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1. Walid M Rihane
Teaching Literature
Dr Suad Itani
May 1 2015
A Proposed Methodology for Teaching The Scarlet Letter
In answering the question "Why teach literature?", Elaine Showalter says that the
purpose(s) behind teaching literature vary according to class objectives, teachers' objectives,
and the overview of the course (24). The author of Teaching Literature says that the purposes
may be political, philosophical, moral, pedagogical, or just for pleasure. Thus, setting the ob-
jectives behind a course or a lesson is an essential starting point that draws the structure and
the form that the class will take in the coming time. Whether the teacher wants her or his stu-
dents to either build an understanding of the themes of a literary work, or to read just for the
sake of pleasure, objectives do govern the teachers' whole plan. In answering the exact same
question on "Why teach literature?" Beach et. al. say that the purpose behind teaching litera-
ture governs the choice of literary text and course textbooks, the evaluation of the students,
what teaching method will the teacher use, and "how the [teacher] will foster student participation [.
. .] in the classroom" (5). It can be deduced then that the relation between the purpose or the ob-
jective of the course or class and the employed teaching methods along with the evaluation
and the choice of texts is a complementary one. Based on the information that have preceded,
this paper will discuss planning a timeline and a methodology for teaching Nathaniel Haw-
thorne's The Scarlett Letter for an assumed high school class. The plan will focus on the
methodology of teaching, the timeline of the course, the material used, the evaluation form,
the activities, and the assignments.

2. The Methodology of Teaching
How will the teacher "teach" literature, is a matter of several perspectives and theo-
ries. Debates and arguments over what type of teaching methodology to incorporate in class
have been taking place among educators. Showalter introduces four theories of teaching liter-
ature; Subject-centered theories, Teacher-centered theories, Student-centered theories, Eclec-
tic theories, in addition to Beach et al's Socio-cultural theories.
In discussing the subject-centered theories (or text-centered theories according to Beach et
al), it is said that this theory helps "students learn analysis of a text as an autonomous, aes-
thetic object as modeled by the teacher as the expert reader" (Beach, Appleman and Hynds
42). The subject-centered theories emphasize the content as the basic source of knowledge
while the teacher is the one responsible for the flow of information.
In comparing the teacher-centered theories and the student-centered theories, Ellie
Chambers and Marshall Gregory seem to be in favor of both theories in the teaching of litera-
ture without ignoring the role of both sides: "the notion of a ‘central’ participant is inappro-
priate – the whole point of dialogue is that it doesn’t centre on one person" (134). The com-
mentary that Chambers and Gregory give on both theories is logical. The class should not be
teacher-centered all the time, and it should not be student-centered all the time. As the au-
thors say, the type of relationship that governs a class should be a dialogic one, and a dia-
logue requires two parties .i.e. the teacher and the student. The teacher alone cannot achieve a
dialogue, and the same goes for the students. Thus, what Chambers and Gregory suggest is
that instead of debating over what theory should be used in class, the teachers should "think
about what the discussion so far has suggested our students (as students) really need a teach-
er’s help with" (135). This proposal coincides with Showalter's suggestion of an eclectic ap-

3. proach in the teaching of literature .i.e. "having no theory at all, and trying to make use of
whatever will do the job" (37).
In teaching Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the employed method will be
an eclectic one rather than others. The methodology will shift from a teacher-centered one, to
a student-centered way, reaching a content-centered teaching. The reason for using an eclec-
tic method in the teaching of The Scarlet Letter is that the novel itself requires a dialogue be-
tween the teacher and the students, an explanation of some themes and excerpts by the teach-
er, and some guidance through the text. The themes in the selected text can help on creating a
dialogic session where the students might find it necessary to comment. The teacher's use of
activities will pass on a communicative atmosphere for knowledge exchange (activities are
discussed in the activities section of this paper). Thus, the teacher, students, and content are
three important factors that will help in explaining The Scarlet Letter.
The Timeline for Teaching The Scarlet Letter
In planning a literature lesson or class, coverage of information seem to cause an anx-
iety to the teacher, as Elaine Showalter suggests: "amount of literary knowledge and the finite
amount of academic time come together in worries about course coverage" (12). It is, then, a
crucial decision to decide how many sessions will be specified for a certain text, taking into
consideration the quantity and the quality of teaching.
The teaching of The Scarlet Letter will be divided into three phases, each phase takes
certain number of sessions, knowing that time given for literature teaching is 4 hours per
week. The first phase (one session) will introduce the book and the historical period when the
book was written. The second phase (three sessions) will explore the themes of the novel and

