AMERICAN LITERATURE AMERICAN LITERATURE GVCS 2016-2019 High School American Literature is a course in which students sharpen their reading comprehension skills and analyze important themes in classic and modern works of American literature, including novels, short stories, dramas, poetry, nonfiction, graphic novels, memoirs, essays, articles, and speeches. Students refine their skills of written expression by writing argument, informative, and narrative essays, a narrative speech, and a multimedia presentation. They develop vocabulary skills and refresh their knowledge of grammar, usage, and mechanics in preparation for college and career readiness. American Literature - Option #3 Course Packet and Resource Materials Introduction and Contents The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (“the standards”) represent the next generation of K–12 standards designed to prepare all students for success in college, career, and life by the time they graduate from high school. The skills and knowledge captured in the ELA/literacy standards are designed to prepare students for life outside the classroom. They include critical-thinking skills and the ability to closely and attentively read texts in a way that will help them understand and enjoy complex works of literature. Students will learn to use cogent reasoning and evidence collection skills that are essential for success in college, career, and life. The standards also lay out a vision of what it means to be a literate person who is prepared for success in the 21st century. This course is designed to meet the Common Core State Standards and provide the flexibility for students to choose what they read and the level of text complexity. This course should be challenging and is recommended for motivated, independent students. The course is self paced and has multiple key assignments. KEY ASSIGNMENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 SAMPLE PACING GUIDE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 KEY ASSIGNMENTS WORKSHEET ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 RESOURCES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 READING & WORKBOOK SELECTIONS------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 NOVELS----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 SHORT STORIES, MYTHS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 DRAMA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 POETRY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 NONFICTION, GRAPHIC NOVELS, AND MEMOIRS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9 ESSAYS, ARTICLES, AND SPEECHES --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 VOCABULARY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 WRITING INFORMATION -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 ANNOTATING -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 QUICK WRITE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 ESSAY WRITING ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 ADDITIONAL ELA RESOURCES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 ASSESSMENT GUIDES/TEST PREP ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 CLOSE READERS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS, WRITING WORKSHOPS, PERFORMANCE TASKS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 WRITING WORKBOOKS, ESSAY SCORERS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 ANALYZING POETRY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 2/19/16 COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS INFORMATION----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 COMMON CORE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE ARTS ANCHOR STANDARDS ------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 2/19/16 American Literature 1 Key Assignments - Assignments listed are a minimum of required work to receive full credit for the course. A student may choose, and is encouraged, to do more for personal development, but no extra credit will be awarded. I. Select and read 4 novels from the approved list. Read 2 novels per semester. For each novel: 1) Choose a text that will be challenging for student’s reading level. 2) Select 20 unfamiliar, academically challenging words. Define the words, write them in sentences, and participate in oral and/or written quizzes related to the meaning and usage of the words. As an alternative, select an approved vocabulary workbook. (See Vocabulary, assignment XIII.) 3) Use a study guide (available online or in book format). Possible options include: Shmoop; Spark Notes; Cliffs Notes; or other comprehensive study guides that has been approved prior to use. Common Core-aligned guides are recommended. 4) Research and read background information about the author, context, and important literary devices. Sources may include websites, study guides, or other appropriate resources. 5) Annotate the text. (At least 1 per year). 6) Use a graphic organizer from a workbook or online source. (See Additional Resources in Resources section.) 7) Complete a comprehensive quiz/test. II. Select and read 4 short stories from the approved list. Read 2 short stories per semester. For each short story: 1) Choose a text that will be challenging for student’s reading level. 2) Select 10 unfamiliar, academically challenging words. Define the words, write them in sentences, and participate in oral and/or written quizzes related to the meaning and usage of the words. As an alternative, select an approved vocabulary workbook. (See Vocabulary, assignment XIII.) 3) Use a study guide (available online or in book format). Possible options include: Shmoop; Spark Notes; Cliffs Notes; or other comprehensive study guides that has been approved prior to use. Common Core-aligned guides are recommended. 4) Research and read background information about the author, context, and important literary devices. Sources may include websites, study guides, or other appropriate resources. 5) Annotate the text. (At least 1 per year). 6) Use a graphic organizer from a workbook or online source. (See Additional Resources in Resources section.) 7) Complete a comprehensive quiz/test. III. Select and read 2 dramas or 1 drama and 1 epic poem from the approved list. Read 1 drama and/or epic poem per semester. For each drama and/or epic poem: 1) Choose a text that will be challenging for student’s reading level. 