10th Grade American Literature
College Prep II
Mr. Thomas (Tray) Morgan
School Email: morgant@mcgill-toolen.org
(Email is my preferred method of communication)
Class website: http://mcgilltoolen.edlioschool.com/apps/classes/show_class.jsp?classREC_ID=609476
(Or just go to mcgill-toolen.org and look under the staff directory for my name)
Office Hours: 7:25 – 7:50 AM Tuesday and Thursday; After School by appointment
“The English Language was carefully, carefully cobbled together by three blind
dudes and a German dictionary.” – David Kellet
The English language- written, spoken, or read- is incredibly powerful and
endless. It allows us to describe all that is around us, it transcends time- past,
present, future, but most of all it allows us to be individuals. Think of yourself as a
Jedi trying to master the Force (#nerdalert), the better you become at the English
language, the more powerful a voice you have.
This course provides a survey of American Literature and works by various
American authors. We will study a variety of types of works including novels,
plays, short stories, non-fiction essays, and poetry. We will not only focus on the
works themselves, but also the themes connecting these works together.
Writing will be emphasized with a focus on literary analysis and essay
composition. We will target vocabulary enrichment by the use of Vocabulary
Workshop Level E and by the end of the year, we will complete the prescribed
vocabulary program.
Texts:
Prentice Hall, The American Experience Common Core Edition
Vocabulary Workshop Enriched Edition, Level E
Novels needed:
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Materials needed:
Bring these EVERY DAY- 3-ring binder, dividers, blue and black pens*, highlighter,
loose-leaf paper
*If any other color of ink is used besides blue or black, you will need to redo it- I’ll
explain why in class.
**Also, if I cannot read your work, you will need to redo it- this rule applies to
ANYTHING you do. For example, if we are doing group work, or creating a chart, or
simply writing a few sentences, I might collect it. Just write neatly and take your
time!
Grading System: I grade according to total points= your average will equal total
points earned divided by total points possible. Roughly expect the following:
Tests, Essays, Major Projects- 40%
Quizzes, minor projects- 25%
Homework- 25%
Participation- 10%
Homework/Daily Assignments: Homework will be assigned regularly and will be
due at the beginning of class the next day. When I ask for the work, I expect you to
know where it is and I will not wait on you. If you want full credit, be sure you keep
it in your English binder, or section of a larger binder, and have it ready to go when I
collect it.
Late Homework will not be accepted after the due date because we go over
the homework in class the next day.
Test: Throughout the year, students will be given tests. All tests will be announced
in advance to give students adequate time to prepare. With this said, students will
be given unannounced quizzes regularly to ensure they are keeping up with
assigned reading. The only way to prepare for possible unannounced quizzes is to
complete the reading assignment prior to class. It should be noted that
vocabulary assignments and quizzes will be given on a bi-weekly basis. Students
have two weeks to study for the next vocabulary tests. (This is a great and easy
way to pull up your grade if you haven’t been performing your best.)
**Make-Up Work**: Quoted directly from the handbook- “If a student’s absence
from a class or school is excused, the student will be allowed to make up missed
tests/assignments for credit. It is the student’s responsibility to make
arrangements with the individual teachers for makeup work in a reasonable time
frame (1 day per absence). Students who miss class for extra curricular activities
must make arrangements with the teacher PRIOR to the absence. Unless
there are serious extenuating circumstances, a student who fails to report for a
make-up assignment at the “agreed upon time” will receive a “0” for that
assignment.”
I will be more than happy to help you make up missing work or discuss notes, etc;
for the sake of the other 20 something students in your class who were NOT
absent, I will only discuss missing work before or after school. You have an
email account also- use it to request work in a timely manner and, if possible,
I will have it ready to go for you before you leave.
Tardiness, uniform, snack machine, bathroom: The tardy bell rings for a reason.
Students will be expected to be in their seat and prepared to work when the bell
rings. Otherwise, it will result in a tardy. Excessive tardiness (five or more) will result
in a Discipline Office referral. Get a snack before coming to my class. Don’t ask to
go after announcements. Also, unless you have a note that allows you to be out of
uniform, look presentable. (Shirts tucked in, pants pulled up, buttons buttoned, etc.)
