1 FlexSchool
MS English-European Literature with Stefanie
Spring 2015
Dear FlexSchoolers,
I’m excited to share our syllabus* for this semester with you! We’ll be journeying back a few
hundred years and taking a trip through Elizabethan and gothic times in England. That’s after
we cover some short story staples in our first unit and before we conclude with some American
poetry. Enjoy the ride!
-Stefanie
General Expectations: I expect all students to be successful in this course. You will need to
observe the following guidelines for success in the classroom.
Reminder of ground rules and weekly assignments:
You will have vocabulary quizzes and literary response journal checks on a weekly basis and
each is worth 10 points.
Literary response journals-A literary journal can be an actual notebook or you can keep an
online/electronic version. You should have 5 quotes per check. Chances are I will check your
journals the weeks that we do not have vocabulary quizzes. The purpose of these is to help you
with your main projects. I simply would like to see you take quotes from what we’re reading
and respond to them. Include the page number. For example:
p. 17 (Animal Farm) “War is war. The only good human being is a dead one.”
WHAT??? So I guess this means that you farm animals may go over to the other local homes
and murder the people. Or will you just kill them in self-defense? Hmm…..
You will be asked to memorize a portion of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet to deliver in front of
the class and this will also be worth 10 points.
Writing papers where you analyze the literary devices (see below for some terms) used will be
worth 10 points each.
There will be one map/geography quiz which will be worth 10 points.
*Please note that alterations to this syllabus may be made at the teacher’s discretion. Always
check online for the most current version.
1. Always be prepared.
a. Bring supplies (pencils, notebooks, laptop or tablet) and books to class daily.
b. Complete reading assignments on time so that you can participate in class in a meaningful
way.
2. Be a good listener.
a. Wait for the right time to ask questions/make comments.
b. Take turns speaking.
2 FlexSchool
MS English-European Literature with Stefanie
Spring 2015
3. Be respectful.
a. The world is full of differing opinions. Enjoy the diversity.
b. Listen without interrupting.
c. Use proper classroom behavior as per our policies.
d. Treat school materials/property with respect.
e. Use appropriate and acceptable language.
4. Work independently.
A. Do your own work. It is better to make a mistake and learn from it.
Mindless copying accomplishes nothing in the end.
B. Keep track of your assignments.
C. Find and/or contact me whenever you need assistance: stefanie@ivyed.net
Here are the works we will be reading and they are divided by units:
Short Stories
“The Lottery” (1948)
“The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839)
“The Body Snatcher” (1884)
“The Monkey’s Paw” (1902)
Shakespeare
Romeo & Juliet (1594)
British & French Authors
Frankenstein (1818)
The Count of Monte Cristo (1888)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (c. 1891)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1917)
Poetry
“The Mending Wall” (1916)
3 FlexSchool
MS English-European Literature with Stefanie
Spring 2015
Weds 2/4: Introduction Map-Identify these places:
Rhine River
Seine River
Danube River
Volga River
Constantinople
Jerusalem
Rome
Aachen
Mecca
Normandy
Ireland
Sicily
Arabia
Black Sea
Baltic Sea
Literary Terms:
Alliteration
Allusion
Analogy
Annotation
Antagonist
Assonance
Connotative vs Denotative Meaning
Consonance
Figurative vs Literal Language
Foreshadow
Irony
Metaphors
Motif vs. Leitmotif
Narrator
Novella
Omniscient Observer
Point of view (1st person, 3rd person…etc.)
Protagonist
Rhyme Scheme
Short Story
Similes
Symbolism
Tone
HW: For Friday 2/6, please read “The Lottery” and make some journal entries.
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MS English-European Literature with Stefanie
Spring 2015
We will discuss it on Friday.
2/6: Discuss “The Lottery” and literary elements used
HW: Read “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839)
Epigraph translated: "His heart is a hanging lute;/Whenever one touches it, it resounds." ...
2/11: Discuss “The Fall…”
HW: Read“The Monkey’s Paw” (1902)
2/13: Discuss “The Monkey’s Paw”
HW: Read pgs. 1-6 of “The Body Snatcher” (1884), Study literary terms for a quiz on 2/18 and
make sure you have 5 journal entries TOTAL from the short stories we read
2/18: Short Story Vocabulary Quiz and share journal entries. Meet again with Shakespeare
HW: Read pgs. 7-13 of “The Body Snatcher,” Study literary terms for a quiz
2/20: Literary term quiz, finish discussion of short stories
HW: Make sure you have 5 journal entries TOTAL from the short stories we read
2/25: Identify Vocabulary from Romeo & Juliet (1594)
HW: Read Act I
2/27: Begin recitations from Romeo & Juliet
HW: Read Acts II & III, Identify what you would like to memorize and recite in front of the
class
3/4: Shakespeare Journal Entries Due
HW: Read Acts IV & V, Study for Shakespeare Vocab Quiz
3/6: Shakespeare Vocab Quiz,
HW: Read background on Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley for Frankenstein (1818)
and first 4 letters from text.
3/11: Frankenstein discussion, vocabulary will be identified
HW: Read chapters 1-8 in Frankenstein
3/13: Frankenstein discussion
HW: Read chapters 9-17 in Frankenstein
3/18: Frankenstein discussion, vocabulary quiz
HW: Read chapters 18-24 in Frankenstein and finish literary journals for it
3/20: Frankenstein literary journals due, finish discussion
HW: Read Vols. 1-2 of The Count of Monte Cristo (1888)
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MS English-European Literature with Stefanie
Spring 2015
3/25: The Count… discussion, vocabulary will be identified
HW: Read Vol. 3 of The Count…
3/27: The Count…discussion
HW: Read Vol. 4 of The Count…
4/1: The Count…vocabulary quiz
HW: Read Vol. 5 of The Count…and finish literary journals for it
4/3-4/10: NO CLASS; ENJOY YOUR BREAK!
4/15: The Count…journals due, finish discussion and talk about paper
4/17: Begin reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (c. 1891)
HW: Read chapters I-III
4/22: Identify vocabulary from Sherlock Holmes
HW: Read chapters IV-VI
4/24: Discussion of Sherlock Holmes
HW: Read chapters VII-IX
4/29: Vocabulary quiz for Sherlock Holmes
HW: Read chapters X-XII and finish literary journals for S Sherlock Holmes
5/1: Collect Sherlock Holmes journals, work on paper
5/6: Papers due, begin discussing The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1917)
HW: Read Preface and Book 1
5/8: Identify vocabulary from Hunchback
HW: Read Books 2-4
5/13: Hunchback discussion
HW: Read Books 5-6
5/15: Hunchback discussion
HW: Read Books 7-9
5/20: Hunchback vocabulary quiz
HW: Read Books 10-1, finish journals for Hunchback
5/22: NO CLASS
5/27: Collect Hunchback journals, begin poetry unit
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MS English-European Literature with Stefanie
Spring 2015
HW: Select a poem you would like to share with the class. Be sure to have the author’s name
and date of publication available. Begin studying for map quiz.
5/29: Read “The Mending Wall” (1916). Start sharing poems
HW: Study for map quiz. Think about a topic for a poem you’d like to write.
6/3: Map quiz. Finish sharing poems.
HW: Write a poem.
6/5: Present written poems. Work on portfolios.
HW: Continue work on portfolios and exhibitions.
6/10-6/12: Finish work on portfolios and exhibitions.
Enjoy your summer!