Senior English: British Literature, Literary Analysis, and Research
Instructor: T. Douglas
Location: Floating
E-mail: tdouglas@yisd.net
Website: n/a
Phone: 434-4000
Tutoring Hours: By appointment before school or during lunchtime
Text(s) and Materials:
Wiggins, Grant ed. et al. Literature: The British Tradition. Upper Saddle: Prentice Hall, 2010.
Course Requirements:
Activities
Students will write a minimum of five major essays or other type of writing projects, including
one in-class essay and a final essay. The essays will involve multiple stages of the writing
process and demonstrate a variety of strategies. The assignments will vary in length, depending
on the nature of the project, but the major essay should be at least 2-3 pages in length. A final
MLA-style research paper of 4-6 pages is also a requirement: not turning in a research paper will
result in failing the course and not meeting graduation requirements. In addition to the research
paper and major essays, students are expected to engage in written and oral textual analysis,
participate in class discussions, and take either exams or quizzes on assigned readings.
Grading Percentages
The writing projects, essays, and exams will account for 40% of the student’s grade. Daily
analysis, quizzes, and short answer questions will account for the other 45% of the grade. The
nine weeks exam grade will be based on essay assignment and is worth 15% of the course grade.
All grades are final. Do not have a parent, guardian, coach, or anyone else ask for
additional work to help an average. It is the student’s responsibility to adhere to
assignment guidelines and deadlines. Grades are based on the quality of the assigned work.
Late Work
No Late work will be accepted. If you cannot attend class when an assignment is due, it is
expected that someone will deliver it to class for you. Tardy students will have points deducted
from their assignment grade; under NO circumstances will a paper be turned in 15 minutes late.
No papers should be emailed or placed in the instructor’s box. If any of these policies pose a
problem, please turn in papers and/or assignments in advanced.
Instructor’s Policies:
Student Behavior
Students must come prepared for each class period by bringing the required textbook and
materials. Students must be on time and also be prepared by having read the assigned reading
and completed any assignment stated on the syllabus. A copy of this syllabus is posted on the
instructor’s webpage. No cell phones or other distracting devices should be used during
instructional time. Students should behave appropriately: disruptive behavior will not be
tolerated and will result in parent contact, an office referral, and/or removal from the course.
Please refer to Ysleta Independent School District Student Handbook.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to, cheating on exams, plagiarized essays
and/or written responses, and collusion. Any type of academic offense will be reported to
administration. According to the severity and number of the offense, the student’s action may
result in a failing grade for the assignment; a failing grade for the course; and/or disciplinary
action. Unless authorized by the instructor, there will be no cooperative learning or
working together.
Attendance Policy
Excessive absences will result in loss of credit. Please refer to Ysleta Independent School
District Handbook. If there are any commitments that require the students to miss class
excessively, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor, follow the syllabus, and
turn in the work on time.
Remediation
Students are expected to conference with the instructor to address any
academic issues.
Calendar:
Please note that dates and assignments are tentative.
August
24 Course description, course rationale, policies and procedures
25 College Resume/ College Essay details guidelines
26 College Resume/ College Essay drafting
27 Peer editing
28 Peer editing
31 College essay/resume due/Intro to Anglo-Saxon
September
1 Intro to Anglo-Saxon Period pp2-9; 19
2 Rhetoric terminology/ Intro to Beowulf 36-37; 39
3 Identify rhetorical strategies in Beowulf p 40-64
4 Complete Beowulf notes/analysis
8 In class diagnostic essay (analysis of Beowulf)
9 Beowulf quiz
10 Read and analyze The Seafarer p 21
11 Seafarer analysis
14 Complete analysis on Seafarer; Wanderer p27; The Wife’s Lament p30
15 Short answer test on Seafarer; p 25
16 Introduction to Seafarer/Beowulf essay (analysis of theme)
17 Read introductions; focus on thesis statements
18 First body paragraph due; proofread; focus on topic sentences
21 Second body paragraph due; proofread; focus integrating quotations and interpretation
