Cory Morbo

Eng 112B

Dr. Warner

3 December 2012

Unit of Study: Beloved, and Conflict of Morals

Difficult decisions are a fact of life. They are inevitable and unavoidable. I chose to do my unit of study based on hard decisions, specifically the ones that question your morals and force an outcome that is neither right nor wrong. I chose this subject because I feel it will intrigue and captivate students while also engaging them in reading and causing them to question their own beliefs on a wide array of subjects.

To launch the unit I would like to start with a clip/episode of the show, �Dexter�, a series that airs on Showtime but is based on the book, Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. It is mainly about a man, Dexter, who works as a blood splatter analyst for Miami Metro in Florida and is addicted to killing. Over the years he has learned to channel his addiction, and also abuse his resources with Miami Metro, to find serial killers and rapists and murder them. I think this would make an excellent introduction because it is a popular TV show and the plot line is gripping. After having the students watch enough to get the gist of how Dexter works, I would ask:

-Do you think what Dexter is doing is right or wrong? Why or Why not?

-Do you think anyone ever deserves to die? Why or Why not?

-Is it ever ok to kill someone? Why or Why not?

-Do you think Dexter should be punished? Why or why not? What kind of punishment, if any, do you think he deserves?

And then have the students write a response in a journal on two of these questions.

The canonical work I selected is Beloved, by Toni Morrison. There are several different themes that wind through this story, but the one that I want to focus on is the dilemma Sethe faces when taking her child�s life in order to prevent her from becoming a slave. To introduce this book to the class I would first do a book talk where I read out several passages and then explain that we would all be reading it. In order to motivate students to do the reading I would like to assign a journal/notebook for them to write in after each assigned reading. In the journal they are to respond to what they�ve read, what they like/dislike, don�t understand, and also unfamiliar words. I would use these journal entries as ways to prompt open discussions when in class. After the book is finished, I would like to have a discussion about Sethe�s actions. I would bring up the questions from �Dexter� again using Sethe instead:

-Do you think what Sethe did was right? Why or Why not?

-What would you have done if you were Sethe?

-Do you think Sethe should be punished, if so, how? Why or why not?

I imagine the students will have mixed responses on this subject and so I also plan to arrange a debate. Depending on if the students were all in agreement or not, I would assign them certain positions and require that they back up their arguments with evidence from the text.

While reading Beloved as a class, I am also including a literature circle activity in the unit. I would introduce each book by giving individual book talks and then allow the students to pick which one interests them the most. The students would be grouped according to the book they chose and then they would need to read it and pick out the moral dilemma they see unfolding. The books I would like to use are:

1. Purple Heart, by Patricia McCormick

This book is about war and the soldiers in Iraq. It directly focuses on a young man who is questioning his actions during war that have led him to receive a Purple Heart Medal. I think this applies to the unit of study because the main character is clearly conflicted over whether or not he did the right thing.

2. Monster, by Walter Dean Myers

A young boy is accused of killing a convenient store clerk, he insists that he is innocent but no one seems to believe him. The trial of Steve Harmon is the central setting for the story and through it we see the decisions he has made and how they are affecting him in the present. This book applies because it causes you to question what kind of punishment, if any, Steve really deserves.

3. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

This book is one of a kind. It has several sub plots but one of the main ones consists of a German family living in Nazi-occupied Germany during WWII, harboring a Jewish man. They are risking their lives, including the life of a little girl, by hiding this man but it is because they are rebels to the Nazi way of life and believe that killing Jewish people is wrong. This book applies extremely well to the unit of study because it involves the-risking-of-lives-in-order-to-save-a-life dilemma and also includes the background of discrimination and fighting against it.

4. Durango Street, by Frank Bonham

This book has an amazing amount of morality based decisions. It focuses on a teenage boy who faces several dilemmas involving gangs and violence.

5. After, by Amy Efaw

This book is about a young girl who seems to have everything going for her. That is, until she is tried for murdering her own child. This book applies to the unit because it takes you through the trial of the main character while also taking other elements into consideration that cause you to question whether her actions were justified or completely wrong.

6. After the First Death, by Robert Cormier

I think this book has a lot to do with moral dilemmas and also showing another perspective on moral dilemmas. For example, the character Miro is committing an act of terrorism; however, he believes he is doing the right thing. Who�s to say he isn�t? I think this book applies well to the unit of study because it raises questions and shows another perspective.

After the students have read the literature circle books I would like them to state the moral dilemmas the characters face, their own personal opinions on the dilemma, and things they would have done differently if they were in the character�s position. If enough students disagree with each other, I would like to have another debate assignment where they are to argue their positions. The arguments they develop will provide the information they need for the final assignment, the persuasive essay.

To close the unit I would like to assign a persuasive essay. It can be done on either Beloved or the literature circle book they selected. Either way, I would like them to state the dilemma that is illustrated, what the character did and whether they feel it was right or wrong and then provide evidence from the text to support their arguments.