COURSE SYLLABUS AMERICAN LITERATURE

2017-2018

Mrs. Amanda Jenrich

Contact Information:

Phone number: 269-381-2646 ext. 131

Email address:

Website information:

Go to School Staff and click on Jenrich, Amanda

Required Texts and Materials

Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: The American Experience

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Our Town by Thornton Wilder

When the Emperor was Divineby Julie Otsuka

Notebook for taking notes

Writing utensils

A 1 ½ inch binder

Loose leaf paper or you may get a spiral to fit in the binder

Dividers for five sections

Sections of the binder:

Warm-Ups

Notes/Handouts

Vocabulary

Tests and Quizzes

Homework

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is a survey of American Literature from the pre-colonial period through the Modern era. It begins with some of the first written narratives of discovery and settlement, and stretches to the fiction and poetry of the Modern era. Along with studying numerous different genres of literature such as short stories, essays, poetry, and novels, we will also study important literary terms, American history, and techniques of literary analysis. We will primarily study written materials, but we will also explore sermons and other art forms such as illustrations and songs.

COURSE OBJECTIVE

The main objective of this course is to develop an understanding of American history through the accounts of fiction and nonfiction writers.

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS

Each student is expected to be respectful of himself/herself and to show that same kind of respect to others. The expectation is that each student will work to the best of his/her ability. This class is not designed to be a race to the finish, but rather a meaningful journey during which students become successful learners. So, in class, please:

  1. Be kind.
  2. Show respect for peers, staff, guests, the building, and self.
  3. Be on time and prepared for class.
  4. Remain seated until given permission to leave your desk.
  5. Raise your hand to be given permission to speak.
  6. Dispose of any beverage other than water before class.
  7. Bathroom breaks are limited. Please use the facilities either before or after class.
  8. Dress code will be strictly enforced.
  9. No cell phones or i-pods allowed.
  10. No plagiarism. This could result in an “F” on a paper.

A weekly schedule will be displayed in the classroom for students. Parents and students can access daily work and any homework via my website. If a student does not complete the work in class, it becomes homework unless otherwise stated.

CONSEQUENCES

An infraction of any of the school rules will generally result in the following disciplinary steps:

First offense: Warning

Second offense: Second Warning

Third offense: Discipline notification and 20-minute detention.

Fourth offense:Discipline notification and 30-minute detention.

Fifth offense:Discipline notification, 30-minute detention, and referral to the dean of students

A serious infraction may warrant immediate attention and could result in demerits, detention, and/or parent contact without the customary warning.

Detentions will all be served after school and discipline form must accompany the student to detention, complete with a parent signature.

TARDINESS

The HCP tardy policy states: “Students who are not in their seat when the bell rings will be marked tardy. After three tardies, students will be given an “absent tardy.” On the third tardy and every tardy after, students will receive a detention. Excessive tardiness will result in the loss of credit.”

ABSENCES

Students who know in advance they will be absent (vacation, sports, college visits, etc.) should notify me before they leave in order to obtain the assignments and notes they will miss. Please also use your resources to stay on top of assignments. Assignments are posted online with notes and/or handouts along with a list of tasks missed in class found on the calendar.

MAKE-UP WORK

It is your responsibility to make up work when you are absent. Assignments are to be turned in within two days of an absence unless you had the assignment prior to being absent. Make-up tests may be taken within two days of the test and only after school. In dire emergency, arrangements may be made for early morning or lunch make-up. Always check the website for information regarding any missed assignments.

LATE WORK POLICY

Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Any assignment turned in after the beginning of class will be considered late. Daily assignments will be accepted after the due date for up to 50% credit. Assignments will not be accepted after the chapter/unit assessment of the material, as determined by the teacher.

Large scale projects, reports, and papers will see a 10% reduction in the maximum grade for each day late, up to 5 days (maximum credit of 50%). These assignments will not be accepted 2 weeks after the due date (or end of marking period—whichever comes first).

