Wendy+W

A Field Guide ||  || This is a summary of Eleventh Grade Literature meant for both students and their parents. It contains essential information such as grading policies, what we will be studying, and what students need to do in order to succeed! || ||  __ Welcome Parents and Students! __  Hello! My name is Wendy Widener. I am pleased to announce that I am going to be your guide as we take a journey through the wonderful world of British and American Literature. I will warn you now that this mission is not for the faint of heart; if you are not willing to work to the best of your abilities and do your share, you may just fall behind and have to be rescued! Fortunately, there will be lots of fun as we travel along, with many chances for you to take the lead and teach me! Before we set out together, let me provide you with your roadmap. This is your reference guide for the trip from start to finish; if you lose it, it can be replaced, but you may have already taken an unexpected detour before you realize it is gone. Be careful! __Mission Objectives__ 1. Delve into literature from many different time periods. Students will have to really focus on their reading, because lots of it will be difficult to get through. I am here to answer questions and guide thinking-not think for you. You do not have to like everything that you read-feel free to voice your opinions. 2. Think critically about what it is that you are reading. Things are not always what they seem-your job is to see through the mask and uncover the meaning within. Keep in mind that with literature, there is seldom just one right answer. You are free to think for yourself as long as you can demonstrate how you arrived at that thought. 3. Write. There will be many opportunities for you to reflect on your journey, ask questions, and think through writing. These little jaunts will help me help you before you get lost or stranded, so please take them seriously. 4. Speak to your classmates about what you are thinking, discoveries you have made, and questions you have. Humans are the only creatures in the world (as far as we know) capable of intelligent speech; make the most of this gift and use it in a mature and respectful way. 5. Use technology to learn more about the world of literature and its inhabitants, and present your findings in an interesting and accurate way. 6. Be creative: I do not believe in giving many big scary tests that cover a lot of material. Instead, I will stop us at frequent checkpoints to make sure that everybody is still with us. At the end of each leg of our journey, you will have the opportunity to show what you have learned. Often this will be a project of your choosing. 7. Follow school rules: since these are in the school handbook, I will not outline them again here. 8. Be in class!! I will allow no more than 4 excused absences in a quarter or 2 unexcused absences. __ Guide to Grading __ This course is worth a total of 10,000 points, with each of our ten units worth 1,000 points. The unit breakdowns will be as follows: Attendance: 100 points Participation: 200 points Quizzes: 100 points Journal Entries: 150 points Vocabulary Logs: 50 points In-Class Activities: 200 points Final Project: 150 points Group Dynamics: 50 points I have fixed this so that no single assignment is worth so much that missing it or losing points will not lower your overall grade that much. Remember that these assignments will add up in terms of points, so please don’t miss too many! __ Basic Code of Conduct __ Students in this class are all mature enough that I should not have to remind them of these rules more than once or twice. I expect everyone to follow the following code of conduct; more than 3 infractions will result in a personal conference, followed by a phone call home, a meeting with the principal, detention, and suspension. I do not want to get to this point, and I will be in touch with parents if I think that things are getting out of hand. 1. Treat your classmates as you would have them treat you. 2. Use appropriate language at all times, including in written assignments and journals. 3. Participation is mandatory; you cannot just sit in your seat and stare. I expect you to be in the classroom both physically AND mentally. 4. All comments will be respectful-my classroom is a safe place for everyone to share. If you are doubtful if what you want to say is appropriate, say nothing. 5. Listen to your classmates with respect for their point of view. 6. Take turns when speaking during class discussion. 7. During group work, each of you must do your fair share. I will be checking to make sure that this is happening. 8. Do all assignments and turn them in on time. If there is something you cannot do or life just happens, please let me know so we can make arrangements. 9. If you are having personal or academic issues, please tell me. I cannot work with you if I do not know that something is wrong. 10. Do everything to the best of your ability. 