Introduction to American Literature (English III/CWI Dual Credit Course) 2015-2016

Introduction to American Literature (English III/CWI dual credit course) 2015-2016

Quarter One – August 25-October 15

Content/Units / Skills / Assessments / Standards
(Common Core)
Yearlong: Journal writing, sentence corrections, and other bell ringer activities
Yearlong: Reading, Discussions, Writings, Presentations, Research, Analysis, Synthesis, Technology
Yearlong: Vocabulary exercises and tests (10 words per week, test on Friday); literary terms
Question: What does it mean to be an American?
Week 1:
Introductions
Class routines and procedures
Pre-test
Photo Pieces Observation
Essay on Being an American; orientation to dual credit course / Communication
Observing photographs and writing and discussing them / Pretest on literature, vocab, grammar & writing; essay #1 (argument) / CCSS Writing: text types, explanatory, descriptive, range
CCSS Speaking & Listening: participate, present, respond, adapt
CCSS Language: conventions of English, language contexts
Unit 1: Early American Ideas
Read “Emerging Nation; Make “matrix notes on the essay; Research history; read historical narratives (Bradford, Equiano); watch documentary / Strategies for reading primary sources, analyze persuasive techniques and rhetorical devices
Analyze elements of an argument; write narrative / Test and quizzes; written responses; notes; narrative, discussion / CCSS Reading: key ideas and details, structure, analysis, range, inferences
CCSS Writing: arguments, claims, clauses, informative, narrative, research
CCSS Speaking & Listening: participate, present, respond, adapt
CCSS Language: conventions of English, language contexts
Grammar: Review punctuation, capitalization, and modifiers / Conventions of writing; phrases; sentence correction / Quizzes
Writing demonstrates mastery / CCSS Language: conventions of English
Question: How do early American ideas and values influence us now?
Unit 2: Historic Themes and Values
Read Arthur Miller’s The Crucible; research historic topics; make presentations; watch movie, write a modern scene
NOTE: This is a long unit and may finish during Quarter 2. / Reading drama; media study;
Understanding historical context; writing; research; / Test and quizzes; team debate; presentation on historical context; essay #2 on themes in Crucible (literary analysis) / CCSS Reading: textual evidence, analysis, craft, source material, range, drama, themes
CCSS Writing: arguments, claims, informative, research, play, organize complex ideas
CCSS Speaking & Listening: collaborative learning, present, respond, adapt, role-play
CCSS Language: conventions of English, academic vocabulary, figurative language, style
Book presentations
Note: During the year, there are two book presentations. Students can select from a list of great American novels or find their own “great” novel (with permission). / Student select and read great American novel, presentation / Presentation
Written summary / CCSS Reading: textual evidence, analysis, craft, range, novel, themes, interpretations, knowledge of 18th, 19th, or 20th century lit.
CCSS Writing: arguments, claims, informative,
CCSS Speaking & Listening: present, respond
CCSS Language: conventions of English

Quarter Two – October 16-December 18

Content/Units / Skills / Assessments / Standards
Yearlong: Journal writing, sentence corrections, and other bell ringer activities
Yearlong: Reading, Discussions, Writings, Presentations, Research, Analysis, Synthesis, Technology
Yearlong: Vocabulary exercises and tests (10 words per week, test on Friday), literary terms
Question: What are contemporary American values? Where did they come from?
Unit 3: American Rhetoric and Civil Rights
Reading and listening to great American speeches, analyze multiple sources, watch documentary; media study on The Butler / Reading/listening; analyzing documentary and movie; research civil rights in the US; deliver formal speech on civil rights, use of rhetorical devices for persuasion / Presentation, analyses, summaries, tests / CCSS Reading: analyze U.S. documents, textual evidence, point of view, comparing texts, central ideas, integrate multiple sources
CCSS Writing: arguments, claims, informative, persuasive, formal style, research multiple sources
CCSS Speaking & Listening: collaborative learning, present, evaluate, adapt
CCSS Language: conventions of English, descriptive writing, figurative language, rhetorical techniques in speech and writing
Grammar: Phrases, Using Modifiers and Verbs; paragraph structure
NOTE: This will be personalized by offering Gooru collections and other online resources. / Exercises and short written assignments / Quizzes, Demonstrates mastery in writing / CCSS Language: conventions of English, descriptive writing, figurative language, rhetorical techniques in speech and writing
Question: Who are the optimists and who are the pessimists in America? Do we have conflicting values?
Unit 4.a: Competing values in 19th century America
Romanticism and Satire in the Devil and Tom Walker / Understanding the literary movements of Romanticism, transcendentalism, satire, poetry, and gothic / Test of comprehension, create art to represent the elements of Romanticism, poem or short story writing / CCSS Reading: textual evidence, analysis, interpretation, themes, craft, structure, knowledge of 19th century lit.
CCSS Writing: arguments, claims, informative, research, organize complex ideas
CCSS Speaking & Listening: collaborative learning, present, evaluate, adapt
CCSS Language: conventions of English, descriptive writing, figurative language
Unit 4.b: Transcendentalism
essays by Emerson and Thoreau / Understand transcendentalism as a literary and intellectual movement, a philosophy, evaluate devices to create mood, sound, and imagery / Test of comprehension, debate on benefits or problems of transcendentalism,
Creation of poster to persuade audience to live like Thoreau / CCSS Reading: textual evidence, analysis, interpretation, themes, craft, structure, knowledge of 19th century lit., essays
CCSS Writing: arguments, claims, informative, research, organize complex ideas, visual media
CCSS Speaking & Listening: collaborative learning, discussion, synthesis
CCSS Language: conventions of English, descriptive writing, figurative language
Unit 4.c: 19th Century Poetry
Longfellow, Whitman, Dickenson and others / Compare poetics in 18th century, analyze themes, authors point of view, American poetry, discuss optimism, author point of view
Write a poem / Tests, discussion, short responses to poems, poem, SBAC form of assessment / CCSS Reading: textual evidence, analysis, interpretation, themes, craft, structure, knowledge of 19th century lit., poems,
CCSS Writing: arguments, research, organize complex ideas, visual media, creativity
CCSS Speaking & Listening: collaborative learning, discussion, synthesis
CCSS Language: conventions of English, descriptive writing, figurative language, poetic forms
Unit 4.d: American Gothic
Fall of the House of Usher and the Tell Tale Heart
Comparison to Hawthorne and Stephen King / Poetic and literary devices, rhetorical questions, themes; analyzing characters, write short story in gothic style
Explore the question of why we like to be scared
Media study: compare horror movies (old and new) / Create short story in style of gothic lit., test / CCSS Reading: textual evidence, analysis, interpretation, themes, craft, structure, knowledge of 19th century lit., short story,
CCSS Writing: arguments, research, organize complex ideas, media, creativity
CCSS Speaking & Listening: collaborative learning, discussion, synthesis
CCSS Language: conventions of English, descriptive writing, figurative language, style

Quarter Three – January 4-March 10

Quarter Four – March 11-May 27

Other optional units (if time allows):

· African American Writings and Issues

· Issues of Immigration

· Journalism – do reporters have too much influence?

· Conflict in our town, the US, or abroad – how do we handle conflict?