Introduction (whole class, 5 min): Preliminary remarks on A) what makes an object meaningful and B) how to read for that meaning by close-reading a text. For A), students are expected to draw on a previous lesson dedicated to building effective paragraphs, and for B) they must draw on past lessons on close, critical reading.
Text and Genre Analysis (ca. 45 min total, in two parts): Examining Woiwode’s “Ode to an Orange,” with particular attention to its genre and intricate structure, descriptive detail, and figurative language, which help to create memorable images of an object valuable to the author. Some questions to consider: What is an ode? How does Woiwode construct an ode in prose? What images and allusions does Woiwode craft to give a deeper meaning to the act of consuming an orange? How does he make ordinary things look unfamiliar and sound exciting (for example, how is this story about a fruit a religious text)?
Part 1: Warm-up (work individually, in pairs, or in groups of three, ca. 15 min): Students are asked to close-read a short passage from the text. They can look for “verbal pictures” (a term they learned previously; e.g. statements that appeal to the five senses), figures of speech and other poetic language, allusions to “specialized concepts” (a term they learned previously) or shared cultural content, and other relevant features. Or they can focus on the text’s structure and organization, explain the function of any unusual grammar and syntax, examine the effects of uncommon writing techniques (covered previously), and so on.
Part 2: Discussion (whole class, ca. 30 min): Students present their findings and discuss.
Further Discussion and Closure (whole class, ca. 25 min): In the next stage of the discussion, students are asked to use Woiwode’s essay to suggest ways for making Newitz’s fragment, “My Laptop,” more vibrant and engaging. Questions to consider: What kind of text is Newitz’s piece, and how can you tell? What patterns of paragraph organization does Newitz use? Which parts of her piece appealed to you the most, and why? What is missing? How could you expand upon it and develop it into a longer narrative essay, i.e. a story similar to Woiwode’s?
The goal of this discussion is to identify the most productive and creative plans for developing detailed, coherent paragraphs in an imagined essay on Newitz’s topic. These plans should model the type of work students are asked to contribute to a collaborative essay project that follows upon this lesson and completes the unit on building effective paragraphs and narrative writing.