English 11B: American Literature

Syllabus

Course Central Motif: Establishing an American Identity

Students will examine both nonfiction and fiction texts written in America by Americans
examining the nations voice as it develops from the early American settlers to present day
modern Americans. Throughout the course students will determine what it means to be
American, as well as evaluate the process that Americans have taken to establish an identity
over the years by examining: informational materials, advertisements, prose both fiction and
nonfiction, and poetry.

Students will complete a journal entry before beginning literary movements noting their
positions on the following core questions:

1. What is necessary for a society to provide an individual so that he/she can establish an
identity that supports the fundamental principles of the right to "Life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness"?
2. Who determines what the ideal goal(s) of a society and the individuals that comprise it
must strive for?
3. Examine possible affects on individuals within a society that are driven/encouraged by
society to meet these various ideal goals.
4. If a society has ideal goals for its citizens, should it be possible for all citizens to achieve
these idealistic goals? Explain.

Students will also complete a project that assesses the evolution of the American Dream prior
to beginning the examination of the central motif.

These core questions will be revisited at the end of each literary movement through the
threaded-discussion board. Students are expected to respond to each question from the
perspective of the philosophical ideas presented from each movement and from within each
text examined within the movement. All responses must use evidence from texts examined
during the unit for support. Students are asked to reflect and respond to peers in order to assist
in formulating an overall opinion on what the American Dream is and its effects on individuals
and society.
 Course Project:

At the end of the course, students will complete an argument paper where they: write a 3-5
page analysis paper that addresses whether or not the American Dream is feasible using
support from both fictional and informational texts read over the course of the semester to
support assertion. Students will use previous reflections to assist in composition using proper
MLA format.

Literary Movements and Novel Study:

Students will examine the following literary movements in America:

Realism

Modernism

Harlem Renaissance

Contemporary Literature (Postmodernism)

Novel study: (Play)

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Each literary movement and the novel study will require students to refine his/her skills in
reading, writing, listening and speaking. All units require students to use secondary sources to
identify and examine the philosophical beliefs of Americans during a particular literary
movement or the novel study. Students will then analyze key fiction and nonfiction texts from
the period in order to master common core standards. Each literary movement, as well as the
novel study will require literary analysis and writing in order provide practice for students to
master common core standards.

Students will receive feedback from teacher on submitted general assignments within 4 days of
submittal. Students are encouraged to use the Questions Discussion Board to post questions
about all assignments in order to get help from both the teacher and other students before
turning in assignments.

General Assessments: Each text within a unit has at least one general assessment for students
to work with common core standards. Standards reappear in each unit. General assessments
are worth 20% of total grade. These assessments are where students become comfortable with
standards. (Assessment types: Cornell Notes, graphic organizers to help with text analysis,
graphic organizers to review key common core standards.)
 Tests, Unit Projects and Essays: These assignments are worth 45% of total grade because they
assess a students mastery of ongoing common core standards as well as understanding of a
particular literary movement. Teacher will post scores to summative assessments within 2
weeks of student submission of assignment.

Essays: Writing is a process that takes time to refine. Therefore, teachers will use both
formative and summative rubrics to assess writing. Most assignments will tell students whether
it uses a formative or summative rubric. Some teachers may alter which rubric is used. This will
be noted by teacher on course announcement board. The Course project will use summative
assessment rubrics. Note: Some tests will have timed essay. Unless it is noted in the test itself,
timed essays will use the summative essay rubric. Some teachers may require students to
rewrite formative essays for summative essay grades. *See rubrics for specifics.

Course Project (Course Final): This is the culminating paper where students will demonstrate
master of all standards covered over the semester, as well as understanding of course central
motif. Therefore, this assessment is worth 35% of total grade.

Course Expectations:

Students will spend a minimum of 10 hours per week working on course work.

Students will contact teacher either through the course Questions Discussion Board or via e-
mail with all content questions/concerns prior to turning in assessments.

Students are responsible for reading course Bulletin Board for teacher clarification and/or
additional tasks for assessments.

Students must follow proper MLA guidelines and rules of grammar with all responses. Since
this is an online course, where many responses are posted for other students to see, students
need to treat each assessment as a formal academic assessment. This means that proofreading
is important before posting/submitting assignments.

