Student Syllabus: AMERICAN LITERATURE, 10TH ADVANCED

 

Course Description: This class meets Monday through Friday for 90 minutes. The coursework will focus on the culture of the U.S. as expressed in its literature and will explore the theme of AMERICA – SELF & SOCIETY.

The course will be divided into 3 units:

Unit I – Our Unique Voices

Unit II – Oppression & Persecution

Unit III – Active Members of Society

 

Each day when you enter class you will see an outline of what will be covered in that day’s lesson. In addition, there will be a Writing Prompt either in a handout on your desk, written on the board or projected by an overhead. You will respond to the text by writing a paragraph thinking about what you have just read..

This will be a Quick Write paragraph: the goal is to create a fast response paragraph as quickly as possible. When finished please put down your pen/pencil and remain quiet, so when can start on the day’s lesson.

 

Reading strategies, writing, vocabulary development, and grammar study will be keyed to the literary selections and lessons. Research and audio-visual materials will supplement classwork. Learning will be geared to diverse learning styles and achieved through cooperative group learning, peer tutoring, individual learning, lectures, and class discussion.

 

Course Objectives:

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Interpret, connect, and critique assigned literary selections.

• Write on diverse topics in several genres to specific audiences for various purposes.

• Identify and apply the conventions of Standard English.

• Gather and record specific information using customary research techniques.

 

Texts: 

Elements of Literature, 2000, Fourth Course, with Readings in World Literature / Grade 10 Holt Rinehart Winston

Elements of Literature, 2000, Fifth Course, Literature of the United States / Grade 11 Holt Rinehart Winston

The Crucible by Arthur Miller, edited by Gerald Weales

• Other  novel(s) as assigned

• Dictionary

 

Student Materials:

Every day, students should have the following:

• writing materials (paper, pens, and pencils);

• a 3-ring, loose-leaf notebook divided into four sections:

1) CLASSWORK (syllabus, notes, handouts, in-class work)

2) HOMEWORK

3) READER’S - WRITER’S LOG

4) GLOSSARY (lists of vocabulary words, definitions of parts of speech & literary terms)

 

Grading Policy:   

40% - Classwork (Attendance, completion of Writing Prompts, Reader’s – Writer’s log, in-class work, homework, activities, participation, and behavior)

30% - Tests and Quizzes

30% - Writing, Student chosen ‘best’ Writing Prompt of the week and Research Projects

 

• Classwork will be graded using the attached Assignment Rubric.

• Test and Quizzes will be graded based on type:

Short answer grading will be based on the correctness of the answer with maximum latitude given if the student provides adequate support.

            Essay questions will be graded following the attached Essay Test Rubric.

• Papers and Reports will be graded using the attached 6-Trait Scoring Rubric.

 

 

**Educational Golden Rule**

Do what helps the education of yourself and your classmates.

 

Classroom Rules

• Follow school and class policies and procedures.

• Come to class daily, on time, with work materials.

• Enter class quietly and begin working on the daily writing prompt (on Fridays begin free reading or writing).

• ALWAYS remember why you are here: To Learn!

• Be courteous to your teacher and your classmates.

 

Make-up Work: If you miss school for ANY reason, you are responsible for finding out (from a classmate or the teacher after school) the work you missed and making it up.

 

Turning in assignments: You will be asked to turn in your work to either the class period tray or your individual class folder.

 

The class tray for each period is on the table next to the door. Place your work in the appropriate tray in the following manner:

• All tests & quizzes when completed and/or when time is called by the teacher.

• All papers and projects as soon as enter class on the day they are due.

• All homework at the end of the class on the day it is due. (Often previous night’s homework will be used for that day’s discussion.)

 

There is a class file folder holder for each period on the table in the back of the room. When you enter class remove your folder from the appropriate file holder.

At the end of class leave your folder on top of your desk for me to pick up.

• Daily Writing Prompts will be turned into your individual class folder.

