This lesson will have students revising their first draft and analyzing a chosen literary work. Pupils will: 
- identify the literary elements used in a specific selection, such as characterization, setting, plot, and theme.
- examine the interactions between the character, setting, plot, and theme.
- build a thesis statement's supporting evidence from the work. 
- write a composition with multiple paragraphs that provide evidence to support the thesis statement. 
- write an essay that is well-focused and appropriate. 
- reiterate the analysis's main points in the introduction and conclusion.

- What is the most effective way to present findings?
- How can readers decide which information from what they hear, read, and see to believe?
- How do literary and informational texts become meaningful to strategic readers?
- How does interaction with text elicit thought and response?
- What is the objective?
- What is the true purpose of this text?
- What makes writing clear and effective?
- Why do authors write?
- Who is the target audience? 
- What will appeal to the audience the most?

- Analysis: The process or result of identifying the parts of a whole and their relationships to one another.
- Characterization: The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various personalities.
- Climax: The turning point in a narrative; the moment when the conflict is at its most intense. Typically, the structure of stories, novels, and plays is one of rising action, in which tension builds to the climax.
- Conflict/Problem: A struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions.
- Literary Elements: The essential techniques used in literature (e.g., characterization, setting, plot, theme).
- Plot: The structure of a story. The sequence in which the author arranges events in a story. The structure often includes the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution. The plot may have a protagonist who is opposed by an antagonist, creating what is called conflict.
- Resolution: The portion of a story following the climax, in which the conflict is resolved. The resolution of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is neatly summed up in the following sentence: “Henry and - Catherine were married, the bells rang, and everybody smiled.”
- Rising Action: The part of a story where the plot becomes increasingly complicated. Rising action leads up to the climax, or turning point.
- Setting: The time and place in which a story unfolds.
- Theme: A topic of discussion or writing; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary work.
- Thesis: The basic argument advanced by a speaker or writer who then attempts to prove it; the subject or major argument of a speech or composition.
- Transitions: Words and phrases that create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

- the revised group drafts 
- copies for each student of a sample such as Bearstone by Will Hobbs. Aladdin, 2004. 
- copies of the Sample Rubric for a Literary Analysis Paper at the end of the unit, or compose your own 
- students’ independent reading—short stories or novels (which they have already read) 
- a large board, screen, or easel with a drawing pad to put up examples and student responses

- Keep the lesson's main focus on creating an analysis of a single reading and seeing that analysis through to the end. Monitor students' work to ensure they understand the literary analysis process.
- Group revisions of the analyses of "The Dinner Party" will demonstrate whether you should start with a brief lesson on the literary analysis process for the entire class (e.g., differentiating between relevant and irrelevant evidence, tying the thesis to the story's climax, having a strong conclusion), or whether you should meet with individuals or groups to discuss a specific issue.
- Watch the students interact with partners as they present their thesis statement and a preliminary list of supporting details. This process will determine which students require the creation of a new thesis statement.

Explicit instruction, modeling, scaffolding, and active engagement 
W: In this lesson, students will write their literary analyses as a continuation of their practice with the analysis process. 
H: After looking at potential thesis statements for well-known books, students proceed to a preliminary analysis of the literary components of the books they have chosen on their own. As they assess each other's papers and strive for the best drafts for themselves, they actively participate in groups. 
E: Students have the experience to analyze their own stories thanks to the earlier lessons. As they compose their analysis, they refer to examples of well-written papers, attend supplementary mini-lessons that concentrate on their areas of weakness, and edit their papers by incorporating the recommendations of the teachers and their classmates.
R: After looking over other people's work, reading an assessment rubric, and getting feedback from their teacher and peers, students edit their analysis. 
E: Students have numerous opportunities to strengthen and revise their analyses while working in groups. 
T: In small groups and during class, students talk about the writing assignment. Students who may find it challenging to finish the analytical process independently can get assistance from their teacher and fellow students. Individual attention-seeking students can schedule a separate meeting with the instructor. Individuals or groups receive mini-lessons that concentrate on specific areas of weakness. 
O: This lesson expands on the last two, which equipped students to use the literary analysis method in their reading. The work in this lesson is iterative, providing multiple chances for writing draft feedback and revision opportunities. 

