Transcript Welcome! [mrmarottaenglish.weebly.com]

John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics
and Science
Mr. Marotta
Grade 11 English-American Literature
2009-2010 School Year
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This particular group of students is very
important to me.
I want to share in your success as you
move towards your path to college.
Because of the relationship I have with
many of you, I feel that my instruction
and your learning will both benefit.
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What is the goal/purpose of an American
Literature course?
How will the units be divided?
How will the course be taught?
What are the expectations for grade 11
students?
Special Projects
How will students be graded?
Summary
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The goal of an American Literature course is to help you learn
to be a literary historian: that is, to introduce you to American
literature as it has evolved over time and to stimulate you to
make connections between and among texts. Like a literary
historian, when you make these connections you are telling a
story: the story of how American literature came into being.
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Grade 11 English is the first English course taught in the
Boston Public Schools that is specifically themed. (I. E.
American literature)
The study of American Literature
seeks to answer five questions:
1. What is an American? How does literature create
conceptions of the American experience and
American identity?
2. What is American literature? What are the distinctive
voices and styles in American literature? How do
social and political issues influence the American
canon?
3. How do place and time shape the authors’ works and
our understanding of them?
4. What characteristics of a literary work have made it
influential over time?
5. How are American myths created, challenged, and reimagined through this literature?
This American Literature course is taught within the context of
seven Literary Movements or units and Historical Change. A literary
movement centers around a group of authors that share certain
stylistic and thematic similarities and differences. Each unit will
include several authors that are representative of the styles and
themes of their time period. The units are divided into the following
themes and time periods:
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Unit 1: Early America (Beginnings–1800)
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Unit 2: American Romanticism (1800–1860)
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Unit 3: The Civil War Era (1850–1880)
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Unit 4: Regionalism and Realism (1880–1910)
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Unit 5: Beginnings of the Modern Age (1910–1930s)
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Unit 6: From Depression to Cold War (1930s–1960s)
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Unit 7: Into the Twenty-First Century (1960s–Present)
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Format
Classroom activities will include teacher lectures, class
discussions, in-class activities, note taking, oral presentations,
independent and class reading, independent and group projects,
quizzes, tests, and writing. Homework will be given.
Breakdown of Activities
teacher lectures
class discussions
15% 10%
10%
oral presentations
independent and class reading
25%
20%
10% 10%
independent and group projects
quizzes, tests
Homework
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I expect a generally quiet, calm, and
professional atmosphere during class.
I expect your level of independence to be
reasonably high at this point in your school
career, and expect you to be responsible enough
to understand that your learning is your
responsibility.
Why is it important to have a professional
atmosphere in class? Well, I am glad you asked!
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Your textbook is nearly 1400 pages! And we will read all
of it!
We need to cover nearly 500 years of American literature
that includes nearly 200 authors!
We will also read a Shakespeare play-Othello, and four
other novels.
You will also be required to read four independent
reading books.
Your research paper will be a persuasive text that must
be between 15 and 20 pages in length.
We will also be writing your college essay in order to be
well prepared for your application process.
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Homework is designed to be an extension of the classroom
lesson and is assigned nightly. You generally can expect
one hour to one hour and a half of homework per night
from my class. I do not accept late homework, and I will
not accept work that is incomplete, sloppy, or does not
represent a genuine effort on your part.
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I am not late to class for you-do not be late to class for me.
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Get up and go to the bathroom on your own, please do not
raise your hand and ask me if you can go to the bathroom.
Simply sign the bathroom pass logbook in front of the
class, and use the facilities.
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My general style of teaching is to have a discussion based
classroom, and you will be working together much of the
time, therefore, I fully expect you to treat each other as
well as I treat you.
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I ask that you turn in assignments such as typed essays and
similar work on your way out at the end of class. Put your
clearly identified and stapled work in my inbox at that time only.
I don’t like to waste time at the beginning of my class providing
staplers, highlighters etc. when this ultimately should be your
responsibility.
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When you come into class, there will be a do now activity
described on the board. If it is a handout, you will take one and
begin your work. The do now is designed to either review the
previous days reading and lesson, or to quickly enforce a writing
or grammatical skill. It is not designed to take any longer than
10 minutes- if a do now takes longer than 10 minutes it
then becomes a lesson and no longer a do now. Towards the
end of each term, I will collect your bundled do now assignments
properly dated and put in order. I will give you a test grade
based on the completeness, neatness, and quality of work on
this packet. This should be an easy 100%.
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Throughout this course, you will be designing and
presenting PowerPoint presentations, speeches,
debates, and other projects that will require
technology. One of the expectations of all O’Bryant
students is that they will become proficient users
of technology for academic purposes.
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We will also be writing a research paper that will
be between 15 and 20 pages of text. I am looking
forward to this being your best research paper yet.
We will discuss this in more detail as the year
progresses, but for now just remember it is not a
“report” you are writing, but rather a research
paper that takes a definite stand on a particular
issue. It is to be persuasive in nature.
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If you have questions now-ask me
anything you need to know about this
class. I am always available to you for
extra help, problem solving, or other
issues that may come up for you.
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We have a lot of learning to do this year, and I
look forward to your continued effort. I
challenge you to do your best at all times.
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Businesslike professionalism is the key to
your success in this class, and will allow you
to take in and understand the material being
presented.