Course Syllabus

Instructor: Jeffrey Arrowood

E-mail: arrowoodj@mfldacs.net

Web Sites:

http://cchsmoraltheology.blogspot.com for daily class journal

http://www.schoolnotes.com/54449/arrowood.html for weekly homework schedule

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to give students an appreciation for literature as the expression of man’s greatest thoughts throughout history, to train students in the analysis of literature using elements of literature and various techniques of critical analysis. Students will apply what they have learned about critical and analytical thinking to great works of literature in order to dialogue about some of the most important ideas of Western culture. Students will do in-depth explorations of various literary pieces from different genres that have been instrumental in forming Western thought. They will also learn to defend a literary thesis orally and in writing. Individual help will be given to each student on writing and grammar in order to pinpoint specific strengths and weaknesses in their abilities. Students in this class are expected to be advanced in their level of comprehension and in their ability to find meaning in a text. This course offers college credit through the Program for Advanced College Credit, and through the Advanced Placement program.

College Credit

Students may obtain college credit in two ways

• You may earn 3 college credits from the Program for Advanced College Credit (PACC) through Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Students must apply by the deadline and pay the tuition fee. The fee is $50.00 per semester credit, or $150.00.
• Students have the option of trying for college credit through the Advanced Placement English Literature exam. They must pay the exam fee of $80.00 and receive an acceptable score on the exam in May. The number of college credits awarded depends on the policy of the college in which you enroll.

Prerequisites

• This course is the culmination of a college prep sequence in high school math. Prerequisites include:
• Be of junior or senior status (at the time this course is taken);
• Pass the entrance essay as required by the instructor
• Have at least a B grade average overall, and at least a B- grade at semester in English;
• Score in the top half in the language section(s) on a standardized test (PSAT, ACT, or other approved exam);
• Obtain the written signature of approval from your English teacher before registration;
• Be motivated to work hard;
• Return the completed PACC registration form and tuition fee to the main office before the registration period has passed.
• Agree to and sign the Advanced Placement Literature Student Contract

Materials Needed

• 3-ringed binder (at least 2” rings) with loose-leaf paper
• Appropriate writing utensils
• Norton Anthology (provided - available for purchase if you so desire.)
• Novels: all novels are class sets that will be provided to you as needed, and must be returned in good condition. Novels are also available for purchase if you so desire.

Key Concepts of the Course

While familiarity with literature is an important part of growing in cultural wisdom, rote knowledge of literature is not the focus of this course. Rather, the goal of this course is to teach you how to think about literature. Literature plays an important role in our culture because it expresses the most important ideas of human nature. These ideas are worthy of thought and reflection. To enter into a dialogue with the authors of great literature exercises our intellect in the search for what is true, good and beautiful.

Furthermore, thinking about these great ideas exercises your free will. People who think deeply and carefully do not just passively absorb what is on television, in the movies, or in entertainment literature. They examine their life philosophies and ideas so that they do not unconsciously absorb the philosophies and ideas of those around them. As a result, they do not become products of forces they do not choose. They make up their own minds about what to think and who to become.

A good place to start is to take charge of the ideas that you have about literature. Learn to think consciously, deliberately, and skillfully about the ideas you find in literature. This process can help you to remake your own mind and to understand its inner workings, to take control so that you can make it healthy and fit and fine-tuned.

Whenever you are doing a task in or for this class, ask yourself, “would an independent observer watching me closely conclude that I am engaged in taking charge of my mind, or my ideas about literature, or would such a person conclude that I am merely going through the motions of doing an assignment, trying to succeed by rote memorization?”

General Course Plan

This class will focus on practice, not on lecture. It will emphasize your figuring out things about the literature we read using your own mind, not memorizing characters, plot, and setting even though you will be held accountable for these elements of each story assigned to you. A typical reading assignment will follow the following pattern:

• Introductory lecture on background and biographical information
• Each literary piece will usually be divided into a series of reading assignments
• Quiz on the objective elements of each reading assignment
• As you read each literary piece, you will fill out a form to record definitions and examples of literary terms, any comprehension questions you would like to discuss to help you understand the literary piece better, interpretive questions for discussion and deeper thinking about the ideas in the literary piece, and a record of new vocabulary terms and their definitions.
• We will discuss comprehension questions and make sure that everyone understands the selection being discussed.
• We will discuss the interpretive questions you come up with for the selection being discussed.
• You will periodically be asked to answer interpretive questions in writing. You may also be asked occasionally to read a short literary selection in class and write interpretively about it.
• We will discuss one or two key interpretive ideas I will introduce to the class for the entire literary piece
• At the end of a literary piece you will take a test on cultural and biographical information, on literary terms, and on key interpretive concepts

Course Goals, Objectives, and Assessments

Goal 1: Students will learn to gain meaning from literary texts by using various interpretive methods.

