Introduction:
This course is for talented English students who are able to learn in a fast-paced, demanding curriculum. Students will study pre-college writing skills and American literature. Students will study the significant contributions of writers viewed not only against the historical background of their time but also in terms of other works which deal with the same ides of freedom, self-reliance, individualism, romanticism, disillusionment, and hope. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions, read novels independently, deliver short oral reports, and write both personal and critical essays. The course will also focus on persuasive writing, expository writing and research skills. Major goals are for each student to strengthen a writing voice and develop a clear, concise prose style. Students will work in small groups, and time will be provided for individual conferences with the instructor.
Textbook — Elements of Literature: Essentials of American Literature from Holt, Rinehart, Winston
Course Standards may be found at http://www.state.tn.us/education/ci/cistandards2001/la/cila11.htm.
First Six Weeks
Composition overview: Review of The 6 Traits of Good Writing (nwrel.org); diagnostic persuasive timed essay; literary essay
Literature overview: American literature through 1800 (Elements of Literature, Collection 1); novel from American Classics list
Second Six Weeks
Composition overview: Practice timed essay, literary essay
Literature overview: American Romanticism 1800-1860(Elements of Literature, Collection 2); novel from Nonfiction list
Third Six Weeks
Composition overview: Practice timed essay, reflective essay with presentation
Literature overview: The Scarlet Letter, the poetry of Walt Whitman, the poetry of Emily Dickinson (Elements of Literature, Collection 3)
Fourth Six Weeks
Composition overview: Five practice timed essays (minimum)
Literature overview: Rise of Realism 1860-1914 (Elements of Literature, Collection 4); The Grapes of Wrath
Fifth Six Weeks
Composition overview: Research project
Literature overview: The Moderns, 1914-1939 (Elements of Literature, Collection 5)
Sixth Six Weeks
Composition overview: Analyzing and Using Media project, business project
Literature overview: Modern and Contemporary Literature 1914 to present (Elements of Literature, Collection 6); novel of choice
Standards and Grading
A: 93-100
Outstanding work in which the student has consistently exceeded the stated requirements and objectives
*Work demonstrates mastery of the objectives and effectively goes beyond the required boundaries of the assignment.
*Use of language is sophisticated, mature, and effective.
*Writer’s voice is strong, appropriate to topic and style, and has a strong sense of audience and purpose.
*Prose is generally free of conventions* errors.
B: 85-92
Effective work in which the student meets and sometimes exceeds the stated requirements and objectives
*Work demonstrates mastery of the objectives of the assignment.
*Use of language is effective and appropriate.
*Writer’s voice is clear, reasonably appropriate to topic and style, and displays an appropriate sense of audience and purpose.
*Prose is generally free of conventions errors.
C: 75-84
Adequate work in which the student meets stated requirements and objectives
*Work demonstrates adequate mastery of the objectives of the assignment.
*Use of language is usually effective and appropriate.
*Writer’s voice is inconsistently clear, at times appropriate to topic and style, and sometimes displays an appropriate sense of audience and purpose.
*Conventions errors are present but usually do not interfere with meaning.
D: 70-74
Inadequate work in which the student sometimes meets stated requirements and objectives
*Work demonstrates only partial mastery of the objectives of the assignment.
* Use of language is limited or inappropriate.
*Writer’s voice is weak, inappropriate to topic and style, and displays little sense of audience and purpose.
*Conventions errors are frequent and often interfere with meaning.
F: 0-69
Failing work in which the student does not meet stated requirements and objectives
*Work does not meet the objectives of the assignment.
*Use of language is fundamentally deficient.
*Writer’s voice is weak, inappropriate to topic and style, and displays little sense of audience and purpose.
*Conventions errors may be frequent and severe, often requiring decoding to determine meaning.
–The term conventions refers to grammar, usage, and mechanics in writing.
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