2) Select 20 unfamiliar, academically challenging words. Define the words, write them in sentences, and participate in oral and/or written quizzes related to the meaning and usage of the words. As an alternative, select an approved vocabulary workbook. (See Vocabulary, assignment XIII.) 3) Use a study guide (available online or in book format). Possible options include: Shmoop; Spark Notes; Cliffs Notes; or other comprehensive study guide that has been approved prior to use. Common Core-aligned guides are recommended. 4) Research and read background information about the author, context, and important literary devices. Sources may include websites, study guides, or other appropriate resources. 5) Annotate the text. (At least 1 per year). 6) Complete a comprehensive quiz/test. 7) Complete 2 quick writes per text. Cite evidence from text (See Additional Resources in Resources section.) 2/19/16 American Literature 2 IV. Select and read 4 poems from the approved list. Read 2 poems per semester. For each poem: 1) Choose a text that will be challenging for student’s reading level. 2) Select 5 unfamiliar, academically challenging words from the poem or about poetry. Define the words, write them in sentences, and participate in oral and/or written quizzes related to the meaning and usage of the words. As an alternative, select an approved vocabulary workbook. (See Vocabulary, assignment XIII.) 3) Research and read background information about the author, context, and important literary devices. Sources may include websites, study guides, or other appropriate resources. 4) Analyze the poem. (See Analyzing Poetry in Resources section.) Orally or in writing. (At least 1 per year). V. Select and read 2 nonfiction texts, graphic/historical novels, and/or memoirs from the approved list. Read 1 nonfiction text, graphic/historical novel, and/or memoir per semester. For each selection: 1) Choose a text that will be challenging for student’s reading level. 2) Select 20 unfamiliar, academically challenging words. Define the words, write them in sentences, and participate in oral and/or written quizzes related to the meaning and usage of the words. As an alternative, select an approved vocabulary workbook. (See Vocabulary, assignment XIII.) 3) Use a study guide (available online or in book format). Possible options include: Shmoop; Spark Notes; Cliffs Notes; or other comprehensive study guide that has been approved prior to use. Common Core-aligned guides are recommended. 4) Research and read background information about the author, context, and important literary devices. Sources may include websites, study guides, or other appropriate resources. 5) Annotate the text. (At least 1 per year). 6) Use a graphic organizer from a workbook or online source. (See Additional Resources in Resources section.) 7) Complete a comprehensive quiz/test. VI. Select and read 4 essays, articles, and/or speeches from the approved list. Read 2 essays, articles, and/or speeches per semester. For each selection: 1) Select 5 unfamiliar, academically challenging words. Define the words, write them in sentences, and participate in oral and/or written quizzes related to the meaning and usage of the words. As an alternative, select an approved vocabulary workbook. (See Vocabulary, assignment XIII.) 2) Identify and discuss the author’s purpose, audience, tone, etc. VII. Complete 2 “close reads”. Complete 1 “close read” per semester. May be completed via an online source or within a close read workbook. (See Additional Resources in Resources section.) For each selection: 1) Read a brief passage of a text. Passages may be selected from within other assigned reading or from other appropriate sources. 2) Describe, in literary criticism, the careful, sustained interpretation of the text. Pay close attention to the individual words, syntax, and the order in which sentences and ideas unfold. Answer questions about and analyze the passage closely. Identify and discuss the author’s purpose, audience, and tone. Cite evidence from text. VIII. Write 2 Argument essays. (See Writing in Resources section.) Write 1 argument essay per semester in MLA format. 1) Research how to write an argument essay. Read samples and take notes. 2/19/16 American Literature 3 2) Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. 3) Use academic vocabulary, writing process, rubric for grading, and cite evidence. IX. Write 2 Informative essays. (See Writing in Resources section.) Write 1 informative essay per semester in MLA format. 1) Research how to write an informative essay. Read samples and take notes. 2) Write informative/explanatory essay to examine complex ideas and convey information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. 3) Use academic vocabulary, writing process, rubric for grading, and cite evidence. X. Write 2 Narrative essays. (See Writing in Resources section.) Write 1 narrative essay per semester in MLA format. 1) Research how to write a narrative essay. Read samples and take notes. 2) Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences. 3) Use academic vocabulary, writing process, rubric for grading, and cite evidence. XI. Write 1 Narrative speech. (See Writing in Resources section.) Write 1 narrative speech per year. 1) Research how to write a narrative speech. Read samples and take notes. 2) Write and prepare speech. 3) Present speech to EF and parent. Use good presentation skills. 4) Use academic vocabulary, writing process, rubric for grading, and cite evidence. XII. Write and present 1 Multimedia presentation. (See Writing in Resources section.) Write 1 multimedia presentation per year. 1) Research how to prepare a multimedia presentation. Read samples and take notes. 2) Write and prepare presentation. 3) Present to EF and parent. Use good presentation skills. 