22 Third body paragraph due: proofread; focus concluding statements
23 Concluding paragraphs due; proofread; focus general observations
24 Proofreading (early release)
25 Proofreading
28 Seafarer/Beowulf essay due
29 Intro to Medieval period take notes on pp5,10-16
30 Medieval quiz
October
1 Arthurian Legend / Chivalry/Romance
2 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight p 170
5 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight analysis
6 Sir Gawain ?s
7 Arthurian Legend p 180
8 Arthurian Legend test
9 Background Excalibur
13 Excalibur
14 Excalibur
15 Excalibur study ?s due
16 Intro to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and satire pp 90-95
19 Canterbury Tales analysis pp 96
20 Canterbury Tales analysis
21 Canterbury Tales/ The Wife of Bath Tale 138
22 Canterbury Tales/ Wife of Bath Tale analysis due
23 Canterbury Tales in open book test (End of Nine weeks)
26 Canterbury Tales in open book test due
27 Character analysis handout essay
28 Drafting
29 Draft due Proofreading
30 Proofreading
November
2 Final copy of Character analysis due/ Read and take notes pp 236-248
3 Quiz on Renaissance
4 Background to sonnets Spencer Sonnets notes p 252
5 Spenser Sonnets analysis and SOAP
6 Spenser questions
9 Shakespeare sonnets 273
10 Shakespeare sonnets
12 Shakespeare questions
13 Sonnets 116 and 130 analysis SOAP
16 Questions p 276
17 Marlowe and Raleigh p 265
18 The Passionate Shepherd/Nymph’s Reply p266
19 Marlowe and Raleigh Questions p269 (Early Release)
Thanksgiving 23-27
30 Intro to Shakespearean drama 308-320/Macbeth Act I p 322
December
1 Macbeth Act I 10 analysis
2 Macbeth Act II
3 Macbeth Act II
4 Macbeth Act II
7 Macbeth II; focus imagery analysis Acts I,II
8 Macbeth III; themes
9 Macbeth III; themes analysis
10 Macbeth IV; characterization
11 Macbeth IV
14 Analysis for Acts III,IV
15 Macbeth Act V
16 Macbeth discussion/ Questions p 416
17 Questions due
18 Semester exams
22-5 Christmas
January
6 Othello Act I
7 Othello Act I
8 Othello Act I analysis/ questions
11 Othello Act I questions due
12 Othello Act II
13 Othello Act II
14 Othello Acts I and II analysis/ questions due
15 Othello Act III
19 Othello Act III Nine week exams
20 Othello Act III/ analysis
21 Othello Act IV
22 Othello Act IV
25 Othello Act IV analysis/Questions
26 Othello Act V/ Shakespeare essay
27 Othello Act V (Early release)
28 Othello test
29 Shakespeare essay
February
1 Drafting
2 Drafting
3 Draft due
4 Proofreading
5 Proofreading
8 Shakespeare essays Final copies due/ Metaphysical notes p480
9 Metaphysical notes p377/ Draft due
10 Valediction /Death be not Proud pp 484-87
11 Donne analysis Proofreading
12 Meditation 17 p 488/
15 Meditation 17 questions p 490
16 Herrick p 504 analysis ?
17 Marvell p 510 analysis (Early release)
18 Milton Notes p 516 Paradise Lost p 524 analysis
19 Paradise Lost analysis
22 Paradise Lost questions p 534
23 Paradise Lost questions 1-15
24 Paradise Lost analysis Book IX
25 Paradise Lost analysis Book IX (Early release)
26 Paradise Lost analysis Book IX
29 Paradise Lost analysis Book IX DUE/
March
1 Eve’s Apology p590
2 Questions p591
3 Intro Restoration Modest Proposal p617
4 Modest proposal analysis ?s p626
7-11 Spring Break
14 Pope 628/ Rape of the Lock p 632
15 Rape of the Lock
16 Rape of the Lock
17 Victorian notes p 716 #s 4,9,11
18 Blake p 748 analysis and SOAP
21 Wordsworth p 790 analysis and SOAP
22 Byron 854 p655 analysis
23 Shelly p868 analysis
24 Keats p880/ p891 analysis (End of nine weeks)
28 Keats analysis SOAP
29 Coleridge p818
30 Coleridge
31 Coleridge analysis
April
1 Coleride analysis SOAP
4 Coleridge test
5 Tennyson p 963
6 Tennyson analysis SOAP ?s
7 E. Browning analysis p 978
8 Browning p 982
11 Browning analysis SOAP
12 Research topics / requirements
13 Library
14 Library
15 Library
18 Thesis statement
19 Notes on source/notecards
20 Annotated Bibliography due
21 Documentation Outline due
22 Notes on parentheticals
25 Notes on works cited/ Drafting
26 Drafting
27 First draft due/ proofreading
28 Proofreading
29 Proofreading handouts due
May
2 Final copy of research paper DUE/ Frankenstein
3 Frankenstein
4 Frankenstein
5 Frankenstein
6 Frankenstein
9 Frankenstein questions due/ Notes on existentialism/ Metamorphosis
10 Metamorphosis part I
11 Metamorphosis part I questions due
12 Metamorphosis part II
13 Metamorphosis part III
16 Metamorphosis part III
17 Metamorphosis study guide due
18 Metamorphosis test
19 The Stranger
20 The Stranger
23 The Stranger
24 The Stranger
24 The Stranger Part 1 study guide
26 The Stranger
27 The Stranger Part II study guide
June
1-4 Exams/ Clearance
All dates are tentative and are subject to change.