Reading Activities compiled by Makayla Steiner |During Reading | After Reading | Pre-Reading Connections: 1. Penguin Classics com. Teachervision.com Site. 2006. Retrieved 27, January 2006, from Teachervision.com Website: www.teachervision.fen.com/reading/activity/4417.html This website offers an interesting introduction to The Age of Innocence (including reasons it was written), biographical background on Edith Wharton, and information about the time period – particularly as it relates to the situation of women. 2. Author Unknown. The Mount: Estate and Gardens. 2006. Retrieved 27, January 2006, from The Mount: Estate and Gardens Website: www.edithwharton.org/edithwharton/ This website has extensive information on Edith Wharton and her self-designed home known as “The Mount.” It includes a chronology and biography of Edith Wharton, information and images of The Mount and its surrounding gardens, and other facts concerning the life of Wharton and her associates. 3. Davis, Kay. The Mount: Edith Wharton and the American Renaissance. 2003. Retrieved 27, January 2006, from The Mount Website: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA01/Davis/wharton/renaissance/renaissance.html This website provides extensive information about the American Renaissance, which could be useful as a pre-reading activity; students could prepare for the novel by understanding more the era in which it takes place. This site also has extensive information on Edith Wharton, The Mount (and those who built it), life in the Berkshires – with a link to a website about Newport in the Gilded Age, and includes suggestions for further reading. 4. Postle, Martin. Collection Tate. 2000. Retrieved 27, January 2006, from Collection Tate Website: www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=12395&tabview=text This website has an image of Sir Joshua Reynolds’ painting The Age of Innocence, from which Wharton’s book gained its title. The site provides information about the painting. It may be interesting for students to view this before they read the novel, and come back to it after finishing and discuss the connections. 5. Author Unknown. Buffalo as an Architectural Museum. 2002. Retrieved 27, January 2006, from Buffalo as An Architectural Museum Website: http://freenet.buffalo.edu/bah/a/archsty/geo/index.html#Georgia11 This website talks about the Georgian Revival and provides examples of its identifying features. Teachers can use this as a resource to help students get a feel for what style the homes were being built in during the 1870s to 1920s. 6. Author Unknown. Gentleman’s Emporium. 2006. Retrieved 27, January 2006, from Gentleman’s Emporium Website: http://www.gentlemansemporium.com/index.php This website has examples of what type of clothing and accessories were worn in the Victorian era. Students may be able to better envision the characters in the novel if they can see what kind of clothes they wore. Because fashions change, this site could also be used when looking at vocabulary from the novel; students could see what “bloomers” or “braces” actually look like. 7. Micheletti, Ellen. The Gilded Age. 2006. Retrieved 27, January 2006, from All About Romance Website: www.likesbooks.com/gildedage.html This article describes some of the various aspects of Gilded Age society, and if and how families rose or were accepted into a certain class. There is also a link to an article specifically about Victorian New York found on this page. 8. Payne, Joyce. Culture and Society of the Gilded Age. 2006. Retrieved 27, January 2006, from ArtsEdge Website: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2388/ On this web page teachers will find a ready-made lesson plan for teaching students about the high culture associated with the Gilded Age. Included are materials for the teacher and the students, as well as a detailed instructional plan and other websites to use as resources. 9. Kenrick, John. Theater in New York City: A Brief History. 2005. Retrieved 27, January 2006, from Musicals101.com Website: www.musicals101.com/bwaythhist.htm Because theater and musicals were so much a part of the New York lifestyle during The Age of Innocence, it may be helpful for students to have some background knowledge on the history of New York Theater. This site also includes a link to information about specific historic theaters and opera houses in New York City, some of which are mentioned in the novel. 10. Bridgman, Joan. “The End of the Age of Innocence: Edith Wharton and the First World War.” Contemporary Review. Sept. 1997. Retrieved 27, January 2006, from Look Smart Website: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_n1580_v271/ai_20236239 This article provides interesting information on what was happening in the world at the time Edith Wharton wrote The Age of Innocence. It offers reasons and understanding as to why the novel was written and what issues were troubling Wharton at that time. It also discusses the impact of World War I on the culture and society Wharton was accustomed to. This may be a good pre-reading article to discuss so to introduce students to what is meant by “the age of innocence” and to help them notice how it changes throughout the novel. During-Reading Connections: 1. Author Unknown. IMDB – The Age of Innocence. 