Main Question: What is the process for writing a personal literary analysis?

Part 1

Students will edit their first draft and analyze a chosen literary work.

Reading the group-revised drafts of "The Dinner Party" will help you decide if you should start the class with a brief instruction on literary analysis (e.g., relevant versus irrelevant evidence, connecting the focus to the story's climax, or having an effective conclusion). If yes, start with that. If necessary, have students read another short story together before beginning the individual analysis. While the others are working on their first drafts, incorporate any mini-lessons that need to be taught to any individuals or groups. To make it easier for students to refer to the group drafts of "The Dinner Party," place them in a visible location within the classroom.

"You will start examining your book for independent reading today and selecting the main points of discussion you want to cover. But first, we're going to talk about how you might evaluate Bearstone, a book you read last year by Will Hobbs." (If at all feasible, utilize a book that every student has read, ideally from the previous year. Students can still understand the main ideas even if they haven't read the book.) Give copies of the material you plan to cover with the class, or project it onto the screen and post a copy so they can review it at a later time. Use the following as a model and swap out the book for one that will work for your group.

Say, "Often the main character in a book changes, as Cloyd does in Bearstone," to begin the lesson. "Should you choose to talk about Cloyd's change, you could write an introduction similar to this one. All italics refer to the thesis statement. The book's title and author are mentioned in the opening paragraph, which also introduces the main character and his circumstances and states the thesis statement for the discussion that follows:

'Will Hobbs narrates the tale of Cloyd Atcitty, a young Ute boy, in his book Bearstone. Cloyd has become so uncontrollable that his grandmother on the reservation has had to take him in and he is now attending a tribal school in Colorado. Because he is miserable and alone there, his housemother at the school arranges for him to spend the summer at Walter Landis' ranch. Cloyd transforms throughout the narrative from an angry, insecure boy to a self-assured, competent young man.'

"The reasons for Cloyd's change would be identified in the body of your analysis if you were to use this thesis statement. The story would not just be repeated; instead, the important moments leading up to the transformation—including the story's finale—would be presented and discussed."

To use another thesis statement, say, "Or, you might decide to write about a theme from the story. Regarding Bearstone, your thesis statement might be: "People's lives can be changed by treating others with respect and compassion. If you selected this thesis, you would demonstrate how Cloyd changes as a result of Walter's treatment of her by pointing out the instances in which he shows her compassion and respect."

"An alternative option might concern a more focused transformation in Cloyd: Cloyd gains the ability to control his rage to save his friend. In your discussion, you would point out significant moments in the building action that depict Cloyd progressively coming to terms with his anger and then elaborate on their significance. The climax would come when he saves Walter from the mine and goes to Rusty—whom he has detested and disregarded—to ask for assistance for Walter."

Teach students to analyze an independent reading book by saying, "Now, go back to your book and follow the same procedure we used with the first two stories. Determine the theme and the setting(s), graph the plot, and list the major characters along with their primary character trait(s). Next, come up with a thesis statement that you want to talk about. Once your thesis statement is established, enumerate two or three supporting points. Do not forget that you most likely do not have a strong enough thesis statement if you are unable to produce that much evidence."

As students work, monitor their progress and assist those who need it. By the time of the next class, this assignment ought to be completed.

Part 2

Assign students to pairs, where they should each present a thesis statement and provide an explanation of the supporting data to their partner. At least two additional students should hear their arguments and supporting documentation before approving them. After that, they start writing their analysis's first draft. Students who require assistance with refining their thesis statements should be gathered and worked with until they are prepared to begin writing. Provide students with one more class session to finish their first draft in class, or have them finish it for the following session if needed.

Set up groups of students and assign them to read each other's drafts. They will choose one draft that they feel is especially good, read it aloud to the class, and discuss why it works.

Present a quick sample of issues to be aware of when they rework their drafts after the presentations are finished.

Do not use the pronoun "I." ("I'm going to explain to you why Fred's discovery is significant." Change the sentence to not include "I." ("The reason Fred's discovery is important as...")