Objective 1: Students will derive meaning from literary works on the basis of possible contexts (genetic, mimetic, historical-critical, Intertextual).

Objective 2: Students will derive meaning from literary works on the basis of textual analysis (objective, authoritarian, deconstructionist).

Objective 3: Students will derive personal meaning from literary work by exploring the relationship between literary themes and elements of their own culture and lives (pragmatic).

Assessment: participation, presentations, essays, informal writing activities, informal and formal analysis activities

Goal 2: Students will describe the key functions of the various elements that make up fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama (ex. Narrative point of view, figurative language, etc.)

Objective 1: Students will memorize the definitions of important literary terms from a provided list for each literary piece studied.

Objective 2: Students will identify examples of each literary device and reflect on its effect on the piece of literature being studied.

Assessment: quizzes, tests, essays, participation, worksheets

Goal 3: Students will read literary works both critically and reflectively through application of the elements described above and through the “shared inquiry” process

Objective 1: Students will be able to formulate interpretive questions about a text.

Objective 2: Students will be able to use interpretive questions to analyze and interpret literary texts.

Objective 3: Students will be able to compare and contrast literary texts

Objective 4: Students will be able to articulate and defend their responses to literary works

Objective 5: Students will grow in proficiency of the intellectual standards in their interaction with each other and with the teacher about literary texts

Assessment: shared inquiry reading journals, participation, essays, presentations, informal writing activities, informal interpretive activities

Goal 4: Students will formulate and defend a thesis statement about a literary work through close textual analysis

Objective 1: Students will be able to apply and expand on the “shared inquiry” method in order to formulate a thesis to explore in writing and to begin to defend it

Objective 2: Students will defend their thesis and minor claims using significant and relevant textual evidence, methods of critical analysis, and literary terms

Objective 3: Students will show a mastery of intellectual standards in their writing

Goal 5: Students will gain appreciation for literature as an aesthetic form and as an expression of the human condition

Objective 1: Students will learn that there are greater reasons for reading literature than entertainment as it is understood in modern culture

Objective 2: Students will gain a greater appreciation for the aesthetic beauty of well-crafted literature

Objective 3: Students will explore themes in literature that explore the great questions of the human condition, and enter into a dialogue with the authors regarding these themes

Assessment: Attitude objectives are not graded, however they are informally assessed through participation and informal activities

Grading Policy

Grades will be figured based on a points system (not by weighted categories). The points students earn will be divided by the total points possible for a grading period. Since this course is designed to be flexible and guided by student progress and interest, the total points possible will be variable. Graded assignments will include the following:

• Quizzes will be given on most reading assignments. Their purpose is to train you to become careful and skilled readers. They focus on the details of the reading, not because the details are necessary for you to memorize, but because being aware of the details of a literary piece is necessary for supporting your own ideas and theses about it. Most quizzes will be worth 10-25 points, depending on the literary piece being studied. If students are absent, they may make up quizzes only if their absence is excused. Students are responsible for seeing me for make-up quizzes, and must do so within a week after their return to school. Failure to do so will result in a zero for that quiz.
• Writing Assignments: If you want to learn how to think well, you need to learn how to write well. Students will be asked to perform a number of writing assignments throughout the year. These assignments will be graded according to a graduated rubric. This rubric grades the various elements of an essay at five different skill levels. Students progress to higher skill levels individually as they master each element of essay writing. This allows me to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each student and to offer individualized instruction. Essays are worth 100 points.
• Participation is very important in this class, and is in fact the main activity of this class. You should consider it your opportunity to enter more deeply into the ideas of the text. I will keep track of each person’s in-class participation and award points based on my observations and student self-assessment. Participation will be graded according to the course goals and objectives and is worth 25 points for each quarter. Participation means:
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Coming to class prepared with your folder, notebook, pen, loose leaf paper, and correction fluid ready.

