Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts
Course Description: Survey of American Literature
This course explores and draws upon a variety of American literary non-fiction, informational and
fictional texts. Students will utilize reading, writing, speaking and listening skills to meet and be assessed
by Common Core State Standards. The course structure will encourage students to build upon and
connect knowledge gained in other disciplines through written and oral assignments. Culminating
assignments will include research-oriented projects, literary analyses, and speeches to diverse audiences
and in a myriad of formats. Students are expected to construct and use a three-ring binder for organization
and use sticky notes for critical reading. Students are responsible to meet ALL deadlines.
Prerequisites: 10th Grade Literature Arts
Credit: 1
Grading Practices:
Assessment
 Daily grade
20 points per day
o Prompt (in desk working when bell rings)
o Prepared
o Participation
o Completion of Warm-up activity
 Unit tests
 Semester Exams
 Composition Processes
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

Quizzes
Journal entries
Speeches
Grading Scale
 90% - A
 80% - B
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
70% - C
60% - D
5 points
5 points
5 points
5 points
Consistent through every unit are the Common Core Language standards (L 11…)
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking. (L 11.1)
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing. (L 11.2)
3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to
make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or
listening. (L 11.3)
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on
grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from range of strategies. (L 11.4)
5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings. (L 11.5)
6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient
for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate
independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a work or phrase important
to comprehension or expression. (L 11.6)
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 1 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts
Units of Study:
Introductory Unit: close Reading (annotation, critical reading, etc.)
Description: The practice of critical reading means that a reader applies certain processes, models,
questions, and theories that result in enhanced clarity and comprehension. We will ask our students to
practice critical reading with every text encountered. We introduce the practice at the beginning of the
year so students will hone their individual skills.
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

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
Footnotes
Timeline
Short story
Poem
articles
Unit 1: Puritan Literature and Thought / Age of Reason
Description of Unit 1: The Puritans had a profound effect upon American culture. As a political, social,
and cultural force, Puritanism lasted until circa 1728. The puritanical strands of religious thought and
moral judgment continue to influence, in varying degrees, the social and political thinking in America. At
this point the center of the country began a shift to the south. The “Age of Reason” was also ushered in
by way of European social philosophy. Many other historical forces impacted the movement of America
away from a religious haven towards an economic and political powerhouse. Students will utilize
reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in response to literary non-fiction, informational and
fictional texts, and non-print text. The unit will encourage students to build upon and connect knowledge
gained in other disciplines through written and oral assignments.
Texts:
The Crucible an American play by Arthur Miller
Varied poetry including:
“To My Dear and Loving Husband” by Anne Bradstreet
“Upon the Burning of Our House” by Anne Bradstreet
History Clashes with Commercialism Newspaper article
The Examination of Sarah Good from Salem Court Documents
from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God a sermon by Jonathan Edwards
Speech in the Virginia Convention by Patrick Henry
The Declaration of Independence
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 2 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts
from The Declaration of the Rights of Woman
Letter to John Adams by Abigail Adams
Texts for comparative across time (Demands for Equal Rights)
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

from I am Joaquin poem by Rodolfo Gonzales (1967)
Necessary to Protect Ourselves (1964) interview with Malcolm X
from Stride Toward Freedom essay by Martin Luther King, Jr. (1958)
Common Assessments:
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

Unit Exam
Seminar (common speech)
Five Reading Quizzes on play
Priority CC Standards:
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


Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters
uncertain.(RI 11-12.1).
Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course
of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex
analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. (RI 11 – 12.2).
Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals,
ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text (RI 11 – 12.3).
Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition
or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
(RI 11-12.5)
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based
on grades 11-12. (L 11-12.4)
Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases,
sufficient for reading. (L 11-12.5)
Supporting CC Standards:




Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the
stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used. (SL 1112.3)
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English
when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11–12 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 54 for
specific expectations.) (SL 11-12.6)
Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature, including how two or more text from the same/different period treat
similar themes or topics. (RL 11-12.9)
Read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently,
with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Read and comprehend complex literary
and information texts independently and proficiently. (RIT 11-12. 10)
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 3 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts


Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. (W 11-12.1)
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats as
well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem (RIT 11.7)
Unit 2: Romantic / Transcendental
Description of Unit 1:
American transcendentalism was a philosophical, spiritual and literary movement that began as a religious
protest within the Unitarian church. This period began around 1836 and lasted to roughly 1860. The
beginnings of romanticist philosophy originated much earlier, around the end of the 18th century, but
reached its peak of influence around 1840. One can see many similarities of the two movements as well
as differences. In many aspects, the philosophies were similar. Both movements were born as a reaction
to strict traditions, laws and religious rules of the time. Both philosophies opposed Calvinism, a religious
doctrine that states that human outcomes are predetermined. Transcendentalism and romanticism placed a
huge emphasis on the individual as well as inspiration from nature. Romanticism was partially a reaction
against realism and objective reasoning. Similarly, transcendentalism was a reaction against
overpowering religious traditions and dogma. Both encouraged the individual to discover their own truth
and be ruled by that rather than obey the constructs of the time.
Text:
Essays
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
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”
Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and “Walden”
Poetry from the following authors:
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Longfellow
Margaret Fuller
Walt Whitman
Edgar Allan Poe
Hawthorne
Melville
Short Stories from the following authors:
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Poe
Hawthorne
Irving
Across Time (Heirs of Whitman)

