Eleventh Grade Honors American Literature
Mrs. Silvana Salerno
Room 211
Silvana.Salerno@interborosd.org
Course Description
The purpose of this class is for you to acquire the reading and thinking skills needed
to do effective work in college courses. The focus will be on the more advanced,
critical levels of comprehension through the reading of American Literature with a
concentration on the following:
 Making inferences
 Identifying an author’s purpose or tone
 Evaluating arguments
 Separating fact from opinion, detecting propaganda, and recognizing errors in
reasoning.
Reading:
 Novels will be read for homework. I will assign a certain number of chapters
to be read by a certain date and then you will have a quiz. These quizzes will
be graded. If you fail the quizzes, then obviously you have not done your
homework. As each piece of literature is completed, there will be a major test
worth 100 points.
 Plays will be read in class. Class participation is encouraged and expected.
 Short Stories and Poetry will be read both in class and for homework.
 Nonfiction articles covering of wide array of subjects will be read and
discussed every week. Comprehension questions which include main idea
questions, vocabulary in context, and detail questions will accompany every
article.
Writing
 Essay Outlines - In my English class, you will learn to write because I will
teach you how to master this important skill. As with perfecting any skill,
practice is essential. To that end, you will be writing essay outlines on
persuasive and informative topics. Writing these outlines will give you the
practice you need without the hassle of writing full length essays. Each one
is worth 25 points. You will be given detailed instructions on how to complete
these assignments.
 Essays – You will write full length analytical, persuasive, and informative
essays. The skills that you will master will include documenting quotes,
using supporting details, and writing rebuttals and counter arguments.
 Grammar - Correct grammar is necessary for effective writing. You will
concentrate on the following: parallelism, comma splices, subject-verb
agreement, pronoun use, apostrophes, active and passive voice, and correct
usage.
Vocabulary
 You will be responsible for the new vocabulary learned through the literature
you read during this course.
Rules
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You must be seated in class by the time the bell rings.
No cell phones or I pods are permitted in class. I will not interrupt class to
tell you to put your phone away or try to take it away from you. If I see that
you have a cell phone out for even a minute or you come in my class with
earphones in your ears or hanging around your neck, I will subtract points
from your final grade. Please do not tell me that your music is not on; that
is irrelevant to me. The bottom line is that I do not want to see your
earphones or phones.
I DO NOT accept late work even for half-credit. You are responsible for all
your work. I do not give any extra credit or accept make-up work at the end of
the marking period. I expect all work to be done on time. If you have a
legitimate problem and cannot hand in your work on time, I will help
you, but you MUST see me in person. Do not try to explain before,
during, or after class. I am available before school (I am here before
7:00 AM every day) and after school every day unless I have a
meeting.
Grading
All grading will be done on a point system. All of your homework will consist of
reading and writing. I do not assign worksheets, study guides, or busy work.
Parental Portal is updated regularly and in a timely manner. Be sure to check the
accuracy of your grades often and discuss any discrepancies with me immediately.
Materials
You must have a notebook, sturdy folder, and a pencil and pen for this class. These
materials, along with any book we are reading, must be brought to class every day.