American Literature

COURSE OUTLINE

2007-2008

The mission statement of Norwell High School is to provide an engaging, supportive environment where students strive for excellence, practice respect and contribute to society.

Integrity ¨ Learning¨Respect¨Responsibility

Course: College Preparatory American Literature, Grade 11

Student work will focus on the following NHS student expectations for learning:

• Demonstrate tolerance, respect, and empathy for others.
• Participate in community service, leadership opportunities, work, and/or school activities.
• Take responsibility for their decisions and behaviors.
• Use resources and time effectively.
• Gain access to and evaluate a variety of sources of information.
• Compile, interpret, and communicate data.
• Speak, write, and present clearly, accurately, and effectively in a variety of modes to engage diverse audiences.

Course expectations:

• Students will come to class prepared with a loose-leaf, pen/pencil, and text under consideration.
• Students should expect in-class and outside reading.
• Students should expect one hour of homework each night.
• Students should expect a vocabulary quiz each week.
• Students should expect to be writing in a variety of modes on a regular basis.
• Students should turn papers in on time or 10 points per day late will be taken off final essay grade.
• Tests should be taken on time, and when absent students should make up tests in a timely manner.

Course skills/ concepts:

• Students will be exposed to study and test taking skill building.
• Students will be exposed to all genres: novel, play, short story, poetry, non-fiction.
• Students will be exposed to, and must incorporate, literary terms.
• Students will be exposed to formats for paragraphs and the five-paragraph essay
• Students will be expected to understand and use in their own writing the following types of writing: expository, persuasion, and personal/description.
• Students will review grammatical constructions, and English usage.
• Students will be exposed to vocabulary skill building.
• Students will be expected to do oral presentations.
• Students will be expected to draw logical conclusions from a variety of writing styles.
• Students will be expected to write and present clearly, accurately, and effectively in a variety of modes in order to engage diverse audiences.

Major units:

Literature/Philosophy:

·        Puritanism

·        Romanticism

·        Transcendentalism

·        Realism

o       Local Color

o       Romantic Realism

o       Social Realism

·        Naturalism

·        Existentialism

Major Texts:

·        Elements of Literature

·        Warriner’s Elements of Writing

·        The Scarlet Letter

·        The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

·        The Great Gatsby

·        Of Mice and Men

*Supplemental texts may be added throughout the year

Requirements/Materials:

·         Pens/Pencils

·        3-ring binder with loose paper and dividers

·        1 composition notebook

Homework policy/ major projects:

It is expected that all work will be done on time.  To that extent, homework may not be made up, unless the student has a valid absence.  Then, that student will have one day to make up the work for every day he/she is absent. The average daily amount of homework will be one hour.  For major assignments, the student should have the work done on time.  One grade (10 points) will be deducted from the grade earned for each day the major assignment is late.

Grading system:

• Grading will be done on a point system, where each assignment is worth a certain number of points depending on the importance and effort required (for example, a quiz could be worth 50 points while a test could be worth 100 points).  All points are added up at the end of each term and then divided by the total number of possible points.  This will give the percentage for the term.  Participation and effort are also factored in to each term grade.  Assignments include the following:
  • Announced and unannounced quizzes
  • Tests
  • Essays
  • Homework
  • In-class assignments:  both group and individual
  • In-class writing:  both formal and informal
  • Projects
• Just like the homework policy, late work of any kind will be deducted 10% for one day, and thereafter will only be worth half-credit (except for late work due to excused absences).