Part 2 - The Things They Carried

Teacher(s) Reuben Haggar Subject group and course Language and literature: English

Course Part Part 2 DP Year 1 or 2 DP1, DP2 Dates W1 March (8 weeks)

INQUIRY: establishing purpose of the unit

Group/Course Aims (from DP subject guide) Assessment Objectives (from DP subject guide)

• Introduce students to a range of texts from different periods, styles and genres
• Develop in students the ability to engage in close, detailed analysis of individual
texts and make relevant connections
• Develop the students’ powers of expression, both in oral and written
communication
• Encourage students to recognise the importance of the contexts in which texts
are written and received
• Encourage, through the study of texts, an appreciation of the different
perspectives of people from other cultures, and how these perspectives construct
meaning
• Encourage students to appreciate the formal, stylistic and aesthetic qualities of
texts
• Promote in students an enjoyment of, and lifelong interest in, language and
literature
• Develop in students an understanding of the techniques involved in literary
criticism
• Develop the students’ ability to form independent literary judgments and to
support those ideas
Knowledge and understanding
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of individual literary works as
representatives of their genre and period, and the relationships between them
• demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which cultural values are
expressed in literature
• demonstrate awareness of the significance of the context in which a work is
written and received
• substantiate and justify ideas with relevant examples
Analysis, synthesis and evaluation
• demonstrate an ability to analyse language, structure, technique and style, and
evaluate their effects on the reader
• demonstrate an ability to engage in independent literary criticism on both
familiar and unfamiliar literary texts
• show an ability to examine and discuss in depth the effects of literary
techniques and the connections between style and meaning (HL only)
Selection and use of appropriate presentation and language skills
• demonstrate an ability to express ideas clearly and fluently in both written and
oral communication, with an effective choice of register and style
• demonstrate a command of terminology and concepts appropriate to the study
of literature Demonstrate an ability to express well-organized oral and written
arguments
• demonstrate an ability to express well-organized oral and written arguments

Essential understandings

Writing is important not just for the intended audience but also for the author.
Difficult experiences need to be healthily handled.
There is a difference between factual truth and fictional truth.

IB DP English HL (Grade 11) - Reuben Haggar Page 1 of 6

 Syllabus (from DP subject guide)

Part 2: Detailed study

• acquire detailed knowledge and understanding of the works studied
• demonstrate appropriate analytical responses to specific genres
• show how particular effects are achieved through language use, and analyse elements such as character, theme and setting
• engage with the details of works in order to develop a considered and informed response
Prescribed list of authors
Prose: novel and short story
• O’BRIEN Tim

Inquiry questions

Skills-based What literary conventions does Tim O'Brien employ in "The Things They Carried," and what effects do they have?
Content-based What did the American soldiers in the Vietnam War "carry"?
Content-based What did American soldiers in the Vietnam War do in order to deal with the things they carried?
Debatable Can stories that never actually happened be as true as events that did occur?
Concept-based How are themes explored in literary?

Approaches to learning (ATL)

Communication

ATL coverage details and notes:

Both of the assessment tasks in this unit (the individual oral commentary and the individual oral presentation) are presentations of sorts, and so students will be trained in
what language choices they need to make concerning the presentations. Appropriate register and different presentation/public speaking skills will be addressed, as well as
the language of literary analysis and literary terms.

Language and learning ToK Connections CAS Connections

• Activating background knowledge

• Scaffolding learning
• Extending language

IB DP English HL (Grade 11) - Reuben Haggar Page 2 of 6

 Learner Profile International Mindedness

Risk-takers (Courageous)
For the individual oral presentation in this unit, students will write a pastiche based
on the first chapter of The Things They Carried. They will then have to print copies
of said pastiche and distribute the text to the rest of the class; sharing their writing
will require confidence and courage. Then the students will analyze their writing
and O'Brien's writing, which is a further task that requires courage. Some of the
students - in terms of their pastiche's content and word choice - definitely will take
risks.
Describe how this unit will enable students to engage with an issue of
global importance and/or analyse an issue from different cultural
perspectives.
Students will first receive historical information about the Vietnam War, which many
consider to be a tragic act committed by the United States of America; students
will deal with the war, the soldiers carrying out the war, and the effects of the war
on Vietnam as they read the book. Students will have to think about whether war is
justified, how the feelings of injustice, terror, and confusion involved in war affected
the war and its victims, and whether or not war is an acceptable form of action for
a country to take.

Assessments

SL What summative assessment will be used in this unit?

Internal Assessment Students will complete a creative practice individual oral presentation covering the
Individual oral commentary first chapter of The Things They Carried and a practice individual oral commentary
• A: Knowledge and understanding of the extract on an extract from The Things They Carried during this unit.
• B: Appreciation of the writer’s choices
• C: Organization and presentation What formative assessment will be used in this unit?
• D: Language Students will initially complete worksheets, take quizzes, and participate in and
Individual oral presentation lead discussions that pointedly and directly ask them to demonstrate their
• A: Knowledge and understanding of the work(s) understanding. Students will do several formative individual oral commentaries,
• B: Presentation including one with teacher feedback.
• C: Language How will students show understanding? And what will constitute
HL acceptable evidence of understanding?
Internal Assessment Students will complete worksheets, take quizzes, and participate in and lead
Individual oral commentary and discussion discussions that pointedly and directly ask them to demonstrate their
• A: Knowledge and understanding of the poem understanding. Students will do several formative individual oral commentaries,
• B: Appreciation of the writer’s choices including one with teacher feedback, during which understanding can also be
• C: Organization and presentation of the commentary expressed. The two summative assessments will also reflect understanding.
• F: Language
Individual oral presentation Describe the process for standardization of marking and moderation?
• A: Knowledge and understanding of the work(s) The teacher will check the OCC and obtain other samples of student work (with
• B: Presentation marks) and compare work and scores. The teacher will also standardize samples of
• C: Language student work with other teachers in the department via the department
standardization forum on Moodle.

