is designed for a 10th/11th grade English class. The book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien relates stories from the Vietnam War. We are teaching this unit because this particular novel can be an engaging novel for this age group and its subject matter is historically relevant. The narrator (O’Brien) uses a series of short stories to describe the characters in creative ways, blur the line between fact and fiction and provide commentary on several themes like love, guilt, fear and loneliness. This unit is designed for students to examine literary techniques used in the novel, discuss major themes surrounding the content and produce pieces of writing that reflect their understanding of both the content in the novel and how it relates to their lives.Students will begin the unit by examining various elements of media to discuss the emotions and perceptions surrounding war (especially the Vietnam War). After activating prior knowledge regarding the war, students will also gain a better understanding of the historical background for the Vietnam War so they have an appropriate context in which to discuss the events that occurred. Because O’Brien’s writing demonstrates a strong and unique way to develop characters, students will mimic some of his literary techniques used in the novel to demonstrate their understanding of concepts like characterization. (O’Brien describes the things men carry in order to describe their characters rather than using traditional descriptions, a unique method that students should be familiar with.) Often throughout the unit, students will participate in literary circles. These circles will allow for discussion about the book they are reading through perceptions and various lenses. Students need to be able to talk about the book they are reading in self-sufficient small groups. The smaller groups allow for a more intimate conversation as opposed to the large group and it forces students to be accountable for their reading.