Objectives

• Analyse how Dick constructs an alternate-history world in Chapters 1–3 to expose the mechanics of colonial power and racial hierarchy.
• Explain how the I Ching and The Grasshopper Lies Heavy function as metafictional devices that destabilise the reader's sense of reality and fate.
• Analyse how Dick uses the interior monologue of Tagomi and the arc of Frank Frink to explore identity, dignity and resistance under occupation.
• Evaluate how Dick presents the theme of good and evil through the moral crises of Tagomi (Chapters 13–14) and Juliana's confrontation with Abendsen (Chapter 15).
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical argument that connects language, form and structure to Dick's thematic concerns across the novel.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: A World Turned Upside Down: Power and Hierarchy in Chapters 1–3

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3

   Do now

   Take a look at the map of the occupied United States from Chapter 1. Without referring to your notes, write three sentences about how this version of America differs from what you know, and what those differences reveal about who has power and who doesn't.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the opening paragraph of Chapter 1, where Robert Childan is setting up his shop window on Market Street in San Francisco. Highlight how Dick's use of free indirect discourse shifts between Childan's sycophantic pride in Japanese antiques and his underlying resentment — particularly how the phrase 'the Pacific States of America' subtly conveys ideological implications. Guide students in understanding how a single paragraph of seemingly ordinary description encapsulates the entire structure of colonial hierarchy: who possesses the aesthetic legacy, who shows deference, and who benefits from that display.

   Independent task

   Re-read the passage in Chapter 2 where Frank Frink is dismissed from Wyndam-Matson's factory and reflects on his forged identity papers that conceal his Jewish heritage. Write one full analytical paragraph — using the Point, Evidence, Analysis, Link structure — in which you argue what Dick's choice of free indirect discourse reveals about the psychological cost of living under a racially ordered occupation. Your paragraph must include at least two embedded quotations from Chapter 2 and must connect Frank's personal concealment to the novel's broader theme of identity as performance.

   Exit ticket

   In one or two sentences, explain the difference between what Childan consciously believes about his Japanese clients in Chapter 1 and what Dick's narrative technique reveals about that belief — and say which textual detail from today's lesson best shows that gap.

2. Lesson 2: The Oracle Speaks: Fate, the I Ching and The Grasshopper Lies Heavy (Chapters 4–8)

   60 min · ch. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

   Do now

   Without referencing the novel, jot down everything you already understand about the role of the I Ching in the story. After that, note one question you still have regarding why Dick decided to have characters consult it during crucial moments. Keep both notes on the same piece of paper — you'll revisit the question at the end of the lesson.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the scene in Chapter 6 where Juliana and Joe Cinnadella discuss The Grasshopper Lies Heavy — the fictional novel within the novel that imagines a world where the Allies won the war. Highlight Dick's technique of embedding one layer of fiction within another: the world the students are reading about is itself a fabrication, and Abendsen's book is another fictional layer within it. Despite this complexity, Juliana engages with it as if it holds a kind of truth. Illustrate how her assertion that "it's not a what-if — it feels realer than real" (paraphrase this for students) illustrates Dick's philosophical idea regarding the uncertainty of any single reality.

   Independent task

   Using Chapters 4, 6, and 8, write two analytical paragraphs arguing that Dick employs the I Ching and The Grasshopper Lies Heavy as a paired metafictional device to suggest that all narratives — including the one the reader holds in their hands — are equally provisional. Your first paragraph should focus on a moment when a character consults the I Ching (Chapter 4 or 8), while your second should center on the discussion of Abendsen's novel in Chapter 6. Each paragraph must include at least two quotations and conclude with a sentence linking the device to the theme of illusion.

   Exit ticket

   Return to the question you wrote in the do-now. Write a new answer to it — two to four sentences — using at least one specific detail from today's lesson to support your thinking.

3. Lesson 3: Dignity and Resistance: Identity Under Occupation in Chapters 9–11

   60 min · ch. 9, 10, 11

   Do now

   Read the short exchange between Childan and Paul and Betty Kasoura at the beginning of Chapter 9, where Childan presents the Frink–McCarthy jewelry. Without any teacher input, annotate the passage for any instance where a character's spoken words and internal thoughts contradict each other. Then, write one sentence explaining what that contradiction reveals about power dynamics.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the moment in Chapter 11 where Tagomi sits in his office and interacts with the Frink–McCarthy pin, entering a sort of aesthetic trance that makes the object feel like it opens a crack in his reality. Pay attention to Dick's transition from Tagomi's clipped, formal inner voice to a more fragmented, sensory syntax — 'It was not a thing. It was a way of seeing' — to illustrate how Dick employs free indirect discourse and varied sentence rhythms to highlight the moment of genuine aesthetic experience, contrasting it with the commodified appreciation that Childan demonstrates. Discuss how this relates art to the theme of freedom: the pin momentarily frees Tagomi from the logic of the occupied world.