 

Course Overview:

Weeks:  1 through 2

Procedures and class structure

 

Weeks:  3 through 5

AMERICA – SELF & SOCIETY

Unit I – Our Unique Voices

 

Weeks:  5 through 8

AMERICA – SELF & SOCIETY

Unit II – Oppression & Persecution

Readings:

• “The Lottery” - Shirley Jackson (short story)

The Crucible  -  Arthur Miller (play)

• The Battle With Mr. Covey [Excerpt from Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave] - Frederick Douglass (autobiography/memoir)

• “There Is No News From Auschwitz” - A.M. Rosenthal (essay/editorial)

• The Ghost Dance At Wounded Knee – as told by Dick Fool Bull to Richard Erdoes (oral history)

Note: Assorted poems and quotations will be read for the Monday through Thursday writing prompts

 

Weeks:  9 through 12

AMERICA – SELF & SOCIETY

Unit III – Active Members of Society

 

 

Outline Overview: Unit II – Oppression & Persecution

Students will learn through reading, writing, research, and discussion to analyze, evaluate, and appreciate the traditions and diversity of American culture and in themselves as expressed in its literature. They will explore Grammar, writing, and vocabulary development through the lessons and reading selections.

 

Daily Expectations:

Students will

• Receive credit for class participation

• Receive credit for following directions.

• Receive credit for consideration of and cooperation with others.

• Have credit deducted for failing to do the above.

• Be expected to begin work on the writing prompt as soon as they enter class and take their seat. This writing prompt will be placed in the students work folder and will be checked weekly by the teacher.

• Be expected to begin reading and/or writing as soon as they enter class and take their seat of Free Fridays.

• Be expected to participate in daily activities and in-class work.

• Be allowed four absences without grade penalty (Exceptions will be made for extraordinary events only. So stay out only when you absolutely have to!)

• Arrive to class on time.

 

Weekly Expectations:

• Homework assignments will usually be given on Mondays and Wednesdays and will be due the following day unless otherwise specified.

• Fridays will be a block of uninterrupted time in which students will read and/or write in their Reader’s - Writer’s log. Every second Friday (starting the third or fourth week of classes depending on your class period) you will turn in your Reader’s - Writer’s log.( Rief, 276)

In your Reader’s - Writer’s log you will

a)     Respond to/reflect on what you have been reading with three to five pages of writing per week.

b)     Find at least three words per week, which are new or unknown from the book(s) you have read.

c)      Write those words in the log with date found, citing reference and sentence of context in which the word was found, and the dictionary definition in your own words. (Rief, 31)

• Quizzes will be given every other week on either Mondays or Wednesdays. Instead of Makeup quizzes, your best three quizzes of the semester will be counted. If an exceptional circumstance arises, see the teacher after school.

 

Semester Expectations:

Students will:

• Complete three writing projects (one for each unit).

The first writing project (in the first unit) will be made up of 2 drafts and a final paper. The 1st draft will be peered reviewed in class using the 6-Trait Scoring Rubric. The 2nd draft will be reviewed by the teacher and returned to the student with suggestions and comments, and a final product will be turned into the teacher and will be graded using the 6-Trait Scoring Rubric.

 

When writing papers you will use the MLA format to cite your works used. (see attached sheet) Your papers as well as your other writing will be graded using the 6-Trait Scoring Rubric (see attached sheet). You will also use this rubric to evaluate your own writing and also (when assigned) to evaluate your peers writing.

 

• Complete at least one book report on a student chosen (and teacher approved) book.

• Read multiple types of texts (novels, short stories, essays, oral histories, poems, etc.) in American Literature.

• Take a Midterm and Final Exam.

 

REFERENCES:

Rief, Linda. Seeking Diversity: Language Arts With Adolescents. Portsmouth,

NH: Heinemann,1992.