Gandhi speech On Civil Disobedience
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 4 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts

Poetry by
o William Carlos Williams “Danse Russe” (1916)
o E.E. Cummings “anyone lived in a pretty how town” (1940)
o Aurora Levins Morales “Ending Poem” (1986)
o Luis J Rodriquez “Tia Chucha” (1991)
Common Assessments:



Unit Exam
Romantic / Transcendental Presentation
o 7-10 minutes
o Visual presentation
o Speech
o Assessment created for class
Interview out of unit
Priority CC Standards:
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








Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters
uncertain.(RI 11-12.1).
Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course
of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex
analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. (RI 11 – 12.2).
Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals,
ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text (RI 11 – 12.3).
Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition
or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
(RI 11-12.5)
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based
on grades 11-12. (L 11-12.4)
Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases,
sufficient for reading. (L 11-12.5)
Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same and different
periods treat similar themes or topics. (RL 11.9)
Make strategic use of digital media in presentations to enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. (SL 11.5)
Evaluate a speaker’s POV, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance,
premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of evidence, and tone used. (SL 11.3)
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English
when indicated or appropriate. (SL 11.6)
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 5 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts
Supporting CC Standards:






Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the
stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used. (SL 1112.3)
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English
when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11–12 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 54 for
specific expectations.) (SL 11-12.6)
Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature, including how two or more text from the same/different period treat
similar themes or topics. (RL 11-12.9)
Read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently,
with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Read and comprehend complex literary
and information texts independently and proficiently. (RIT 11-12. 10)
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. (W 11-12.1)
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats as
well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem (RIT 11.7)
Unit 3: Manifest Destiny (Fools Crow)
Description of Unit 1: The frontier became the imaginative site where the battle over slavery and the
future of America got played out. It was also a site occupied by Native Americans, who in the minds of
Northern and Southern whites, needed to vanish to pave the way for American expansion. Some of the
most popular and critical works of American literature beginning in the 1820s took as their setting the
frontier. The frontier became the site where writers explored the "rules of coexistence" between racially
diverse groups of people, according to the cultural critic Jane Tompkins (p. 119). For many American
writers, the frontier would determine the fate of America; it would also distinguish American from
European literature, which had no comparable interracial frontier to draw on.
Texts
Fools Crow an historical fiction by James Welch (Main Text)
from Leatherstocking Tales by James Fenimore Cooper
Pieces from Mark Twain:
 from The autobiography of Mark Twain
 Epigrams
“The Indian and the Hundred Cows” a folktale by Jose Griego Y Maestas translated by Rudolfo A.
Anaya
Narrative from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Speeches
 The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
 I Will Fight No More Forever by Chief Joseph
from Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 6 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts
Across Time (Writings of the New West)
 The Legend of Gregorio Cortez by Americo Paredes (1973)
Common Assessments:



Unit Exam
Reflective Writing (Hero Journey)
Multiple Reading Quizzes on book
Priority CC Standards:








Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters
uncertain.(RI 11-12.1).
Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course
of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex
analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. (RI 11 – 12.2).
Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals,
ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text (RI 11 – 12.3).
Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition
or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
(RI 11-12.5)
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based
on grades 11-12. (L 11-12.4)
Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases,
sufficient for reading. (L 11-12.5)
Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem, evaluating how each version
interprets the source text. (RL 11.7)
Make strategic use of digital media in presentations to enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. (SL 11.5)
Supporting CC Standards:





Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the
stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used. (SL 1112.3)
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English
when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11–12 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 54 for
specific expectations.) (SL 11-12.6)
Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature, including how two or more text from the same/different period treat
similar themes or topics. (RL 11-12.9)
Read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently,
with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Read and comprehend complex literary
and information texts independently and proficiently. (RIT 11-12. 10)
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selections. (W 11-12.2)
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 7 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts



Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (W 11-12.4)
Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames. (W 11-12.10)
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats as
well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem (RIT 11.7)
Unit 4: Naturalism(1901-1914) and introduction to Modernism (1914-20s))
Description of Unit 1: During the early 20th century many writers sought to document the harsh realities
of American life during the century transition. Whereas literary realism tended to focus on the travails of
life in the upper classes, naturalist writing featured characters surviving in far grittier surroundings, often
in a universe indifferent to human suffering. Modernists heavily influenced by social and scientific
theories, including those of Darwin, writers of naturalism described – usually from a detached or
journalistic perspective – the influence of society and surroundings on the development of the individual,
city life, social class, and industry. Furthermore, modernist authors and artists portrayed the radical shift
in aesthetic and cultural sensibilities evident in the art and literature of the post-WWI period.
Texts
A River Runs Through It memoir by Norman Maclean (Western setting)
The Great Gatsby novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Eastern setting)
Poetry:
 Various poems by Emily Dickinson
 “Chicago” by Carl Sandburg
 “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
“The New Immigrants” historical background
from Complaints and Disorders – informational text by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English
“The Story of an Hour” short story by Kate Chopin
Across Time (Diversity of Voices and Dreams – lost and found)
 “Adolescence –III” poem by Rita Dove (1980)
 “Ironing Their Clothes” poem by Julia Alarez (1986)
 “My Father and the Figtree” poem by Naomi Shihab Nye (1986)
 “Refugee Ship” poem by Lorna Dee Cervantes (1982)
Common Assessments:




Unit Exam
Two Seminars (A River and Gatsby including synthesis of multiple texts)
Multiple Reading Quizzes on books
Several extended analysis writings
Priority CC Standards:

Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters
uncertain.(RI 11-12.1).
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 8 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts









Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course
of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex
analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. (RI 11 – 12.2).
Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals,
ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text (RI 11 – 12.3).
Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition
or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
(RI 11-12.5)
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based
on grades 11-12. (L 11-12.4)
Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases,
sufficient for reading. (L 11-12.5)
Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem, evaluating how each version
interprets the source text. (RL 11.7)
Evaluate a speaker’s POV, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance,
premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of evidence, and tone used. (SL 11.3)
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English
when indicated or appropriate. (SL 11.6)
Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition
or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
(RIT 11.5)
Supporting CC Standards:






Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature, including how two or more text from the same/different period treat
similar themes or topics. (RL 11-12.9)
Read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently,
with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Read and comprehend complex literary
and information texts independently and proficiently. (RIT 11-12. 10)
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selections. (W 11-12.2)
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (W 11-12.4)
Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames. (W 11-12.10)
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats as
well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem (RIT 11.7)
Unit 5: (Modernism-Post Modernism) 1930s-1950s: Harlem Renaissance
Description of Unit 5:
Centered around 135th Street and 5th Avenue, The Harlem Renaissance became a mecca for middle-class
African-Americans moving north from Hell's Kitchen, Clinton, and other neighborhoods in New York
City. Black intellectuals, writers, and other artists were among the first inhabitants of Harlem, the home of
the New Negro movement, as the literary and cultural aspects of the renaissance came to be called.
Importantly prefigured by the writings of W. E. B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Zora Neale Hurston,
Langston Hughes, and Alice Dunbar-Nelson the Harlem Renaissance and the New Negro movement
generated an explosion of creativity unique in its breadth and depth; it included groundbreaking work in
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 9 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts
poetry, fiction, essays, music, dance, and theater. Students will utilize reading, writing, speaking and
listening skills in response to literary non-fiction, informational and fictional texts. The course structure
will encourage students to build upon and connect knowledge gained in other disciplines through written
and oral assignments.
Texts:
“How it Feels to Be Colored Me” – Zora Neale Hurston
Advanced Reading Text: “Their Eyes Were Watching God”- Zora Neale Hurston
Selected Poems- Langston Hughes
Selected Essays- W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Alice Dunbar Nelson
Priority CC Standards:




Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters
uncertain.(RI 11-12.1).
Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course
of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex
analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. (RI 11 – 12.2).
Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals,
ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text (RI 11 – 12.3).
Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition
or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
(RI 11-12.5)
Supporting CC Standards:


Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the
stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used. (SL 1112.3)
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English
when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11–12 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 54 for
specific expectations.) (SL 11-12.6)
Common Assessments:
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

Evaluative Essays
Formal Speech/Expository or Debate
Argumentative Essay/Debate Argument-Constructive Speech
Unit 6: War (poetry) Things They Carried (Metafiction)
Description of Unit 6:
Meta-fiction is a term given to fictional writing which self-consciously and systematically draws attention
to its status as an artifact in order to pose questions about the relationship between fiction and reality. In
providing a critique of their own methods of construction, such writings not only examine the
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 10 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts
fundamental structures of narrative fiction, they also explore the possible fictionality of the world outside
the literary fictional text. The anchor text, The Things They Carried, explores this genre with the
backdrop of the Vietnam War and its political and social contexts. In addition, poetic devices, styles, and
structures that constitute reader reflection from war-time eras will be investigated and interpreted through
common assessments. Students will utilize reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in response to
literary non-fiction, informational and fictional texts. The course structure will encourage students to
build upon and connect knowledge gained in other disciplines through written and oral assignments.
Texts:
“The Things They Carried” – Tim O’Brien
War Poetry – Selected poems
Priority CC Standards:
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

Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to
make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or
listening. (L 11. 12.3)
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings (L 11 -12.5).
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter
time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. (W 11
– 12.10)
Supporting CC Standards:

Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on
others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively (SL 11 -12.1).