Completing all of the homework. There is no such thing as “busy work” in this class. Home work assignments are all important. Please complete the assignments and do your best on each one.

Active, skilled participation means sharing thoughts, ideas, and questions that are well thought out and that meet the intellectual standards. There will be many opportunities – it’s the way I teach! If you don’t participate, the class does not move forward. Just remember – you could be listening to one of my boring lectures instead of having a discussion!

Taking advantage of participation alternatives, such as e-mailing comments to me, keeping a journal of your thoughts and periodically handing it in, discussing your questions with me one-on-one, etc.

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• Tests will be given at the end of each unit, worth 50-100 points. The focus on the test will cover cultural and biographical information, on literary terms, and on key interpretive concepts.
• Semester exams will be worth 150 points each, covering the same material as the tests for all literary pieces covered during the semester.
• Interpretive activities will be worth 10-20 points each. These are short writing assignments, either on the literary piece being discussed or as in-class interpretive assignments on short literary pieces read in class.
• Self-evaluations will be worth 50 points each quarter. You will “make a case” for receiving a particular grade using criteria provided in class and citing evidence from your work across the semester. Your self-evaluations will not determine your quarter grade. Rather, you will be graded on how well you defend your case.

Extra Credit Options

Extra credit takes the form of extra instruction, with the goal of mastery of specific skills. Tutoring will be available to raise the score of one quiz per literary piece. Additionally, you may write one extra essay at the end of each unit at your current skill level. This paper grade will replace the lowest paper grade in the unit

Grading scale:

Columbus Catholic High School grade scale is located in the student handbook

SMU
Percentage		Grade
94 –	100	A	(Excellent)
91 –	93	AB
86 –	90	B	(Very Good)
83 –	85	BC
78 –	82	C	(Satisfactory)
75 –	77	CD
70 –	74	D	(Minimal Pass)
0 –	69	F	(Failure)

Teacher obligations for this class

• To know the subject material and prepare handouts and lectures that will help students understand that material
• To organize the course in a meaningful way so that knowledge builds over the semester leading to an increased sophistication and sensibility
• To consider student concerns regarding time management when assigning reading and constructing requirements for the class
• To guide classroom discussion so that each student has an opportunity to participate, and to welcome student participation with respect for all students as learners and persons
• To grade fairly and to meet with students in conference to answer questions about grading or instructor comments on papers

Student obligations for this class

• To read and agree to the Advanced Placement Literature Student Contract
• To read all assigned material and come to class prepared to discuss that material
• To participate in all class activities. This includes being attentive when other students are speaking or making oral presentations
• To complete all assignments on time, and to provide drafts and revisions of assignments as requested by the instructor
• To respect all members of the class as learners, teachers, and as persons. To enter into respectful reasoned discourse in response to disagreements. As Christians, we are called to treat each other with dignity and charity. Common courtesy, awareness of each other’s needs, caring communication, and observance of the safety and comfort of those around us are all part of this call.
• To enter fully into the learning process and to do your own work. Since the goal of this course is for you to become your own thinker, it is imperative that you do your own thinking and your own work. Essays need to be completely your own thought process. Plagiarism in part or in whole will result in a zero, not just a failure, for the paper. Suspected plagiarism that cannot be proven will be brought to the attention of the student, who will be given a chance to assert his or her thought process in dialogue with me. Quizzes and tests are meant to train you to become better readers, and must therefore be conquered through your skills in reading and thinking. Copying or cheating on these quizzes or tests will result in a zero, not just a failure, of the quiz or test. The same is true for any assignment given in the course of this class.
• To take pride in your work as a learner and scholar. Please type all assignments except informal in-class assignments. Please make all assignments neat and presentable before handing them in. Use only loose-leaf paper for collected assignments.
• If you are absent, the best way to make up what was missed is by checking the daily journal Internet site and the weekly homework schedule. All necessary notes and any discussions notes recorded for the day will appear there, along with homework assignments. If Internet is not available, request an assignment sheet from the office. You must take the initiative to make up missed work!

Communication

My preferred method of communication to students and to parents is e-mail and Internet communication. If you have access to a computer, please take advantage of the daily class journal and weekly homework schedule. You may also choose to have grade reports sent to you by e-mail and put onto an Internet grade report that you can access whenever you wish.

posted by Jeffrey @ Tuesday, September 06, 2005