You are only allowed to use the restroom when I am finished with the day’s
activities. I reserve the right to suspend or revoke bathroom privileges due to
excessive use or inappropriate behaviors in the hall to and from the bathroom.
Technology: Students are allowed to use iPads, Kindles, etc. if they are being
used for classroom purposes. A student must ask me first if they plan on using the
device in class. Alabama state law says you are not to record any portion of the
lesson without the teacher’s permission. If a student is caught playing games,
taking pictures, etc. on their device it will immediately be taken up. Any devices
being used for unauthorized purposes will be sent to the Discipline Office and will
be dealt with according to school procedure. The student using the device is then
revoked of their privileges and will not be allowed to use the device in class for the
rest of the year. CELL PHONES MAY NOT BE USED EVER. PERIOD. Any student
caught with their cell phone will be disciplined according to school policy.
Communication: You are expected to check your school email at least once a
day. Only use your school email when you communicate with me (not your
personal account or your parent’s). I expect to hear from you if you have questions
or if you are missing class for any reason. FYI- if I get an email such as this:
To: morgant@mcgill-toolen.org
CC:
Subject: hey
can you tell me what I need to do. Im leaving on a trip. #vacation
ill be missing like 3 tests this week so like i wanna get my work.
Thx! Ttyl
Marcus
#boss #football #yolo
I will just delete this and wipe it from my memory forever. So if you want help, try
this:
Mr. Morgan,
I am leaving school early to attend a family reunion. My family has been
planning this for a while and I am really excited! I will be missing your class
on Friday and was wondering what work I will need to makeup.
Thank you for the help!
Marcus
We will review more of this in class together. McGill is a college prep school.
College professors and future bosses will expect you to know how to communicate
properly through email. I expect the same and will teach/practice this with you.
Classroom Behavior and Rules:
I can summarize all of the following in one simple line: Treat others the way you
want to be treated. If you do that we will have a great year. And, hey, we might
even have some FUN! It’s all up to you.
BE RESPECTFUL. Students will be expected to respect themselves and their
peers at all times. Disruptions take away valuable class time and will not be
tolerated. Students should become familiar with the rules in the student handbook
and abide by them. You are a young adult now. I expect you to conduct yourself
like one. Now saying that, we will have plenty of time to relax and cut-up. You
might not love everything we do this year, but we get to cover so many genres that
we will find SOMETHING you enjoy. If it’s not your favorite subject at the time I still
expect you to participate and I might even invite you to tell the class why you dislike
it. Statements like that are important to discuss! I highly encourage discussions
and opinions- just be sure you can back them up.
BE POSITIVE! Keep hands, feet, objects, and negative comments to yourself. We
aren’t in grade school anymore. Come on. Of course bullying and talking back are
out of the question. You will get as much out of this class as you want. Put in the
work and you will get results. We will have as much fun as YOU want to.
BE RESPONSIBLE. Come to class prepared, prompt, and ready to learn.
Remember, coming to class unprepared (i.e. forgetting homework, writing utensils,
books, notes, etc.) can greatly affect your grade. I will not give you materials. Think
of me as a future boss- would they be okay with you leaving that presentation
everyone is waiting to see at home? No. They wouldn’t. #realworld
BE SMART. Cheating is not only unacceptable, but not worth the consequences
that will result. You will be given a “0” immediately and parents and
administration/discipline will be notified.
Classroom Consequences: If Rules are not followed…
1st Offense: Verbal Warning
2nd Offense: Teacher /Student meeting after class or school
3rd Offense: Detention= through the Discipline office (which will be
added to a discipline record)
4th Offense: Parent Phone Call
Scope and Sequence
Sophomore College Prep II 2014-2015
(Don’t worry- we might not read allllllll of these authors- take a deep
breath)
First Semester
Summer Reading- ** Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees **
Literature: **William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew **Unit One:
Gathering of Voices, Literature of Early America- Anne Bradstreet,
William Bradford, Edward Taylor, William Byrd, Jonathan Edwards** Unit
Two: A Nation is Born- Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas
Paine, Phillis Wheatley** Unit Three: A Growing Nation, Nineteenth
Century Literature- Washington Irving, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,
William Cullen Bryant, Meriwether Lewis, Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel
Hawthorne, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry
David Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman **Hawthorne’s novel The
Scarlet Letter**
Vocabulary- Units 1-4 first quarter and units 5-8 second quarter.