4. will focus on debates. The third phase (one session) will feature extraction of conclusions and
response of students, in addition to paper assignment.
Materials Used
It is important for the teacher to find accessible and interesting material that will help
in achieving "parallels between the trajectories of fiction and the trajectories of an individual
life" (Showalter 89). Using the teaching methodology along with authentic material will help
on creating a communicative session that will incorporate both sides, teacher and students.
Taking into consideration the issue of coverage and time, Chambers and Marshall say that "it
is less time-consuming to direct students to some explanatory source material when possible
rather than explain something fully oneself" (178). As a result, the teacher's use of teaching
material will help the teacher save time, engage students, and deliver the message.
The materials that will be selected to teaching Hawthorne's book are then:
 The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
 A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet
Letter by Elizabeth Poe
 List of adjectives that start with the letter "A"
 Red cardboard letter "A", and pins
The way the listed materials will be used in class will be demonstrated in the activities sec-
tion of the paper.
Activities
According to Beach et al, an important factor that affects the choice of activities is the
background of the students (71). It is essential to figure out where the students come from,
and how they might respond to a certain text that reflects a certain issue. In a case like teach-

5. ing The Scarlet Letter to non-American high school students, Lebanese in particularly, it is
quite essential to find an activity that will help the students relate to the text since culture can
be a very difficult barrier in letting the students get engaged.
The Letter "A" that Hester Prynne wears will be a core to the activities that will be
used in class through letting the students guess the meaning of the letter, in addition to letting
them wear it out of experience. The activities are discussed in details in the Appendix. The
Penguins Teachers' Guide to The Scarlet Letter also contains many "Before you read" ques-
tions that can be used in order to create a debate during the first phase of teaching the novel.
Evaluation and Assignments
Elaine Showalter says that a final class of teaching fiction is used "to reflect the am-
biguous, open endings of many […] novels" (101). The third phase of teaching The Scarlet
Letter features a final recap on the novel by the teacher where conclusions will be drawn by
the students. Yet, assessing the students will be a simple issue. Beach et al emphasize that
"[i]n evaluating students, [the teacher is] judging their performance based on what [he or she]
value[s] in their ability to understand and produce literature and media texts" (224). The as-
sessment stage should then be done by comparing the results to the objectives set in the les-
son plan, and accordingly, evaluating the students should be selected upon the results. It is a
benefit for the student that literature has no correct or wrong answers, but such an issue is not
easy for the teacher who has to be fair in evaluating their students away from the criteria of
right-or-wrong. A good way to avoid this issue is giving the students an essay writing that
reflects their understanding and critical analysis of the given text.
In the case of The Scarlet Letter, the students will get an essay as an assignment.
However, there will be no one question to answer; and the students will pick the question that
they think is the most suitable for them. However, the essay will be evaluated by the teacher

6. according to: retelling the events of the story; or explaining characters' actions; the criteria
the students will use in comparing and contrasting characters; link the studied work to a work
they might have studied earlier in the course; using references from the novel; and their logi-
cal and persuasive techniques in discussing their ideas.
Oral discussion is also as important as the written one. Students will also be assigned
topics to present orally in class in pairs. The evaluation of their performance will be based
upon their communicative skills; sequencing of ideas; content of the presentation; and critical
persuasive techniques.
Conclusion
Before presenting the lesson plan in the appendix, a recap of the ideas that govern the
structure of the lesson plan is essential. The methodology of teaching used is an eclectic one
that does not rely on one party in class. The plan tries to reach a communicative classroom
where the flow of ideas is smooth and the exchange on information is permitted to everyone.
Evaluation and assignments are there to encourage and develop the students' critical ability
and not to evaluate them according to right-or-wrong criteria.
The final lesson plan is to be found in the appendix following the work cited.
Works Cited
Beach, Richard, et al. Teaching Literature to Adolescents. 2nd. New York: Routledge, 2006.
Chambers, Ellie and Marshall Gregory. Teaching & Learning English Literature. London:
Sage, 2006.
Showalter, Elaine. Teaching Literature. Oxford: Blackwell, 2003. Print.