It is appropriate to use the present tense as they are discussing literature.

Have a formal tone. Refrain from using contractions and slang.

Avoid using choppy sentences. To help students avoid choppiness, use the following mini-lesson to demonstrate how some sentences can be added to and some can be combined.

Language Skills Mini-Lesson

Use "The Dinner Party" to demonstrate the importance of sentence variety in writing for ten minutes. Ensure that every pupil possesses a copy of the narrative, or presents it for the class to view.

"Before continuing, let's examine the range of sentence types found in the previous reading of "The Dinner Party." You'll see that the author occasionally employs brief, to-the-point sentences to break up longer, more intricate ones.

The first sentence, 'The country is India,' for instance, establishes the setting as clearly as possible. "They are seated with their guests—army officers and government attachés and their wives, and a visiting American naturalist—in their spacious dining room, which has a bare marble floor, open rafters, and wide glass doors opening onto a veranda," is the third sentence, which contrasts that with the previous one and provides a detailed explanation of the guests.

"Reading a story with unique sentences makes it more engaging. Wouldn't the first paragraph have been boring if written like this?

'This is India. A husband and wife are hosting a dinner party. They are seated alongside the guests. American naturalists, government employees, army officers' spouses, and other guests are present. We're having the party in a big dining room. There is a marble floor in the dining room. The rafters are exposed. The doors are made of wide glass. Doors lead out to a veranda.'

"It's challenging to read the many short, jagged sentences, and the reader gets bored easily. The majority of the sentences start with the word "the," and they are almost all the same length.

Take a few minutes to transform the following brief, fragmented sentences into longer, more meaningful ones. Next, discuss each version of each sentence with a companion to determine who you like best."

1. Jake attended a school. He was reluctant to leave. He wasn't ready. That afternoon was the history test. He feared he wouldn't succeed.
2. The kids enjoyed running around outside. They were happy to be playing in the park. Their favorite thing to do was swim at the neighborhood swimming pool.
3. The air was heavy and still. The lake was tranquil and clear. White and lofty were the clouds. A tempest was approaching. It would start in just a few minutes at most. The wind was going to get stronger. Waves would form in the water. The clouds would part and descend.
4. Charice was quite busy today. After getting up, she tidied up her room. Her dad took her to the grocery store. She provided support for her brother's school project. It was evening, and she was tired and wanted to unwind. She had to deliver papers for her paper route, unfortunately.

Gather the revised sentences from the students. Remind students to vary their sentences when analyzing literature.

Additionally, give students access to the rubric you'll be using to assess the analysis and address any queries they may have.

Part 3

You could now assign the students to write their final draft. But assign them an intermediate draft if you believe that will help most of them. Although it takes time, doing this can significantly improve the final product's quality. Remind students to maintain a formal, consistent tone in their writing. Give an explanation of this and some examples.

Before assigning students to write their final drafts, you should take any or all of the following actions after reading each draft and offering feedback:

Present the class with one or two of the most insightful analyses.

Provide the class with two or three well-chosen instances of elucidating evidence, tying the thesis to the climax, etc.

Make a note of any issues that surface across multiple papers so that a mini-lesson in class can address them.

Determine the strongest points in each composition—one or two. You can simply list the descriptors at the top of the paper (e.g., IIC and IVB, which translate to failing to connect thesis to climax and failing to use present tense) if your rubric has labeled descriptors, as the sample rubric at the end of the unit does. These remarks give students a specific area of focus while revising.

Give students enough time to complete the final draft of their analysis—at least two school nights. After that, gather their essays and assess them.

Extension:

Consider how you can encourage writing and create a reassuring environment for students who may require additional learning. Students' work in this lesson heavily utilizes group work and focuses on opportunities to strengthen and revise writing. When assigning students to groups, take into account their social skills; a well-rounded group can contribute to a collaborative, efficient, and harmonious process.

Give students access to workbooks and online exercises (such as the Self-Study Grammar Quizzes at http://a4esl.org/q/h/grammar.html) if you find a problem area that they can solve. Give students access to as many safety nets as you can so they can practice without fear.