Welcome
Welcome to our class page for 2014-2015. This page is specifically used for Junior English at Beacon, which surveys American Literature. On this site, you will find all of our unit plans, daily lesson plans, and assignments. Find our unit and then our week to see what we're up to in class and what our daily assignments are! If you have any questions, email [email protected]
Course Syllabus & Description
English 11: American Literature (Semester 1 & 2)
Course Description:
This full-year course will approach understanding and questioning the American experience: it’s definition, accessibility, universality, and effect on individual identity. We will approach these topics through literature that reflects the wide variety of identities and perspectives that define the American Experience. We will explore these ideas in novels, short stories, poetry, drama, and essays to develop nuance to our interpretations as well as gain exposure to a variety of genres and forms, which will serve students in their post-secondary education. Throughout the year, students will formulate their own questions about the American Experience and begin to answer them. Through various instructional methods, students will study American literature as an art and explore essential questions such as:
Classroom Policies, Expectations, and Materials:
The expectations in American Literature reflect Beacon’s standards as well as those of our Social Contract, which we will decide upon as a class. Most importantly, our class will be a space of inclusivity and respect, as we work together as a community full of unique individuals. Students will be allowed to revise any graded assignments (that were turned in on time) and resubmit them for a higher grade. Students need to have a composition notebook dedicated just for this class, a folder to hold all handouts and graded assignments, a Gmail account, a twitter account, as well as writing utensils.
Essential Skills:
Throughout the semester, students will practice and ultimately become proficient in asking questions for a range of purposes, as distinguished by the Advanced Placement’s levels of questioning (literal, interpretive, and global).
Through close-reading, group discussion, and individual writing, students will be able to:
Therefore, proficiency in these skills will enable students to achieve the course’s essential year-long goal:
Ask questions that demonstrate a nuanced and critical understanding of an author’s choices -- in particular, diction, style, and structure -- and connect the text to other texts and beyond in creative and challenging ways (developed from SL.11.1c, RL.11.4 & RL.11.5, Common Core Standards).
Grading System:
45% Major Assessments (i.e., papers, projects, formal presentations, & tests)
35% In-Class Requirements (i.e., group work, individual work, discussions, quizzes, &
mini presentations)
20% Homework
Grade Breakdown is as follows:
20% Quarter 1 20% Quarter 3
20% Quarter 2 20% Quarter 4
10% Exam 1 10% Exam 2
Late work policy/tardiness:
Students are responsible for completing homework on time. Late Homework will be accepted one day after its due-date for 50% credit. Homework that is late more than one day will never be accepted unless a student has an excused absence. In that case, a student must make up the work in as many days as he/she was absent. A paper or project loses 10% for each day it is late, and, if a student is absent on a day of a test, he/she must have an excused absence in order to be given a make-up test.
Course Outline:
Note: Selections, order, and assignments are subject to change.
Unit
Texts
Major Assignments
Great Migration and The Harlem Renaissance
Technology & Contact information
Use of Electronic Information Resources
Technology is a vehicle to access the most current and extensive sources of information which will prepare students for 21st Century careers. As such, school Internet access is a privilege for educational purposes only and will be revoked if any of the following conditions occur:
Students will not access or create offensive, profane, or pornographic files, plagiarize works or violate copyrights or trademarks, damage, alter, or modify hardware or software or attempt to bypass computer security, nor will they engage in behaviors that constitute cyber bullying.
I am aware of this electronic use policy and I will exercise sound judgment when using classroom technology and accessing the Internet. Furthermore, I understand that intentional misuse of technology/Internet access will result in disciplinary action against me.
Course Description:
This full-year course will approach understanding and questioning the American experience: it’s definition, accessibility, universality, and effect on individual identity. We will approach these topics through literature that reflects the wide variety of identities and perspectives that define the American Experience. We will explore these ideas in novels, short stories, poetry, drama, and essays to develop nuance to our interpretations as well as gain exposure to a variety of genres and forms, which will serve students in their post-secondary education. Throughout the year, students will formulate their own questions about the American Experience and begin to answer them. Through various instructional methods, students will study American literature as an art and explore essential questions such as:
- What is the American Dream?
- Who has access to it?
- Does where we are from define us?
- What is universal about the American experience?
