American Literature Course Description

After focusing extensively in grades 9 and 10 on the stories that define people across
time and place, students focus in 11th grade American Literature will shift to the
story of our society. The essential questions in American Literature will be: How is
reading American literature relevant to our lives as American citizens? and What does it mean to
be an American? Having explored a wide variety of texts in Grades 9 and 10 with a
focus on close reading, analysis, and thematic understanding, students should have a
ready foundation for considering the complex texts and ideas they will encounter in
American Literature. Specifically, students will examine what our literary history
tells us about changes in our society and the people who live here, shifting social
values, emerging social movements, and ongoing struggles.

The course will take a largely chronological perspective that corresponds closely to
American History. American Literature students will employ strong, thorough, and
explicit textual evidence in their literary analyses and technical research. They will
understand the development of multiple ideas through details and structure and
track the development of complex characters and advanced elements of plot such as
frame narratives and parallel storylines. The literary and informational texts that
students will read in the course reflect the following 3 key shifts:

Complexity: The standards require regular practice with complex text and its
academic language.
Evidence: The standards emphasize reading and writing grounded in evidence from
text, both literary and informational.
Knowledge: The standards require building knowledge through content rich nonfiction.

Student writing will reflect the ability to argue effectively, employing the structure,
evidence, and rhetoric necessary in the composition of effective, argumentative
writing. Students will be able to construct college-ready research papers of
significant length in accordance with the guidelines of standard format styles such as
MLA. Students in high school will have built strong and varied vocabularies across
multiple content areas, including technical subjects. They will skillfully employ
rhetoric and figurative language, purposefully construct tone and mood, and identify
lapses in reason or ambiguities in texts. Students will recognize nuances of meaning
imparted by mode of presentation, whether it is live drama, spoken word, digital
media, film, dance, or fine art. Confident familiarity with important foundational
documents from American history and from the development of literature over time
will accrue before the end of grade 12.

This course has a mandatory 11th Grade EOC Georgia Milestone Assessment at the
end of the school year.

American
Literature

Room
212

JHS

EXCELLENCE IS THE NEW EXPECTATION!

Ms. Sasser
Email: shaunice.sasser@clayton.k12.ga.us
Website: iteachscholars-jhs.weebly.com

Daily Materials
Three-ring binder (1)
College-ruled notebook paper
Highlighters (multi color)
Pack of divers (Dailies,
Graded Work, Writing
Portfolio, Notes, Playlist)
HM Collections Textbook
HM Close Reader
HM Performance Practice
Assessment
Blue/Black Ink Pens
Pencils
QR Code Reader on Phone
Internet Access (Computers

available BEFORE and AFTER school by

appointment ONLY!)

Grades
Tests

HW
Projects

CW
Final

Quizzes

Expectations
Students are expected to arrive to class on
time and prepared to learn. (Please bring
the necessary supplies and homework to
class each day).
Students are expected to respect others by
not talking when the teacher is talking or
other students are talking, avoiding
personal grooming (No scented lotions,
brushing hair and/or spraying perfume),
eliminating vulgar language and wearing
appropriate attire.
Students are expected to complete all
required assignments to the best of their
ability by the due date.
Students are expected to avoid using
excuses and instead use their time in class
wisely.
Students are expected to eliminate ALL
digital distractions unless directed by
teacher.
Students are expected to avoid brining food
or drinks into the classroom at ALL times.
Students are expected to give 100% effort
100% of the time.
Students are expected to have an
Edmodo.com account!

Classwork
Tests
Homework
Quizzes
Projects
Final Exam/EOCT

25%
20%
15%
10%
10%
20%

Make Up Work Policy

It is the students responsibility to obtain and complete make-up work. If you have an
excused absence, you will be allowed the same number of days as your absences in order
to make up work missed. Make-up work must be done after or before school, NOT during
valuable class time.

Late Work Policy

All work is due on the day assigned
during that class period. It is essential
that the student keeps track of all
assignments and the due dates. If a
student forgets to submit an
assignment the day that it is due, it will
be accepted up to 2 days after with a
15 point deduction per day that it is
late (up to the 2nd day).
* At the end of the marking period, students no
longer have the opportunity to make up
missed/late assignments.

Consequences
All students are expected to adhere to the
JHS PRIDE Matrix.
1st Offense: Verbal Warning
2nd Offense: Student/Teacher Conference
3rd Offense: Parent Contact
4th Offense: Afterschool Detention (held on
Thursdays 4-4:40pm)
5th Offense: Administrative Referral
* Steps may be skipped due to the severity of the
offense*

Re-Test Policy
All students will be allowed to re-test any
major assessment that they received a
grade of 75% or lower upon completion
of the re-test checklist. Re-test scores
will count for 80% and the original test
score will count for 20% of the final test
grade. Students will be also be allowed to
resubmit essays with corrections made
for a possible higher grade. All re-tests
must be completed after school.

Attendance
It is vital that your student arrives to class on
time each day. I want each student to do well
on the GMAS at the end of the year and in
order to do so, we must work together to
ensure that they are here each day. The JHS
Tardy Policy will be strictly enforced. Any
student arriving late to class more than 10
minutes late without a pass, will receive a
parent email/call. After the 3rd tardy, students
will receive Afterschool Detention. Failure to
attend ASD will result in an administrative
referral.

Tutorial
Tutorials are held every Wednesday from 4:45pm. For additional dates,
please make an appointment!

Student/Parent Contact Sheet

Please sign: I have read and reviewed the 2016-2017 American
Literature syllabus, class expectations, consequences and required
materials with my child.
Parent Signature: _________________________________________
Parent Email: ____________________________________________

Parent First Name: _________________________________________

Parent Last Name: _________________________________________
Student First Name: ________________________________________
Student Last Name: ________________________________________
Student Email Address: _____________________________________
Class Period: ______

Would you like to receive a class newsletter (email) ? YES NO

Thank you so much! I look forward to working with you this

school year!!
Please cut the box and place in a safe location! Codes are time
sensitive! Register early so you will not be locked out
Edmodo Codes
1st Period: cz7g8w
4th Period: gbuygv
5th Period: rxvhzy
6th Period: xe5gj3
7th Period: h8y2hc

Edpuzzle.com Codes
1st Period: puwirif
4th Period: giholcu
5th Period: pempafe
6th Period: cipiste
7th Period: ukamaum

Showbie.com Codes
1st Period: TWFDZ
4th Period: WPJHG
5th Period: TEYB6
6th Period: HRUYQ
7th Period: 3YPN7

GrammarFlip.com Codes
1st Period: 1stjhs
4th Period: 4thjhs
5th Period: 5thjhs
6th Period: 6thjhs
7th Period: 7thjhs

Online textbook: my.hrw.com Passwords will be issued at a later

date