by
by
Long before their discovery and exploration, the polar ice caps have been a source of wonder, speculation, and imaginative writing. Because many early explorers were of European descent, it is not surprising that the Arctic Circle was discovered first because of its naturally closer proximity to Europe. Nordic explorers were among the first to record their journeys into the Arctic regions. The history of Antarctic exploration began as speculation by the ancient Greeks, whose concept of world symmetry demanded that a southern polar cap exist to compliment the Arctic. Fiction and nonfiction related to the polar regions comes from many different historical time periods, cultures, and focuses, depending on genre. This first week of lessons will seek to familiarize you with literature related to the polar regions.
The first step to this lesson is for you to locate works of literature that deal with the polar regions. This is not as simple a task as it sounds and will require some extensive research. Under the "Process" section of this week's lesson, I have listed some possibilities, both for searching and for texts to read.
For this week you will need the following:
Reading journals. For tips check out this page on journal writing.
Good places to begin searching for titles on the Internet include the following sites. Some sites contain only possible titles without descriptions of the writings, while others provide more information. This listing is only a starting place for you to begin your research and is certainly not exhaustive. Part of your task is to decide what resources and research methods work better than others. Like surfing Internet, much of research is wading through material you do not want to discover something you do want. General Information about the Polar Regions
You may be able to find some of the above titles online. A good place to check whether the text is online is The On-line Books Page. If the text is not available online, you will need to search your local libraries for a copy.
-Are the ice caps limited to the Arctic and Antarctic and the oceans immediately surrounding them? Or do they include any regions where snow and ice cover the earth year-round? Once you have discussed your answers, it is time to begin choosing a book and locating a copy to read.
-The title and author of the work
As you read, you will make entries into your reading journal. Set up the journal by dividing each page in half with a vertical line down the center. On the left side of the page, number and record any passages that you find particularly interesting. Be sure to include the page where the entry is located so you can find it again easily.
-Why did you choose this passage?
For further ideas on reading journals click here.
At the end of the first week you should have a minimum of15 (about 3 per day) reading log entries. Before returning to class for week two, make a final journal entry reflecting back on your initial thoughts and expectations for the work you chose read. Were your expectations realized? What did you discover that surprised you? Did the work satify you and make you want to continue? Or were you disappointed? What would you tell someone else who might be thinking about reading this work?
Your work for this week will be evaluated on how thorough, thoughtful and complete your reading response journal is according to the instruction given above in the "Process" section above. Are all the responses there, including an initial and concluding statement? Are your selections of passages relevant and thought provoking or do they seem to be unrelated and chosen at random? Are your responses thorough? Do they show inquiry and honest reflection or do they simply summarize what the author says? These are the questions your teacher will consider in evaluating your journal.
First, since polar literature is a relatively narrow subject, this activity is designed to help you sharpen your research skills, both online using the Internet and also actually locating a hard copy of a book in the library. Second, this lesson should develop your reading skills and help you consciously realize ways in which you make connections with a text while reading. Finally, the reader response journal activity seeks to help you record your thoughts in a way that clarifies these connections in a concrete way.
Introduction
The Task
Once you have chosen a work or works of literature to read, you should keep a reader response journal chronicling the passages you find most interesting, and your thoughts and impressions based on these passages.
Resources
Library access or copies of reading materials
Internet access or access to online library catalogsNonfiction Resources
Antarctica Guidebook Suggested Reading List
Low Latitude Antarctic Gazetteeer
Info on Antarctic Explorers
Scott Yost's Journal
Arctic Exploration Bookserver
Polar Unit Explorers Page
McGill Queen's University Press
Parmer Books Online Arctic CatalogFiction Resources
Jack London
William T. Vollman's The Ice Shirt The Rifles
Arctic Horror Sites
Antarctica Horror sites
John W. Campbell's "Who Goes There?"Poetry Resources
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Cook Inlet On-line Poetry Database
Arctic Heart : A Poem Cycle
by Gretel Ehrlich
Arctic Herd by
John Morgan
Best Tales Of Yukon
by Robert Service
"The Antarctic Muse" by Thomas Perry
The Process
Step 1
The first job is to define what constitutes so-called "polar literature."
Since this is a term I use loosely and is somewhat vague, the definition is certainly flexible. Begin by brainstorming about the parameters of what you consider "polar literature." Some beginning guide questions to consider might include:
-Since the polar regions are virtually uninhabited, who writes what we consider "polar literature?"
-Who might we expect to write about these regions?
-What genres can we expect to find? What genres am I most interested in personally?
-Where might I begin to search for literature on the polar regions?
You will probably come up with at least three genres, including nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Of these, nonfiction is by far the most extensive and, thus, easiest to locate materials for reading. Also, nonfiction resources can be broken down into several catagories such as biographies and journals of polar explorers, historical accounts of expeditions, and scientific or information books dealing with plants, animals, climate, topography, and icebergs, among others. Since we are focusing on literature and literary techniques in this unit, the best resources will probably include the first two and forgo the more technical scientific research. A good place to begin your search is with the lists from the "Resources" section above.Step 2
Once you have searched through the possible literature, decide on a specific work or set of works to read for your book report. To ensure that we represent as wide a range of literature as possible, it is best if all three genres are represented and no more than two students from any one class read the same work(s).Because some of the works are much longer than others (William Vollmann's The Ice-shirt, for example), you may need to divide the reading up among two or more students. Conversely, since most poems are relatively short, you will probably need to choose a collection of poems to get a good feel for the kind of poetry that is representative of the polar regions. Divide your selection into five roughly equal sections, one to be completed each day.
Step 3
Before you begin reading the work you selected, record a journal entry on page one of your reader response journal that includes the following information:
-Why you chose this particular work
-What you anticipate the work will be about
-Other thoughts about the work
On the right half of the page, record your personal thoughts and feelings about the quoted passage. Record the next quote on the left opposite where your last personal comments ended so that each quote and reasponse begin on the same line.
Think about the following ideas as you write your entries:
-How does it make you feel?
-What do you think the author is trying to say?
-What thoughts or images came to mind as you read?
-Describe any experience(s) you feel relates to the passage.
-Record any other information you feel is important.Evaluation
Conclusion