4) Use academic vocabulary, writing process, rubric for grading, and cite evidence. XIII. Assignment XIII is for use if student opts not to choose vocabulary words directly from reading selections. Select a vocabulary workbook from the approved list. Read and complete a minimum of 85% of the chapters, vocabulary exercises, review questions, and workshops in the selected vocabulary workbook. XIV. Complete periodic assessments, including but not limited to a mid-term and final exam/project/paper, without outside assistance or use of notes or the text. Prior to beginning the course, the assessments must be agreed upon by the EF, parent, and student. XV. Education Facilitator will review work on a monthly basis, and written samples will be kept in student’s file. 2/19/16 American Literature 4 Sample Pacing Guide Semester 1 Week 1-3 - Novel, Argument Essay, Grammar Week 4-6 - Novel, Narrative Essay, Grammar Week 7-9 - Non Fiction, Informative Essay, Grammar Week 10-12 - (2) Essays/Articles/Speeches, Narrative Speech, (2) Poems, Analyze, Grammar Week 13-15 - (2) Short Stories, Close Read, Grammar Week 16-18 - Drama, (2) Quick Writes, Midterm Semester 2 Week 1-3 - Novel, Argument Essay, Grammar Week 4-6 - Novel, Narrative Essay, Grammar Week 7-9 - Non Fiction, Informative Essay, Grammar Week 10-12 - (2) Essays/Articles/Speeches, Multimedia Presentation, (2) Poems, Analyze, Grammar Week 13-15 - (2) Short Stories, Close Read, Grammar Week 16-18 - Drama, (2) Quick Writes, Final 2/19/16 American Literature 5 Key Assignments Worksheet – Assignments listed are a minimum of required work to receive full credit for the course. A student may choose, and is encouraged, to do more for personal development, but no extra credit will be awarded. Assignment I - Select and read 4 novels Title of Novel Academic Vocabulary (min. of 20 words) Study Guide Read Background Info, Identify Theme, Audience, Central Idea, Author’s Purpose and/or Rhetoric Annotate Graphic (at least 1 Organizer per year) (at least 1 per year) Quiz / Test Grade Overall Grade Read Background Info, Identify Theme, Audience, Central Idea, Author’s Purpose and/or Rhetoric Annotate Graphic (at least 1 Organizer per year) (at least 1 per year) Quiz / Test Grade Overall Grade 1. 2. 3. 4. Assignment II - Select and read 4 short stories Title of Short Story Academic Vocabulary (min. of 10 words) Study Guide 1. 2. 3. 4. Assignment III - Select and read 2 dramas or 1 drama and 1 epic poem Read Background Academic Info, Identify Theme, Annotate 2 Quick Title of Drama/Epic Vocabulary Study Audience, Central (at least 1 Writes Poem (min. of 20 Guide Idea, Author’s per year) words) Purpose and/or Rhetoric 1. 2. Assignment IV - Select and read 4 poems Academic Vocabulary Title of Poem (min. of 5 words) 1. 2. 3. 4. Read Background Info, Identify Theme, Audience, Central Idea, Author’s Purpose and/or Rhetoric Quiz / Test Overall Grade Grade Analyze Poem Orally or in Writing Cite Text Evidence (at least 1 per year) Overall Grade 2/19/16 American Literature 6 Assignment V - Select and read 2 nonfiction, graphic/historical novels, and/or memoirs Read Background Title of Academic Info, Identify Theme, Annotate Graphic Nonfiction/GraphicVocabulary Study Audience, Central (at least 1 Organizer Historical (min. of 10 Guide Idea, Author’s per year) (at least 1 Novel/Memoir words) Purpose and/or per year) Rhetoric 1. 2. Assignment VI - Select and read 4 essays, articles, and/or speeches Academic Title of Essay, Article, or Vocabulary Source of Essay, Article, or Speech (min. of 5 Speech words) 1. 2. 3. 4. Assignment VII – Complete 2 “close reads” Title of Close Read Academic Vocabulary Passage (min. of 5 words) 1. 2. Assignment VIII – Write 2 Argument essays (MLA format) Topic of Argument Use Academic Vocabulary Essay 1. 2. Assignment IX – Write 2 Informative essays (MLA format) Topic of Informative Use Academic Vocabulary Essay 1. 2. Assignment X – Write 2 Narrative essays (MLA format) Topic of Narrative Use Academic Vocabulary Essay 1. 2. Quiz / Test Grade Identify Audience, Tone, Author’s Purpose and/or Rhetoric Analyze Text Cite Text Evidence Overall Grade Overall Grade Overall Grade Cite Evidence Use Writing Process/Rubric Overall Grade Cite Evidence Use Writing Process/Rubric Overall Grade Cite Evidence Use Writing Process/Rubric Overall Grade 2/19/16 American Literature Assignment XI – Write 1 Narrative speech Topic of Narrative Use Academic Vocabulary Speech 1. 7 Cite Evidence Use Writing Process/Rubric Assignment XII – Write and present 1 Multimedia presentation Topic of Multimedia Cite Use Academic Vocabulary Presentation Evidence 1. Use Writing Process/Rubric Date of Presentation Overall Grade Date of Presentation Overall Grade Assignment XIII – Select & use vocabulary workbook, if applicable. Name of selected workbook: Assignment XIV – Assessment. Select and describe specifics of test/paper/project. Identify midterm: Identify final: 2/19/16 American Literature 8 Resources Reading & Workbook Selections Selections must only include materials not read for a previous course. **Some selections may contain sensitive topics or content. Students should check with parents for appropriate content before selecting a text. Novels (2 per semester): A Farewell to Arms, Hemingway The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Twain The Age of Innocence, Wharton All the King’s Men, Penn Warren As I Lay Dying, Faulkner Black Like Me, Griffin Call of the Wild, London Catch 22, Heller Catcher in the Rye, Salinger The Chosen, Potok The Color Purple, Walker East of Eden, Steinbeck Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury Farewell to Manzanar, Wakatsuki Houston Flowers for Algernon (1966 novel), Keyes For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald The Help, Stockett The House of the Seven Gables, Hawthorne The House of Mirth, Wharton The House on Mango Street, Cisneros The Human Comedy, Saroyan The Joy Luck Club, Tan Short Stories, Myths (2 per semester): Afterward, Wharton April Showers, Wharton A Blackjack Bargainer, Henry By the Waters of Babylon, Benet Chee’s Daughter, Platero The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fitzgerald A Dark Brown Dog, Crane The Devil and Tom Walker, Irving Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment, Hawthorne The Earth on Turtle’s Back, Onondaga The Fall of the House of Usher, Poe The Fiddler, Melville The Golden Honeymoon, Lardner Haircut, Lardner The Lady, or the Tiger, Stockton The Lame Shall Enter First, O’Connor The Last Leaf, Henry The Jungle, Sinclair I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou The Last of the Mohicans, Cooper Little Women, Alcott Moby Dick, Melville My Antonia, Cather Native Son, Wright Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway The Pearl, Steinbeck The Portrait of a Lady, James The Red Badge of Courage, Crane The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut The Sound and the Fury, Faulkner The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston The Things They Carried, O’Brien To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Smith The Turn of the Screw, James Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Stowe Walden, Thoreau When the Legends Die, Borlund The Leader of the People, Steinbeck The Lottery, Jackson Luck, Twain The Luck of Roaring Camp, Harte Marjorie Daw, Aldrich The Masque of the Red Death, Poe The Minister’s Black Veil, Hawthorne The Navajo Origin Legend, Navajo A New England Nun, Freeman The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, Twain An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Bierce The Outcasts of Poker Flat, Harte Paul’s Case, Cather Regret, Chopin The Sentamentality of William Tavener, Cather The Shepherd’s Daughter, Saroyan 2/19/16 American Literature Split Cherry Tree, Stuart The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe Tennessee’s Partner, Harte To Build a Fire, London The Use of Force, Williams When Grizzlies Walked Upright, Modoc Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, Where Is Here?, Oates The Whirlgig of Life, Henry Winter Dreams, Fitzgerald A Worn Path, Welty The Yellow Wallpaper, Perkins Gilman Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne Other selections from Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allen Poe, or O. Henry. The Man Who Came to Dinner, Kaufman & Hart Our Town, Wilder A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry The Skin of Our Teeth, Wilder A Streetcar Named Desire, Williams Twelve Angry Men, Rose You Can’t Take it With You, Kaufman & Hart Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Edgar Lee Masters Edgar Allan Poe Ezra Pound Edwin Arlington Robinson Carl Sandburg Edward Taylor Phillis Wheatley Walt Whitman William Carlos Williams Dust Tracks on a Road, Hurston Endurance, Lansing Friday Night Lights, Bissinger The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Equiano Into the Wild, Krakauer A Journey Through Texas, de Vaca The Life and Time of the Thunderbolt Kid, Bryson Life on the Mississippi, Twain My Bondage and My Freedon, Douglass The Names, Momaday Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass Of Plymouth Plantation, Bradford Oates Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy? O’Brien Drama (1 per semester): All My Sons, Miller Arsenic and Old Lace, Kesselring Barefoot in the Park, Simon Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Williams The Crucible, Miller Death of a Salesman, Miller The Glass Menagerie, Williams Long Day’s Journey into Night, O’Neill Poetry (2 per semester): Poems by Anne Bradstreet Gwendolyn Brooks Billy Collins William Cullen Bryant E. E. Cummings Emily Dickinson Paul Laurence Dunbar T.S. Eliot Robert Frost Oliver Wendell Holmes Langston Hughes Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, and Memoirs (1 per semester): 1776, McCullough Abraham Lincoln, Stone American Colonies: The Settling of North America, Taylor The American Reader: Words that Moved a Nation, Ravitch Angela’s Ashes, McCourt The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Frankiln The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Malcolm X Black Boy, Wright The Blind Side, Lewis Boulders Taller Than the Great Tower of Seville, de Cardenas Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition, de Vaca Common Sense, Paine 9 2/19/16 American Literature Rosa Parks: My Story, Parks with Jim HasSociety and Solitude, Emerson Straw into Gold: The Metamorphosis of the Everyday, Cisneros The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, Gladwell 10 Up from Slavery, Washington Walden, Thoreau A White House Diary, Johnson The Woman Warrior, Kingston Essays, Articles, and Speeches (2 per semester): Historical Documents, Medical Journals, Instructions, News Articles (ask EF) American Begins with a Promise and a Paradox, Letter from a Birmingham City Jail – M. L. King Andrews Jr. The American Crisis, T. Paine Letter from the President’s House, J. Adams “The Arrogance and Cruelty of Power” from The Lowest Animal – M. Twain Speech at the Nuremburg Trials, November 21, Mother Tongue – A. Tan 1945 – R. H. Jackson Museum Indians, Power Benjamin Franklin: America’s Everyman, W. Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, 1950 - W. Andrews Faulkner Civil Disobedience – H. D. Thoreau Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, 1954 – E. The Clothing of Ghosts – A. Bierce Hemingway The Crisis #1 – T. Paine “On Women’s Right to Vote” – S. B. Anthony Common Sense – T. Paine One Day, Now Broken in Two – A. Quindlen The Declaration of Independence – T. Jefferson “The Perils of Indifference” – E. Weisel Emancipation Proclamation – A. Lincoln Second Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln A Eulogy to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – R. F. Self-Reliance – R. W. Emerson Kennedy Seneca Falls Keynote Address, 1848 – E. Cady The Federalist Papers – selected essays Stanton First Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt Speech in the Virginia Convention, P.Henry Gettysburg Address – A. Lincoln Speech in the Convention, B. Franklin “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” – P. Henry Suspended – J. Harjo “I Have a Dream” – M. L. King Jr. Straw into Gold – S. Cisneros “I Will Fight No More Forever” – Chief Joseph “Tear Down This Wall” / Brandenburg Gate Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy Speech – R. Reagan Heyday in Harlem – L. Hughes Two Views of the River – M. Twain The Iroquois Constitution, Dekanawidah What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July, Douglass Vocabulary (choose a textbook, workbook, or online component only if student does not complete vocabulary work as an embedded part of literature study) Read and complete a minimum of 85% of the chapters, grammar exercises, review questions, and workshops in selected grammar text/workbook. -All-in-One Workbook, Grade 11, Prentice Hall Literature Common Core (student edition, answer key). -Vocabu-Lit I Common Core Edition, Grade 11, Perfection Learning. -Vocabulary Builder, Course 6, Glencoe. 2005. -Vocabulary in Context for the Common Core Standards, Grade 11, Steck Vaughn School. -Vocabulary for Achievement, Grade 11, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. -Vocabulary from Classical Roots, Level E. -Wordly Wise Book 11, 3rd Edition, Grade 11 (CCSS aligned). 