Works Cited Sample Entries - MLA Format

http://www.cox-internet.com/ruskhslib/cited.htm

 

 

Formatting the Works Cited page:

The top margin for the Works Cited page should be set at 2".  Left, right and bottom margins should be 1".  Type the title, Works Cited, with the first letter of each word capitalized.  Center the title on the page and triple space after the title.  Begin each Works Cited entry at the left margin.  If the entry takes up more than one line, indent the next line(s) 5 spaces.  Alphabetize works cited entries by the first letter of the first word of each entry, whether it is an author's last name, editor's last name, or the title (excluding a, an,or the).    Double space entries that take up two or more lines and double space between each reference.

 

Books

A book with one author 

Ambrose, Stephen E. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas

Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West. Chicago: MacMillan, 

1988. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996.

 

A book with two authors

Moore, Harold G. and Joseph L. Galloway.  We Were Soldiers Once...And

Young.  New York: Random House, 1992.

 

A book with more than two authors (et al means "and others" in Latin)

Ottoman, James, et. al. Exploring Architecture. 2nd ed. New York: Bantam, 

            1997. 

 

A book with one editor, but no author

Wigginton, Eliot, ed. Foxfire 5.  New York: Doubleday, 1979. 

 

A book with two or three editors, but no author

Tyson, James and Tom L. Gray, eds. African-American Poetry. New York: 

MacMillan, 1995. 345-58. 

 

A book with no author and no editor

Primary Reference Books. 1995 ed. New York: Bowker, 1995. 

 

An Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword

Brewer, Robert. Preface. The Works of James Joyce.  By Jacob Lewis. 

New York: Baker & Taylor, 1992. 1-7. 

 

A translated work.

Montoya, Isabella. "Stories for Retelling."  Trans. Jonathan Wilde. Spanish

Folklore. San Francisco: Harcourt, 1988.  99-102.

 

 

 

 

Collections or Anthologies

A novel or a play from a book that is a collection of several novels or plays

Serling, Rod. Requiem for a Heavyweight. Modern American Plays. Ed. Robert 

J. Corbinet and Mariam Balf.  New York: Scribner's, 1973. 57-89.

 

A Poem, short story, essay, or a chapter from a book that is a collection of several authors' works

Welty, Eudora. "At the Corner Store." American Poets. Ed. Gerald Levin. New 

York: Harcourt, 1995. 20-23. 

 

A Poem, short story, essay, or a chapter from a collection of works by one author

Anson, Margaret. "My Mama." Poems. New York: Doubleday, 1989. 11-12. 

 

Encyclopedia Articles (Print)

An encyclopedia article (with no author)

"Fire Fighting." The World Book Encyclopedia. 1995 ed. 

 

An encyclopedia article (with an author)

Bates, William. "Angelou, Maya." The World Book Encyclopedia. 1995 ed. 

 

Magazine and Newspaper articles

An article from a print magazine (not on the computer or internet)

Cain, William. "Big Business of the Nineties." Business Week. 16 Aug 1998. 

19-21. 

 

A newspaper article ( print version, not Internet)

James, Noah. "The Book Everyone Loves to Hate." New York Times. 22 Jan 

1998, sec C: 12. 

 

Reviews

A signed review

Quincy, James. "Glass Houses." Rev. of Big Bucks and the Movie Business. 

By Alison Hartz. People.  Aug. 1993: 76-80.

 

An unsigned, untitled review

Review of "Jurassic Park." American Film. Mar 1989: 78-90. 

 

Interviews

A personal interview

Mason, Robert. President, Commercial Bank. Personal Interview. 26 Jan 1999. 

 

Specific Print Resources

A Literary Criticism from a Collection of Criticisms (Gale's Twentieth Century Literary CriticismContemporary Literary Criticism, Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism, etc.)

Roberts, Shelia. "A Confined World: A Rereading of Pauline Smith." World

Literature Written in English. 24 (1984): 232-38. Rpt. in  Twentieth-Century

Literary Criticism. Ed. David Pope. Vol. 25. Detroit: Gale, 1988. 399-402.

