Exploring Irony in the Conclusion of "All Quiet on the Western Front"

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Overview

All Quiet on the Western Front ends with a startling and ironic conclusion. Following a chapter that begins with talk of the anticipated armistice, the novel's final short paragraphs unemotionally state that Paul, the protagonist, is killed on a day army reports described as "all quiet on the western front." This ending introduces students to situational irony. After discussing the definition and several examples of situational irony, students explore the novel's concluding passage. Students next choose a possible alternate ending for the book that could still be an example of situational irony. They then retitle the book and rewrite its ending, maintaining the original ironic tone and weaving their new title into the ending as Remarque does. Finally, students design new, symbolic covers for the book, which feature their new titles.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 9

ELA21.9.R5

Utilize a writing process which includes planning, revising, editing/peer-editing, and rewriting to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing for a specific purpose and audience.

UP:ELA21.9.R5

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Peer-edit
  • Rewrite
  • Focused
  • Organized
  • Coherent
  • Purpose
  • Audience

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, revise, edit, and rewrite.
  • Editing can be completed by the writer or by a peer.
  • Peer-editing skills.
  • Completed writing projects should be focused, organized, and coherent, and written for a specific purpose and intended audience.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan, revise, edit, and rewrite to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing.
  • Compose a writing piece for a specific purpose and intended audience.
  • Engage in the peer-editing process.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Writing is a process that requires multiple drafts, edits, and versions.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 9

ELA21.9.5

Analyze the impact of context and organizational structures on theme, tone, and the meaning of the work as a whole.

UP:ELA21.9.5

Vocabulary

  • Context
  • Organizational structure
  • Tone
  • Theme

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The context and organizational structure of a text will impact the theme, tone, and meaning of the work.
  • Strategies to identify the theme, tone, and meaning of written work.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify the theme, tone, and meaning of written work.
  • Analyze the impact of context and organizational structure on the theme, tone, and meaning of written work.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • A text's context and structure can affect the tone, theme, and meaning of a work as a whole.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 10

ELA21.10.R2

Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

UP:ELA21.10.R2

Vocabulary

  • Literary texts
  • Literal understanding
  • Figurative understanding
  • Text
  • Purpose
  • Situation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Strategies to analyze literary text to develop a literal and figurative understanding.
  • Literary texts have different intended meanings depending on the genre, purpose, and situation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Develop literal and figurative understanding of literary texts appropriate to the text, purpose, and situation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary texts can be understood on both a literal and figurative level.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 10

ELA21.10.R5

Utilize a writing process which includes planning, revising, editing/peer-editing, and rewriting to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing for a specific purpose and audience.

UP:ELA21.10.R5

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Peer-edit
  • Rewrite
  • Focused
  • Organized
  • Coherent
  • Purpose
  • Audience

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, revise, edit, and rewrite.
  • Editing can be completed by the writer or by a peer.
  • Peer-editing skills.
  • Completed writing projects should be focused, organized, and coherent, and written for a specific purpose and intended audience.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan, revise, edit, and rewrite to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing.
  • Compose a writing piece for a specific purpose and intended audience.
  • Engage in the peer-editing process.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Writing is a process that requires multiple drafts, edits, and versions.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 10

ELA21.10.5

Analyze context and organizational structures to determine theme, tone, and the meaning of the work as a whole.

UP:ELA21.10.5

Vocabulary

  • Context
  • Organizational structure
  • Tone
  • Theme

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The context and organizational structure of a text will impact the theme, tone, and meaning of the work.
  • Strategies to identify the theme, tone, and meaning of written work.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify the theme, tone, and meaning of written work.
  • Analyze the impact of context and organizational structure on the theme, tone, and meaning of written work.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • A text's context and structure can affect the tone, theme, and meaning of a work as a whole.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R5

Utilize a writing process which includes planning, revising, editing/peer-editing, and rewriting to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing for a specific purpose and audience.

UP:ELA21.11.R5

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Peer-edit
  • Rewrite
  • Focused
  • Organized
  • Coherent
  • Purpose
  • Audience

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, revise, edit, and rewrite.
  • Editing can be completed by the writer or by a peer.
  • Peer-editing skills.
  • Completed writing projects should be focused, organized, and coherent, and written for a specific purpose and intended audience.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan, revise, edit, and rewrite to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing.
  • Compose a writing piece for a specific purpose and intended audience.
  • Engage in the peer-editing process.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Writing is a process that requires multiple drafts, edits, and versions.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 12

ELA21.12.R2

Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

UP:ELA21.12.R2

Vocabulary

  • Literary texts
  • Literal understanding
  • Figurative understanding
  • Text
  • Purpose
  • Situation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Strategies to analyze literary text to develop a literal and figurative understanding.
  • Literary texts have different intended meanings depending on the genre, purpose, and situation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Develop literal and figurative understanding of literary texts appropriate to the text, purpose, and situation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary texts can be understood on both a literal and figurative level.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 12

ELA21.12.4

Evaluate an author’s use of characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning.

UP:ELA21.12.4

Vocabulary

  • Evaluate
  • Characterization
  • Figurative language
  • Literary elements
  • Point of view
  • Create
  • Convey

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Authors choose to write from a particular point of view and use specific literary elements and vocabulary words to convey their intended meaning.
  • Methods to evaluate characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view in a variety of texts.
  • Evaluate how characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view creates and conveys meaning in a variety of texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Authors select particular literary elements and devices to create and convey meaning within their written work.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 12

ELA21.12.5

Evaluate structural and organizational details in texts to determine the author’s purpose, including cases in which the meaning is ironic or satirical.

UP:ELA21.12.5

Vocabulary

  • Evaluate
  • Structural details
  • Organizational details
  • Purpose
  • Ironic
  • Satirical

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to evaluate the structure and organization of various texts.
  • Authors choose to write in different genres to support their purpose for writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify and evaluate structural and organizational details in texts from multiple genres.
  • Determine how the genre of a text supports the author's purpose.
  • Identify irony and satire in text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There are a variety of genres of text, and authors choose to write in a particular genre to support their purpose for writing.
  • Different genres of text have different structures and organizations.
  • Authors may choose to include implicit messages within their text, such as irony or satire.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 12

ELA21.12.6

Analyze a text’s explicit and implicit meanings to make inferences about its theme and determine the author’s purpose.

UP:ELA21.12.6

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Explicit
  • Implicit
  • Inferences
  • Theme
  • Author's purpose

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to comprehend explicit and implicit text meaning.
  • Inference skills.
  • Methods to identify the theme and purpose of a text.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Making inferences about the theme and purpose of a text by analyzing a text's explicit and implicit meanings.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Text often has an explicitly stated meaning and an implied meaning.
  • They can combine their explicit and implicit understanding to infer the theme and the author's purpose for writing the text.

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

ReadWriteThink

License Type

Custom
http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploring-irony-conc…

Custom License Type (URL)

http://www.readwritethink.org/util/legal.html

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

raulstoncg
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