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| Overview |
 Exploring the use of style in literature helps students understand how language conveys mood, images, and meaning.
In this activity, students will find examples of specific stylistic devices in sample literary passages then search for additional examples and explore the reasons for the stylistic choices that the author has made.
This examples for this lesson plan include passages from Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston; however, passages from any literary work can be used for the activities.
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| From Theory to Practice |
Every piece of literature is composed of words, phrases, and clauses. Pieces of literature may even talk about the same basic themes or events. What sets these pieces apart is the particular language that they use. Students will readily share information on the different styles that they use in every day life, from the slang-filled style they use with friends to technical jargon they use in the classroom or the work place. Students adapt their language to their situation, shifting from one style to another easily—and often unconsciously.
This lesson plan asks them to be more conscious and analytical about the language shifts that others make by exploring the use of words, phrases, and clauses in a literary passage. The process of analyzing the style of a passage is demonstrated by a think-aloud process, which models the ways that a skilled reader can move through a piece, drawing conclusions about the author's meaning. By completing this exploration of an author's style using similar think aloud techniques, students are encouraged to make connections between textual evidence and the conclusions that they draw.
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| Student Objectives |
Students will
- define style and explore the ways the literary element is used.
- explore examples of different literary styles in given excerpts.
- analyze the purpose of the chosen style in the pieces explored.
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| Instructional Plan |
Resources
Preparation
- Students will need to have a working knowledge of the authors who are discussed in this activity. The activity here uses excerpts from Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God; however, a passage from any text will work for this activity.
- Make copies of the handouts.
- Prepare for the think-aloud portion of this lesson with the Demonstrating the Think-Aloud Process Reference Sheet.
Instruction and Activities
Session One
- Hand out copies of the definition of the stylistic
features.
- Explain that in their groups students will look for examples of stylistic
devices in a sample passage and discuss the possible reasons that the
author uses these literary devices.
- Demonstrate how to find and hypothesize
the purpose of the stylistic devices using the passage and explanation on
the Demonstrating the Think-Aloud Process Reference Sheet.
- Hand out copies of the passage to analyze and the analysis worksheet, and explain the activity. Students will
read a passage from Their Eyes Were Watching God (or another passage that you have selected) and outline the
stylistic choices that the author has made. They look at the context and
meaning of the section to determine the significance of the use of the stylistic
devices.
- Answer
any questions pertaining to
the example or the assignment.
- Divide students into small groups and give them the remainder of the class to work on their analysis. Circulate among students as they work, offering support and feedback.
Session Two
- Review the activity with students and answer any questions. Give students another 20 to 30 minutes to complete their exploration of the passage.
- Once students have worked through the
paragraph on the handout, ask them to search through the novel or short story
to find additional examples and note the details on their worksheets. You may point students to pivotal points or significant passages in the text to help them focus their exploration. In
addition
to recording
stylistic devices, students should think how the author's stylistic choices affect
the work.
- Circulate among students as they work, offering support and feedback.
- After you're satisfied that students have had a chance to explore the author's
stylistic devices, assemble as a class and share observations about the activity.
The following questions can generate discussion:
- What stood out the most about the kinds of words that the author used?
- What kind of sentence patterns did the author use?
- How did the words and sentence patterns relate to the characters involved
in the passage?
- Overall, how would you describe the author's style?
- After discussing the specific author, encourage students to draw conclusions
about style in general.
Extension
Follow this lesson with the ReadWriteThink lesson "Style: Translating Stylistic Choices from Hawthorne
to Hemingway and Back Again."
Web Resources
- Checklist: Elements of Literary Style
http://teachers.lakesideschool.org/us/english/ErikChristensen/WRITING%20STRATEGIES/LiteraryStyles.htm
- This fifteen-question checklist includes questions that help students analyze
literary works for such stylistic choices as pace, tone, and figures of speech.
Using this checklist, you can extend this lesson by asking students to consider
the checklist and draw conclusions about the style of the author whom they
have examined.
- Zora Neale Hurston
http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/bhm/bio/hurston_z.htm
- This article from the Thomson-Gale Web site explores background information
on Hurston's writing and her life.
- Today in History: January 7
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan07.html
- This Library of Congress page celebrates the January 7 birthday of Zora Neale Hurston, and includes photos, biographical information, and links to additional resources.
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| Student Assessment/Reflections |
Informal assessment works well for this activity. As students analyze the passage, circulate among groups, observing students' identification of the various techniques employed in the passage. Provide support and feedback as you move from group to group.
After the class discussion about the author's style, ask them to reflect on their exploration of the passage in their journals or in a freewrite. To help them get started, ask students to write on the following questions: What did you notice about the way that an author can use language and the reasons for the author's choices? What surprised you the most about the author's language choices, and why?
Read the pieces and comment on the self-reflections, noting important observations that students make and asking provoking questions where they need to think more deeply. |
3 - Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
6 - Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
9 - Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.
11 - Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
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