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A Note to Teachers |
| Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is one of the
most popular and nineteenth century novels taught in high school classrooms
today. Yet, contemporary 15- and 16- year olds often have considerable
difficulty understanding the life and manners of Austen's time, as well
as unravelling the dialogue and vocabulary of her novels. This unit on
game playing was developed to present a "user-friendly" approach for high
school sophomores studying Pride and Prejudice for the first time.
By examining Austen's use of parlour games in the novel, students are drawn
into character analysis, plot structure, and cultural awareness. Links
to useful Austen, Regency, and game sites provide additional resources.
The unit's culminating project encourages creativity and critical analysis
as the student designs a playing card to represent a character from the
novel.
This unit has been met with enthusiasm by students in my Sophomore English Class at Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, California. Teachers who prefer not to use the entire unit may find the Game Listings, Glossary, and Web Links useful resources for the study of other nineteenth-century novels. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome, please email me. The following pages are presented as links to separate pages for your convenience in printing out the information. Discussion QuestionsYou may wish to use the questions for class discussion, journal assignments, or homework. A comparison between card games and video games may spark a lively exchange. Playing Card ProjectThis assignment was a great success with my 10th grade students. They enjoyed the creative opportunity of designing the card, but I suggest spending one lesson encouraging a close reading of their character in order to uncover Austen's subtle detail. I introduced this project as we finished the novel, and gave students two weekends before it was due. The assignment could probably be presented anytime after the class has read the first third of the novel. Please email me if you would like to share any student work of this project on the website. We could build a Gallery of Pride and Prejudice playing cards! |