RETAKES

In this course, it is important to learn the material to the best of your ability before the assessment. I am often available before or after school for extra help and to answer questions. Therefore, if you feel that you deserve an opportunity to retake a test or rewrite an essay, you must speak with me about that opportunity first at an appropriate time. You will not always be guaranteed a retake. However, if you are granted the opportunity, you will need to follow the below requirements to prove mastery:

  1. Attend one hour of NHS Tutoring in which you are tutored on the material that was not mastered. You will receive a form from your teacher that must be signed by the NHS tutor.
  2. Complete test corrections in which you write out the correct answer and why it was originally incorrect. These must be written out in complete sentences, in depth, in order to be re-assesed.
  3. Come in to re-take the test. When you come for the re-take, you must bring in your original test, test corrections, and signed form from the tutor session. The test will be in an essay format, written during a 40-50 minute allotment at the teacher’s choosing. The essay will cover the period in which the test covered.

Since the retake process can be a lengthy one, it is important to do all that you can before the assessment.

GRADING

Please note that the grades are weighted so calculating the grade out of points will not give you an accurate grade.

Formative:

Vocabulary: 5%

Minor Assignments: 25%

Summative:

Tests and Quizzes: 35%

Essays and Projects: 35%

Semester grades will be determined by averaging the marking grades plus the final exam grade. The semester grade is based on the following:

First Marking Period: 40%

Second Marking Period: 40%

Semester Exam: 20%

MODES OF INSTRUCTION: Discussion, group work, in-class activities, participation, and lecture

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism means taking someone else’s work and claiming that it is yours. Cheating counts as plagiarism. In the event of plagiarism, a student will receive a “0” on that particular quiz, test, assignment or project. This includes and is not limited to:

-Copying other students’ work

-Copying outside resources for any assignment, paper, or project

-Failure to cite sources

-Giving or receiving answers to tests and quizzes

ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS

Students are expected to complete all assigned work prior to coming to class. All of the assignments and notes will be posted online, so please check the website especially when absent. Since this class covers such a large volume of work, students will be required to keep up on readings and complete each reading in a thoughtful manner. Students should also expect homework on a nightly basis.

Students will be required to take their own notes while reading the homework as well as taking teacher delivered notes from an outline in class. Students will also be required to participate in the discussions concerning the material in class.

There will be weekly vocabulary quizzes on Fridays. (This is subject to change due to shortened weeks.)

Vocabulary assignments consist of ten to twenty words that the students are assigned the weekend before they are due. Vocabulary is due on Tuesdays in which students must identify the part of speech, write a complete definition for each word, and utilize the word in a logical sentence. The words must be defined, if they are not in one dictionary, students are encouraged to look them up in others. When using the internet, use several sources to check on the definition since sites can often be incorrect.

Major tests will be on each completed section of the book.

COMMUNICATION

Communication with parents is vital to the success of a student. E-mail is the easiest and quickest way to contact me and for me to contact you. I will be in contact with parents if I have any concerns. If you wish to meet with me in person, please e-mail me or leave a voicemail message and we can schedule a meeting.

COURSE OUTLINE

The following list is the tentative order of the areas in which we will study throughout this course:

First Semester:

  1. Summer Reading (The House on Mango Street)
  2. Native American Literature and Exploration Narratives
  3. Puritans and The Crucible
  4. Revolutionary Writing

Second Semester:

  1. The Romantic Period & American Gothic
  2. Transcendentalism
  3. Civil War
  4. Huckleberry Finn
  5. Early 20th Century, Realism, and Our Town
  6. Modernism and When the Emperor was Divine
  7. The Harlem Renaissance and A Raisin in the Sun

There may be reading check quizzes on the readings. At the beginning of each week, I will tell you the days upon which you must have certain works read.

I am looking forward to a bright and successful school year!

Please sign and detach the portion below. This is due by Monday, August 28.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I, ______(student signature), have read and understand the course description and expectations as detailed in the course syllabus.

I, ______(parent/guardian signature), have read over my child’s course syllabus and understand what is expected of my child.

Parents/guardians, please provide a phone number and email where I may best reach you. Thank you!

Parent/Guardian Name(s): ______

Parent/Guardian Phone Number: ______Email:______