Higher Education Back to School Handouts

This lesson was designed to be used on the first day of a year-long 11th-grade American Literature course. The lesson includes a poetry packet with 7 poems by diverse American authors. Each of the poems raises important questions about what "America" represents. A land of freedom and equality? A refuge for immigrants? A diverse and inclusive nation? Or a land with entrenched inequality? A saber-rattling evil empire?

Here is a list of the poems:

1. Ada Limón, "A New National Anthem" (2018) — our new Poet Laureate!

2. Emma Lazarus, "The New Colossus" (1883)

3. Walt Whitman, "I Hear America Singing" (1860)

4. Langston Hughes, "I, Too" (1923) — responding directly to Whitman!

5. Claude McKay, "America" (1921)

6. James Lasdun, "The Question" (2012) — is America "good or bad"?

7. Tony Hoagland, "America" (2003)

This resource also comes with a classwork packet that features discussion questions on the poems by Ada Limôn, Emma Lazarus, and Langston Hughes. The discussion questions come on three handouts, each of which contains 7 questions about a particular poem. Each handout also has a quick write where students can answer one of the questions in writing.

How might the concept of "America" represent a set of ideals and promises? Has this nation lived up to its ideals and promises? How might the idea of America be different from the reality?

Thank you for choosing Rigorous Resources!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

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Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for resources on American literature. Every unit was designed by a Ph.D. with a research specialization in American literature. Feel free to check out these complete units on canonical texts by diverse American authors:

Complete Unit on Tommy Orange's There There

Complete Unit on Arthur Miller's The Crucible

Complete Unit on Frederick Douglass's Narrative

Complete Unit on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Complete Unit on Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

Complete Unit on Nella Larsen's Passing

Complete Unit on J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

Complete Unit on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun

Complete Unit on Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye

Complete Unit on Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese

Back to School |Meet the Teacher Gift Tags | Retro & Preppy Checkered: Help welcome students back to school with these preppy peace, love and school buses gift tags! Perfect to pair with your meet the teacher or open house gifts. :)

Get the student gif tags bundle HERE!

What's Included

• 1 pdf peace sign and school bus gift tag page
• 4 gift tags to a page

Directions

• print
• cut out
• hole punch
• attach to a gift

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Halloween | Student Gift Tags for Fall Party | Retro & Preppy Checkered: Help students celebrate Halloween with these preppy ghost and checkered gift tags! Perfect to pair with your fall party gifts. This resource includes the words "Hey BOO happy Halloween" in multiple color options and black & white. :)

Get the student gif tags bundle HERE!

✨save 30% with the Mega Gift Tag Bundle!✨

What's Included

"Hey BOO happy Halloween" gift tag in 16 color options (including black & white)

Directions

• print
• cut out
• hole punch
• attach to a gift

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Font Credits

Oh Hey ELA!

Back to School | Birthday Gift Tags or Pencil Toppers | Retro & Preppy Checkered: Help celebrate student birthdays with these preppy smiley faces and checkered gift tags or pencil toppers! Perfect to pair with your student birthday gifts. This resource includes a color option and black & white option. :)

✨Get the smiley happy mail, gift tags, and birthday toppers bundle HERE!

What's Included

"Very happy birthday to you :)" gift tag in color & black and white options

Directions

• print
• cut out
• hole punch
• attach to a gift

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Back to School |Meet the Teacher Gift Tags | Retro & Preppy Checkered: Help welcome students back to school with these preppy smiley faces and checkered gift tags! Perfect to pair with your meet the teacher or open house gifts. This resource includes multiple color options and black & white. :)

✨Get the smiley happy mail, gift tags, and birthday toppers bundle HERE!

Get the student gif tags bundle HERE!

✨save 30% with the Mega Gift Tag Bundle!✨

What's Included

"Very happy you are here :)" gift tag in 9 color options (including black & white)

Directions

• print
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• attach to a gift

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