Syllabus - Immaculate Heart High School

American Literature
2012-2013
Ms. Laura Diaz
ldiaz@immaculateheart.org
Office Hours: Wednesdays 2:30-3:30 and by appointment
Location: LIB L3
English Department Philosophy Statement
The English department believes that communication is the most basic yet also the most sublime of gifts. Mastery of
language is not an obscure talent only for the erudite and privileged; it is a hard-won skill available to all. The study
of literature is a constant meditation on the self, faith, politics, history, and culture. Ultimately, reading and writing
form the gateway to life-long learning and should ideally provide students with a foundation for an informed and
meaningful intellectual and spiritual life. Further, we hope to inspire our students to recognize themselves as
important and thoughtful members of the global community.
Course Description
This course explores significant works in American literature, covering the genres of fiction, poetry, drama and
prose. The class also focuses on developing a broader love of reading, writing, and thinking critically about texts and
what they say about American traditions and culture. Special emphasis is placed on building effective writing and
discussion skills as a foundation for further learning.
Academic Content Standards
The primary goal of the English department is to help students read well and communicate effectively.
Upon graduation from Immaculate Heart High School students will:
1. Read critically and recognize literal and implied meaning in varied classic and contemporary texts,
assigned and independently selected.
2. Write coherent and focused essays that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument.
The writing demonstrates students’ awareness of the audience and purpose.
3. Approach writing as a process, progressing through the following stages: prewriting,
drafting, evaluating, revising, editing, and publishing.
4. Write clearly and use formal conventions of English language: grammar, spelling,
punctuation, capitalization, syntax, and diction.
5. Speak effectively and employ formal and informal conventions of the English language that are appropriate
to a variety of purposes and audiences.
6. Respectfully discuss topics, evaluate alternative points of view, and recognize questions and issues raised
in the works they read.
7. Recognize trends and developments in literature as an art form, including literary movements, styles, and
conventions.
8. Find, evaluate, and synthesize information for specific purposes, using a variety of properly cited sources.
9. Apply critical reading skills to determine the meaning of new words encountered in texts and use those
words accurately.
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Benchmarks and Performance Standards
Example: Students who have successfully completed English I will able to:
• Demonstrate in writing and discussion a more sophisticated understanding of literary texts (Content
Standards 1, 2, 5).
• Refine the writing of effective expository essays that include three body paragraphs, an introduction, and a
conclusion (Content Standards 2, 3).
• Participate in class discussions, oral presentations, and creative projects that encourage them to confidently
articulate their points of view based on a deeper understanding of the text (Content Standards 1, 4, 5, 6).
• Demonstrate familiarity with the major periods and authors found in American Literature (Content
Standard 6).
• Use reading comprehension strategies to critically explore various literary genres (Content Standards 1, 6,
8)
• Use and properly cite appropriate text and Internet sources (Content Standard 7).
• Informally critique books of their own choosing for personal pleasure and enrichment (Content Standards
1).
Required Materials
The English Department requires that you bring to class before the end of the first week of school your own
unmarked copies of all the texts listed here. You must also ensure that you purchase the specified edition of each
text. Please consult the Follett Books website for each book’s ISBN----an identifying number that will help you
distinguish between different editions of the same text.
IH American Literature Course Reader
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Fences by August Wilson
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition
Blue or black pens
Pencils for marking in your text
Paper/one-subject notebook (college ruled)
One-inch 3 ring binder
In addition to the above texts, I will periodically assign handouts for the purpose of enriching the core readings.
These handouts will be considered mandatory texts.
**It is imperative that you bring your supplies and the text that we are studying every day!
Classroom Expectations:
• Participation: I expect each of you to complete all of the assigned readings and all of the written
assignments on time. You must come to each class period prepared to engage in class discussions and class
activities. Your final grade may be raised ½ grade for excellence in participation, or lowered ½ grade for
deficiency.
• Web Pages: The syllabus for this course, as well as general information about the English Department,
may be found on the school’s web page. Specific information about the daily work for this course may be
found on my web page. I expect you to check this page daily.
• Make-Up Work: Please avoid tardiness and keep unnecessary absences to a minimum. If you do miss a
class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed and how to make it up. You can refer to my
webpage to find all of the assignments and the work covered in class. You have one day to make up work
missed due to an absence.
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• Late Work: All written assignments must be completed by the due date. Your grade will be lowered a
full letter grade for each day that it is late (an A becomes a B becomes a C and so on). Extensions may be
granted if you ask me in advance of the due date, but I reserve the right to deny you one as well.
• Academic Integrity: Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional use of someone else’s WORDS or
IDEAS without giving proper credit. This includes paraphrasing a source without giving due credit.
