English II: World Literature Course Syllabus
Mrs. Hailey – jlhailey@cps.edu
Ms. Lessmann – mslessmann@gmail.com
Ms. Kavanagh – efkavanagh@cps.edu
Mrs. O’Brien – mafry@cps.edu
Ms. Wilson – cwlieb@cps.edu
Phone:
773-534-6400
Credits:
1 per year
Office Hours: By appointment (see your teacher)
Teachers:
Course Description
World Literature and Composition is the second of four required English courses. In this course, students will become
adept at analyzing challenging texts and using elements of the writer’s craft to refine written, oral, and visual
representations in response to world literature. World Literature encompasses a rich body of work ranging from the
early and classical oral traditions to the voices of post-colonial groups, and to the modern diversity of today, reflecting
the complex and interwoven voices of global perspectives. Students will read and respond in a variety of ways to works
by influential writers. They will explore and analyze world literature within its historical and cultural framework. This,
in turn, will help to create a deeper knowledge and understanding of world events. Building on their understanding from
English I, students will delve more deeply into literature and their understanding of language and the writing process.
Central Concepts
Literacy
 Read and respond to a variety of texts orally and in writing.
 Write and revise well organized responses to text.
o Use grammar in context to revise writing and develop effective rhetorical skills.
o Write essays that conform to ACT assessment rubrics and elements of locally created rubrics.
 Demonstrate competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process to bring writing to a final draft.
 Self-monitor comprehension using a variety of strategies to make meaning of text.
 Conduct inquiry.
o Use and evaluate a variety of informational sources.
o Create inquiry-based products.
o Use MLA format to cite references in inquiry-based products.
Literature
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Recognize recurrent themes in world literature and history.
Recognize cross-curricular connections in the humanities.
Read and understand representative literature from a variety of global perspectives.
Identify a text’s purpose, structure, and theme.
Identify historical context and connections.
Edmodo Group Information
Class Code: _______________________________________
Username: __________________________________
Password: _______________________________________
Overview by Unit:
I.
Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird
II.
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
III.
Gilgamesh and Other Tales about Beginnings/Floods
IV.
Edith Hamilton’s Mythology and Homer’s Odyssey
V.
Maxine Hong Kingston’s “White Tigers” and India, China, and Japan
VI.
The Thousand Nights and One Night and Africa and the Middle East
VII.
Elie Wiesel’s Night with Integrated War Unit
VIII.
Expression in Repression: Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis and South America
Course Essential Questions:
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Who am I as a citizen of the world?
Why do we study world literature and other cultures? What can we gain and/or lose?
How do religion and place influence culture?
What does literature tell us about the culture from which it emerges?
What motifs can be found across world literatures?
Class Materials:
You must have these materials with you every day to be considered prepared.
 1 2-inch binder
 8 dividers
 Black pens
 Sticky notes
 Loose-leaf
 Current reading packet and/or current novel
 Flash drive
Westinghouse Grading Scale:
A=100%-90%
B=89%-80%
C=79%-70%
D=69%-60%
F=59%-0%
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Your work in this course will contribute to your grade as follows:
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Final Exam
Tests and Quizzes
Projects and Papers
Class work
Homework
Attendance and Participation
5%
20%
20%
25%
20%
10%
Policies and Procedures:
Attendance: You are expected to attend class every day on time and prepared to work. If you must be absent, you are
responsible for meeting with your teacher on the day you return, obtaining all missed assignments, and establishing due
dates.
Preparedness: You must have your current reading packet each day. You may not share a reading packet with another
student, and if you lose the packet, you will need to purchase a new one.
Work Submission: All essays are to be turned in typed in 12 point Times New Roman or Arial font. Italicized text is
unacceptable. You are expected to revise each graded essay through the Criterion program. You are expected to cite
your sources in MLA citation. Failure to do so is considered plagiarism. Please see the plagiarism policy.
Work is to be submitted directly to me. Do not leave anything on my desk or slide an assignment under my door. If I
request that work be sent to me electronically, please do so by the deadline I set for that assignment .
Westinghouse Plagiarism Policy:
The following Plagiarism Policy has been adopted by the Westinghouse English Department. Please be sure you
understand the consequences for cheating or copying the work of another -- from any source.
Cheating and/or plagiarism are regarded as very serious offenses. Copying or paraphrasing material/text from the work
of another student, from published sources (ie: Cliff Notes, Spark Notes, books, magazines, newspapers, etc.) and/or
from the Internet without proper documentation constitutes academic theft.
Plagiarism is "the unauthorized use of someone else's material, which is then presented as being the result of the
plagiarist's own primary research, creative impulse or insight. Plagiarism technically encompasses the borrowing of
ideas of others, as well as their exact words...." Laurie Henry, The Fiction Dictionary, p. 219.
Any instance where plagiarism is suspected will result in the following consequences:
 The student will earn a ZERO for the work in question.
 A conference will be held with an administrator.
 Your parent(s) will be notified of the plagiarism/cheating/academic theft.
Homework Policy:
Students will have homework assignments EVERY night. Any student who does not complete homework
assignments risks failure. The Chicago Board of Education mandates that homework be assigned regularly to students.
Excused Absences:
If you have an excused absence, contact your teacher to get assignments and make up missed work within 2 days of
your return. A note from a parent or guardian may be required to make up work. No make-up work will be accepted for
unexcused absences. Some in-class assignments cannot be made up. See your teacher for alternate work.
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Student/Parent/Teacher Statement of Understanding – World Literature
Please complete this form and return it to your teacher by Friday, September 7, 2012.
Student: _____________________________________________________________________
Period: _______________
Teacher: __________________________________
Student E-mail: _____________________________________
I have read and understand the syllabus for English II, World Literature.
I understand:
 (Honors) This class is at an accelerated 10th grade level, and the curriculum is paced and
weighed as such.
 Homework must be completed and turned in on time, and all assigned reading must be
completed before class.
 I will be expected to be an active part of a cooperative and respectful learning community
whose goal is to provide a rigorous education.
 Attendance is crucial to maintaining an acceptable grade in the class, and excessive absences
will affect my grade. If there is a paper due and I am ill, I must contact my teacher and make
arrangements for my paper to be delivered in order to retain all possible credit.
 Plagiarism, cheating, and other dishonorable behaviors will not be tolerated, and will result
in a zero grade for the assignment in question. If there are further problems, removal from
class will be considered at the discretion of the teacher.
___________________________________________________________________
Student Signature
Parent/Guardian: _____________________________________________________
(Print name neatly)
Parent Signature: _________________________________________
Parent E-mail: _________________________________________
Phone: (Day)________________________ (Evening) _______________________
Best Time to Call: ____________________________________________________
Emergency Contact Name: __________________________________________________
Emergency Contact Phone: __________________________________________________
Additional information or comments that may benefit the teacher:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
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