1993. Retrieved 4 February 2006, from Internet Movie Database Inc Website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106226 This site shows the cover of the 1993 film adaptation of The Age of Innocence, directed by Martin Scorsese. It also has a list of characters, trivia, goofs, quotes and other things about the movie and the story. If the teacher wants to show this movie as the class is studying the novel, he or she can order it from this site. 2. Author Unknown. Bookrags.com. 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2006, from Bookrags.com website: www.bookrags.com/notes/aoi/ This is an extensively detailed – yet simple and understandable – site for those studying the novel. It includes chapter summaries, character descriptions, biographical information about the author, topic tracking, and many other useful ideas teachers could implement into their lesson plans. 3. Watts, Tom, and Davis, Barry. C-Span American Writers: A Journey Through History. 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2006, from C-Span American Writers website: http://www.americanwriters.org/classroom/videolesson/vlp20_wharton.asp This is a site that offers teachers a unique option for teaching lesson plans for this novel. Three themes are presented for use with ready-made video clips and questions concerning the novel. Instructors can use the themes, questions and video clips to teach with portions of C-SPAN's American Writers program, featuring Edith Wharton and The Age of Innocence. 4. Author Unknown. Novelguide.com. 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2006, from Novelguide.com website: http://www.novelguide.com/TheAgeofInnocence/index.html This is a thorough site with useful information such as a novel summary, character profiles, theme analysis, top ten quotes, biography, possible essay questions and answers, and a very interesting metaphor analysis. Teachers could use many aspects of this site in planning their lessons. 5. Author Unknown. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2006, from Wikipedia website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Innocence This website provides information about the novel and the circumstances in which it takes place. There is also a brief plot summary, as well as links to adaptations of the novel, and cliffnotes. 6. Olin-Ammentorp, Julie. The Edith Wharton Society. Retrieved 4 February 2006, from summery webpage: http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/wharton/disc/id16_m.htm This webpage offers a summary of the novel and a list of thoughtful discussion questions to be used during reading. It also offers suggestions for those interested in critical readings and additional commentary on the text. 7. Virago Press. Virago Reading Guides: The Age of Innocence. 2005. Retrieved 4 February 2006, from Virago website: http://www.virago.co.uk/virago/guides/innocence.asp This webpage offers a list of eleven possible discussion questions covering several aspects of the novel, which teachers could implement into lesson plans after completing certain chapters. These discussion questions may also help the teacher decide what to focus on while the class reads the novel. 8. Author Unknown. Film Education. 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2006, from Film Education website: http://www.filmeducation.org/filmlib/AgeofInn.pdf If the teacher decides to show the Martin Scorsese film version of The Age of Innocence, he or she may also want to use this article to accompany the film. It discusses topics such as “Edith Wharton at the Cinema,” “Film and Literature,” “Etiquette,” “The Narrative Voice,” etc. and then provides a series of “tasks” for students to complete as they read the article. These tasks encourage critical thinking, analyzing and comparing, and could be used as mini-essays throughout viewing the film. It also offers suggestions for further viewing and reading. 9. Nelson, Annalise. Sparknotes.com. 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2006, from Sparknotes.com website: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/ageofinnocence/index.html This site is a comprehensive study guide of the novel. It provides chapter summaries, context, plot overview and so forth. It also provides study questions and essay topics. However, its best feature is that it offers an on-line quiz about the novel; the score and correct answers can be viewed upon completion. 10. Steiner, Makayla. “Write the Last Chapter.” Springville, UT: 2006 The second-to-last chapter in the novel ends with a bittersweet surprise for Newland and quite a victory for May in the underlying war between her and Ellen Olenska. At this point, the reader will not have finished the novel and will most likely have some strong opinions about how things are turning out. At this point, give the students the opportunity to either predict what will happen in the last chapter, or completely write the last chapter they feel the novel should turn out – as if they were Edith Wharton. Post-Reading Connections: 1. Bolam, Sarah, D. The Age of Innocence Webquest. Retrieved 6 February 2006, from Sarah D. Bolam’s Online Teaching Portfolio website: http://bolamteach.tripod.com/id10.html On this website Sarah Bolam shares a “webquest” she has created to help students understand what “old money” in 1870s New York was and how it influenced society. The webquest is designed as a group project, and the teacher will find detailed steps and resources for the students that will help them successfully complete the assignment and at the same time, gain greater understanding about some of the social customs and styles of 1870s New York. 2. Author Unknown. Cliffnotes. 