Composition- Students should expect various essays throughout the
semester. Requirements and element for these will be announced in class
in advance (narrative, descriptive, and literary essays, paragraph, and
essay process review).
Second Semester
Literature- ** Unit Four: Division, Reconciliation, and ExpansionStephen Crane, Bret Harte, Mary Chesnut, Jack London, Kate Chopin,
Mark Twain. **Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ** Unit
Five: Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent, The Modern Age- T.S.
Elliot, Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, Thomas Wolfe, Earnest
Hemingway, Carl Sandburg, Robert Frost, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Langston
Hughes ** Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby ** Unit Six: Prosperity and
Protest, The Contemporary Period- Flannery O’Connor, William Stafford,
William Wordsworth, Gwendolyn Brooks, Martin Luther King, Jr. ** John
Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men
Vocabulary- Units 9-12 third quarter and units 13-15 for fourth quarter
Composition- Continued literary essays
Mr. Morgan’s American Literature Class: 2014-2015
Dear New, Perfectly Behaved, Hard-Working, Intelligent Student,
This is your first homework assignment. Take this sheet home and have a
parent/guardian look over the entire syllabus with you. Fill this out (front and back), sign
it, and bring it back to class by Friday, August 15, 2014.
Student Name:______________________________________
I have read and agree to the terms listed on the syllabus, and understand and agree to
follow the rules and regulations.
Student Signature:_________________________
Date:___________________
Choose ONE:
 I DO have daily, reliable access to the Internet, and would be able to complete online
assignments at home. I understand that Internet issues are not an excuse for not
completing assignments, and will make sure to contact my teacher immediately if I
foresee any issues with the Internet.
 I DO NOT have daily, reliable access to the Internet, and would NOT be able to
complete online assignments at home. I will accept responsibility for requesting hard
copies of any online assignments the day they are assigned.
Dear New Parents/Guardians of these Angelic Students,
Thank you for sending your son/daughter to McGill. I look forward to getting to
know them throughout the year and helping them succeed and grow in the classroom.
Although I prefer that the first point of contact be between your student and myself,
please feel free to contact me with any questions/concerns that might arise through the
year (morgant@mcgill-toolen.org). I highly encourage you to become involved with
your students learning. They will be reading almost constantly so there should be plenty
to discuss/ask about each evening.
Parent/Guardian Name(s):_________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Email Address(es):________________________________________
Since I communicate primarily through email, please check ONE of the boxes below so I
know how best to reach you if the need arise.
 I DO have daily access to a computer with Internet.
 I DO NOT have daily access to a computer with Internet.
I have read, understand, and agree to the terms listed on the syllabus as they relate to my
child.
Parent/Guardian Signature:____________________________ Date:___________
FOR STUDENTS TO FILL OUT:
Plagiarism Waiver
Webster Dictionary’s definition of Plagiarism:
To steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own; use
(another's production) without crediting the source
I, ____________________________________________, understand that
the term plagiarism refers to the act of committing literary theft. I understand
that if I steal someone else’s words and/or thoughts and use them verbatim
as if they are my own, I am subject to disciplinary action. I understand that
plagiarism is a serious offense and should be taken seriously. I promise to
only submit work written in my own words and reflecting my own thoughts.
Note to students and parents:
I do not have my own classroom. I share a room with other teachers where I will meet
you each day. I do have an office (and we will take a field trip to it the first day of
school). The literature book that you must have for class weighs about 25-50 pounds
depending on how long you have to carry it around that day. Since I do not want you to
have back problems before the age of 18, you may leave this book in our classroom in an
area that I designate just for my class. Be aware that there will be 5 other classes in that
same room each day and some of them will be using the same book. I will make sure you
write your name on and in the book. I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY
BOOKS THAT GO MISSING. If you choose to leave your book in the room, you are
accepting all the risks and consequences that go with that choice. If someone takes your
book (or borrows it), it is not an excuse to miss assignments and it will count as not
having your materials for that day. Again: it is not my responsibility, nor the teacher
who is usually in the room, nor the administration’s responsibility if you choose to
leave your book in our room and not locked in your locker.
Please sign along the lines once you have read through this. Again, feel free to contact
me with any questions.
Student Signature:________________________
Date:____________
Parent/Guardian Signature:_______________________
Date:____________