West Hall High School Course Syllabus

Course: American Literature

Teacher: Danielle Deraney Room: 213

Contact Information: danielle.deraney@hallco.org

Course Description:

This course provides credit for the college prep diploma and is taught on level. The class is designed
to develop reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills. The purpose of the course is to prepare
students for writing, reading, and speaking at an adept and proficient level. This class focuses on the
ability of the student to read, analyze, interpret, and synthesize literary information at the academic
level.

Course Objectives:

Address and teach the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS).
Cultivate writing skills by focusing on organization, structure, grammar, vocabulary, and
spelling.
Develop reading skills, such as theme, character development, authors choices, and points of
view, by using a variety of informational and literary texts.
Foster speaking and listening skills by engaging students in meaningful discussions and group
activities as well as presentations.

Course Curriculum Content:

The students will follow the 9th and 10th grade CCGPS guidelines. To cultivate and foster their
reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, the course will utilize the following enrichment
materials and texts:

Textbook: Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: Platinum Level
1490-1750:
o Native American literature, beginnings, and experiences
o Beginnings/Puritan/Colonial time period, including The Crucible and important founding
documents, among other works of the period.
Declaration of Independence
1800-1870:
o Transcendentalism/Romanticism/Renaissance literary periods, including Poe, Hawthorne,
Emerson, and Thoreau, with primary focus on short stories.
Heavy focus on poetry
1850-1914:
o Civil War literature, My Bondage and My Freedom, Clotel; or the Presidents Daughter
fictional narrative of a slave from the 1850s
o Realism/Regionalism study: Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson
 1914-1946:
o Research project on the 1920s leading up to reading The Great Gatsby
o Robert Frost poem exploration and analysis
o You Cant Take It with You 1938 play exploring the themes of happiness, contentment,
meaning of life
1946-Present:
o The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
o Friday Night Lights by H. G. Bissinger
Students will also have independent reading required. They must read at least four books
outside of class by the end of the year for a test grade. Each book is worth 25 points, therefore
five are required for a grade of 100. To show completion, the student will complete a brief
written book review of the book they have chosen.

Late Policy:
Students are required to turn assignments in on time. If the student is not present at the time the
assignment is due, they have five days to turn in the late assignment. However, if the assignment is
not turned in on time and there is no explanation for the delay, the student will lose ten points for
every day the assignment is late.

Student Resources:

Canvas
Infinite Campus
Google Drive
USA TestPrep

Students Name (Printed): ______________________________________________________

I have seen the Syllabus and have reviewed the information for my childs Language Arts class. I
understand the work to be covered, course objectives, and academic expectations.

Student Signature: _____________________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________________________________________