   Independent task

   Write three analytical paragraphs, each focusing on a different character — Childan (Chapter 9), Frank Frink (Chapter 10), and Tagomi (Chapter 11) — arguing that Dick presents identity under occupation as a series of performances that sometimes break down to reveal a true self. Each paragraph must identify the specific scene you are discussing, include at least two embedded quotations, and conclude with a linking sentence that connects your chosen character's moment of 'cracking' to the novel's themes of freedom or resistance.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence that completes this claim and one sentence that immediately complicates it: 'Dick suggests that authentic identity can survive occupation because…' — and then 'However, Chapter [choose one] also shows that…'

4. Lesson 4: The Face of Evil: Moral Crisis and the Limits of Power in Chapters 12–14

   60 min · ch. 12, 13, 14

   Do now

   Read the passage at the beginning of Chapter 13 where Tagomi shoots the two SD agents to protect Rudolf Wegener. After reading, write two sentences: one describing Tagomi's actions and another expressing how I believe Dick intends for the reader to feel about this moment — then pinpoint the single word or phrase in the passage that had the greatest impact on my response.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the passage in Chapter 14 where Tagomi, deeply troubled by the killings, visits Childan's shop seeking to buy something beautiful to regain his sense of moral order. Pay attention to Dick's use of juxtaposition: the formal, almost ceremonial tone of Tagomi's inner thoughts ('I have done that which I cannot undo') set against the trivial, commercial banter of Childan's store. Demonstrate to students how this structural contrast — the profound alongside the mundane — serves as Dick's main technique for highlighting the theme of good and evil: true moral complexity cannot be resolved through mere aesthetic consumption.

   Independent task

   Write two analytical paragraphs on Chapters 13 and 14, arguing that Dick uses Tagomi's moral crisis to complicate the distinction between good and evil. In your first paragraph, analyze the shooting scene in Chapter 13, paying attention to Dick's narrative techniques—such as point of view, syntax, and diction. In your second paragraph, examine Tagomi's visit to Childan's shop in Chapter 14, emphasizing the structural juxtaposition discussed in today's teacher input. Each paragraph should include at least two embedded quotes and conclude with a sentence connecting Tagomi's crisis to the novel's broader themes regarding the consequences of war.

   Exit ticket

   In two or three sentences, explain whether you think Dick presents Tagomi's act of violence in Chapter 13 as morally justified, morally ambiguous, or morally condemned — and name the specific technique Dick uses to produce that effect.

5. Lesson 5: The Castle and the Question: Reality, Freedom and the Final Confrontation (Chapter 15) — Summative Writing Lesson

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

   Do now

   When Juliana arrives at Hawthorne Abendsen's house, I expect she will uncover layers of complexity about his character and the reality he has created. It seems likely that Abendsen's home will reveal the contradictions of the world they inhabit, possibly highlighting the blurred lines between fiction and reality. I believe Dick wants the reader to recognize that the 'High Castle' symbolizes something deeper than a mere structure; it represents the elusive nature of truth and the different ways people seek refuge from their circumstances.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the final exchange between Juliana and Abendsen in Chapter 15, where Juliana reveals that the I Ching wrote The Grasshopper Lies Heavy and Abendsen responds with fear instead of wonder. Highlight Dick's use of the open ending: Abendsen doesn't outright deny the suggestion that his 'real' world could be a fiction, but he also doesn’t confirm it. Demonstrate how Dick withholds syntactic closure through short, declarative sentences and avoids authorial commentary, pushing the reader into the same sense of uncertainty as the characters. This technique is what students should focus on in their essay.

   Independent task

   Write a sustained analytical essay of 600–800 words in response to the following question: "How does Philip K. Dick use narrative form and language to explore the idea that reality is always a construction?" Your essay must: (1) begin with a clear argument that takes a definitive stance on the question rather than simply outlining Dick's methods; (2) analyze at least three distinct moments from different parts of the novel, ensuring you include the I Ching consultation in Chapter 4 or 8, the discussion of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy in Chapter 6, and the exchange between Juliana and Abendsen in Chapter 15; (3) incorporate at least six quotations, each followed by an analysis of specific language or structural choices; (4) include one paragraph that examines how Dick's use of multiple, interweaving narrative strands — featuring Childan, Tagomi, Frank, and Juliana in parallel — demonstrates the novel's argument that no single viewpoint captures the entire truth; and (5) conclude by revisiting your opening argument and refining it based on your analysis.

   Exit ticket

   Write one full sentence that states the most important thing you now understand about how Dick uses form — not just theme — to make his argument about reality, and one full sentence that names something in your essay you would change if you had another twenty minutes.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: checks whether students can distinguish between a character's stated attitude and the attitude Dick's narrative technique implies — looking for the word 'free indirect discourse' or an equivalent description of the gap between Childan's conscious belief and his revealed psychology.
• Lesson 2 exit ticket: checks whether students can articulate why Dick embeds a counter-factual within a counter-factual — looking for the connection between The Grasshopper Lies Heavy and the reader's own uncertainty about the novel's reality.
• Lesson 3 exit ticket: checks whether students can hold a claim and its complication simultaneously — looking for a specific chapter reference and a named technique in the complicating sentence.
• Lesson 4 exit ticket: checks whether students can identify technique as distinct from content — looking for a named literary device (juxtaposition, diction, syntax, point of view) rather than a paraphrase of events.
• Parallel Lives timeline activity: checks whether students can track thematic significance across narrative strands rather than summarising plot — looking for annotations that name a theme, not just an event.
• Tagomi's Moral Ledger worksheet: checks whether students can separate what a character does from how the narrative frames that action — looking for technique vocabulary in the right-hand column.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated from what is really meant.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about an interpretation of literature.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view in a narrative, including free indirect discourse and its effect on reader interpretation.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain the function of structure in a text, including the effect of parallel narrative strands and the novel-within-the-novel device.

AQA

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, including the effects of language, form and structure.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received, including the post-war political context of the alternate history.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts through language, form and structure.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, including connections between the embedded narrative of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy and the frame narrative of the novel itself.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Knowledge, understanding and interpretation: demonstrate understanding of Dick's use of alternate history, metafiction and the I Ching as interlocking devices.
• Criterion B — Analysis and evaluation: analyse how specific narrative choices — free indirect discourse, parallel strands, open ending — produce meaning.
• Criterion C — Focus and organisation: construct a sustained, coherent argument across the essay rather than a series of disconnected observations.