Welcome to American Literature!
Ms. Siciliano
Warm Up: Student Intro Survey
• Please write you Name (First and
Last) on your student folder
• Please fill out the student survey
inside the folder…this helps me know
you better so answer as much as you
can!
A little about me and what to
expect this semester!!
• This is my 4th year at
AK, but 1st year with
11th grade.
• I will be getting
married in June.
• I will tell you more
about me over the
semester because I
don’t know what else
to add at this
moment...
In class behavior:
• Be RESPECTFUL of others, the
teacher, and the school property.
• Be in your assigned seat at the bell.
• Always check the board for homework,
warm-ups, and directions before bell!
• Raise your hand to speak.
Come Prepared for Class
Participate, Participate,
Participate!
Follow instructions the first
time they are given!
Complete your work on
time….with your name on it!!!!
Yes it needs to be LEGIBLE!
Printing or Emailing
Homework…
• Emails should be sent the night before
it is due.
• Only those who have communicated a
printing issue to me will be allowed to
print in my room.
Do Not Cheat or Plagiarize EVER!
This is considered an honor code violation (i.e. detentions, ISS, OSS
and zero’s for your work!). Group work DOES NOT equal writing
down exactly what another person has. You must work as a group to
determine the answer, and then write your answer INDIVIDUALLY!
Absent from Class…. You
have make up work or notes!
Bathroom/Water Breaks
• The policy of Ardrey
Kell is to protect your
instructional time;
therefore, leaving the
classroom is not
allowed unless it is an
absolute emergency or
you are working
independently/in
groups. You must use
YOUR agenda when
leaving.
Eating and drinking in class…
• NO! Only water in a clear container is
allowed in the classroom unless
medically noted elsewhere….I am all
knowing of this!
Electronics...
Cell phones, Nooks, Kindles, E-Readers
etc. can and will be used in this
class…but only when I have allowed for
BYOT …otherwise its personal and I will
confiscate the item!
Classroom Cleanliness
Nowhere does it say I
am your mother or
maid.
Please make sure all
materials, trash,
personal items are
put away when you
leave!
Dismissal: Do not worry I know
what time it is!
Yes you have HW…Yes you have
Class Work
• Do not get lazy!
• Do not fall asleep…I will embarrass
you, I promise!
Grading
• Formal Grades : 60%
• Informal Grades: 20%
• Midterm Exam is worth
20% of first quarter
grade
• Final Exam is worth
20% of semester grade
• Graduation paper is
worth 20% of 2nd
quarter grade (6-8 page
requirement)
What it takes for an A…
• Listen and participate in class
• Ask questions
• Take copious notes…this is a
college prep course your
college professors don’t print
out notes!
• Come to tutoring
(Tuesdays/Thursdays 2:303:30 or by appointment)
• Complete HW…it preps you
for test and quizzes…I’m
not giving it for torture!
• Study!!!!
What are we doing this year?
What do I need?
Materials
Novels:
• Three-ring binder with
dividers (5 dividers)
• Ink pens (blue, black,
and red)
• #2 Pencils
• Flash drive
• Post-its for annotation
• Highlighters (at least 3
different colors)
• Notebook paper
• Vocabulary Book:
Sadlier-Oxford
Vocabulary Workshop
Level F
• The Scarlet LetterNathaniel Hawthorne
• The Tragedy of Puddin’
Head Wilson- Mark
Twain
• The Great Gatsby- F.
Scott Fitzgerald
• A Streetcar Named
Desire- Tennessee
Williams
Online Text Book:
– http://my.hrw.com/
– Username: tstudent2813
– Password: textbook
How are we feeling?
Questions?
Units of Focus
 Unit One: Colonial Literature
and the Enlightenment
- Influence of Puritan tradition on
early life and writers, impact of
European Enlightenment on
political ideas, use of language
to convey a specific idea or
argument
 Unit Two: American Revolution
and Romanticism
- Conflict with Puritan ideals,
freedom in nature, shift in self
view
 Unit Three: Realism and PostCivil War
- New view of America and the
attainability of the American
Dream, reaction to the Civil War
(pre- and post-), slave
narratives
 Unit 4: Regionalism and
Naturalism
Units of Focus
― Influence on expansion of the
United States and the creation of
individual state mentalities;
Pessimistic outlook on the nation’s
future
 Unit 5: Modernism and the Harlem
Renaissance
― Celebration of African American
culture and the prospects of the
future
 Unit 6: Postmodern Literature
― Lacks historical rigidity, focus on
more personal expression and
freedom
Why do we study Culture? What
do you know about America?
What do these images tell us about a
certain culture?
What do the entertainment
choices tell us about a society?
Top Summer Song:
“Can’t Feel My Face” – The Weekend
Top Movie:
Jurassic World
Top TV:
Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead
Top Book:
Paper Towns –John Green
Self Biography
• I have told you about me and this
class….you tell me about you and
your influence on today’s society.
– This is your HW; it is due Wednesday
8/26!!!
– It could include: your history, life,
interest, dislikes, interesting story about
you.
– It needs to be in MLA format.
• What is MLA Format?
Homework
• Please get syllabus acknowledgement
signed by parents/guardian tonight!
• Self Bio Paper due Wednesday!
• Summer Reading Test September 1st!!!
• Bring in your supplies! Vocabulary
Books you need ASAP!