Classroom Policies, Expectations, and Materials:
The expectations in American Literature reflect Beacon’s standards as well as those of our Social Contract, which we will decide upon as a class. Most importantly, our class will be a space of inclusivity and respect, as we work together as a community full of unique individuals. Students will be allowed to revise any graded assignments (that were turned in on time) and resubmit them for a higher grade. Students need to have a composition notebook dedicated just for this class, a folder to hold all handouts and graded assignments, a Gmail account, a twitter account, as well as writing utensils.
Essential Skills:
Throughout the semester, students will practice and ultimately become proficient in asking questions for a range of purposes, as distinguished by the Advanced Placement’s levels of questioning (literal, interpretive, and global).
Through close-reading, group discussion, and individual writing, students will be able to:
- Close read a variety of texts with particular attention to audience, tone, and purpose.
- Identify and analyze artistic choices such as diction, use of rhetorical devices, structure, etc.
- Make inferences that extend beyond literal interpretations and connections within, between, and beyond texts .
- Distinguish between literal, interpretative, and global levels of questioning.
- Formulate questions independently for each level of questioning.
Therefore, proficiency in these skills will enable students to achieve the course’s essential year-long goal:
Ask questions that demonstrate a nuanced and critical understanding of an author’s choices -- in particular, diction, style, and structure -- and connect the text to other texts and beyond in creative and challenging ways (developed from SL.11.1c, RL.11.4 & RL.11.5, Common Core Standards).
Grading System:
45% Major Assessments (i.e., papers, projects, formal presentations, & tests)
35% In-Class Requirements (i.e., group work, individual work, discussions, quizzes, &
mini presentations)
20% Homework
Grade Breakdown is as follows:
20% Quarter 1 20% Quarter 3
20% Quarter 2 20% Quarter 4
10% Exam 1 10% Exam 2
Late work policy/tardiness:
Students are responsible for completing homework on time. Late Homework will be accepted one day after its due-date for 50% credit. Homework that is late more than one day will never be accepted unless a student has an excused absence. In that case, a student must make up the work in as many days as he/she was absent. A paper or project loses 10% for each day it is late, and, if a student is absent on a day of a test, he/she must have an excused absence in order to be given a make-up test.
Course Outline:
Note: Selections, order, and assignments are subject to change.
Unit
Texts
Major Assignments
Great Migration and The Harlem Renaissance
- Poetry Survey of the Harlem Renaissance
- Essays on the Great Migration
- Primary Source Documents
- Song Analysis
- Research PowerPoint
- The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Great Gatsby (2013), Film
- Thematic Essay
- Playlist Project
- 1920s Presentation
- Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry
- Poetry from the Harlem Renaissance
- Hansberry vs. Lee court case
- Extended Monologue
- DBQ Essay
- Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie
- Various texts on the Native American Experience
- Emulation Narrative: Our own words & images
- Dialogue Exercise
- Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
- Research Project & Presentation
- Reading Journal
- Savage Inequalities, Jonathan Kozol
- Research Project and Paper
Technology & Contact information
- Weebly: All assignments, lesson plans, and course materials will be posted on my website: http://rwillner.weebly.com under the course “American Literature.” Students who are absent are responsible for reviewing the day’s powerpoint to see what they missed in class and what work they can make up.
- Twitter: You can follow me on twitter at #mswillnermadeit. I will tweet about major assignments and general class updates, but we will also use Twitter as a classroom tool for interactive discussions. Students will be expected to create a Twitter account (if they do not already have one) and follow me. If this is a problem for any student, please write me a note, and we’ll make other arrangements.
- Gmail & Googledocs: All of my documents will be created via Google Docs to facilitate sharing and access. Students will be expected to create a gmail account if they do not already have one so that they can collaborate on documents with one another, store their documents securely without the use of a flashdrive, and receive thorough and prompt feedback on their work. Again, if this is a problem for any student, please write me and a note, and we’ll make other arrangements.
- Vine, Weebly, Wideo, Soundclound: Throughout the year, we will explore different online programs to facilitate our study of English. This will include making videos, podcasts, websites, etc . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use of Electronic Information Resources
Technology is a vehicle to access the most current and extensive sources of information which will prepare students for 21st Century careers. As such, school Internet access is a privilege for educational purposes only and will be revoked if any of the following conditions occur:
Students will not access or create offensive, profane, or pornographic files, plagiarize works or violate copyrights or trademarks, damage, alter, or modify hardware or software or attempt to bypass computer security, nor will they engage in behaviors that constitute cyber bullying.
I am aware of this electronic use policy and I will exercise sound judgment when using classroom technology and accessing the Internet. Furthermore, I understand that intentional misuse of technology/Internet access will result in disciplinary action against me.