AMERICAN LITERATURE
Check PowerSchool for grades & assignments
Individual Unit information and IB connection is shown below
Basic Information/Routines
- Must be prepared daily with bellwork, pencil/paper, homework, literature book.
- Keep updated with grades on PowerSchool - check often and see me with questions/concerns.
- Bellwork is worth 2 pts. daily. It is found on the board everyday.
- Always practice the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have done to you."
american_lit_syllabus.doc | |
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command_terms.docx | |
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Unit Two - Identity and the Individual
Transcendentalism
(2 weeks : November)
IB - Area of Interaction - Health and Social Education
Essays - "Self-Reliance" & "Civil Disobedience"
Poems - "I Sit and Look Out" & "I Hear America Singing"
In this unit, students will be looking to answer the question, "how can I make a difference in society?"
In the readings by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman, we will explore and discuss what these transcendentalists believed about individuals, society, and the government. Students will be expected to participate in discussions about society and what should be expected of citizens. They will also be expected to write a poem about their vision of America and write an essay on the beliefs of Emerson and Thoreau.
Poems - "I Sit and Look Out" & "I Hear America Singing"
In this unit, students will be looking to answer the question, "how can I make a difference in society?"
In the readings by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman, we will explore and discuss what these transcendentalists believed about individuals, society, and the government. Students will be expected to participate in discussions about society and what should be expected of citizens. They will also be expected to write a poem about their vision of America and write an essay on the beliefs of Emerson and Thoreau.
Unit One - Paranoia & Hysteria
(5 weeks : September - October)
IB - Area of Interaction - Environments
Play - The Crucible
Informational Texts
In this unit, students should be looking to answer the question "how are people affected by paranoia and fear?"
In this play about the Salem Witch Trials, students will see how a town was affected by their fears of being accused of practicing witchcraft and therefore being punished to pay the ultimate price.
Students will be expected to choose parts and read the play aloud in class as well as answer questions, participate in discussions, write reflections and a persuasive essay.
For specific assignments, please refer to PowerSchool.
Informational Texts
In this unit, students should be looking to answer the question "how are people affected by paranoia and fear?"
In this play about the Salem Witch Trials, students will see how a town was affected by their fears of being accused of practicing witchcraft and therefore being punished to pay the ultimate price.
Students will be expected to choose parts and read the play aloud in class as well as answer questions, participate in discussions, write reflections and a persuasive essay.
For specific assignments, please refer to PowerSchool.
Unit Three - Suspense and Fear
American Gothic Literature
(3-4 weeks: November - December)
IB - Area of Interaction - Human Ingenuity
Poe, Faulkner, Hawthorne
Short Stories - "The Masque of Red Death", "The Cask of Amontillado", "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment", "A Rose for Emily"
Poem - "The Raven"
In this unit, students will answer the question, "how can fears be beneficial?"
There are times when people cannot control their fears whether they are rational or irrational. When faced with these fears, people sometimes have strange and erratic reactions. We will discuss and explore where these fears come from and also discuss how fears can play an important role to being safe and cautious in society. We will also look at the idea of horror and terror in the entertainment arena.
Poem - "The Raven"
In this unit, students will answer the question, "how can fears be beneficial?"
There are times when people cannot control their fears whether they are rational or irrational. When faced with these fears, people sometimes have strange and erratic reactions. We will discuss and explore where these fears come from and also discuss how fears can play an important role to being safe and cautious in society. We will also look at the idea of horror and terror in the entertainment arena.
Unit Four - Success and The American Dream
Career Exploration & The Great Gatsby
(7-8 weeks: January - March)
The Great Gatsby
Tying into our unit on careers and success, we will read The Great Gatsby and discuss what it means to achieve the American Dream. We will use the knowledge gained during the careers project to make comparisons as well as look at how times have changed since the 1920's. We will also discuss the skills that make people successful, the everyday attributes that can lead to either a life of happiness or a life of destruction. In the end, the hope is that students will see and be able to answer the IB Unit Question: How can building relationships and understanding people from different backgrounds help lead you to personal success?
Career Exploration Project
Students will be reading several articles about what options they have after high school. They will explore the most popular jobs as well as what makes them marketable. We will discuss what can be done now, in high school, to help ensure a career that will lead to success for them in the future. The final project will include research and inquiry about a career of each student's choice and these projects will be presented to the class as well as displayed in the halls.