English Language Arts Frameworks: Preparing Liberated, Skilled, and Critical Thinkers

M.A. English Language Arts Curriculum Frameworks (Grades 9-10)

Craft and Structure #6

"Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside of the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature."

Obviously, this framework lends itself nicely to the exploration and investigation of other cultures within the classroom. I would be sure to choose a piece of literature that highlights an experience of oppression and will catalyze discussions of gender, race, or sexuality within my classroom. I would also be sure to choose a perspective of a 'foreign' individual many may encounter within the United States. How could the exploration of this perspective alter the way in which a student now views this specific experience and individual?

For example, in a time of great "Islamophobia" it may prove productive to choose a work such as "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Housseini. This novel focuses on the female experience within Afghanistan, and brings to life many oppressive realities that occur both in the U.S. and in the Middle East. Supplemental material concerning current events and acts of "Islamophobia" within the U.S. would surely cause students to think critically regarding this cultural experience and female point of view.

*One thing that does concern me regarding this framework is that it is only asking the teacher to examine a single perspective that exists outside of the U.S. over the course of an entire year. It is almost as if incorporating one cultural source seems to check off the "To Do: Ethnic Studies" box on a teachers predominantly white American syllabus.*