Class Syllabus

McAllen Memorial High School

English IV CP 2014-2015

Teacher: Kyle Sherman                                              Email: viking.sherman@gmail.com

Room 87                                                                      Class Blog: http://shermansenglish4.blogspot.com

Course Description
English IV curriculum is designed to introduce students to the major British writers and literary works that are representative of the important eras in England’s history. The course is taught chronologically as a survey of British Literature, beginning with the Anglo-Saxon epic, Beowulf, and then moving to Chaucer’s Prologue to The Canterbury Tales and a few folk ballads from the Medieval Period, progressing through the poetry and drama of the Elizabethan Age, the metaphysical poetry and satirical pieces represented in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, additional poetry and novels of the Romantic and Victorian Periods, and ending with some short fiction of the Modern Era. Instructional methods include: lecture, dialogue, small group discussions and presentations, film clips, and in-class dramatic readings. Interpretive reading, expository writing, vocabulary building and critical thinking skills are practiced regularly.

Main Goals for this academic subject
By the end of the course, students will:

• Trace the development of British Literature within its historical context: Anglo Saxon, Medieval, Renaissance, 17th and 18th Centuries, Romanticism, Victorian and Modern Periods
• Identify the major authors, recurring themes, dominant genres, and stylistic characteristics of each era
• Compare and contrast the characteristics of the varied heroes of British literature: epic, romance, and tragic,
• Analyze and develop poetry by recognizing meter, stanza form, rhyme scheme and figures of speech and recognize poetry by type: ballad, epic, ode, sonnet, lyric, blank verse, free verse, dramatic monologue
• Express cognizant, clear, sophisticated writing connected to the works studied
• Practice and use college-level vocabulary with awareness of meaning, connotation and denotation

Textbook: British Literature, Grade 12 Holt McDougal

Supplies: Pens, paper, iPad or other electronic device (if available), Gmail account

Student Grades

The grade distribution follows the McAllen ISD Policy and is as follows:

Major Assessment      Exams, Projects, Essays, Timed-Writings,                              60%

  (3 per six-weeks)       Presentations, Scrapbooks

Minor Assessment      Quiz                                                                                         30%

                          (4 per six-weeks)

Separate Category      Class Work, Class Discussions                                              10%

                          (2 per six-weeks)

100-90 = A                                        

89-80   = B

79-75   = C

70-74   = D

0-69     = F

Retesting

• All students will be given up to 3 days to substitute the retest grade for the failing grade, but the grade will be no higher than a 70%.
• The student must participate in some form of re-teach/tutoring prior to the re-test.
• Homework grades, class work, and quiz grades to not apply.
• The teacher will have the option of assigning an alternative assessment in lieu of the original.

Late Work:

• The teacher will have the option of assigning an alternative assignment in lieu of the original.
• Daily class work and homework do not apply.
• For late work, all students will be given 3 additional days to make-up an assignment if late (with a progressive grade penalty of 10% or 10 points per day).

If excused absence/s, the student will be given the total # of absent days (up to 3) to make up an assignment without penalty.

Electronic Devices:   

Electronic devices such as cell phones and MP3 players are only allowed for instructional purposes pertaining to our class.  Be prepared to have all electronic devices taken away if they are being used inappropriately in class.  If you have a problem with this policy, you will be asked to discuss it with an assistant principal.  

Learning Schedule

Unit One: Personal Essays

Unit one will use the knowledge gained in the first unit to develop ideas for college and scholarship application essays. Often these essays require students to discuss unique aspects of their own identities and experiences that might relate to their racial and cultural backgrounds. We will work on revising and editing these essays to prepare them for submission.

Unit Two: Anglo Saxon Literature

In this unit we will return to past ages to explore some of the roots and origins of Western literature. These texts provide insight into our own storytelling traditions and cultural perspectives and also help us to understand the importance of narrative to all communities and cultures.

Unit Three: Literature of the Middle Ages

Unit three will explore the transitions that took place as a result of the Norman invasion of England and the literary works that emerged from that time period. Focusing on The Canterbury Tales, we will also read selections from the Arthurian legends and poems from the time period.

Unit Four: Renaissance Literature

In this last unit of the first semester we will read Shakespeare’s King Lear, itself the story of a tragedy that results from family, trust and honor. In addition to reading and discussing the play, we will examine other Renaissance texts and discuss similarities and differences between their worldviews.

Unit Five: Restoration and Eighteenth Century Literature

Unit five will focus on the use of satire in eighteenth century and also contemporary literature. Using the work of Jonathan Swift as a starting point, we will engage in discussions and analyses of the techniques and purpose of satirical writing. Students will also write their own satirical piece.

Unit Six: Romantic Literature

For this unit, students will select a novel written in the Romantic style and will work individually to complete various assignments related to their novel. We will also read and discuss the poetry of the Romantic authors and the shifts that took place in worldviews during the nineteenth century.

Unit Seven: Twentieth Century Literature

Unit seven will explore the various cultural and literary changes that took place over the course of the twentieth century. We will examine how major historical events, such as the two world wars, impacted the literary world, and explore the increasingly diverse literary works that made their way into the public eye during this time.