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2006, from Cliffnotes website: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/id-5.html This website is a comprehensive study guide of the novel; it includes information about the author, the novel (including a character map), chapter summaries and commentaries, character analyses, critical essays and study helps. One exciting feature of this site is that it offers a list of unique practice projects for students upon completing the novel. 3. Author Unknown. 123helpme.com. 2005. Retrieved 6 February 2006, from 123helpme.com website: http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=4944 On this webpage there is an interesting essay which discusses the underlying themes in Wharton’s The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome. This would be a good essay to read for students who have just finished the novel because it compares two different works of Edith Wharton, and could help them further understand some of the issues and themes in her writing as a whole, not just in the novel they read. 4. Fracasso, Evelyn, E. “The Transparent Eyes of May Welland in Wharton’s ‘The Age of Innocence’.” Modern Language Studies. 21 (1991) : 43-48. Retrieved 7 February 2006. This article is a fascinating discussion of an aspect of the novel that is at once very obvious and yet, very skipped-over. Newland Archer and Ellen Olenska take most of the spotlight and attention, while May Welland seems to be an underlying character; a nuisance in the background. However, she is actually a central figure in what happens in the novel – as students see in the end. Having students read and respond to this article would be a great post-reading assignment. 5. Author Unknown. The Literature Network. 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2006, from The Literature Network website: http://www.online-literature.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1135 This is a forum website where people may post thoughts, ideas, and opinions online about the novel. It is a good opportunity to use technology in the classroom. Teachers could either post a thought or discussion question themselves, then have students respond to it online, or the teacher could have the students post their own thoughts and opinions. This sort of online discussion may be something different for the students to do, and at the same time allows them to offer thoughtful opinions or ask questions concerning the book. 6. Author Unknown. LitQuotes.com. 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2006, from LitQuotes website: http://www.litquotes.com/quote_author_resp.php?AName=Henry%20James&page=2 There is much discussion about the influence of Henry James and his novel The Portrait of a Lady on Edith Wharton and her writing. Once students have finished The Age of Innocence, teachers could have them compare either the two novels in their entirety, or they could have their students compare various quotes from each novel, and discuss the similarities and differences in writing style, theme, and etcetera. Quotes from both of the aforementioned novels can be found on this website. 7. Topping, Seymour. History of the Prizes. 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2006, from The Pulitzer Prizes website: http://www.pulitzer.org/history.html After the students finish the novel, it may be interesting to them to learn more about the prestigious recognition it was given by winning the Pulitzer Prize. Students could research information about the history of the Pulitzer Prize, how it is awarded, the qualifications for it and so forth. They could then read another Pulitzer winning novel and write an essay comparing and contrasting it to The Age of Innocence. 8. Author Unknown. Classics Book Reviews: The Age of Innocence. 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2006, from Classics Book Reviews website: http://www.book-reviews.info/Classics_Book_Reviews/0812567102.shtml Several reviews of the novel can be found on this website. Upon completing the novel, teachers could assign their students to read these book reviews, then write a review of their own. These could be presented in writing or as an oral presentation for another class, who haven’t yet read the novel. 9. Penguin Group. Teachervision.com. 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2006, from teachervision.com website: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/reading/activity/4417.html This website offers some very interesting questions for discussion that teachers could use when the book is finished. These questions could also be used to create group activities or topics for essays or a paper. 10. Steiner, Makayla. “Visual Book Report.” Springville, UT: 2006. In this assignment students would create a visual book report. They would visually represent The Age of Innocence through a collage, a 3-dimensional representation, a skit, a display, or any other creative work they may come up with. They would be required to use quotations from the novel, include visual interpretations of at least two themes of the novel, and it must be a thoughtful, creative, quality report.