See your MLA Handbook for more information about what constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism is a
serious breach of academic integrity and any assignment containing plagiarism will receive a grade
in the “F” range.
• Test Return Policy: English teachers keep summer reading tests, vocabulary tests, and objective final
exams so that assessment questions are field tested and can be revised when necessary. This practice
allows the department to reuse most parts of an exam for comparism on achievement from ear to year and
to ajust the emphasis of instruction when required. Students may access their past tests by making
arrangments with their teacher.
• Other classroom rules: No food or drinks (with the exception of water) are allowed in class. Students are
expected to follow all school rules and regulations as outlined in the Immaculate Heart High School
Student Handbook, as well as exhibit mature and appropriate behavior.
All classroom rules and regulations regarding conduct, attendance, dress code, grading, plagiarism, etc. shall be
implemented and followed as stated in the school handbook.
Types of Assignments:
• Writing: You will respond in writing to most of the major and some of the minor works we study. You
will also write timed, in-class essays and paragraphs. You will work on various projects and presentations
that involve writing. All essays must be word-processed and include a properly formatted works
cited/consulted page. Please refer to the English Department rubric for essays for a more detailed
understanding of what is expected of you.
You must upload all essays and any other specified assignments to the website: www.turnitin.com. You
will need to set up a user profile using a valid e-mail account. You will also need the appropriate class ID
number and enrollment password designated for your class period. You must upload all of your written
work to Turnitin or you will not receive credit for your work. Keep the digital receipt you receive to
prove you uploaded your work.
Period Class ID Enrollment Password (case
sensitive)
4 5351173 Scarlet
6 5354770 Scarlet
• Homework: You should plan on spending about an hour per day reading, writing, revising work, or
completing homework for this class. Some days will be heavier than others—especially if you do not plan
ahead on long-term assignments. Do plan ahead! You will have regular homework assignments involving
reading, writing, and other activities.
• Vocabulary Development: You will work on developing your vocabulary because it is essential for
reading comprehension and effective writing as well as for the PSAT and SAT. It is wise to always have a
pocket dictionary with you in class. Periodically, you will be tested on vocabulary words.
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Grading Policy:
Grades are computed on a point system with, for example, essays worth 100; exams, 50-100 (excluding the final
exam); projects, 20-80; quizzes, 5-25; and homework, 5-20. As noted above, participation can raise or lower this
grade by one half (e.g., B to B+ or B-). Late work can also affect your final grade.
100-93 A 89-87 B+ 79-77 C+ 69-67 D+ 59-0 F
92-90 A- 86-83 B 76-73 C 66-63 D
82-80 B- 72-70 C- 62-60 D-
Course Chronology:
First Semester
Summer Reading test and mini-essay: The Catcher in
the Rye
American Struggles and Dreams
Values
• Jiménez: “The Circuit”
• Douglass: from Narrative
Virtues
• Franklin: from The Autobiography
Heritage & Identity
• Tan: “Two Kinds”
• Walker: “Everyday Use”
• Whitman, Hughes, de Hoyos: Selected Poems
Divisions
• Bierce: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek
Bridge”
• Chief Joseph: “I Will Fight No More Forever”
• Dunbar: “We Wear the Mask”
Forging Frontiers
• Colt: “Heading West”
• Twain: “The Californian’s Tale” & “Fetch
Her Out!”
Gender Relations
• Twain: “Aurelia’s Unfortunate Young Man”
• Chopin: “The Story of an Hour”
• Gilman: “The Yellow Wallpaper”
• Hurston: “Sweat”
• “Sexual Politics of Sickness”
Isolation & Alienation
• Steinbeck: “The Turtle”
• Viramontes: from Under the Feet of Jesus
• Eliot: “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
• Hemingway: “Soldier’s Home”
The American Dream
• Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
Second Semester
Religion in American Life:
• Bradstreet: Selected Poems
• Edwards: from Sinners
• Irving: “The Devil and Tom Walker”
• Hawthorne: The Scarlet Letter
• O’Connor: “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
Humans and Nature
• Iroquois Constitution
• Jewett: “A White Heron”
• Crane: “The Open Boat”
• Emerson: from “Self Reliance” and “Nature”
• Thoreau: from “Walden”
• Dickinson and Whitman: Selected Poems
Politics and Voice:
• Equiano, Jacobs, Douglass: Slave narratives
• Declaration of Independence
• Petitions For Freedom
• “Rebellion on the Amistad”
• Thoreau: from “Civil Disobedience”
• King, Jr.: from “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
• Harlem Renaissance: Selected Poems
Overcoming Conflict:
• O’Connor: “Everything That Rises Must
Converge”
• Wilson: Fences
Final Exam:
Essay on Fences
Final Exam:
Essay on The Great Gatsby
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