The Catcher in the Rye Coming-of-Age in Literature EDC 448: Text Set Grade Level 9 Due: 14 February 2013 By Carolyn Cleary

Essential Questions What causes a person to rebel? Is it a good or bad thing? Do you always listen to the advice of others? Should you? What is depression and what can be done to help? What does it mean to come of age?

1. Textbook: Catcher in the Rye Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company, Print. Quantitative Analysis: Using the Flesch-Kincaid readability test, I found this textbook to have a grade level of 7 and a reading ease score of 70. However, because this book has some adult themes like isolation, sexuality and depression I believe this text would be better suited for a 9 th grade class. Qualitative Analysis: I chose The Catcher in the Rye because of my personal fondness for the novel and because I believe that it deals with the ever-present issues that go along with growing up in a society that may not always be welcoming. I believe this book could be a great starting off point for a teacher to reach different learning targets through a text that students will certainly see as relevant to their lives. The story is in chronological order, and should be accessible for every student in my classroom. As a teacher, however, I may need to prepare to explain certain slang or word choices that were specific to the time period.

2. Biography: J.D. Salinger ”J.D. Salinger Biography." The Biography Channel. Website. 13 February salinger ?page=2 Qualitative Analysis: While this Biography is taken from The Biography Channel ’s website, I would personally choose to print out the article for my text set. The article itself is rated to be nearly college level appropriate, according to the Flesch-Kincaid readability test, but I believe that students will be able to handle the material. I also believe that it is very important for students to get a grasp on who the author was, and the time period in which The Catcher in the Rye was written.

3.Website History.com The 1950s “ The 1950s ” History.com. Website. 13 February Qualitative Analysis: This website offers a wide variety of information about the 1950s, which is the time in which The Catcher in the Rye was set. I believe that it is beneficial for students to understand as much as they can about the time period. To make the website more accessible and less daunting, I would split students into groups and assign them something to pay closest attention to and then ask that the class share back their information to the whole class. This promotes discussion and gets students thinking about the time period in which Holden Caulfield’s story takes place.

4. Video: This is New York, 1950 Travel Film Archive: This is New York, Website. 13 February &clip=n&num=10&startrow=0&keywords =this+is+new+york+1950 Qualitative Analysis: This is a video of a tour of New York in the 1950s, which shows everything from Yankee Stadium to the Financial District to Times Square, while also giving students a real example of how people carried themselves in the 1950s. I would like to include this video in my text set because I believe that this real footage of people in the 1950s will help my students visualize the characters and the setting of The Catcher in the Rye. Whether I would show the full 22 minutes of film would be decided at a later date.

5. Song Lyrics “I am a Rock” by Simon and Garfunkel Simon, Paul, and Art Garfunkel. "I Am a Rock." Sounds of Silence. Simon & Garfunkel. Columbia, MP3. Qualitative Analysis: I am choosing to include these song lyrics in my text set because I believe that a lesson that includes music is one that takes into account students’ multiple intelligences. I chose this song in particular because I see the same theme of isolation and loneliness that is so prevalent in Holden Caulfield’s journey in The Catcher in the Rye. I realize that this song may not be representative of my student’s time period, and would therefore ask that they in turn find a song that they enjoy and that they believe is relevant to The Catcher in the Rye as an assignment. Hopefully this assignment will allow students to form connections between the text and their world.

“I am a Rock” Lyrics A winter's day In a deep and dark December; I am alone, Gazing from my window to the streets below On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow. I am a rock, I am an island. I've built walls, A fortress deep and mighty, That none may penetrate. I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain. It's laughter and it's loving I disdain. I am a rock, I am an island. Don't talk of love, But I've heard the words before; It's sleeping in my memory. I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died. If I never loved I never would have cried. I am a rock, I am an island. I have my books And my poetry to protect me; I am shielded in my armor, Hiding in my room, safe within my womb. I touch no one and no one touches me. I am a rock, I am an island. And a rock feels no pain; And an island never cries. PRESS PLAY FOR AUDIO

6. Video Summary Video Sparknote of The Catcher in the Rye atch?v=WSq-WQgKnyE SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Catcher in the Rye.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC Web. 9 Feb Qualitative Analysis: I have chosen to include this short summative video about The Catcher in the Rye in my text set because I believe that it will help students to visualize what they’ve read upon completion of the novel. I believe that this sort of graphic visualization of the text will help students grasp certain pieces of the novel that they may have missed. This video is only 10 minutes in length, which means that it will leave plenty of time for discussion and further class instruction.

7. TV Show Freaks and Geeks: Looks and Books Feig, Paul. "Looks and Books." Freaks and Geeks. DreamWorks Television Television. Qualitative Analysis: Catcher in the Rye is a classic coming-of-age novel set in the 1950s that touches on the issues of rebellion, societal pressures, and family in general. Freaks and Geeks is a more modern version of the same themes, which is why I think it would prove prudent to include the episode Looks and Books in my text set. The episode is only a bit over 40 minutes long, and is about the two main character succumbing to peer pressure and what results from their decisions. The episode itself would only take up one class period, and could be a good building block for a writing project or another type of lesson.

8. Website FanFiction.net The Catcher in the Rye Qualitative Analysis: I’ve chosen to include a fan fiction website in my text set because I think that it could be a great tool for students to use to interact with the text. From what I can tell, FanFiction.net is a simple medium for those who’d like to write for an audience about the books that they enjoy. If I were to use this website in my classroom, I would consider setting up a group for my students so that they could share their works together in a somewhat moderated environment. The website itself is pretty straightforward, leading me to believe that my students shouldn’t have a problem with the technology. I would, however, still consider modeling the process for my students to make sure that everything is accessible.

9. Y.A. Graphic Novel Runaways Volume 1: Pride and Joy Vaughan, Brian K. Runaways Volume 1: Pride and Joy. New York: Marvel Worldwide, Print. Qualitative Analysis: Runaways: Pride and Joy is a graphic novel, produced by the well known company Marvel, about a group of teenagers who realize that their parents are super-human villains which leads the teenagers to decide to run away from home and fight back against their parents. The novel deals with the same themes of rebellion and alienation as The Catcher in the Rye, but in an entirely different manner. I believe that this text would be a great tool in answering the essential questions, “What causes a person to rebel? Is it a good or bad thing?” and “Do you always listen to the advice of others? Should you?” I also believe that students will enjoy the opportunity to read such a different style of text.

10. Contemporary Y.A. Novel The Hunger Games Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, Print. Qualitative Analysis : The Hunger Games is a well-known modern novel about a girl in a deranged society that pits children against each other in a fight to the death. The novel is about the main character, Katniss, and her fight against this society and this game that is trying to kill her. The themes of societal pressures, rebellion, isolation, and an almost hopeless love is reminiscent of The Catcher in the Rye which is why I have chosen to include it in my text set. Students will most likely have some background knowledge of this text, and will hopefully be excited to delve into it in the classroom.