7. Appendix
Teacher's Name: Walid M Rihane
Course: Junior English
Class: Grade 10
Number of Students: 18
Students with Special Needs: None
Lesson: Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
Estimated Time: Five Sessions
Objectives:
By the end of this chapter, the students will be able to:
1. Critically discuss and defend their positions and opinions.
2. Build a coherent and logical arguments and opinions
3. Know the social and religious structure of 17th
and 19th
century America
4. Have their own perspectives on the different themes of the novel
5. Use new words in complete and meaningful sentences
Material
 The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
 A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet
Letter by Elizabeth Poe
 List of adjectives that start with the letter "A"
 Red cardboard letter "A", and pins

8. Lesson Outline
Phase One (One Session approx. 2 hours)
 Motivating Activity (15 minutes): The teacher will pass for the students a list of ad-
jectives starting with the letter "A". Each student will be asked to pick up an adjective
that they think it relates to them, and justify why. Upon answering, each student will
get a red cardboard made letter "A" and will get to pin it on their chest.
 Before You Read Questions (30 minutes): In a whole class discussion, the teacher
will discuss with the students the following questions excerpted and inspired from A
Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet
Letter by Elizabeth Poe:
1. Perhaps some of you have heard of The Scarlet Letter or even read
it. If so, what have you heard about the novel?
2. Have you ever heard about someone who was branded with a letter
or an adjective?
3. What is adultery? Where have you heard of the term? And what is
your personal position of it?
4. How would you describe the difference between a "sin of passion"
and a "sin of principle"?
5. Do you believe that someone might be right while the whole socie-
ty might be wrong?
Answers of the questions may vary according to students. Each question will be given
approximately 6-7 minutes of discussion.

9.  Discussing the Historical Era of the Puritans in America (20 minutes): The teacher
will introduce some of the main principles and characteristics of the Puritans in Amer-
ica.
 Introducing Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Background of writing The Scarlet
Letter (20 minutes): The teacher will give a brief on Hawthorne's biography in addi-
tion to the circumstances that governed his writing of the discussed work.
 Introducing the themes of the novel and discussing them with the students (30
minutes): In a whole class discussion, the teacher and the students will discuss the
three main themes of the novel, linking them to the students' own personal experienc-
es.
1. Alienation: Ask if any of the students have ever felt neglected or
alienated.
2. Appearance vs Reality: Do the students believe that things are not
always as they seem to be?
3. Breaking Society's Rules: Should we as humans abide to the rules
of the society? Is the society always right and individuals wrong?
What is the students' position with respect to sexual relationships
and what governs them?
 Assignment: For next session the students will be assigned to:
1. Read the first six chapters of The Scarlet Letter
2. Write a one-paragraph response of what they have read.

10. Phase Two (Three Sessions approx. 6 hours)
Session One (2 hours)
 A Fast Recap of the introductory session (5 minutes): The teacher will ask students
about what happened during the previous session and what they have covered in class.
 Listening to the Students Response of the first six chapters of The Scarlet Letter
(35 minutes): The teacher will randomly select 7 students to read their assignment and
response to the first six chapters of the book. The teacher will discuss with the student
reading what he or she has written, and encourage other students to compare their ide-
as with their colleagues.
 Reading Important Excerpts from the first six chapters of The Scarlet Letter (40
minutes): The teacher will assign important passages and excerpts from chapters 1-6
from the book. During the reading the teacher will ask the students to explain a certain
passage and to give their own opinion about what the passage is about. During the
reading, the teacher will ask the students to underline new words.
 Vocabulary Group Work to extract meanings of new words (25 minutes): In
group of three, the students will be given ten minutes to extract the meaning of new
words using a dictionary. The next fifteen minutes will be used to list the meaning of
new words. Students presenting will be asked to use the new words in a meaningful
complete sentences.
 Assignment: For the next session, the students will be assigned to:
1. Read Chapters 7-14 from The Scarlet Letter
2. Underline new words and extract their meaning to present them in
class in the next session.
3. Write one paragraph discussing the Character of Chillingworth and
their own response.