Which assessment criteria will be used?

IB DP English HL (Grade 11) - Reuben Haggar Page 3 of 6


ACTION: teaching and learning through inquiry
Content
Students will know:
historical background of the Vietnam War
how repetition, imagery, and parallelism are used to convey meaning
different elements of writing that authors manipulate, such as weather, sound, light, • PowerPoint lecture/notes
sensory imagery
the differences and similarities between "story truth" vs "happening truth"
what soldiers go through, and how they deal with it
more about memory
some of the purposes of writing, both for an audience and for the author him/
herself
Students will be able to:
write a pastiche
use specific words/phrases used in literary analysis
read text closely for both subtle implication and bigger ideas
give a formal, analytical presentation
structure, plan, and deliver a commentary orally in a set amount of time
Learning Experiences
Do the students have enough prior knowledge? How will we know?
For many students, the Vietnam War and some of the more American elements of
The Things They Carried will be unfamiliar, so that information needs to be
explained. Students will also probably be fairly unfamiliar with war in general. Each
of the students in the class studied in MYP English A for at least two years as well,
where they have studied many of the conventions that will be covered in The
Things They Carried.
Through what activities will students acquire the knowledge and practice
the skills required?
IB DP English HL (Grade 11) - Reuben Haggar
For the individual oral presentation, all the criteria for both SL and HL will be used;
for the individual oral commentary, SL will be assessed using all the criteria (A-C),
and HL will be assessed using Criterion A, Criterion B, Criterion C, and Criterion F.
Learning process
Learning experiences and strategies/planning for self-supporting learning:
• Lecture
• Small group/pair work
• Individual presentations
Teaching Strategies
What different teaching methodologies will be used to support different
learning styles?
There will be a combination of verbal (for auditory learners) and written (for visual
learners) activities. Verbal activities include videos, discussion, lecture, and reading
aloud. Written activities include reading, worksheets, and sample work. At times
students will work alone, and at times students will work in groups, or with
partners.
How will formative assessment be used to give students feedback during
the unit?
In discussions the teacher will affirm, correct, or add to contributions made by the
students. The teacher will give feedback on worksheets and other writing done in
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Differentiation
Differentiation items in this unit
• Value prior knowledge
• Scaffold learning
• Extend learning
Details
REFLECTION: considering the planning, process and impact of the inquiry
Prior to studying the unit
Describe the planning, process and impact of inquiry
prior to the unit?
I am excited about this unit. This book is full and
engaging and hopefully will have enough to interest
the variety of students in the class. I am considering
having students do a pastiche on the first chapter of
the book; I have had students in previous classes do
this activity. Then the students in my class would do a
practice IOP on their writing. This is an option for the
final IOP, and to date, we haven't practiced a creative
IOP option. Because the book is full, long, and rich,
we will do a practice IOC as well; the logistics of this
could be tricky, but it needs to happen, since a lot of
the feedback I heard from the previous English A
IB DP English HL (Grade 11) - Reuben Haggar
class. The teacher will listen to one recorded individual oral commentary and give
written feedback.
How will information literacy and the use of ICT be developed?
Background information about the Vietnam War will be introduced with a few
videos. Samples of individual oral commentaries will be listened to via electronic
file, and students will record and transfer their formative and summative individual
oral commentaries using their phones and computers. Students will use
Powerpoints or Prezis for the individual oral presentation.
How will the idea of academic honesty be reinforced?
The individual oral commentary will be unseen, so students cannot cheat on it. The
individual presentation is based on the students' writing, so it will be original.
During the unit After the unit
What did we find compelling? Was our disciplinary How successful was the collaboration with other
knowledge/skills challenged in any way? teachers within my subject group and with the ToK
What inquiries arose during the learning? What, if any, department?
extension activities arose? How could ToK/IM/LP links be further developed
How did we reflect both on the unit and on our own through this unit?
learning? Were students able to demonstrate their learning?
What opportunities were there for student-initiated How did the assessment tasks allow students to
action? demonstrate the learning objectives identified for this
unit?
The unit is going well. We have had some very good How did I make sure students were given the facility to
discussions about some of the aspects of truth, story- access the highest levels of the grade descriptors and
telling, and some of the emotions involved in war. The assessment criteria?
IOP went fairly well; the students' writing was Are we prepared for the next stage?
amazing, and the presentations varied between How did we decide on the data to collect? Was it useful
decent and excellent. in informing possible modifications to the unit?
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 class was, "We need to practice the tasks before we
do them! We need more practice!"
IB DP English HL (Grade 11) - Reuben Haggar
The unit was fairly successful. The IOP went well; I
would assign this task again in the future. The IOC
also went fairly well, in terms of logistics and in terms
of scores. A few students still don't budget their time
well and/or do not have a good grasp of what themes
to explore, what conventions actually do, or what
register is required, but overall the IOCs sounded
good. I gave a survey to gauge feedback, and most
students were positive about the book itself. Though
the text is ostentatiously about war, there are many,
many other ideas that get a substantial amount of
exploration (death, dealing with death, writing, truth,
processing emotions). The students engaged with
many of these issues quite well.
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