ELA / 10th Grade / Unit 5: Reading as Resistance: Reading Lolita in Tehran
In Reading Lolita in Tehran, students will examine the central conflict between citizens and their oppressive government, considering how fiction, as well as the reading and discussion of it, can be a powerful form of resistance.
ELA
Unit 5
10th Grade
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The fifth and final unit of the sequence is centered around the core text Reading Lolita in Tehran, a memoir about Azar Nafisi's experience living and teaching in the Islamic Republic of Iran during and after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Throughout the year,, students have explored the theme of the individual in society in fictional texts; with Nafisi's memoir—which combines personal experience, literary analysis, and historical context—they examine the very real ways that Nafisi and her students navigate their lives while living under an oppressive regime that aims to strip them of all individuality.
At the start of the unit, students will work in groups to conduct research on a certain aspect of Iranian culture, building their knowledge about the setting of the memoir. While reading the text, students will trace the role of fiction in the lives of Nafisi and her students and the ways in which reading fiction can be a powerful act of resistance. Students will also analyze Nafisi's structure and style—such as her decision to construct her memoir nonlinearly and her use of second person as a narrative technique—and the impact of those choices on her reader. Other nonfiction texts as well as poetry are incorporated in the unit to further explore the memoir's themes and/or provide an additional perspective on the questions Nafisi raises in her memoir.
As students read, they will also imitate Nafisi's use of vivid details and sensory imagery in their own shorter narrative writing exercises within the unit. For the unit's Performance Task, students will apply those skills, crafting their own personal narratives in which they describe a significant moment in their lives, drawing inspiration from Nafisi.
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Book: Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Random House Trade Paperbacks)
Article: “Behind the Veil” by Lorraine Ali (The New York Times)
Essay: “On Censorship” by Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker)
Chart paper
Colored markers
Poem: “Rumi poetry (G10, U5, L19)” by Rumi
Resource: Personal Narrative Brainstorm Graphic Organizer (G10, U5, L26)
Resource: Personal Narrative Essay Outline (G10, U5, L27)
Resource: Personal Narrative Peer Review Worksheet (G10)
Video: “The Revolution that Led to the Iran We Know Today” by Wall Street Journal (YouTube)
Rubric: Part I Narrative Writing Rubric (G10, U5, L11)
These assessment accompany Unit 5 and should be given on the days suggested in the Lesson Map. Additionally, there are formative and creative assessments integrated into the unit to prepare students for the Performance Task.
The Socratic Seminar assesses students on their ability to push themselves and their peers to think critically and participate meaningfully in conversation by collecting and evaluating evidence, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully. Socratic Seminar assessments may occur mid-unit as a way to synthesize the ideas of the text/unit to that point or summative, taking place at the end of a unit.
The Performance Task is the culminating assessment of the unit in which students have the opportunity to show the skills and content they have learned.
Suggestions for how to prepare to teach this unit
The central thematic questions addressed in the unit or across units
Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text
arbitraryassentcomplicitcomplydissentideologyillicitimmutableinsubordinationindignityinimitableordealsubversivenesstheocracytotalitariantransgressionvehemence
allusiondictionextended metaphorforeshadowinglogical fallacymemoirmoodtone
To see all the vocabulary for Unit 5 , view our 10th Grade Vocabulary Glossary.
Notes to help teachers prepare for this specific unit
Your students will undoubtedly come into your classroom with some preconceptions—and possibly misconceptions—about the Middle East in general and Islam in particular. It is essential that discussions around these topics remain respectful and based in fact. Nafisi argues in her memoir that the way the Iranian government has used Islam as a political tool and method of social control is not an accurate representation of the religion. At times, she refers to some Muslims as "fanatical" or "fundamentalist"; it is important for students to understand that Nafisi is using these terms to describe certain individuals who have a strict interpretation of how one should live as a Muslim; she is by no means suggesting that all Muslims have fanatical beliefs and fundamental interpretations of Islamist teachings. Just like any other religion, there is enormous diversity within the Islamic world about how the religion should be practiced in daily life and how religious law should be applied.
In Lesson 4, students are given a brief introduction to the core beliefs and Five Pillars of Islam. Below are additional texts and resources to consider before teaching this unit and/or to provide for students in order to give more background information that will hopefully address some of the stereotypes and misconceptions about the religion.
Research Writing
Develop questions for a research topic, gather and evaluate the credibility of sources, and begin to take notes for research.
W.9-10.7 W.9-10.8
Create an outline for a slideshow presentation.
W.9-10.5 W.9-10.8
Design and build an information slideshow presentation, complete with clear bullet points images, and a written paragraph in the speaker notes.
SL.9-10.4 SL.9-10.5 W.9-10.2 W.9-10.2.a W.9-10.2.b W.9-10.2.c W.9-10.6
Build background knowledge about the Iranian Revolution in preparation for Reading Lolita in Tehran.
