Introduction to American Literature (English III/CWI dual credit course) 2015-2016
Quarter One – August 25-October 15
Content/Units
Skills
Assessments
Standards
(Common Core)
Yearlong: Journal writing, sentence corrections, and other bell ringer activities
Yearlong: Reading, Discussions, Writings, Presentations, Research, Analysis, Synthesis, Technology
Yearlong: Vocabulary exercises and tests (10 words per week, test on Friday); literary terms
Question: What does it mean to be an American?
Week 1:
Communication
Pretest on
CCSS Writing: text types,
Introductions
Observing
literature, vocab,
explanatory, descriptive,
Class routines and
photographs and
grammar & writing; range
procedures
writing and
essay #1
CCSS Speaking & Listening:
Pre-test
discussing them
(argument)
participate, present, respond,
Photo Pieces Observation
adapt
Essay on Being an
CCSS Language:
American; orientation to
conventions of English,
dual credit course
language contexts
Unit 1: Early American
Strategies for
Test and quizzes;
CCSS Reading: key ideas
Ideas
reading primary
written responses; and details, structure,
Read “Emerging Nation;
sources, analyze
notes; narrative,
analysis, range, inferences
Make “matrix notes on
persuasive
discussion
CCSS Writing: arguments,
the essay; Research
techniques and
claims, clauses, informative,
history; read historical
rhetorical devices
narrative, research
narratives (Bradford,
Analyze elements
CCSS Speaking & Listening:
Equiano); watch
of an argument;
participate, present, respond,
documentary
write narrative
adapt
CCSS Language:
conventions of English,
language contexts
Grammar: Review
Conventions of
Quizzes
CCSS Language:
punctuation,
writing; phrases;
Writing
conventions of English
capitalization, and
sentence correction demonstrates
modifiers
mastery
Question: How do early American ideas and values influence us now?
Unit 2: Historic Themes Reading drama;
Test and quizzes;
CCSS Reading: textual
and Values
media study;
team debate;
evidence, analysis, craft,
Read Arthur Miller’s The
Understanding
presentation on
source material, range,
Crucible; research historic historical context;
historical context;
drama, themes
topics; make
writing; research;
essay #2 on
CCSS Writing: arguments,
presentations; watch
themes in Crucible claims, informative, research,
movie, write a modern
(literary analysis)
play, organize complex ideas
scene
CCSS Speaking & Listening:
NOTE: This is a long unit
collaborative learning,
and may finish during
present, respond, adapt, roleQuarter 2.
play
CCSS Language:
conventions of English,
academic vocabulary,
figurative language, style
Introduction to American Literature (English III/CWI dual credit course) 2015-2016
Book presentations
Note: During the year,
there are two book
presentations. Students
can select from a list of
great American novels or
find their own “great”
novel (with permission).
Student select and
read great
American novel,
presentation
Presentation
Written summary
CCSS Reading: textual
evidence, analysis, craft,
range, novel, themes,
interpretations, knowledge of
18th, 19th, or 20th century lit.
CCSS Writing: arguments,
claims, informative,
CCSS Speaking & Listening:
present, respond
CCSS Language:
conventions of English
Introduction to American Literature (English III/CWI dual credit course) 2015-2016
Quarter Two – October 16-December 18
Content/Units
Skills
Assessments
Standards
Yearlong: Journal writing, sentence corrections, and other bell ringer activities
Yearlong: Reading, Discussions, Writings, Presentations, Research, Analysis, Synthesis, Technology
Yearlong: Vocabulary exercises and tests (10 words per week, test on Friday), literary terms
Question: What are contemporary American values? Where did they come from?
Unit 3: American
Reading/listening;
Presentation,
CCSS Reading: analyze U.S.
