11th Syllabus Lock

Dr. Jenny Lock

Murray County High School
Work # 695-1414 ext 6224
email: [email protected]

11^th Grade American Literature

Course Syllabus

Expectations and Procedures for American Literature

Course Description: This course will consist of five major areas: Writing, Grammar, Literature, Vocabulary, and Research. The following is an outline of the units that will be covered.

Unit 1: So How are You Going to Convince Me?: Persuasive/Argumentative Writing – Beginning with the paragraph, students will learn to write using quality ideas, organization, style, and conventions. The Georgia High School Writing Test is just around the corner (Oct 3^rd), so for the first few weeks, we will be focusing exclusively on persuasive and argumentative writing techniques and timed essays.

Unit 2: Revolutionary Ideas for a Revolutionary People (1600-1800): Puritan & Colonial Period - A look back at the literature of the first settlers of the American colonies through the period of the American Revolution.

Unit 3: A National Literature Develops (1800-1860): Early Romantics/Transcendentalists - A look at some of the first widely recognized literature and philosophy of a new nation.

Unit 4: The Dark Side & Poetry that Broke the Rules: Gothic Literature and New Poetry - A study of the darker side of human imagination and unconventional poetry changes verse forever.

Unit 5: “…and you can quote me on that!”: The Research Paper - You will be assigned an author, research his or her life and accomplishments, organize and put your information into a paper, and present that information to the class via PowerPoint. You will be required to create note cards, use quotes, and have a works cited page.

Unit 6: A Nation Divided by War (1850-1910): Realism & Naturalism - A look at the Civil War and how it changed the nation and its literature.

Unit 7: Modernism – (1900-1950) Notable writers include John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Willa Cather, Eudora Welty, Robert Frost, and Langston Hughes

Unit 8: Postmodernism/Drama – (1950 - Present) Notable writers include Robert Lowell, Donald Barthelme, John Updike, Julia Alvarez, Anne Sexton, N. Scott Momaday, Amy Tan, Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison

Vocabulary/Spelling: You will have a vocabulary quiz each week.

Grading: Please see below. Students will have to take a final exam if they do not qualify for exemption. The final exam in this class will be comprehensive.

Assignments	Percentage of Grade
- Daily Grades/Homework	10%
- Quizzes and Tests	40%
- Essays/Projects	10%
- Research	10%
- Final Exam	10%
- EOCT	15%
- Benchmarks	5%

Testing: End of Course Testing is required by the state of Georgia in English, and it will make up 15% of your cumulative grade. This test will be administered at the end of the year in May. The Georgia High School Writing Assessment will be administered Oct 3. Benchmark tests (pre/post-tests) will also be given throughout the semester.

Class Materials: loose-leaf notebook paper, blue/black ink pens, pencils, issued textbook, and novels, 3”x5” note cards (for research), and Post-It flags (to mark places in novels).

Rules/ Expectations:

Come to class prepared:
1. Literature book or assigned novels
2. Loose Leaf Notebook Paper
3. Blue or Black Ink Pens (All writing assignments must be done in blue/black ink or pencil; 10 points will be deducted for noncompliance)
4. Assignments/Homework – Everyone should expect to work bell to bell in this class. Honors: Expect to read outside of class on a consistent basis.

Late Work:

1. For each day an assignment is late (without an excused absence) 10 points will be deducted from its final grade.

Be ON TIME for class: In seat, working on board work when bell rings.

1. Tardies will be assigned lunch detention.

D. Be respectful at all times: (Some Examples)

While I am addressing the class, please pay close attention. I do not enjoy repeating myself.
Please do not get up move about the room while I am addressing the class.
Always, always come to class prepared, awake, and attentive.
Ask permission to use items on or around my desk (stapler, tape, etc).
In summary, please be respectful toward one another and me.

E. English class is for English only! It is not a place to…

Socialize: Extra assignments will magically appear for you to complete.
Sleep: While sleep is extremely important, this class is not your complementary hotel suite.
Write letters/notes: These will be saved to show your parents during conferences.
Listen to Music/Play with Cell Phones or Games: The bottom line is that if I see it out, it becomes the property of the school until you can work it out with the office/Thornbury.
Complete other work: Believe me, I can help out if you need extra work.

F. Cleanliness

Please treat this classroom as if it was your personal property. Do not abuse furniture, write on desks, leave trash in the room, or disrespect the school’s property in any way.

G. Cheating/Plagiarism

Cheating is an extremely serious offense. Anyone caught cheating will be given a zero on the assignment without opportunity for a makeup.
Plagiarism is also a very serious offense, and it is simply just another form of cheating. Copying information from sources without citing the author is prohibited. Copying and using work produced by other students (or allowing another to copy one’s work) will result in a zero for both parties.

Other Policies:

A. Make-Up Work: According to the student handbook, students may only make-up work in the instance of an excused absence. A parent note will suffice for an excused absence only 3 times per semester, and only if this note is turned in within 5 days of the absence. A doctor’s note (or note from court or death in the family) is required for all subsequent absences. To make up one’s work, the student must see me before or after class. Then, he or she will need to sign up on the dry-erase calendar for a time to come in and complete the missed assignments or assessments (either before or after school). Students will NOT be allowed to make up the work without making an appointment on the make up board. Failure to appear for your scheduled make up time will result in a zero for the work. However, if you sign up for a time to make up an assignment, and I do not show, then you will receive a 100 on that assignment.

B. Bathroom Passes: A student must make every attempt to use the restroom between classes. No bathroom breaks will be allowed during the first 15 minutes of class.

C. Extra Credit: Good attendance and punctuality in class are strongly encouraged, and both qualities directly impact your ability to succeed in my class. If any student has 3 or fewer absences during the year, they will receive one bonus point added to their final average. If any student has 2 or fewer tardies during the year, they will also receive one bonus point added to their final average.

***See student handbook for remaining Procedures and Policies.

Detach this part of the page from your syllabus, sign it, and take it home for your parents to sign.

- I understand these classroom procedures and expectations, and I will follow them at all times while in Dr. Lock’s English class.

_______________________ _______________________ __/__/__

(Student’s Name [print]) (Student’s Signature) (Date)

_______________________ _______________________ __/__/__

(Parent’s Name [print]) (Parent’s Signature) (Date)

parents’ email address: ____________________________________

DMU Timestamp: June 16, 2013 21:32