Syllabi: 12Th Grade IB World Literature

Syllabi: 12th grade IB World Literature

Lake Weir High School

Teacher: Kathleen Williams Phone #: (352) 671-4820

E-mail:

Course Description:

This is the second year of a two-year Higher Level course that fulfills the literature requirements for the International Baccalaureate program. This course encourages students to see literary works as art and their authors as craftsmen whose writing methods can be analyzed in a variety of ways and on a number of levels. This is achieved through the emphasis placed on exploring the means used by different authors to convey their subjects in the works studied. In view of the international nature of the International Baccalaureate Organization, this course will incorporate works from a variety of genres, authors, time periods, and cultures/countries. The study of world literature fosters a global perspective and enriches the international awareness of IB students in order to develop understanding, awareness, tolerance, empathy, and a genuine respect for the variety of differing perspectives worldwide.

Course Aims:

·  encourage a personal appreciation of literature and develop an understanding of the techniques involved in literary criticism;

·  develop the students’ powers of expression, both in oral and written communication, and provide the opportunity of practicing and developing the skills involved in writing and speaking in a variety of styles and situations;

·  introduce students to a range of literary works of different periods, genres, styles, and languages;

·  broaden the students’ perspective through the study of works from other cultures and languages;

·  introduce students to ways of approaching and studying literature, leading to the development of an understanding and appreciation of the relationships between different works;

·  develop the ability to engage in close, detailed analysis of written text;

·  promote in students an enjoyment of, and lifelong interest in, literature.

Binder: You will need a binder in which you will keep: Journals, Notes, Rubrics/Tips, Supplementary Texts, & Your Writings

Grading Criteria:

Tests/Formal Writings/Quizzes: 50%

Classwork/Daily Work: 40%

Homework: 10%

All formal writing assignments will be graded based on IB Rubrics and will be required to be typed and formatted according to IB specifications. All formal writing assignments which are typed will also be submitted to TurnItIn.com to verify authenticity and originality of the work. Tests and quizzes may take many forms aside from the traditional essays/papers, including but not limited to: oral exams, presentations, creative writing assignments, reading checks, vocabulary, etc.

Classroom Rules/Procedures:

Perseverance / ·  Finish assignments, even when they’re difficult
·  Work for improvement, not perfection
·  Focus on priorities, not distractions
Respect / ·  Speak and act politely
·  Cooperate in groups
·  Respect others’ personal space and belongings
Integrity / ·  Do your own work
·  Use sources honestly
·  Encourage others to right their wrongs
Dependability / ·  Arrive on time
·  Prepare for class
·  Honor due dates
Excellence / ·  Share your gifts with others in & out of class
·  Encourage others whom you see struggling
·  Develop your talents; strengthen your weaknesses
·  Accept help gracefully

IB Learner Profile:

•  The profile aims to develop learners who are:

–  Inquirers

–  Knowledgeable

–  Thinkers

–  Communicators

–  Principled

–  Open-minded

–  Caring

–  Risk-takers

–  Balanced

–  Reflective

The goal of my course is to use literature as a means of exploring various perspectives, and translating this understanding into empathy for multiple points of view. Ultimately IB wants to see you embrace the subtlety and nuance of life, recognize the fallacy of an absolute binary, and cultivate understanding of all the grey areas along the moral and social spectrum. In order to satisfactorily achieve this goal you will need to exemplify the elements of the learner profile.

Text List by Part:

All texts we will be reading this year will be available from the school via the bookroom. While we will have school copies of each text, I STRONGLY recommend that you purchase your own copies of each text. It will be much easier to annotate in your own book. A few of the texts are old enough to be in the public domain, and so you can find the full text online for free. You could then print out a copy of these texts. However, you must have a physical copy of each text to work with in class. I will provide you with the poems and short stories.

**IB World Literature is made up of 4 parts total, 2 your Junior year and 2 your Senior year. For your 12th grade year we will be doing Part 2 (Detail Study), which has an Individual Oral Commentary as the IB Assignment component and Part 3 (Genre study), which has a Written Exam in 2 parts words as the IB Assignment component.

Part 2 (Detail Study) Semester 1 IB Assignment: Individual Oral Commentary
Title / Author / Genre / Place / Time Period
Why We Can’t Wait / Martin Luther King Jr. / Novel / USA / C20
*Poems / Nikki Giovanni / Poetry / USA / C20
Pygmalion / Shaw / Drama / Europe / C19
Part 3 (Genre Study) Semester 2 IB Assignment: Written Exam
Title / Author / Genre / Place / Time Period
Cat’s Cradle / Vonnegut / Novel / USA / C20
Disgrace / Coetzee / Novel / Africa / C20
The Bluest Eye / Morrison / Novel / USA / C20
Short Stories / Kate Chopin / Short Stories / USA / C19

Notes on Parts to be Studied and IB Assignments:

Part 2 Semester1

This is your Detail Study and leads to your Individual Oral Commentary (IOC). This commentary is a close detailed analysis of writing, genre, and style. The focus is on an understanding of what is being said and how the author is saying things. You must show knowledge of:

-  Technique - Style - Devices - Tone

-  Structure - Poetic constructs - Rhyme/Rhythm

Study of 3 Works:

-  Why We Can’t Wait (Martin Luther King Jr.) Non-Fiction

-  Poetry of Nikki Giovanni

-  Pygmalion (George Bernard Shaw) Drama

IB Assignment: Individual Oral Commentary

The Individual Oral Commentary requires you to speak for a total of 20 minutes. The 1st ten minutes will be focused on a poem by the poet we have studied in class and the second ten minutes will focus on one of the two other texts studied in this part. These will be recorded and sent to IB for scoring.