Rhetoric and Civil
analyzing
analyses,
documents, textual evidence,
Rights
documentary and
summaries, tests
point of view, comparing
Reading and listening to
movie; research
texts, central ideas, integrate
great American speeches, civil rights in the
multiple sources
analyze multiple sources, US; deliver formal
CCSS Writing: arguments,
watch documentary;
speech on civil
claims, informative,
media study on The Butler rights, use of
persuasive, formal style,
rhetorical devices
research multiple sources
for persuasion
CCSS Speaking & Listening:
collaborative learning,
present, evaluate, adapt
CCSS Language:
conventions of English,
descriptive writing, figurative
language, rhetorical
techniques in speech and
writing
Grammar: Phrases, Using Exercises and short Quizzes,
CCSS Language:
Modifiers and Verbs;
written
Demonstrates
conventions of English,
paragraph structure
assignments
mastery in writing
descriptive writing, figurative
NOTE: This will be
language, rhetorical
personalized by offering
techniques in speech and
Gooru collections and
writing
other online resources.
Question: Who are the optimists and who are the pessimists in America? Do we have
conflicting values?
Unit 4.a: Competing
Understanding the
Test of
CCSS Reading: textual
values in 19th century
literary movements comprehension,
evidence, analysis,
America
of Romanticism,
create art to
interpretation, themes, craft,
Romanticism and Satire in transcendentalism, represent the
structure, knowledge of 19th
the Devil and Tom Walker satire, poetry, and
elements of
century lit.
gothic
Romanticism,
CCSS Writing: arguments,
poem or short story claims, informative, research,
writing
organize complex ideas
CCSS Speaking & Listening:
collaborative learning,
present, evaluate, adapt
CCSS Language:
conventions of English,
descriptive writing, figurative
language
Introduction to American Literature (English III/CWI dual credit course) 2015-2016
Unit 4.b:
Transcendentalism
essays by Emerson and
Thoreau
Understand
transcendentalism
as a literary and
intellectual
movement, a
philosophy,
evaluate devices to
create mood,
sound, and imagery
Test of
comprehension,
debate on benefits
or problems of
transcendentalism,
Creation of poster
to persuade
audience to live
like Thoreau
Unit 4.c: 19th Century
Poetry
Longfellow, Whitman,
Dickenson and others
Compare poetics in
18th century,
analyze themes,
authors point of
view, American
poetry, discuss
optimism, author
point of view
Write a poem
Tests, discussion,
short responses to
poems, poem,
SBAC form of
assessment
Unit 4.d: American
Gothic
Fall of the House of Usher
and the Tell Tale Heart
Comparison to Hawthorne
and Stephen King
Poetic and literary
devices, rhetorical
questions, themes;
analyzing
characters, write
short story in gothic
style
Explore the
question of why we
like to be scared
Media study:
compare horror
movies (old and
new)
Create short story
in style of gothic
lit., test
CCSS Reading: textual
evidence, analysis,
interpretation, themes, craft,
structure, knowledge of 19th
century lit., essays
CCSS Writing: arguments,
claims, informative, research,
organize complex ideas,
visual media
CCSS Speaking & Listening:
collaborative learning,
discussion, synthesis
CCSS Language:
conventions of English,
descriptive writing, figurative
language
CCSS Reading: textual
evidence, analysis,
interpretation, themes, craft,
structure, knowledge of 19th
century lit., poems,
CCSS Writing: arguments,
research, organize complex
ideas, visual media, creativity
CCSS Speaking & Listening:
collaborative learning,
discussion, synthesis
CCSS Language:
conventions of English,
descriptive writing, figurative
language, poetic forms
CCSS Reading: textual
evidence, analysis,
interpretation, themes, craft,
structure, knowledge of 19th
century lit., short story,
CCSS Writing: arguments,
research, organize complex
ideas, media, creativity
CCSS Speaking & Listening:
collaborative learning,
discussion, synthesis
CCSS Language:
conventions of English,
descriptive writing, figurative
language, style
Introduction to American Literature (English III/CWI dual credit course) 2015-2016
Quarter Three – January 4-March 10
Content/Units
Skills
Assessments
Standards
Yearlong: Journal writing, sentence corrections, and other bell ringer activities
Yearlong: Reading, Discussions, Writings, Presentations, Research, Analysis, Synthesis, Technology
Yearlong: Vocabulary exercises and tests (10 words per week, test on Friday), literary terms
Questions: Can someone who is bad be good? Who are classic villains in American Lit?