2/19/16 American Literature 11 Writing Information Annotating Annotating a text is like taking notes, but instead of a set of note papers the information is together and inseparable, with notes very close to the text for easier understanding. The reader will get a deeper initial reading and an understanding of the text (plot, characters, themes, etc.) that lasts. Please research how to annotate effectively. Annotating should be done throughout the text, in the margins, or on post it notes. It can be a question, comment, compliment, argument, feeling, thought, memory, comparison, contrast, etc. You can paraphrase, analyze, highlight, underline, or circle important or unknown words or phrases. Some pages will have a lot of annotating, some will have a little, and some might not have any. Annotating is for a more critical analysis of a text and not intended when reading for pleasure. Quick Write A quick write should be 5-10 sentences and completed after a daily reading. It can be used as a mini-assessment or to check for understanding. A quick write can be an objective summary, critical analysis, summary of theme, central idea, setting, characters, or symbolism. It can be a review, evaluation, statement, observation, opinion, anecdote, facts, examples, predictions, or comparing & contrasting the text. If a prompt is given, cite textual evidence to support responses. Essay Writing All papers must be in MLA format. Each essay/speech/paper should be a minimum of 5 paragraphs, typed, error-free grammar, and single spaced. Research papers should be 3-5 pages. A paper used as a mid term or final project/assessment for a year’s course should be 5-7 pages. Topic should be agreed upon with parent/EF. Each essay/speech/paper must follow the steps of the writing process, including: a) pre-writing/brainstorming; b) drafting/writing; c) revising; d) editing/proofreading; and e) publishing in final draft format. Each essay must address a key concept in literary response & analysis from the completed readings above, such as characterization, thesis, theme, voice, imagery, compare & contrast, etc. or from a writing prompt. Use an approved study guide or conduct online research to determine essay questions/topics. Topics should be challenging, require greater critical thinking and analytic skills, and show a deeper understanding of the material. Each essay/speech/paper must be graded with an approved writing rubric, available on the website or from your EF. SEE SAMPLE GRADED ESSAYS ON GVCS WEBSITE OR ONLINE. Each essay/speech/paper must use academic vocabulary and descriptive language. Writer should support his or her claim(s) with sound reasoning and relevant, sufficient evidence from text. 2/19/16 American Literature Additional ELA resources 12 Ask EF for additional print and/or online resources. Assessment Guides/Test Prep Diagnostic and Benchmark Tests, Grade 11. Prentice Hall. Mirrors & Windows Common Core Assessment Practice, Level VI. EMC Publishing. Performance Assessment, Grade 11. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. English Language Arts 11 Common Core State Standards. Solaro Study Guide. Close Readers A close reading is thoughtful, critical analysis of a small portion of text that focuses on significant details or patterns in order to develop a deep, precise understanding of the text's form, craft, meanings, etc. It is a key requirement of the Common Core State Standards and directs the reader's attention to the text itself. It focuses on Language, Narrative, Syntax, and Context of a text. It should be a challenging text for the reader and it should be read more than one time. It should include short responses citing textual evidence. More information and close reading passages/questions can be found online or purchased from the following options below. Collections, Grade 11. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Common Core ELA Exemplar Resource, Grade 11-12. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Graphic Organizers, Writing Workshops, Performance Tasks Common Core Companion, Grade 11. Prentice Hall Literature Common Core Edition (student edition). Common Core Student Companion Workbook, Grade 11. Pearson Literature 2015. Writing Workbooks, Essay Scorers All-in-One Workbook, Grade 11. Prentice Hall Literature Common Core (student edition, answer key). Elegant Essay. Institute for Excellence in Writing. Holt McDougal Literature Online Essay Scoring 1-yr High School. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Edition. Pearson Essay Scorer (online). Writers INC. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2/19/16 13 Analyzing Poetry Poetry is a compact language that expresses complex feelings. To understand the multiple meanings of a poem, readers must examine its words and phrasing from the perspectives of rhythm, sound, images, obvious meaning, and implied meaning. Readers then need to organize responses to the verse into a logical, point-by-point explanation. A good beginning involves asking questions that apply to most poetry. The Context of the Poem Clear answers to the following questions can help establish the context of a poem and form the foundation of understanding: -Who wrote the poem? Does the poet’s life suggest any special point of view, such as a political affiliation, religious sect, career interest, musical talent, family or personal problems, travel, or handicap—for example, H. D.’s feminism, Amiri Baraka’s radicalism, T. S. Eliot’s conversion to Anglicanism, William Carlos Williams’ career as a physician, A. R. Ammons’ training in chemistry, Amy Lowell’s aristocratic background or John Berryman’s alcoholism? -When was the poem written and in what country? Knowing something about the poet’s life, times, and culture helps readers understand what’s in a poem and why. -Does the poem appear in the original language? If not, readers should consider that translation can alter the language and meaning of a poem. -Is the poem part of a special collection or series? Examples of such series and collections include Edna St. Vincent Millay’s sonnets, Carl Sandburg’s Chicago Poems, or Rita Dove’s triad, “Adolescence—I, II, and III.” -Does the poem belong to a particular period or