English 12 Regular, British & World Literature (US260)
Course Description & Syllabus 2010-2011
S. Hylton
Room 114
Course Description
This course is a survey of British and world literature combined with continued development and
refinement of composition skills. Students will explore literature thematically, looking for ways in
which people of all generations have grappled with fundamental human emotions and concerns.
Through research students will consider how the works of the ages are still relevant to issues
unfolding in today’s world. Throughout the year, students will engage in class discussion and
Socratic seminars as a means of developing their analytical and verbal skills. Through frequent
writing and teacher and peer revision, students will continue to develop their composition skills.
MLA will be the standard for formatting. Students will also develop their ability to explore and
synthesize solid research on a regular basis. Presentation skills will also be emphasized. Vocabulary
building continues. A Course Outline is attached to the back of this syllabus.
Course Goals (based on College Board goals)
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to further develop students’ cognitive and analytical abilities through exposure to engaging
texts
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to encourage intellectual growth, self-reflection, self-evaluation, and integrity/ethics
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to further develop students’ ability to discuss, interpret, analyze, and evaluate works of
fiction and non-fiction
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to continue to develop students’ ability to edit, revise, and critique their writing and the
writing of others
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to teach students research skills and the ability to interpret, evaluate, and synthesize
information from sources
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to further develop students’ ability to write in a variety of forms
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to continue to develop an enhanced vocabulary
Expectations
I expect my students to…
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do their best on each and every assignment.
do their own work so that I will never have to question their honesty and integrity.*
be open to the ideas in literature, have a sense of humor, and embrace the spirit of any
assignment.
be involved and attentive during class activities.
be courteous to me and to each other at all times.
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budget their time well both in and out of class so that assignments are completed and arrive
on time.
be responsible for obtaining makeup work.
be present and punctual. More than three tardies in a quarter will result in a C3 or C4 conduct
grade.
refrain from eating and drinking in class.
abide by all rules and regulations in the Student Code of Conduct.
communicate any concerns, problems, or difficulties with me. Office hours are after school
on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2:45 until 3:30 in my classroom. I can be reached via email at shylton@walsingham.org or by phone at (757)229-6026.
My students can expect me to…
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be respectful and courteous.
plan thought provoking assignments.
be prepared.
be willing to help when asked.
be fair and responsive to their ideas.
communicate any concerns, problems, or difficulties with them first.
*Do not plagiarize: Do not copy words or ideas from internet sources, books, scholars, fellow
students, or any other sources without giving proper credit in a parenthetical citation/bibliographical
entry. Remember: a dismal grade brings only disappointment; the dismal choice to cheat brings
dishonor and an even more dismal grade.
Materials
Please come to class daily with the following materials unless otherwise notified.
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The Language of Literature, MacDougal Littell, Inc., Boston: 2002. OR the novel/book with
which we are working
Large three ring binder with dividers
Notebook paper
Blue or black pens
Other materials that might prove helpful include:
 Public library card
 Highlighters
 Small post-it notes
 Note cards
 Dictionary (for home use)
Students will need to purchase novels, books, and plays throughout the year (see attached Course
Outline).
Grading
Your grades will be based on the school’s grading scale.
A
B
C
D
F
93-100
85-92
77-84
70-76
69 and below
Your grades will be averaged using the following percentages:
Literature & Writing
Vocabulary
80%
20%
Literature and Writing encompasses the bulk of the work we do. Within that 80%, tests, essays, and
projects will be recorded three times; quizzes, twice; and daily work, once. Vocabulary grades are
a balance between weekly preparation and weekly quizzes. Late homework is not accepted. Late
projects and essays will be accepted but will be docked one letter grade for each day they are late.
Please allow at least two weeks for the grading of major essays and tests. Reading and evaluating
essays and tests is no small task. I will report/record grades as quickly as possible.
Vocabulary
You will find the vocabulary lists for the entire year attached to the back of this syllabus. Definitions
and sentences are due on Mondays; questions about the use of the words will be fielded at that time.
Quizzes will be on Fridays and are cumulative. That is, each quiz will involve not only the current
week’s words but any of the others that we have already covered as well.
English 12 – British & World Literature
Course Outline
This is a general outline. Changes, additions, deletions, and substitutions are likely. You will be
notified of changes.
Battle: Physical and Psychological Struggle
Why do we battle? What are the impacts of battle? How does conflict shape and define the
individual?
Beowulf
“Beocat”
Excerpts from Gardner’s Grendel
Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front
Wiesel’s Night
Kipling’s “Mary Postgate”
Okri’s “In the Shadow of War”
Bowen’s “The Demon Lover”
Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth”
Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est”
Hardy’s “The Man He Killed”
Jarheads
Thurber’s World War cartoon
Relationships: Torments and Triumphs of Love
What kinds of love enrich our lives? Why do human relationships bring both pleasure and pain?
Chaucer’s “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”
Marlowe’s “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”
Raleigh’s “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”
Donne’s “The Bait”
Shakespeare’s sonnets
Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”
Hope’s “His Coy Mistress to Mr. Marvell”
Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing
Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew
DuMaurier’s Rebecca
Haruf’s The Ties that Bind
O’Henry’s “The Last Leaf”
White’s “Once More to the Lake”
Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
Choices: Vice and Virtue
Why are we motivated by negative desires? How do our actions haunt us? How do we cope with
our guilty consciences?
Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Christie’s And Then There Were None
Dickens’s A Christmas Carol
Excerpt from Shelley’s Frankenstein
Excerpts from the Bible, New Revised Standard Version
Afterlife: Heaven and Hell
How do human beings approach their ultimate fate? How do authors conceptualize heaven and
hell?
Excerpts from Dante’s Inferno
Excerpts from Milton’s Paradise Lost
Sartre’s No Exit
“Job” from the King James Bible
“To Everything there is a Season” from the King James Bible
Housman’s “To an Athlete Dying Young”
Herrick’s “To the Virgins to Make Much of Time”
Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night”
Excerpts from Kubler-Ross’s On Dying
Society: Inside and Outside
How do we divide and classify people? Can human beings overcome their differences? How do
we relate to others? How do we judge them? How do authors use literature to express their
criticism of society?
Chaucer’s “The Pardoner’s Tale”
Auden’s “Musee des Beaux Arts”
Auden’s “The Unknown Citizen”
Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
Excerpts from Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels
Shaw’s Pygmalion
Addison and Steele’s “A Beau’s Head” and “A Coquette’s Heart”
McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes
“Dumpster Diving”
Future: Dreams and Nightmares
What will the world become? What lessons can we learn by considering possible future worlds?
Rand’s Anthem
Huxley’s Brave New World
Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron”
Bradbury’s “The Veldt”
Lennon’s “Imagine”
Arnold’s “Dover Beach”
We Are Not a Gadget
The Gods Must Be Crazy
Postman’s “Virtual Students, Digital Classroom”