Writing to a prompt Writing skills
Written, timed
CCSS Writing: arguments,
timed
Writing for various
essay
claims, informative,
Practice for SAT
purposes and time
research, organize complex
Writing [change???]
frames
ideas, structure
Unit 5: Regionalism and Analyzing authors’
Analyses of
CCSS Reading: textual
Naturalism in American beliefs and point of themes, characters, evidence, analysis,
Literature
view, Dialects and
archetypes, and
interpretation, themes, craft,
Adventures of
dialogue,
allegory
structure, knowledge of 19th
Huckleberry Finn Read
Allegorical forms in Theme song in
century lit., novel, dialect
Mark Twain’s
novels,
dialect
CCSS Writing: arguments,
Huckleberry Finn
characterization,
research, organize complex
identify themes in
ideas, creativity
literature, write a
CCSS Speaking & Listening:
Huckleberrycollaborative learning,
themed poem
discussion, synthesis
(cowboy poetry) or
CCSS Language:
song
conventions of English,
descriptive writing, figurative
language, style, poetic
devices
Unit 5.a: Media Study on Film clips from
Discussions,
CCSS Speaking & Listening:
American Heroes and
classic American
compare & contrast analyze movie clips,
Villains
movies – compare
Synopsis and story collaborative learning,
and contrast
boards
discussion, synthesis
characteristics
CCSS Language:
write a movie
conventions of English,
synopsis and
descriptive writing
create story boards
Grammar: Using Phrases Conventions of
CCSS Language:
and clauses
writing
conventions of English
Questions: What are all the ways Americans find work? What are our local jobs? National
jobs? Why do Americans work as hard as they do?
Unit 6: Research Paper
Reflection essay on Essay #3
CCSS Writing: research,
on a career field
a career field
organize complex ideas,
structure, essay, informative
CCSS Language:
conventions of English
Introduction to American Literature (English III/CWI dual credit course) 2015-2016
Quarter Four – March 11-May 27
Content/Units
Skills
Assessments
Standards
Yearlong: Journal writing, sentence corrections, and other bell ringer activities
Yearlong: Reading, Discussions, Writings, Presentations, Research, Analysis, Synthesis, Technology
Yearlong: Vocabulary exercises and tests (10 words per week, test on Friday)
Question: What are the struggles of American Women?
Unit 7: American Women
Understanding
Tests, poem,
CCSS Reading: textual
Writers
themes and social
discussions, short
evidence, analysis,
Adams, Wharton, Chopin,
issues in women
analytical writings
interpretation, themes, craft,
Morrison, Cather, and others
writers – read short
structure, knowledge of 19th
stories, letters,
to 20th century lit., novel,
poems, and
short story, compare
excerpts from
themes in multi-media
novels
sources
CCSS Writing: organize
complex ideas, creativity
CCSS Speaking &
Listening: collaborative
learning, discussion,
synthesis
CCSS Language:
conventions of English,
descriptive writing,
figurative language, style,
poetic devices
Question: What does it mean to be an American?
Unit 8:
Writing process;
Short story or play
CCSS Writing: narratives of
Creative writing options:
editing; revising;
real or imagined
narrative, essay, play or other
publishing
experiences, use narrative
type of fiction
techniques, sequence
events, writing process, use
technology to produce a
shared product
Portfolio Evaluation
Students organize
Organized samples CCSS Writing: analysis and
their writing folder
of writing
evaluation of own writing
and self-assess on
CCSS Speaking &
progress
Listening: prepare for
discussions, respond
thoughtfully
SEMESTER 2
FINAL EXAM
Other optional units (if time allows):
 African American Writings and Issues
 Issues of Immigration
 Journalism – do reporters have too much influence?
 Conflict in our town, the US, or abroad – how do we handle conflict?