literary movement? For example, does the poem relate to imagism, confessional verse, the Beat movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights era, the American Indian renaissance, or feminism? The Style Into what category does the poem fit — for example, Carl Sandburg’s imagism in “Fog” or Gwendolyn Brooks’ epic “The Anniad”? Readers should apply definitions of the many categories to determine which describes the poem’s length and style: -Is it an epic, a long poem about a great person or national hero? -Is it a lyric, a short, musical verse? -Is it a narrative, a poem that tells a story? -Is it a haiku, an intense, lyrical three-line verse of seventeen syllables? -Is it confessional? For example, does it examine personal memories and experiences? The Title -Is the title’s meaning obvious? For example, does it mention a single setting and action, such as W. S. Merwin’s “The Drunk in the Furnace” or James A. Wright’s “Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio”? -Does it imply multiple possibilities? For example, Jean Toomer’s “Georgia Dusk,” which refers to a time of day as well as to dark-skinned people. -Does it strike a balance, as in Rita Dove’s “Beulah and Thomas”? -Is there an obvious antithesis, as with Robert Frost’s “Fire and Ice”? -Is there historical significance to the title? For example, Robert Lowell’s “The Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket.” Repetition 2/19/16 14 Readers should read through a poem several times, at least once aloud. If it is a long poem, such as Allen Ginsberg’s Howl or Hart Crane’s The Bridge, readers should concentrate on key passages and look for repetition of specific words, phrases, or verses in the poem. -Why is there a repeated reference to the sea in Robinson Jeffers’s poetry? -Why does the pronoun “we” recur in Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool”? -Why does Edgar Lee Masters reprise epitaphs for Spoon River Anthology? If readers note repetition in the poem, they should decide why certain information seems to deserve the repetition. The Opening and Closing Lines -Does the poet place significant information or emotion in these places? For example, when reading Marianne Moore’s “Poetry,” readers may question the negative stance in the opening lines. -Does the poet intend to leave a lasting impression by closing with a particular thought? For example, why does Langston Hughes’ “Harlem” lead to the word “explode”? The Passage of Time -Can readers pin down a time frame? What details specify time? -Does the poet name a particular month or season, as with Amy Lowell’s “Patterns”? -Is there a clear passage of time, as with the decline of the deceased woman in Denise Levertov’s “Death in Mexico”? -How long is the period of time? Are there gaps? The Speaker -Who is the speaker? Is the person male or female? -Does the voice speak in first person (I, me, my, mine), for example, John Berryman’s “Huffy Henry”? -Does the speaker talk directly to a second person, as with Adrienne Rich’s “Diving into the Wreck”? -Is the voice meant to be universal—for example, applicable to either sex at any time or place? Names of Characters -Does the name of a character suggest extra meaning, such as Eben Flood (an alcoholic) in Edwin Arlington Robinson’s “Mr. Flood’s Party” and T. S. Eliot’s prissy protagonist in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”? Basic Details -Is the poet deliberately concealing information from the readers, as with the source of depression in Robert Lowell’s “Skunk Hour”? -Why does the poet leave out significant facts? Are readers supposed to fill in the blanks, for example, the relationship between mother and daughter in Cathy Song’s “The White Porch” or the perplexity of a modern tourist in Allen Tate’s “Ode to the Union Dead”? Culture -Does the poem stress cultural details, such as the behavior, dress, or speech habits of a particular group or a historical period or event—for instance, the death of an airline stewardess in James Dickey’s “Falling”? -Are any sections written in dialect, slang, or foreign words, as with the Deep South patois of Sterling Brown’s “Ma Rainey”? Fantasy versus Reality -Is the poem an obvious fantasy, as is the case with the intense confrontation in Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy” and the setting of Rita Dove’s “Geometry”? 2/19/16 15 The Mood and Tone -What is the mood of the poem? Is it cheerful or jolly like limericks? Is it mysterious, provocative, zany, ominous, festive, fearful, or brooding, as with Randall Jarrell’s “Sad Heart at the Supermarket”? Does the mood change within the body of the work, as with Joy Harjo’s “The Woman Hanging from the Thirteenth Floor Window”? Why does the mood shift? Where does the shift begin? -What is the poet’s tone? Is it satiric, serious, mock serious, playful, somber, brash, or teasingly humorous, as with Robert Frost’s “Departmental: The End of My Ant Jerry”? Does the poet admire, agree with, ridicule, or condemn the speaker, as in the touch of mock heroic in Richard Wilbur’s “The Death of a Toad”? Is there an obvious reason for the poet’s attitude, as suggested by the suffering in James Dickey’s “Angina”? Does the poet withhold judgment, as is the case with the epitaphs of Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology? Themes Locating and identifying theme is crucial to understanding dominant ideas; theme is the poem’s essence. -Is the subject youth, loss, renewal, patriotism, nature, love? Are there several themes? How do these themes relate to each other? -Is the poet merely teasing or entertaining or trying to teach a lesson, as do Robinson Jeffers’ “Hurt Hawks” and Marianne Moore’s “The Mind Is an Enchanted Thing”? -Does the poet emphasize the theme by means of onomatopoeia, personification, or controlling images? Rhythm -Is there a dominant rhythm? Does it dance, frolic, meander, slither, or march? Is it conversational, like a scene from a drama? Is it a droning monologue, as found in a journal, diary, or confessional? -Does the rhythm relate to the prevalent theme of the poem? Or does it seem at odds with the theme? -Does the rhythm increase or decrease in speed, as does Ezra Pound’s Hugh Selwyn Mauberley: Life and Contacts? Why? Use of the Senses -Does the poem stress sense impressions—for example, taste, touch, smell, sound, or sight? Are