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English
when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11–12 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 54 for
specific expectations.) (SL 11-12.6).
Common Assessments:




Unit Tests
Poetry Interpretation Speech
Socratic Seminar
Reading Quizzes
Unit 7: Women’s Voices / Civil Rights Movements 1960s-1980s
Description of Unit 7:
The African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) refers to the social movements in the United
States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against black Americans and restoring voting rights to
them. The movement was characterized by major campaigns of civil resistance. Between 1955 and 1968,
acts of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience produced crisis situations between activists and
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 11 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts
government authorities. Federal, state, and local governments, businesses, and communities often had to
respond immediately to these situations that highlighted the inequities faced by African Americans.
The American Civil Rights Movement produced a ripple-effect of awareness of oppression and unequal
representation under the law for another large minority group: women. Female voice involves political
and sociological theories and philosophies concerned with issues of gender difference, as well as a
movement that advocates gender equality for women and campaigns for women's rights and interests.
Although the terms "feminism" and "feminist" did not gain widespread use until the 1970s, they were
already being used in the public parlance much earlier. Female voices have altered predominant
perspectives in a wide range of areas within Western society, ranging from culture to law. Students will
utilize reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in response to literary non-fiction, informational and
fictional texts. The course structure will encourage students to build upon and connect knowledge gained
in other disciplines through written and oral assignments.
Texts:
Excerpts from “The Woman Warrior” by Maxine Hong Kingston
The Equal Pay Act of 1963
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
Equal Rights for Women Speech- Shirley Chisholm
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”- Maya Angelou (1970)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
John F. Kennedy Civil Rights Speech of 1963: “The Civil Rights Report to the People”
George Wallace’s of Montgomery, Alabama Inaugural Speech “Segregation Now, Segregation Forever”
(1963)
Priority CC Standards:



Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or
argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging. (RI 11 –
12.5)
Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of
constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority
opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy
(e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses). (RI 11-12.8)
Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a
text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement). (RL 11-12.6)
Supporting CC Standards:

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information. (W
11-12.6)
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 12 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts

Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced
searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task,
purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of
ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format
for citation. (W 11-12.8)

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct
perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing
perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks. (SL 11-12.4)
Common Assessments:


Debate/Constructive Speech
Reading Quiz (one for Women’s Voices & one for Civil Rights)
Unit 8: Regional Contemporary Literature “Legend of Colton H. Bryant”
Description of Unit 1:
Alexandra Fuller’s third book, The Legend of Colton H. Bryant, is part memoir, part case study of the
chapped-knuckle gestalt of the Cowboy State. Wyoming welters under a stubborn, wind-savaged crust of
tough luck. Though Colton Bryant is basically a salt-of-the-earth modern-day rural kid who grows up to
become a third-generation hand in the local oil fields, Alexander Fuller has elevated him to a heroic
everyman. Students will study contemporary fiction, literary style, and perception of a novel that hits
close-to-home. Students will utilize reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in response to literary
non-fiction, informational and fictional texts. The course structure will encourage students to build upon
and connect knowledge gained in other disciplines through written and oral assignments.
Texts:
“The Legend of Colton H. Bryant”- Alexandra Fuller
Priority CC Standards:

Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive
elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to
add interest. (SL 11-12.5)

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking. (L 11 – 12.1)

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct
perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing
perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks. (SL 11 – 12.4)
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 13 of 14
Fremont County School District #1
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Course Name: 11th Grade Language Arts
Supporting CC Standards:

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information. (W
11 -12.6)

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of
content. (W 11 – 12.2)

By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in
the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end
of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas,
and poems, at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and
proficiently. (RL 11-12.10)
Common Assessments:



Unit Exam
Debate/Constructive Speech
Four Reading Quizzes on book
Academic Vocabulary
Reading: westward expansion literature, activism, allegory, constitutional law, crucible,
Democratic, divergent, hysteria, idealism, insurgent, Progressivism, prohibition, psychological
text, reliance, republic, sexism, Socialism, socioeconomic, subversive, Theocracy,
transformation, Transcendentalism, Romanticism, McCarthyism, stock characters
Language: grammar used in writing/speech, syntax, litotes
Writing: all modes, multiple short research
Student and/ or Parent Signature:
I have read and understood the requirements and content of 11th Grade Language Arts.
Parent: ________________________________ Student: ____________________________
FCSD1 Syllabus: Approved May 2014, Page 14 of 14