 

An essay from Critical Survey of Long Fiction

Simon, Linda. "Thornton Wilder." Critical Survey of Long Fiction. Ed. 

Frank N. McGill. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Salem Press, 1983. 2880-2888. 

 

An essay from Critical Survey of Poetry

Matlak, Richard E.  "Percy Bysshe Shelley."  Critical Survey of Poetry. 

Ed. Frank N. Magill. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Salem Press, 1982.                      2544-2561. 

 

An article from Novels for Students

Wood, Michael. "Crying for Attention." New York Review of Books. 

(10 June 1976): 8. Novels for Students.  Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 1. 

Detroit: Gale, 1997. 110-115. 

 

An article from British Women Fiction Writers 

Peterson, Linda H. "Harriet Martineau: Masculine Discourse, Female 

Sage." Victorian Sages and Cultural Discourse. Ed. Thais E. 

Morgan. (1990): 175-76.  British Women Fiction Writers of

the 19th Century. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea 

House, 1998. 175-177. 

 

An article from Classic (Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Mystery) Writers

Sayers, Dorothy L.  "Introduction."  Great Short Stories of Detection, 

Mystery and Horror.  (London: Victor Gollancz, 1928): 17-18. 

Classic Mystery Writers. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea 

House, 1995.  108-109.

 

An article from Dictionary of American Biography

(author's initials are at the end of each article--look up their names in the front of the book) 

Allen, Hervey. "Poe, Edgar Allan." Dictionary of American Biography. 

Ed. Dumas Malone. New York: Scribner's, 1935. 19-28. 

 

An article from Current Biography

"Hillerman, Tony." Current Biography Yearbook.  1992 ed. Ed. Judith 

Graham. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1992.  258-261. 

 

An article from the Career Information Center books

"Respiratory Therapist." Career Information Center. New York: 

Simon & Schuster, 1996. 93-97. 

 

An excerpt from a book in the Opposing Viewpoints series

Paglia, Camille. "Madonna Has Liberated American Women." 

excerpted from "Madonna II: Venus of the Radio Waves." The 

Independent on Sunday Review. (July 21, 1991). Rpt. in 

Opposing Viewpoints: Women's Rights.  Ed. Fred Whitehead. 

San Diego: Greenhaven, 1994.  18-28.

 

An article, chapter or section from African Americans Voices of Triumph

"Soldiers in the Shadows." African American Voices of Triumph: 

Perseverance. Ed. Janet P. Cave. Alexandria, VA: Time Life 

Books, 126-179.

 

An article from Writers for Young Adults

Goza, Elizabeth Wilder.  "Anne Frank." Writers for Young Adults. 

Ed. Ted Hipple.  New York: Scribner's, 1997.  423-431.

 

An article from British Writers

Sandison, A.G. "Rudyard Kipling." British Writers. Ed. Ian 

Scott-Kilvert. New York: Scribner's, 1997. 729-770. 

 

An article from Supernatural Fiction Writers

Smith, Curtis C.  "Robert Louis Stevenson." Supernatural Fiction 

Writers.  Ed. E. F. Bleiler. New York: Scribner's, 1985. 

307-313.

 

 

Non-Print Resources

Twaynes Masterworks CD-ROM

"Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer." Twayne's Masterworks. CD-ROM.

McMillan Library Reference, 1996.

 

Worlds Best Poetry CD-ROM

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Raven." World's Best Poetry on CD. 2nd ed. 

CD-ROM. Roth Publishing, 1996.

 

Article from Encarta Encyclopedia CD-ROM

"Lewis Carroll." Encarta Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Microsoft, 1996. 

 

Article from Discovering Biography CD-ROM

"Taft, William Howard." Discovering Biography. CD-ROM. Gale 

Research, 1996. 

 

 

 

Article from Multimedia Animals Encyclopedia CD-ROM

"Rhinoceros." Multimedia Animals Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. 

Applied Optical Media. 1994. 