Poetry Commentary:

·  You will have one poem and scratch paper

·  You will have 20 minutes to prepare and brainstorm/outline

·  You will come in with me and begin explicating the poem

·  I will begin questioning you about the poem after 7-8 minutes

·  You may not talk for more than 10 minutes

Text Commentary:

·  You will then have to transition into answering questions about one of the other 2 works we have studied

·  You will not know which text we will be discussing in advance

·  You will have no time to prepare for this portion of the commentary

·  I will be asking you questions about the text and you will need to be specific and detailed in your answers

Note:

You will need to discuss in detail the language, devices, structure, and conventions of the texts. Make specific references to the text (if possible provide direct quotation). Do not summarize the text. Provide analysis and give evidence to support your claims.

Also: If you fail to complete either IA (Internal Assessment) for this course (IOP or IOC) or any other course you will be unable to receive an IB diploma and thus removed from the program.

Part 3 Semester2

This is your Genre Study and leads to your Paper 2 Written Exams. We will be studying the genre of Novel/Short Stories. Each of the 4 works we will study provide examples of the conventions which govern this genre. You will be expected to understand and explore the themes, language, writing styles, linguistic choices, historical and cultural contexts, and social commentary present in each text, as well as compare and contrast the 4 texts using these features.

Study of 4 Works:

-  Cat’s Cradle (Vonnegut)

-  Disgrace (Coetzee)

-  The Bluest Eye (Morrison)

-  Kate Chopin Short Stories:

·  Desiree’s Baby

·  A Gentleman of Bayou Teche

·  A Respectable Woman

·  The Story of an Hour

·  A Pair of Silk Stockings

IB Assignment: Paper 2 Written Exams

Your Paper 2 consists of 2 sessions of writing for 120 minutes each.

1st Session: Unseen Commentary

·  You will have 2 texts, one a short piece of prose and one poem

·  You may choose which piece you want to write on

·  You must address the style, language, devices, structure, conventions, etc

·  Your writing must be cohesive and organized

·  Quote from the text and substantiate your argument with evidence

·  The essay should be lengthy

·  Make use of all of your given time

2nd Session: 2 Studied Works from Part 3

·  You will have 3 or 4 prompts for the genre we studied (Be sure to choose a prompt for the Novel/Short Story Genre!!! There will be prompts for other genres also, DO NOT USE THOSE!)

·  You must address the chosen prompt using 2 of the works we studied in Part 3 (Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, Coetzee’s Disgrace, Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, or Chopin)

·  You must be sure to address every part of the prompt’s question (do not leave any element of the question unanswered)

·  Be explicit and detailed

·  Use quotations from the text and make specific references to evidence to support your claims

Note on the Selected Texts:

IB calls for the reading of important texts which have been the subject of substantial literary criticism. The texts selected for this course are widely considered to be of literary merit and represent the difficulty level in both style and content of which you will be expect to respond at the collegiate level. As a result all of the selected texts are works of social commentary and thus grapple with difficult issues. Although some of the subject matter may be controversial or uncomfortable to contemplate, you are expected to read these works for consideration of the social critiques and commentary the author is providing, and your discussion of the works should reflect and expand on this spirit of honest, frank, and constructive discourse. The content is intended as a catalyst for learning and dissecting the cultural, social, and historical reasons for the problems depicted in the texts, as well as positing and synthesizing creative solutions. The issues being dealt with in each text are relevant and provide the opportunity for rich analysis. It is the intention of IB to provide knowledge in a worldly context and encourage students to engage and expand understanding in the university mold. The pursuit and achievement of these goals is the purpose of this course.

Note on Discussions:

In the classroom we will discuss for the purpose of exploring a wide variety ideas and expanding our thinking. We do not discuss to be right or win the argument; we discuss to seek truth and possibilities. Students will be encouraged to make an argument and then change their mind or evolve their positions. Students should never be tied-down by or pigeon-holed by their original stance on an issue. Also understand that positions will be taken for the purpose of playing devil’s advocate which will not necessarily reflect the student’s actual beliefs. No judgments will be made or aspersions cast at another for voicing their opinion. Be prepared to be questioned as well as to substantiate and elaborate on your arguments. Please be passionate, creative, and fearless in your positions.

Note on Grading:

This is a class which will have mostly A’s and B’s, some C’s, and very few D’s and F’s (hopefully). My goal is for your GPA to reflect your work ethic. However, it is vital that you understand this: your grade in my class will not necessarily indicate how you will score on the formal submissions which are scored independently by IB. My grade will include many elements which will not be clearly or fully reflected in your formal IB submissions, such as: your participation in discussion, the strength and adaptability of your work with the advantage of editing, performance on vocabulary and reading quizzes, text annotations, and your overall diligence as a student. Your IB submissions which allow you to accumulate points towards your IB diploma will be read by scorers who do not have the advantage of knowing you personally. They will issue scores based on a tiny sample of your work. The goal of this course is to prepare you to submit work of the highest possible quality to IB to accrue the greatest number of points possible. However, your grade in my class will be an assessment of your journey as well as that final product. Hopefully your evolution will be an opportunity to reward your achievements and benefit both your grade and GPA regardless of your IB scores.