RI.9-10.2 SL.9-10.1
Analyze how Nafisi opens her memoir and what events led her to create a reading group.
RI.9-10.3 RI.9-10.5
Analyze how certain events and anecdotes further develop Nafiisi's ideas about life in Tehran.
RI.9-10.3 RI.9-10.4
Analyze how the reading group develops Nafisi's ideas about insubordination.
RI.9-10.3 RI.9-10.4 RI.9-10.5
Analyze Rushdie's purpose and rhetorical choices in his essay "On Censorship."
RI.9-10.2 RI.9-10.4 RI.9-10.6
Analyze the impact of the reading group on the girls' identities and how that relates to Nafisi's theme of individuality.
RI.9-10.2 RI.9-10.3 RI.9-10.5
Narrative Writing
Study a mentor text and plan a scene in which you describe your journey from school to home.
RI.9-10.4 RI.9-10.5 W.9-10.3
Write a scene describing your journey from school to home using Nafisi's structure as well as descriptive details, figurative language, and other stylistic elements.
W.9-10.3
Analyze how and why Nafisi uses flashbacks to structure her memoir.
Analyze the shifting mood of the revolution and how it impacts life at the university.
RI.9-10.2 RI.9-10.3
Analyze Lorraine Ali's purpose in her article "Behind the Veil."
RI.9-10.4 RI.9-10.6
Analyze how the Gatsby trial further develops Nafisi's theme about the importance of literature.
RI.9-10.2 RI.9-10.6
Analyze how individuals show resistance to the government's cultural revolution as it impacts the University of Tehran.
RI.9-10.2 RI.9-10.3 RI.9-10.4 RI.9-10.5
Analyze how Nafisi grapples with the moral dilemma of complying with wearing the veil to return to teaching.
Analyze how Nafisi develops the theme of the importance of art to individuals and to a community.
RI.9-10.2 RI.9-10.5
Analyze how Rumi conveys meaning through imagery and figurative language.
L.9-10.5 RL.9-10.2 RL.9-10.4 SL.9-10.1
Analyze the role of imagination and courage in our relationship to others and our society.
Analyze the mood and structure at the start of Part 4.
RI.9-10.2 RI.9-10.4 RI.9-10.5
Writing
Write a short descriptive scene that establishes mood through diction and imagery.
RI.9-10.4 W.9-10.3
Analyze the internal and external conflicts the women and Nafisi face over the decision to leave Iran.
Analyze how the final anecdotes of the memoir develop Nafisi's themes about choice, freedom, and fiction.
Assessment: Socratic Seminar
Engage in a Socratic seminar about Reading Lolita in Tehran by supporting arguments with strong textual evidence.
SL.9-10.1 SL.9-10.1.a SL.9-10.1.b SL.9-10.1.c SL.9-10.1.d SL.9-10.4
Assessment: Performance Task
Brainstorm ideas for a personal narrative essay and complete a graphic organizer for the chosen topic.
W.9-10.4
Complete an outline for a personal narrative.
W.9-10.4 W.9-10.5
Complete a draft of a personal narrative.
W.9-10.3.a W.9-10.3.b W.9-10.3.c W.9-10.3.d W.9-10.5
Provide feedback on a classmate's personal narrative and revise one's own personal narrative using suggestions from a peer review.
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The content standards covered in this unit
L.9-10.5 — Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
RI.9-10.2 — Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.9-10.3 — Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
RI.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
RI.9-10.5 — Analyze in detail how an author's ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
RI.9-10.6 — Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
RI.9-10.8 — Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.
RI.9-10.10 — By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 9—10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.<br />By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 9—10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
RL.9-10.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
SL.9-10.1 — Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9—10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
SL.9-10.1.a — Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
SL.9-10.1.b — Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.
SL.9-10.1.c — Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
SL.9-10.1.d — Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
SL.9-10.4 — Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
SL.9-10.5 — Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
W.9-10.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
W.9-10.2.a — Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
W.9-10.2.b — Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic.
W.9-10.2.c — Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
W.9-10.3 — Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
W.9-10.3.a — Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
W.9-10.3.b — Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
W.9-10.3.c — Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole.
W.9-10.3.d — Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
W.9-10.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.9-10.5 — Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
W.9-10.6 — Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
W.9-10.7 — Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
W.9-10.8 — Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
W.9-10.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.9-10.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.9-10.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.9-10.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.9-10.3 — Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
L.9-10.6 — Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
RI.9-10.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.9-10.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.9-10.10 — By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 9—10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.<br />By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9—10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
SL.9-10.6 — Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
W.9-10.2.d — Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.
W.9-10.2.e — Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
W.9-10.3.e — Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
W.9-10.9.a — Apply grades 9—10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare]").
W.9-10.9.b — Apply grades 9—10 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning").
Unit 4
Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: Magical Realism in Latin American Literature
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