 

Article from American Indian Encyclopedia CD-ROM

"Wichita Indians." American Indian Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. 

Facts on File, 1995. 

 

DVD

Saving Private Ryan.  Dir. Steven Spielberg.  Perf. Tom Hanks, Edward Burns,

Matt Damon and Tom Sizemore. 1998.  DVD. DreamWorks Home Entertainment,  1999.

 

NOTE:  (If you are citing the contributions of a particular individual, begin with that person's name.)

Spielberg, Steven, dir.  Saving Private Ryan.  Perf. Tom Hanks, Edward Burns,

Matt Damon and Tom Sizemore. 1998.  DVD. DreamWorks Home Entertainment,  1999.

 

Videocassette

Young Frankenstein.  Dir. Mel Brooks.  Perf. Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty

Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr, Kenneth Mars and MadelineKahn.  1974.  Videocassette.  Fox Video,  1998.

 

(NOTE:  The following shows how to cite a videocassette that does not list performers)

Elusive Giant: The Blue Whale.  Videocassette.  American Educational Services, 

1997.

 

Internet Resources

Article from Britannica Encyclopedia on the Internet

"Zygotes." Britannica Online. 14 Mar 1999. http://www.eb.com:180. 

 

Article from Discovering Authors/Science/History (GaleNet)

"Benjamin Franklin." Discovering World History. The Gale Group. Online. 14 Mar

1999. http://galenet.gale.com/a/acp/db/dtcw/. 

 

Magazine or Newspaper Article found through Electric Library

Wooten, Bill. "Investigations of the Waco Incident." Dallas Morning News. May 8,

1995: C, 12-14. Electric Library. Online. 15 Jan 1999. `  http://www.elibrary.com/education. 

 

Magazine or newspaper article found through UMI ProQuest

Leonard, Tom.  "Men Reject Call for New Controls on TV  Violence."  The Daily

Telegraph. Oct. 14, 1998: 10. 

ProQuest Direct.  Online. 12 Mar 1999.  http://proquest.umi.com/. 

 

Online texts

Nesbit, Edith. Ballads and Lyrics of Socialism. London, 1908. Victorian Women

Writers Project. Ed. Perry Willett. Apr. 1997. Indiana. 26 Mar 1998. 

http://www.indiana.edu/~letrs/vwwp/. 

 

Poem found on the Internet

Arnold, Matthew. "The Buried Life." Empedocles on Etna, and Other Poems.

London: B. Fellowes, 1852. 

 

Representative Poetry Online. Ed. I. Lancashire. 1997. University of Toronto. 14

Mar 1999.  http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/rp/poems/arnold8.html.

 

Internet Web Site maintained by a university or professional organization

Einstein: Image and Impact.  Aug. 1998. American Institute of 

Physics. 13 Mar 1999. http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/.

 

Article from an online magazine, newspaper, or journal

Sklaroff, Sara. "E-mail Nation." U. S. News Online. 22 Mar1999. 13 Mar 1999. 

<http://www2.USNews.com/usnews/issue/990322/22emai.htm>.

 

A Web Page with an editor Listed

Rogers, Jay, ed. What is the Wiccan Religion?  20 Jan 1998.  The Forerunner

International.  25 Feb 2001. http://www.forerunner.com/champion/.

 

A Web Page with an author's name listed

Carroll, Robert Todd. The Skeptic's Dictionary: Witches and Sorcerers.  21 Feb

1998. 22 March 2001. 

http://dcn.davis.ca.us/~btcarrol/skeptic/witches.html.

 

An Online Government Publication

United States.  Center for Disease Control.  National Center for Chronic 

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.  Diabetes Public Health 

Resource: FAQ About Diabetes.  29 Jun 2000.  25 Feb 2001. 

http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/faqs.htm.

 

Personal web page

Lawson, Anne. Home page. 1 Mar 1998. 

http://www.target.net:8080/~alaw/index.html. 

 

 

 

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1