11. Ask questions if you do not understand. These texts can be tricky even for an expert! __ Itinerary __ Unit One: Old English Texts: //Beowulf//, assorted poems Goals: Identify qualities of a hero, understand the elements of Old English poetry, write your own poem in the style of an Old English author, and relate the texts to historical facts. Unit Two: Middle English Texts: //The Canterbury Tales//-Geoffrey Chaucer, //Sir Gawain and the Green Knight// Goals: Identify qualities of a fun narrative, relate the material to historical text, be able to define some common Middle English words, talk about what elements of humor are common to our “tales” today, and read Middle English with only reference to modern translations. Unit Three: Elizabethan Times Texts: //A Midsummer Night’s Dream//, //Julius Caesar//, //Romeo and Juliet//, (Shakespeare) //Dr. Faustus//, (Marlowe) assorted sonnets Goals: Students will read these plays and poems with an eye towards how they still strike chords with us today. Students will be able to read aloud in class and appreciate the beauty of the language of Shakespeare and Marlowe. Students will learn the form of a sonnet and be able to write their own. Finally, students will compare/contrast the plays from one another. Unit Four: Early 19th Century: The Birth of Romantic Comedy  Texts: //Pride and Prejudice//-Jane Austen Goals: Students will be able to identify some of the key elements of romantic comedy, understand how it gives us a glimpse into how people lived in the past, and learn how it relates to our culture today. We will discuss the importance of language in establishing the mood of a text, and how writing can be used to convey many meanings, and also learn new vocabulary. Unit Five: Dark Comedy  Text: //A Christmas Carol//-Charles Dickens Goals: Students will be able to identify key plot elements of dark fiction, and compare/contrast this type of fiction to the type of romantic comedy written by Jane Austen. We will discuss vocabulary, the supernatural element, and why the message conveyed was largely hopeful. Unit Six: Historical Literature  Texts: In this unit, students will be able to select a text that they find interesting from a list I will give them. I will include books that tell stories from all eras. Some texts I may include are //The Other Boleyn Girl// –Phillipa Gregory; //The Once and Future King//- T.H. White; //The Pemberly Chronicles//-Rebecca Anne Collins, and several others. Goals: Students will learn to tell the difference between historical fiction and historical fantasy. The first of the texts listed above takes place at the court of King Henry VIII, and involves actual people. The second involves a king that may or may not be real along with several elements of fantasy, but the historical details about life in the Middle Ages are mostly accurate. The third is actually a set of 6 books that tell the story of //Pride and Prejudice// after the end of the actual book. Again, some characters may be made up, but they often interact with people and events that were real in ways that are historically accurate. Unit Seven: Colonial Literature in America  Text: //The Scarlett Letter// by Nathaniel Hawthorne Goals: Students will be able to identify similarities between American literature and its British siblings. They will learn new vocabulary, and be able to tie elements of the story into their proper historical contexts. The supernatural element present in Dickens is also present in this story, though in a different and more subtle fashion. Unit Eight: Transcendental Literature  Text: //Walden//-Henry David Thoreau Goals: Students will connect Thoreau’s writings about the importance of nature with current thought about humans’ relationship with the environment. His motto “simplify” will be applied to our classroom as much as possible-during this unit we will focus on keeping our materials basic in an attempt to put more emphasis on conversation and thought. We will get acquainted with the language of Thoreau’s time, and gain an appreciation for the beauty of it. Unit Nine: The Depression  Texts: //The Wizard of Oz//-Frank L. Baum & //The Grapes of Wrath//-John Steinbeck Goals: Students will be able to spot satire in the first story, and learn how to make connections between fiction and the world that gives birth to it. Together, we will work through both of these rather difficult texts to see how symbolism is an important element in many narratives. At the end of the unit, students will write their own stories which include elements of satire and/or symbolism. In our troubled economic times, we will also learn that some literature withstands the test of time simply because history tends to keep repeating itself. Unit Ten: Fantasy in Literature  Texts: Again, students will select a text from a list I will supply. I enjoy fantasy literature, so almost all of the titles I will include on the list will be favorites of mine. Works may include: //Harry Potter//-J. K. Rowling; //The Lord of the Rings//-J. R. R. Tolkien; //The Chronicles of Narnia//-C. S. Lewis. Goals: Students will be able to identify the different types of fantasy, and the common elements that almost all fantasy stories share. We will discuss things such as the hero journey, plot development, and the things that fantasy can tell us about our own world. Students will write their own fantasy story inspired by something that they have read. __ Things to Think About __ The texts I have chosen from both Britain and the United States encompass many different eras, schools of thought, and subject areas. All of them present ample opportunities to think about and discuss 7 key components. These elements interact both the author and each other to form the style, plot, theme, and details of a story. 1. Story-Telling 2. Vocabulary 3. Language 4. Class Relations 5. Gender 6. Morality 7. History
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 * British and American Literature ** ||
 * Wendy Widener ** ||
 * Fall 2009 ** ||
 * Fall 2009 ** ||
 * Fall 2009 ** ||