Students will participate in course with academic integrity. Plagiarism is when a student copies,
lifts, steals another individuals ideas or work either intentionally or unintentionally and passes
it off as his or her own. This means that students must use proper in text citations when
paraphrasing and using quotations. See MLA link on course home page for additional guidance
to avoid plagiarism. Note: All essays are submitted through turnitin.com, a tool to catch
plagiarism.
Course Outline

Unit Activities
Unit 1: Introduction
Journal Reflection
Achieving the American Dream Activity: What is the American Dream?
Class Discussion

Unit 2: Introduction
Read: Men at War: An Interview with Shelby
American Realism Foote.
Complete the Men at War Activity
Class discussion: Men at War
Complete the Informational Brochure Assignment
Note Taking: Cornell Notes: Realist Identities
Read: A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin
Complete the Realism Reflection
Timed Essay: Chopin
Revision of the Timed Writing
Class discussion: A Pair of Silk Stockings
Read: A Wagner Matinee by Willa Cather
Complete the Analysis Questions
Class discussion: A Wagner Matinee
Read: Robert E. Lee Letter to His Son
Complete the Robert E. Lee assignment
Class discussion: Robert E. Lee
Read: Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by
Ambrose Bierce
Complete the Point of View activity
Class discussion: Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Read: A Mystery of Heroism by Stephen Crane
Complete the literary realism and naturalism activity
Read: War is Kind by Stephen Crane
Complete the effects of literary naturalism
assignment
Class discussion: Stephen Crane
Timed Essay: War
Revision of the Timed Writing

Unit 3: Introduction
Pre-Test: Elements of Satire Vocabulary Assessment
What is Satire? What is Satire Lecture
Elements of Satire Assignment
 Satire: Shrek Satirical Analysis
Satire: The Lorax Satirical Analysis
Class discussion: Shrek and the Lorax
Satire in Comics assignment
Read: The Lowest Animal by Mark Twain
Complete the satire assignment
Complete the satire quiz

Unit 4: Introduction
Lecture: Modernism
America Modernism Review the Modernism Notes
Read: Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Complete the Winter Dreams assignment
Complete the Winter Dreams Satirical Analysis
Timed Essay: Winter Dreams
Read: F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Letter to His Daughter
Complete Letter to His Daughter Assignment
Read: Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost
Complete the Nothing Gold Can Stay assignment
Class discussion: Fitzgerald and Frost
Read: A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner
Complete the Rose For Emily assignment
Read: Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, 1950 by
William Faulkner
Complete the argument and analyze the rhetorical
elements assignment
Read: Mending Wall by Robert Frost
Complete the Effects of Literary Modernism
assignment
Class discussion: Faulkner and Frost
Read: Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy
Complete the Barbie Doll assignment
Class Discussion: Barbie Doll

Midterm Satire Exam

American Realism and American Modernism Exam

Unit 5: Introduction
Historical Background and report
Harlem Renaissance Read: Harlem by Langston Hughes
Complete the Harlem assignment
Read: Dust Tracks on the Road by Zora Neale
Hurston
 Complete the autobiography assignment
Read: Let Us Reason Together by W.E.B. Du Bois
Complete the Let Us Reason Together assignment
Read: Letter from a Birmingham City Jail by
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Complete the letter from a Birmingham Jail
assignment
Analyze Norman Rockwells The Problem We All
Live With
Class discussion: Harlem Renaissance

Unit 6: Introduction
Cornell Notes: American Contemporary Literature
American Contemporary Read: Black Boy by Richard Wright
Literature Complete the Impact of Historical Periods assignment
Read: The Girl Who Wouldnt Talk by Maxine
Hong Kinston
Complete the Woman Warrior assignment
Read: Game by Donald Barthelme
Complete the elements of satire assignment
Read: Unknown Citizen by W.H. Auden
Complete the effects of postmodernism assignment
Class discussion: Contemporary Literature
Complete the writing an autobiography assignment

Unit 7: Introduction to Catcher in the Rye

Historical Background Information and assignment:
Novel Study 1950s
Reading analysis questions
Reading analysis Activities
Class discussions on chapters 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12,
13-21, 22-26
Class discussion: Course Motif

Unit 8: Students will synthesize philosophical ideas

presented in both fiction and informational texts read
Course Project over the course of the semester to establish an
argument based on the course motifs.

Final Exam Harlem Renaissance and Contemporary Literature