Syllabi: 11th grade IB World Literature
Lake Weir High School
Teacher: Kathleen Williams
Phone #: (352) 671-4820
E-mail: Kathleen.Williams@marion.k12.fl.us
Course Description:
This is the first year of a two-year Higher Level course that fulfills the literature requirements
for the International Baccalaureate program. This course encourages students to see literary
works as art and their authors as craftsmen whose writing methods can be analyzed in a variety
of ways and on a number of levels. This is achieved through the emphasis placed on exploring
the means used by different authors to convey their subjects in the works studied. In view of the
international nature of the International Baccalaureate Organization, this course will incorporate
works from a variety of genres, authors, time periods, and cultures/countries. The study of world
literature fosters a global perspective and enriches the international awareness of IB students in
order to develop understanding, awareness, tolerance, empathy, and a genuine respect for the
variety of differing perspectives worldwide.
Course Aims:
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encourage a personal appreciation of literature and develop an understanding of the techniques involved in
literary criticism;
develop the students’ powers of expression, both in oral and written communication, and provide the
opportunity of practicing and developing the skills involved in writing and speaking in a variety of styles
and situations;
introduce students to a range of literary works of different periods, genres, styles, and languages;
broaden the students’ perspective through the study of works from other cultures and languages;
introduce students to ways of approaching and studying literature, leading to the development of an
understanding and appreciation of the relationships between different works;
develop the ability to engage in close, detailed analysis of written text;
promote in students an enjoyment of, and lifelong interest in, literature .
Binder: You will need a binder in which to keep Journals, Notes, Rubrics/Tips, Supplementary
Texts, & Your Writings.
Grading Criteria:
Tests/Formal Writings/Quizzes: 50%
Classwork/Daily Work: 40%
Homework: 10%
All formal writing assignments will be graded based on IB Rubrics and will be required to be
typed and formatted according to IB specifications. All formal writing assignments which are
typed will also be submitted to TurnItIn.com to verify authenticity and originality of the work.
Tests and quizzes may take many forms aside from the traditional essays/papers, including but
not limited to: oral exams, presentations, creative writing assignments, reading checks,
vocabulary, etc.
Note: If you fail to complete either IA assessment for this course (Part 1 Written Assignment, IOP or IOC) you will
be unable to receive an IB diploma and thus removed from the program.
Classroom Rules/Procedures:
Perseverance
Respect
Integrity
Dependability
Excellence
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Finish assignments, even when they’re difficult
Work for improvement, not perfection
Focus on priorities, not distractions
Speak and act politely
Cooperate in groups
Respect others’ personal space and belongings
Do your own work
Use sources honestly
Encourage others to right their wrongs
Arrive on time
Prepare for class
Honor due dates
Share your gifts with others in & out of class
Encourage others whom you see struggling
Develop your talents; strengthen your weaknesses
Accept help gracefully
IB Learner Profile:
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The profile aims to develop learners who are:
– Inquirers
– Knowledgeable
– Thinkers
– Communicators
– Principled
– Open-minded
– Caring
– Risk-takers
– Balanced
– Reflective
The goal of my course is to use literature as a means of exploring various perspectives, and
translating this understanding into empathy for multiple points of view. Ultimately IB wants to
see you embrace the subtlety and nuance of life, recognize the fallacy of an absolute binary, and
cultivate understanding of all the grey areas along the moral and social spectrum. In order to
satisfactorily achieve this goal you will need to exemplify the elements of the learner profile.
Text List by Part:
All texts we will be reading this year will be available from the school via the bookroom. While
we will have school copies of each text, I STRONGLY recommend that you purchase your
own copies of each text. It will be much easier to annotate in your own book. A few of the
texts are old enough to be in the public domain, and so you can find the full text online for free.
You could then print out a copy of these texts. However, you must have a physical copy of
each text to work with in class. The Short Stories & Poetry Collection will be provided to you.
