AMERICAN LITERATURE HONORS – PERIOD 8
DHS American Literature Editorial Board Project
A culture’s literature is made, not born. Every piece of literature that appears in your
anthology represents a set of cultural, political, philosophical, economic, and artistic
ideas that are meant to define America’s past and present. A culture’s literature is also
dynamic, not static. As the beliefs, dreams, and demands of American life change, its
national literature changes, too.
This semester, you will be given an opportunity to give shape to the DHS version of
your national literature. As is typically the case, you will read and discuss pieces of
literature selected by your teacher. You will also choose one additional anthologized
piece on which you will conduct research. The semester will culminate with a full-class
seminar during which the merits of the class reading list will be debated. As a class, you
will decide upon one piece of literature (from the class reading list) to eliminate as well
as one piece (from your or your peers’ research) that will serve as its replacement. Your
modification to the reading list will take effect next year and be extended for a
minimum of one academic year.
So, in a limited way, you are being granted the power of the editorial board of an
American literature anthology. In order to fulfill this role, it is expected that you become
experts on every piece of literature you read, as well as your additional chosen piece.
Ultimately, the goal of this project is to push you to evaluate critically each of our class
texts beyond such vague, non-specific declarations as “it’s good” or “I didn’t like it” or
“the writing flowed.”
Projects Assignments
Deadline
1. Outside Literature Presentation (with partner)...................................BEGINNING 1/5/10
*PRESENTATIONS MUST TAKE PLACE IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER*
2. Rationale for Adding
Your Literature Selection to Reading List (with partner)............same date as presentation
3. Rationale for Removing
One Piece of Literature from Reading List..............................................Wednesday 1/13/10
4. Seminar Discussions................................................Tuesday 1/12/10 and Wednesday 1/13/10
The Assignment Breakdown
OUTSIDE LITERATURE PRESENTATION (50 POINTS)
For this assignment, you and a partner will select one piece of literature from the provided list.
Both of you will read your chosen piece carefully, research it in the library and on the internet,
and provide the class with a brief explanation of its merits. In a 10-minute presentation, you and
your partner will briefly summarize the text (plot, characters, themes, etc) as well as address the
following questions:
—In what ways does this piece of literature reflect cultural, political, economic, philosophical,
or artistic developments from America’s past and present?
—In what ways does this piece of literature reflect or contradict the ideas associated with the
literary period in which it first appeared?
—What are the interpretive implications of this text? (In other words, how well does it lend
itself to multiple literary interpretations?)
You and your partner might also read aloud a small sample (two or three lines) of the text to
help you explain the style of its diction and syntax. There are many other imaginative ways you
and your partner might approach this presentation, but let this be your guiding principle: in
your role as experts, you must clearly and emphatically communicate to your peers the reasons
for including this text to the class reading list—regardless of your personal feelings toward it.
(Later in the semester you will have an opportunity to be much more critical of it, if you desire.)
RATIONALE FOR ADDING YOUR SELECTION TO CLASS READING LIST (50 POINTS)
Written by both you and your partner, this thesis-based paper should be typed and run no
longer than two pages. While it will be the basis for your presentation, this paper should be
seen as a separate assignment; simply reading your rationale aloud will not constitute an
acceptable presentation.
RATIONALE FOR REMOVING ONE SELECTION FROM READING LIST (50 POINTS)
Written by you alone, this paper should contain a specific and intelligent explanation for the
elimination of one of the class reading list texts. It should be typed and run no longer than two
pages. This assignment should be completed and submitted at the end of class on the day of the
seminar discussion.
SEMINAR DISCUSSION (100 POINTS)
To be held at the end of the semester, this seminar discussion will require each of you to argue
for the removal of one text as well as the selection of its replacement. Specific details to come.
As mentioned above, your ultimate decision will be honored for at least one year in this class.
NOTE: Keep in mind, you may eliminate a specific text, but that does not mean that you will be
eliminating an author.
NOTE: For all work completed with a partner, there must be obvious evidence of mutual
contribution and participation.
NOTE: The entire project will be worth nearly three in-class essays. All points for all project
assignments will be applied to your second semester grade.
The List
Columbus/de las Casas (Letters, 25-29; handout)
Smith (The General History of Virginia, 42-53; Description of New England, 53-57)
Rowlandson (Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration, 135-143)
Knight (The Private Journal of a Journey, handout)
Paine (Common Sense and The Crisis, 320-334)
De Crèvecoeur (Letters from an American Farmer, 299-313)
Dr. Saidiya Hartman (Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route. handout)
Equiano (Interesting Narrative, 350-361)
The Cherokee Memorials (571-579)
Wheatley (assorted poems, 366-377)
Fuller (assorted essays, 760-771)
Lazarus (assorted poems, 1217-1223)
Longfellow (“Evangeline” handout)
You may choose a partner (within this section of the course) with whom to work on this project.
In certain cases students will be allowed to work alone (with teacher permission). Depending on
the size of the class, there may be a need for one three-person wor