11. Session Two (2 hours)
 A Fast recap of the introductory session and the first six chapters of Haw-
thorne's The Scarlet Letter (10 minutes): The teacher will ask a few students to pre-
sent a recap of what they have learned so far.
 A brief synopsis of the assigned chapters (5 minutes): The teacher will select stu-
dents to tell the class what they have read in the assigned chapters (7-14).
 Reading Important Excerpts from the chapters 7-14 of The Scarlet Letter (40
minutes): The teacher will assign important passages and excerpts from chapters 7-14
from the text. During the reading the teacher will ask the students to explain a certain
passage and to give their own opinion about what the passage is about. The im-
portance of the setting in the novel in relation to the psychology of the characters will
be highlighted by the teacher using the excerpts.
 Vocabulary Homework discussion and activity (20 minutes): The teacher will ask
the students about the words they have found difficult and for their meanings. The
students will use the words in meaningful sentences.
 Discussing the character of Chillingworth (30 minutes): The teacher will select stu-
dents to read their response on Chillingworth. Then in a whole class discussion, the
class will discuss whether they believe that Chillingworth has the right to do what he
is doing and why.
 Assignment: For the next session, the students will be asked to:
1. Read the final chapters of The Scarlet Letter
2. Write two paragraph discussing whether Hester has turned to be a
good or a bad person to the students and why.

12. Session Three (2 hours)
 A Fast Recap of all what have been covered so far (10 minutes): The teacher and
the students will discuss together what they have covered so far.
 Reading Important Excerpts from the final chapters of The Scarlet Letter (45
minutes): The teacher will assign important passages and excerpts from the remaining
chapters from the book. During the reading the teacher will ask the students to explain
a certain passage and to give their own opinion about what the passage is about. Haw-
thorne's use of symbolism will be discussed by the teacher during this phase.
 Evaluating Hester Prynne (40 minutes): The teacher will ask students to come and
present the paragraphs they have written on Hester. The teacher will open the floor for
debates between students to discuss whether Hester is considered to be "Good" or
"Bad" and why.
 In Class Activity (20 minutes): Students will be given 10 minutes to write a short
paragraph discussing whether they believe that the adjective they yielded to them-
selves in the introductory session is still of importance to them. The remaining ten
minutes will be yielded for in class discussion of the written paragraphs.
 Graded Assignments:
1. The Students will be asked to write an essay on one of the following top-
ics:
a. Discuss the importance of the setting in reflecting the psychologi-
cal development of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth.
b. Do you think that Hester would have survived in 21st
century Leb-
anon? Elaborate with examples and valid discussion.

13. c. Discuss Hawthorne's use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter.
2. Prepare an oral presentation on one of the following topics:
a. Religion and Human Individualism
b. Belief vs Extremism
c. Literature as a mirror of the society
Phase Three (One Session approx. 2 hours)
 Extracting Conclusions and Responses (20 minutes): The teacher will ask students
to sum up and draw conclusions from The Scarlet Letter. The students will also be
asked to give their final and overall response to the novel in brief.
 In Class Presentations (100 minutes): The remaining time will be yielded to the Stu-
dents' oral presentations. The written assignments will be collected by the teacher at
the end of the session.
The written assignments will be graded according to: retelling the events of the story,
explaining characters' actions, the criteria the students will use in comparing and con-
trasting characters, link the studied work to a work they might have studied earlier in
the course, using references from the novel, and their logical and persuasive tech-
niques in discussing their ideas.
Oral Presentations will be graded according to the students': communicative skills,
sequencing of ideas, content of the presentation, and critical persuasive techniques.