these impressions pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral? -Does the poet concentrate on a single sense or a burst of sensation, as in Wallace Stevens’s “Peter Quince at the Clavier” or Elizabeth Bishop’s “The Fish”? Imagery -Are there concrete images or pictures that the poet wants readers to see? -Are the pictures created by means of comparisons—for instance, metaphor or simile? Do inanimate objects take on human traits (personification)? Does the speaker talk to inanimate objects or to such abstract ideas as freedom? Language -Does the poet stress certain sounds, such as pleasant sounds (euphony) or harsh letter combinations (cacophony), as demonstrated by Wendy Rose’s title “Academic Squaw”? -Are certain sounds repeated (alliteration, sibilance), as in the insistent a sounds in Amiri Baraka’s “A Poem for Willie Best”? -Are words linked by approximate rhyme, like “seem/freeze,” or by real rhyme, such as “least/feast”? Is there a rhyme scheme or sound pattern at the ends of lines, as with the interlocking rhymes of Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”? Does rhyming occur within a line (internal rhyme), as in “black flak” in Randall Jarrell’s “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner”? -Is there onomatopoeia, or words that make a sound that imitates their meaning, such as swoosh, ping pong, ricochet, 2/19/16 16 clangor, plash, wheeze, clack, boom, tingle, slip, fumble, or clip-clop, as with the verb “soar” in Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “On Thought in Harness”? Supplemental Materials -Has the editor included any preface, explanatory notes, or concluding comments and questions; for example, T. S. Eliot’s dedication of The Waste Land or Wendy Rose’s use of epigraphs? -Are there notes and comments in a biography, poet’s letters and essays, critical analyses, Web site, or anthology, such as biographical footnotes to Anne Sexton’s “Sylvia’s Death” and the many commentaries on Hart Crane’s The Bridge? -Is there an electronic version, such as the poet reading original verse on the Internet? Are there notes on the record jacket, cassette box, or CD booklet, as found on recordings of Adrienne Rich’s feminist verse? Drawing Conclusions After answering the questions presented in this introduction, readers should paraphrase or restate the poem in everyday words, as though talking to someone on the telephone. A summary of the poem should emphasize a pattern of details, sounds, or rhythm. For example, do various elements of the poem lead readers to believe that the poet is describing an intense experience? Is the poet defining something, such as parenthood, risking a life, curiosity, marriage, religious faith, or aging, as in Denise Levertov’s “A Woman Alone”? Is the poet telling a story event by event? Does the poet want to sway the reader’s opinion, as Louise Bogan does in “Evening in the Sanitarium”? Before reaching a conclusion about the meaning of a poem, readers should summarize their personal responses. Are they emotionally moved or touched by the poem? Are they entertained or repulsed, terrified or stirred to agree? Do words and phrases stick in their memory? How has the poet made an impression? And most important, why? Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. Cliffs Notes on American Poets of the 20th Century. 26 Mar 2007 http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/id-11.html. 2/19/16 17 College and Career Readiness Information Students Who Are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, & Language: Demonstrate independence. Students can, without significant scaffolding, comprehend and evaluate complex texts across a range of types and disciplines, and they can construct effective arguments and convey intricate or multifaceted information. Likewise, students are able independently to discern a speaker’s key points, request clarification, and ask relevant questions. They build on others’ ideas, articulate their own ideas, and confirm they have been understood. Without prompting, they demonstrate command of standard English and acquire and use a wide-ranging vocabulary. More broadly, they become self-directed learners, effectively seeking out and using resources to assist them, including teachers, peers, and print and digital reference materials. Build strong content knowledge. Students establish a base of knowledge across a wide range of subject matter by engaging with works of quality and substance. They become proficient in new areas through research and study. They read purposefully and listen attentively to gain both general knowledge and discipline-specific expertise. They refine and share their knowledge through writing and speaking. Respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline. Students adapt their communication in relation to audience, task, purpose, and discipline. They set and adjust purpose for reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language use as warranted by the task. They appreciate nuances, such as how the composition of an audience should affect tone when speaking and how the connotations of words affect meaning. They also know that different disciplines call for different types of evidence (e.g., documentary evidence in history, experimental evidence in science). Comprehend as well as critique. Students are engaged and open-minded—but discerning—readers and listeners. They work diligently to understand precisely what an author or speaker is saying, but they also question an author’s or speaker’s assumptions and premises and assess the veracity of claims and the soundness of reasoning. Value evidence. Students cite specific evidence when offering an oral or written interpretation of a text. They use relevant evidence when supporting their own points in writing and speaking, making their reasoning clear to the reader or listener, and they constructively evaluate others’ use of evidence. Use technology and digital media strategically and capably. Students employ technology thoughtfully to enhance their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language use. They tailor their searches online to acquire useful information efficiently, and they integrate what they learn using technology with what they learn offline. They are familiar with the strengths and limitations of various technological tools and mediums