**IB World Literature is made up of 4 parts total: 2 your Junior year and 2 your Senior year.
For your 11th grade year we will be doing Part 4 (Free Choice), which has an Individual Oral
Presentation as the IB Assignment component and Part 1 (Works in Translation), which has a
Written Paper of between 1200-1500 words as the IB Assignment component.
Part 4 (Free Choice)
Title
The Things They
Semester 1
Author
O’Brien
IB Assignment: Individual Oral Presentation
Genre
Place
Time Period
Novel
USA
C20
Short Stories
USA
C21
Drama
France
C19
Carried
Short Stories
Karen Russell
Cyrano de Bergerac
Rostand
Part 1 (Works in Translation)
Title
Semester 2
IB Assignment: Written Assignment
Author
Genre
Language
Time Period
Candide
Voltaire
Novel
French
C18
The Blind Owl
Hedayat
Novel
Persian
C20
Garcia-Marquez
Novel
Spanish
C20
Chronicle of a Death
Foretold
Notes on each Part and IB assignments:
Part 4 Semester1
This part will serve as an introduction to genre in which we will explore a novel, a poet, and a
play. This will be the framework for identifying key characteristics of each genre and acquire the
basic critical vocabulary particular to each genre as well as allow us to hone analytical reading
and writing skills.
Study of 3 Works:
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Short Stories of Karen Russell
Cyrano de Bergerac (Rostand)
The Things They Carried (O’Brien)
IB Assignment: Individual Oral Presentation
Your IOP will deal with an aspect of one of the texts we study during this part. You IOP will be
focused in on a specific topic on which you will present for 10-15 minutes. This is an opportunity
for you to explore your individual interests and express creativity.
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Students may not duplicate topics
Students will submit a Proposal delineating their topic choice
This proposal will be discussed and modified if need be
Students will submit a Statement of intent finalizing their proposal and a brief outline
organizing their presentation
Each presentation may not be longer than 15 minutes or less than 10 minutes
Each presentation will involve some questioning/discussion with the teacher and/or
audience
Your IOP allows you a great deal of freedom to be creative in your approach and topic.
Examples include but are not limited to:
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Creative writing: such as writing a pastiche, dramatic monologue, a scene or chapter from another
character’s Point of View, etc.
Visual presentation which you narrate
Acting out a piece of your original writing
Isolating and discussing an element of the Social/cultural/historical context of a work
Researching and presenting on the Author
Making a comparison or contrast between film and text
Discussing a dramatic element of the film (casting, props, costume, interaction, movement, etc)
Dissecting an element of language or style
The options are very open, so be creative and indulge your personal interest.
*Note: All performance/creative writing topics will require you to justify your work as part of the oral presentation.
This is simply an explanation and defense of your artistic approach/interpretation.
Part 1 Semester2
This part will deal with Works in Translation. Each work will be studied closely with a focus on
cultural understanding. Historical/Social/Cultural elements will be detailed and analyzed in the
context of each work. Each work is a product of time, place, genre conventions, philosophical
context, and social perspectives.
Study of 3 Works:
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Candide (Voltaire)
The Blind Owl (Hedayat)
Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Garcia-Marquez)
IB Assignment: Paper 1
Paper 1 requires 3 steps for each work and culminates with a written paper of between 12001500 words to be submitted to IB for scoring. This paper will also be your final exam grade for
my class. The 3 steps for each work are:
Stage 1: Interactive Oral Presentation
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Teacher will provide topics and you will choose your topic on a 1 st come 1st serve basis
Will be done in small groups
You must do one Interactive Oral on one of the 3 works studied
This is 30-45 minutes in length
This should involve discussion and questioning from the class
Stage 2: Reflective Statement
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After each Interactive Oral you will write a Reflective Statement of between 300-500 words
Answers the question: “How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations in
the work developed by the presentation?”
Refer to the presentation in detail and be specific
Show the evolution of your thoughts clearly and explicitly
Stage 3: Supervised Writing
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You will choose from 3-4 prompts
Write in class for 45 minutes addressing the prompt
Part 1 Written Assignment:
After all 3 works have been studied you will get back all 3 Supervised Writings and choose which
one you want to develop into your 1200-1500 word paper. We will have an individual conference
to discuss your topic and you will submit a formal proposal for your paper. You will then write a
first draft which we will conference about again and I will provide general comments (however I
may not edit or revise). Your final copy is due for your final exam grade.
