Setting

Topic: Setting in Literature

Objectives & Outcomes:

• Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of how the setting is important in a novel and how it impacts the plot and characters.

Factors That Influence the Setting in Literature

• The author's surroundings and personal experiences may influence the setting in a novel.
• The setting may also be chosen for its symbolic significance.

Examples of Works & Their Settings

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set in 1920s Long Island and symbolizes the American dream.
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins takes place in a dystopian future where the government forces children to fight to the death as a form of propaganda.

Materials

• Texts for reading (e.g. a novel or short stories)
• Handouts with information on different types of settings (e.g. urban, rural, futuristic)

Topic: Setting in Literature

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of how the setting is important in a novel and how it impacts the plot and characters.
• Factors That Influence the Setting in Literature
• The author's surroundings and personal experiences may influence the setting in a novel.
• The setting may also be chosen for its symbolic significance.

Examples of Works & Their Settings

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set in 1920s Long Island and symbolizes the American dream.
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins takes place in a dystopian future where the government forces children to fight to the death as a form of propaganda.

Materials

• Texts for reading (e.g. a novel or short stories)
• Handouts with information on different types of settings (e.g. urban, rural, futuristic)

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the topic of setting in literature and explain how it is important in a novel.
• Discuss the various factors that influence the setting in a novel, such as the author's surroundings and personal experiences, chosen for its symbolic significance, or chosen to help develop the plot and characters.
• Model how to analyze the setting in a text by using a handout or selected text.
• Provide opportunities for students to practice analyzing the setting in a text.

Guided Practice

• Provide students with a novel and have them identify and analyze the setting using the strategies discussed in class.
• Have students work in pairs to compare their analyses of the setting and discuss how it is important to the plot and characters.
• Provide feedback on the students' analyses and discourage generalizations or personal opinions.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose a novel they have previously read and write a short essay analyzing the setting and how it is important to the plot and characters. Encourage them to use specific examples from the text to support their analysis.

Closure

• Have students share their essays with the class and discuss how the setting influences the plot and characters.

Assessment

• Evaluate students' essays based on their ability to support their claims with specific examples from the text, their use of language, and their overall understanding of the importance of setting in the novel.