ALEX Classroom Resource

  

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

  Classroom Resource Information  

Title:

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

URL:

 http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploring-irony-conclusion-quiet-994.html

Content Source:

 ReadWriteThink
Type: Lesson/Unit Plan

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.

Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 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.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R5.
  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Peer-edit
  • Rewrite
  • Focused
  • Organized
  • Coherent
  • Purpose
  • Audience
Knowledge:
R5. 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:
R5. 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:
R5. Students understand that:
  • Writing is a process that requires multiple drafts, edits, and versions.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 9
5. Analyze the impact of context and organizational structures on theme, tone, and the meaning of the work as a whole.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
5.
  • Context
  • Organizational structure
  • Tone
  • Theme
Knowledge:
5. 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:
5. 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:
5. 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
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 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.

Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R2.
  • Literary texts
  • Literal understanding
  • Figurative understanding
  • Text
  • Purpose
  • Situation
Knowledge:
R2. 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:
R2. 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:
R2. Students understand that:
  • Literary texts can be understood on both a literal and figurative level.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 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.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R5.
  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Peer-edit
  • Rewrite
  • Focused
  • Organized
  • Coherent
  • Purpose
  • Audience
Knowledge:
R5. 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:
R5. 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:
R5. Students understand that:
  • Writing is a process that requires multiple drafts, edits, and versions.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 10
5. Analyze context and organizational structures to determine theme, tone, and the meaning of the work as a whole.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
5.
  • Context
  • Organizational structure
  • Tone
  • Theme
Knowledge:
5. 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:
5. 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:
5. 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
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 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.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R5.
  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Peer-edit
  • Rewrite
  • Focused
  • Organized
  • Coherent
  • Purpose
  • Audience
Knowledge:
R5. 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:
R5. 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:
R5. Students understand that:
  • Writing is a process that requires multiple drafts, edits, and versions.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 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.

Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R2.
  • Literary texts
  • Literal understanding
  • Figurative understanding
  • Text
  • Purpose
  • Situation
Knowledge:
R2. 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:
R2. 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:
R2. Students understand that:
  • Literary texts can be understood on both a literal and figurative level.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 12
4. Evaluate an author's use of characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
4.
  • Evaluate
  • Characterization
  • Figurative language
  • Literary elements
  • Point of view
  • Create
  • Convey
Knowledge:
4. 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:
4. 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:
4. Students understand that:
  • Authors select particular literary elements and devices to create and convey meaning within their written work.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 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.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
5.
  • Evaluate
  • Structural details
  • Organizational details
  • Purpose
  • Ironic
  • Satirical
Knowledge:
5. 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:
5. 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:
5. 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
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 12
6. Analyze a text's explicit and implicit meanings to make inferences about its theme and determine the author's purpose.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
6.
  • Analyze
  • Explicit
  • Implicit
  • Inferences
  • Theme
  • Author's purpose
Knowledge:
6. Students know:
  • Strategies to comprehend explicit and implicit text meaning.
  • Inference skills.
  • Methods to identify the theme and purpose of a text.
Skills:
6. Students are able to:
  • Making inferences about the theme and purpose of a text by analyzing a text's explicit and implicit meanings.
Understanding:
6. 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.
Tags: All Quiet on the Western Front, alternate ending, Book Cover Creator, Book Cover Guide, CD Creator, design, DVD Creator, Erich Maria Remarque, illustrations, irony
License Type: Custom Permission Type
See Terms: http://www.readwritethink.org/util/legal.html
For full descriptions of license types and a guide to usage, visit :
https://creativecommons.org/licenses
Accessibility
Comments
  This resource provided by:  
Author: Cassie Raulston
This site may contain links to other websites or content belonging to or originating from third parties or links to websites and features in banners or other advertising. Such external links are not investigated, monitored, or checked for accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness by us. WE DO NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OFFERED BY THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES LINKED THROUGH THIS SITE.
Copyright © 2017, Alabama Learning Exchange
Alabama State Department of Education
Alabama State Department of Education