Overview
This unit addresses forms of government in the past and present in America and elsewhere utilizing Bryce Courtenay's The Power of One, acknowledged as the classic novel of South Africa. This six-week unit is designed for twelfth grade scholars. In the Pittsburgh Public Schools, the scholars are students who do not qualify for the gifted (CAS—Center for Advanced Studies) program but who are academically advanced and motivated. Class size is between 22 and 28 students on average with a fairly even distribution of males and females. Often, a scholars' class in my school will be made up of 16—18 white students and 6—10 Asian or African American students. The total school population is 1450—1500 students with about 57% white and 43% other. In my high school there may be 3—5 sections each of Mainstream, Scholars, and CAS English per grade level. Allderdice also offers AP English 3 for juniors and AP English 4 for seniors. Those students may be CAS or may gain entrance through teacher recommendation. Classes meet daily for 43 minutes. Suggestions for adapting this unit to other high school grade levels are included in Appendix F.
In the Pittsburgh Public Schools' 12th grade curriculum, students study the effects of race and class in Bryce Courtenay's The Power of One. The role of democracy and other forms of government is evident in the literature read in English classes, so why not approach the stories, novels, plays, and memoirs from that angle? A unit on The Power of One can be studied through an examination of the kind of government the characters live under and its comparison to democracy. Students do not always think about the interrelationship of the disciplines they study and directing their attention to the relationship between art and life may come as a surprise learning experience.
To further this goal, teachers could plan to teach literature that aligns with the social studies content so that the students can experience the intertwining of the content areas. The emphasis should be on what kinds of governments people live under and how these governments affect their lives. Therein lies the research. The actual unit could be tailored to fit any literary work in the existing curriculum. The plan on The Power of One is scheduled for 35 class periods (43 minutes long) and includes time for a project and viewing the film version. If you have time restrictions, suggestions for eliminating some of the activities are included.
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