and can select and use those best suited to their communication goals. Come to understand other perspectives and cultures. Students appreciate that the twenty-first-century classroom and workplace are settings in which people from often widely divergent cultures and who represent diverse experiences and perspectives must learn and work together. Students actively seek to understand other perspectives and cultures through reading and listening, and they are able to communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds. They evaluate other points of view critically and constructively. Through reading great classic and contemporary works of literature representative of a variety of periods, cultures, and worldviews, students can vicariously inhabit worlds and have experiences much different than their own. 2/19/16 18 Common Core English-Language Arts Anchor Standards College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading Key Ideas and Details: 1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. 3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. Craft and Structure: 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. 9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity: 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently. *To build a foundation for college and career readiness, students must read widely and deeply from among a broad range of high-quality, increasingly challenging literary and informational texts. Through extensive reading of stories, dramas, poems, and myths from diverse cultures and different time periods, students gain literary and cultural knowledge as well as familiarity with various text structures and elements. By reading texts in history/social studies, science, and other disciplines, students build a foundation of knowledge in these fields that will also give them the background to be better readers in all content areas. Students can only gain this foundation when the curriculum is intentionally and coherently structured to develop rich content knowledge within and across grades. Students also acquire the habits of reading independently and closely, which are essential to their future success. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing Text Types and Purposes: 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences. Production and Distribution of Writing: 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others. Research to Build and Present Knowledge: 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. 8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, 2/19/16 19 and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Range of Writing: 10. 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. *To build a foundation for college and career readiness, students need to learn to use writing as a way of offering and supporting opinions, demonstrating understanding of the subjects they are studying, and conveying real and imagined experiences and events. They learn to appreciate that a key purpose of writing is to communicate clearly to an external, sometimes unfamiliar audience, and they begin to adapt the form and content of their writing to accomplish a particular task and purpose. They develop the capacity to build knowledge on a subject through research projects and to respond analytically to literary and informational sources. To meet these goals, students must devote significant time and effort to writing, producing numerous pieces over short and extended time frames throughout the year. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening Comprehension and Collaboration: 1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. 2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. 3. Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric. Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: 4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations. 6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. *To build a foundation for college and career readiness, students must have ample opportunities to take part in a variety of rich, structured conversations—as part of a whole class, in small groups, and with a partner. Being productive members of these conversations requires that students contribute accurate, relevant information; respond to and develop what others have said; make comparisons and contrasts; and analyze and synthesize a multitude of ideas in various domains. New technologies have broadened and expanded the role that speaking and listening play in acquiring and sharing knowledge and have tightened their link to other forms of communication. Digital texts confront students with the potential for continually updated content and dynamically changing combinations of words, graphics, images, hyperlinks, and embedded video and audio. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language Conventions of Standard English: 1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. 2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Knowledge of Language: 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. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use: 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate. 2/19/16 20 5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. 6. Acquire and use accurately a range of 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 encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression. *To build a foundation for college and career readiness in language, students must gain control over many conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics as well as learn other ways to use language to convey meaning effectively. They must also be able to determine or clarify the meaning of grade-appropriate words encountered through listening, reading, and media use; come to appreciate that words have nonliteral meanings, shadings of meaning, and relationships to other words; and expand their vocabulary in the course of studying content. The inclusion of Language standards in their own strand should not be taken as an indication that skills related to conventions, effective language use, and vocabulary are unimportant to reading, writing, speaking, and listening; indeed, they are inseparable from such contexts. For more information on Common Core State Standards visit http://www.corestandards.org/. 2/19/16