An Inter-Disciplinary Mini-Unit

 Level: High School

Purpose: To understand the theme of hope as it relates to various pieces of literature and how it interrelates with the theme of risk.

Overview: These lessons will focus on student ideas of hope and risk, and various authors’ ideas of hope and risk.

Lessons One: Students will write a journal and discuss their views on hope and how it relates to risks. (Language Arts)

Lesson Two: Students will examine a selection from Stephen King’s novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, focusing on the themes of hope and risk. (Language Arts)

Lesson Three: Students will explicate Shakespeare’s Sonnet #29 and Emily Dickinson’s poem, "Hope is the Thing with Feathers." (Language Arts)

Lesson Four: Students will write an original poem or short story with the theme of hope. (Language Arts)

Lesson One

Objective:

Students will write a journal and discuss their views on hope and how it relates to risks.

Materials:

none

Procedure:

1. Have students complete the following journal:

Describe one thing that you hope will happen to you this year. How does the hoping make you feel? What risks will you have to take to try to make this happen? What is the relationship between hope and risk?

2. Discuss the journals as a class. Bring up the following quotation to facilitate a further agree or disagree discussion.

Lesson Two

Objective:

Students will examine a selection from Stephen King’s novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, focusing on the themes of hope and risk.

Materials:

selections from Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King

scenes from the movie The Shawshank Redemption starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins

Procedure:

1. Provide the students with a brief summary of the situation in the novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption found in the "Hope Springs Eternal" section of the book, Different Seasons.

2. Have students read the following passages from the Stephen King novella:

from: "When I get out of here," Andy said finally, "I’m going where it’s warm all the time."

to: "I knew how bad it looked. I didn’t have much time, but in the time I had, I operated."

from: "I’ll tell you how it is, Red. There’s a big hayfield in the town of Buxton."

to: "Burying my new life under ten feet of concrete, or spitting it into a swamp somewhere with a big load of fill."

from: Then came April 23rd, a day I’ll not forget even if I live another fifty-eight years.

to: I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.

3. Have the students complete the following questions:

a) According to King, what are the two types of men who hope? Which type would you be?

b) What risks does Red face in reaching for his hopes?

c) This section of the book is titled "Hope Springs Eternal." Why do you think this heading is appropriate for this passage?

4. Show students the video clip from The Shawshank Redemption. Play from Red’s release from prison to the end of the movie. Engage students in a discussion of comparison between the novella and the movie. Be sure that students point out the difference in the endings and allow them to give their opinions.

Lesson Three

 Objective:

Students will explicate Shakespeare’s Sonnet #29 and Emily Dickinson’s poem, "Hope is the Thing with Feathers."

Materials:

copies of Sonnet #29 and "Hope is the Thing with Feathers" from Educational Structures

Procedure:

1. Have students read the poem and complete the following:

a) Write a one sentence summary for each poem.

b) Chart the rhyme scheme of each poem.

c) Quote one simile, one metaphor, and one personification from the poems.

d) Which poem is easier to understand? Why? Be specific.

e) Which poem do you like better? Why? Be specific.

Lesson Four

Objective:

Students will write an original poem or short story with the theme of hope.

Materials:

journal from lesson one

Procedure:

1. Have students reevaluate their responses in the journal from lesson one after reading the literature about hope.

2. Have students create their own poem or short story with the theme of hope.

Students should be able to share their opinions on hope and risk through journal writing and class discussion.

Students should be able to analyze Stephen King’s use of hope as a theme through study questions.

Students should be able to analyze the theme of hope in classic poetry by Shakespeare and Dickinson through study questions.

Students should be able to create an original poem or short story containing the theme of hope.