Note on the Selected Texts:
IB calls for the reading of important texts which have been the subject of substantial literary criticism.
The texts selected for this course are widely considered to be of literary merit and represent the difficulty
level in both style and content of which you will be expect to respond at the collegiate level. As a result
all of the selected texts are works of social commentary and thus grapple with difficult issues. Although
some of the subject matter may be controversial or uncomfortable to contemplate, you are expected to
read these works for consideration of the social critiques and commentary the author is providing, and
your discussion of the works should reflect and expand on this spirit of honest, frank, and constructive
discourse. The content is intended as a catalyst for learning and dissecting the cultural, social, and
historical reasons for the problems depicted in the texts, as well as positing and synthesizing creative
solutions. The issues being dealt with in each text are relevant and provide the opportunity for rich
analysis. It is the intention of IB to provide knowledge in a worldly context and encourage students to
engage and expand understanding in the university mold. The pursuit and achievement of these goals is
the purpose of this course.
Note on Discussions:
In the classroom we will discuss for the purpose of exploring a wide variety ideas and expanding our
thinking. We do not discuss to be right or win the argument; we discuss to seek truth and possibilities.
Students will be encouraged to make an argument and then change their mind or evolve their positions.
Students should never be tied-down by or pigeon-holed by their original stance on an issue. Also
understand that positions will be taken for the purpose of playing devil’s advocate which will not
necessarily reflect the student’s actual beliefs. No judgments will be made or aspersions cast at another
for voicing their opinion. Be prepared to be questioned as well as to substantiate and elaborate on your
arguments. Please be passionate, creative, and fearless in your positions.
Note on Grading:
This is a class which will have mostly A’s and B’s, some C’s, and very few D’s and F’s (hopefully). My
goal is for your GPA to reflect your work ethic. However, it is vital that you understand this: your grade
in my class will not necessarily indicate how you will score on the formal submissions which are
scored independently by IB. My grade will include many elements which will not be clearly or fully
reflected in your formal IB submissions, such as: your participation in discussion, the strength and
adaptability of your work with the advantage of editing, performance on vocabulary and reading quizzes,
text annotations, and your overall diligence as a student. Your IB submissions which allow you to
accumulate points towards your IB diploma will be read by scorers who do not have the advantage of
knowing you personally. They will issue scores based on a tiny sample of your work. The goal of this
course is to prepare you to submit work of the highest possible quality to IB to accrue the greatest number
of points possible. However, your grade in my class will be an assessment of your journey as well as that
final product. Hopefully your evolution will be an opportunity to reward your achievements and benefit
both your grade and GPA regardless of your IB scores.
I am genuinely thrilled to be teaching this course and am looking forward to everything we will cover and
discuss. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns; I would be happy to address them.
Please have your parent or guardian fill out and sign the back page. You need to sign it also. Return it to
me as soon as possible .Thank you!
Syllabus Slip to be Returned
Parents of my wonderful new IB students:
I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with your student this year. This
year they are beginning the formal IB process. You are going to be an integral part of seeing
them through to the end, and I appreciate all of the support you have already provided which has
gotten them here. I want to solicit a little bit of feedback from you at the start of this
Junior/Senior year journey:
The IB Learner profile has the mission of cultivating learners who exhibit the following traits:
– Inquirers
– Open-minded
– Knowledgeable
– Caring
– Thinkers
– Risk-takers
– Communicators
– Balanced
– Principled
– Reflective
I would like to know which 2 of these traits you would consider most valuable for me to cultivate
in your student during their time in my class. Please write the traits you most value and feel free
to explain to me why they are a priority for you, then sign at the bottom for your student to return
this to me. You can tear off this back page and retain the rest of the syllabus for your records.
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Student Name:__(Print!)________________________________________________
Student Signature:_____________________________________________________
Parent Signature:______________________________________________________