Gilmour Academy
English 11
Understanding the Other:
Transforming the Self and Society
Syllabus
2008-2009
Course overview
In English 11 we read and write around the paired themes of storytelling and identity. Readings about class, race, gender, the writing life, the nature of fiction and the state of contemporary fiction help us to investigate the elusiveness of a singular American identity. Whose story is being told? Who is being represented? Whose voice do we hear, who is being talked about, and who is left out completely? Emphases on storytelling, (including digital storytelling), writing in alternative forms (including multi-genre writing and I-Search papers), Socratic seminar and writing workshop help place independence, process, collaboration and an expanded worldview at the center of our curriculum
We will be reading every day, both in and out of class. We will read novels, essays, short stories, plays, memoirs, and poems. Students write in response to these readings in multiple ways--in reflective reading journals, in-class writings, expository and analytic essays, and alternative forms (I-Search, mystory, digital story, etc.). Students are continually urged to make connections between the literature and cultural/historical events of the time period, between the disciplines, between the past and the present, and between the readings and their own perceptions. Thematic units include “Work, Class, and Identity,” “Reading and Writing in the Digital Age,” “The Transformative Writer,” and “War, Pacifism, and Truth.”
Major works for the year include short stories by:
novels include
We will read some in their entirety and examine excerpts from others. Short stories, poems, essays and current nonfiction will be distributed in class.
Instructors’ goals & Course Outcomes
This junior English course and its stated objectives directly stem from the Gilmour Academy outcomes. It is our hope that our graduates are effective communicators, collaborative learners, critical thinkers, problem solvers, lifelong learners and morally responsible women and men.
The objectives of this course are as follows. Students will be able to:
- Understand and recognize the elements of literature in various genres including short stories, novels, poems, and plays
- Read and critically respond to selections in American and world literature
- Understand and be able to discuss in writing and in Socratic seminar the evolution of the particular characteristics of the American character as exhibited in literature
- Write for an audience
- Use the elements of good writing to give and receive feedback on their own and other’s writing
We assume that writing is a recursive process, not a body of skills and information that can be conveyed through conventional, traditional teaching methods. A writing "teacher" is more of a coach, one who facilitates the process of thinking and learning, of self-discovery, that takes place in a good writing class. Our goal, together, is to construct new understandings about ourselves, each other, and the texts we are working with. We also assume that learning is a cooperative/collaborative effort that will occur only when each party invests the necessary time, energy and attention to make it work.
We hope that all of us, students and teachers, demonstrate the openness to new perspectives that leads to deeper understanding. Look at the literature and the world around you in new and fresh ways. Periodically we will ask you to evaluate your growth as a reader and writer, and to demonstrate how your perspectives are changing and how you’ve tapped into your creative self.
Grading/assessment
a. Daily preparation
Preparation and participation are crucial to success in this course.Daily reading and writing assignments, formal and informal, individual and collaborative, in-class and assigned, will be used to assesspreparation
andgrowthin critical reading and writing skills. Socratic seminars and writing workshops will be regularly scheduled in order to support and promote fluency and sophistication in writing and in reading comprehension.
All students are expected to demonstrate that they have read and prepared for class. Failure to do so will result in a zero for daily work and may also result in exclusion from full participation in class activities, particularly in Socratic seminars and writing workshops where full participation by all students is expected. It is an expectation of the Gilmour English department that student work be made public.
If you know that you are going to miss a class, see your teacher to get the assignment. If you miss class due to illness or another unanticipated reason, e-mail your teacher. It is YOUR responsibility, NOT your teacher’s, to inquire about making up any missed work. Be vigilant. We will adhere to the policy as stated in the Student Handbook: If you are absent (excused) on the day a paper is due, it is due upon your return to class. You are expected to be fully prepared for class on the day you return.
Approximately fifty percent of the grade is based on preparation and participation, including class discussion, Socratic seminars, and in-class writings and writing workshop. The other fifty percent is based on evaluation of exhibitions, including formal writing assignments.
b. Late/missing work
Work submitted late due to an excused absence will be accepted without penalty according to the guidelines set forth in the 2006-2007 Student-Parent Handbook. It is due upon your return to class. Late papers will lose 10 points per school day for every day after the due date up to a maximum of 50 points. If a paper or assessment is not submitted within two weeks of the due date no credit will be given for that assignment. All assignments are due immediately upon return to school following an absence. If a student has missed part but not all of one school day, or if the absence is unexcused, assignments are due THAT DAY.
Juniors in English 11 are permitted to submit ONE paper late each semester, with a grace period of up to one week. In order to use your extension, you must submit your request IN WRITING when the rest of the class submits the paper. If we don’t receive notification at that point, the paper will be classified as late, and the late policy (see first paragraph) will be in effect. This only applies to major papers. There are no extensions for homework and daily work.
COMPUTER MALFUNCTION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AS AN EXCUSE FOR LATE ASSIGNMENTS. IF YOUR PRINTER FAILS, COME IN EARLY AND PRINT IT IN THE LIBRARY OR FIND AN ALTERNATIVE PRINTING SOURCE.
The important thing to remember is this: If there are extenuating circumstances, discuss the situation with the teacher, and submit the late work within a reasonable amount of time, usually by the next class period. Communication is the key when you find yourself in a tough spot.
c. Extra credit
On the rare occasion that there are activities outside of the work of the course (a play, reading, or movie to attend, an extra book to read, etc.) that might enrich class discussion, the opportunity to engage in those activities for credit will be made available only to those students who have completed all assigned work to date.
Instructor availability:
We are available each day (except Wednesday) after school until 4:15 p.m. We check our Gilmour accounts on a regular basis. It is an efficient and effective way to reach us.
Plagiarism
"Plagiarism is the dishonest act of presenting the words or thoughts of another writer as if they were your own. You commit plagiarism whenever you use a source in any way without indicating that you have used it." (James A.W. Heffernan and John E. Lincoln, Writing: A College Handbook, 2nd ed., New York: Norton, 1986, 522.). Flagrant, unacknowledged use of another's material is a grave matter. All acts of plagiarism will be referred directly to the Honor Council.
Classroom discourse
Classroom behavior should, of course, be courteous and orderly. We will not, under any circumstances, tolerate behavior that is hurtful toward other students. Showing lack of respect toward another student is a direct violation of the Honor Code and will be directly referred to the Honor Council.