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chapter 1 / Analyzing Short Fiction

Planning Pages

Instructional Overview

Section 1
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This section introduces students to the Big Ideas covered in of literature contribute to an interpretation of a work. Each seg-
Unit 1 of the AP® English Literature Course and Exam Descrip- ment of this section ends with a list of Key Questions for analysis
tion (CED): Character, Setting, Structure, Narration, and Literary and a short activity that allows students to practice each new skill
Argumentation. Using Edward P. Jones’s short story “The First before moving on to the next. At the end of this section, students
Day” (p. 2) as a model to demonstrate literary analysis, this sec- are given the opportunity to practice Literary Argumentation with
tion walks through basic character development (protagonist and the Section 1 Culminating Activity — “Interpreting Short Fiction:
antagonist, direct and indirect characterization) before moving on Defending a Claim with Evidence” (p. 21) — on Lydia Davis’s short
to setting and traditional plot structure. The next segment of the story “Blind Date.” This activity, which asks students to write a
section, “Narrative Perspective and Point of View” (p. 13), helps paragraph, can be used in conjunction with or instead of Progress
students grasp the difference between perspective and point of Check 1 on AP® Classroom.
view as it is defined in the CED. Finally, “Putting It All Together: If you are following the AP® English Literature Units closely,
Interpreting Major Elements of Fiction” (p. 18) provides a model this concludes Unit 1. You should now move on to Chapter 2,
of literary argumentation that considers how all of the Big Ideas Section 1 (p. 54).

Section 2
The instruction in Section 2 aligns with the Big Ideas and skills of developing insightful commentary that connects textual evidence
Unit 4 of the AP® English Literature course. It provides instruction with the essay’s line of reasoning. Next, this section provides some
on close reading elements of style (namely, figurative language, tips for revising and then allows students to work through a real
syntax, and tone and mood) before walking students step-by-step model student essay. Although this student essay is solid, no essay
through the process of writing a Prose Fiction Analysis Essay is perfect, and students should be able to see places for improve-
(FRQ 2 on the AP® exam). As with Section 1, each segment of ment as well as aspiration. Finally, the section concludes with
the section ends with a short activity that allows students oppor- the Section 2 Culminating Activity: Crafting an AP® Prose Fiction
tunities to practice skills in isolation before moving on. Just as Analysis Essay (p. 48) on a passage from Edith Wharton’s The
Section 1 used a short story to model how to read and analyze House of Mirth. This activity can be used in conjunction with or
short fiction, this section uses Jamaica Kincaid’s story “Girl” instead of Progress Check 4 on AP® Classroom.
(p. 37) to walk through how to write an AP® Prose Fiction Anal- If you are following the AP® English Literature Units closely, this
ysis essay. Beginning with the model prompt on p. 38, students concludes the skills instruction for Unit 4. You should now move
will learn how to use annotation as an effective pre-writing strat- on to the Chapter 4 short fiction selections (pp. 169‒196, 206‒211,
egy before moving step-by-step through the process of crafting and 215‒286) and AP® multiple-choice questions (pp. 321‒325) to
a thesis that makes a defensible claim in response to the prompt, complete the unit as students continue to develop their reading and
developing a line of reasoning in support of that thesis, choosing writing skills.
good evidence from the text to support that line of reasoning, and

Section 3
The instruction in Section 3 aligns with the Big Ideas and skills an essay they have already written to develop a more sophisti-
of Unit 7 of the AP® English Literature course. Section 3 is short, cated analysis of the passage. This activity can be used in con-
which reflects the balance of instruction to practice later in the junction with or instead of Progress Check 7 on AP® Classroom.
school year as students master Literary Argumentation skills. If you are following the AP® English Literature Units closely,
Designed to help students attain the elusive “sophistication” this concludes the skills instruction for Unit 7. You should now
point in the Prose Fiction Analysis rubric on the AP® exam, this move on to the Chapter 7 short fiction selections (pp. 754‒788,
section shares a strategy for earning this point described in the 796–805, and 812‒871) and AP® multiple-choice questions
rubric itself: identifying and exploring complexities or tensions (pp. 914‒919) to complete the unit as students continue to
within a passage. The Section 3 Culminating Activity (p. 53), develop their reading and writing skills.
which ends the section (and the chapter) asks students to revise

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