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American Literature
2014-2015
Instructor –Sara Finnegan-Doyon
e-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Website: http://mssarafdamericanlit.weebly.com/
Denver Center for International Studies prepares students for college by developing multilingual, interculturally competent citizens who are actively involved in our rapidly changing world.
Goals:
This class is designed to teach students ways of thinking, analyzing, and researching that can be adapted to the understanding of a given culture through the lens of its literature. Our goal is to become critically thinking global citizens.
Essential Questions:
You are responsible for getting copies of our class novels: How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and What’s the What by Dave Edgars. You are welcome to check out copies from the library, purchase them used (Amazon or local book stores) or purchase them new (again, Amazon or local bookstores). I need you to have one copy of Garcia Girls by Monday, September 8th. What’s the What you will need to have by Monday, Sept 29th.
Submitting Assignments:
Assignments need to be submitted within the first minute of class unless otherwise noted. Do not ask to print assignments when you arrive; the answer will be no. Your job is to arrive prepared to my class. Plan ahead, print and be sure to back up your work in multiple places.
Grading:
20% Process: Are you doing your work?
Do you turn work in on time? Are you actively engaging in the work that is assigned?
1. Activities (in class and homework)
2. Essay drafts and revisions
3. Project drafts and revisions
40% Content: Are you learning the content?
Are you learning the concepts covered in class? Can you discuss those concepts critically?
1. Quizzes, tests, benchmark assignments
40% Application of Knowledge: Can you apply and communicate your knowledge?
Are you creating beautiful and polished work?
1. Essay Final Drafts
2. Final Products
3. Socratic Seminars
To encourage you to take ownership of your own grades, I ask that you please contact me directly with any questions about your assignments and grades. Please do not have your parents contact me regarding your grades until you have asked the questions first, via email, speech, or writing. If you or your parents still have questions after you have talked to me, I would be happy to address your/their concerns at that point!
Grading Scale:
A– Excellent work that exceeds all standards 90-100%
B– Good quality work that meets all standards 80-89%
C– Complete work that meets most standards 70-79%
D– Incomplete and/or missing work, repeat course 69-60%
F– Failing, repeat course. < 60%
Don’t ask to make up work at the end of the semester—the answer will be no, barring extraordinary circumstances.
Late Work:
If you are absent from school, it is your responsibility as a student to contact me for missed assignments. I suggest emailing me and checking my website, or getting in touch with me as soon as you are back at school. For excused absences, you will be given the same amount of time to complete the assignment as the rest of the class had. Whenever possible, try to plan ahead when you know you are going to be absent.
Assignments will be deducted a letter grade for each day they are late:
One Day Late= 85% B
Two Days Late= 75% C
Three Days Late= 65% D
Four Days Late= 50% F
After one week, late work will not BE accepted. (This does not apply if your work is late because you missed class and your absence was excused; in that case,]
On major assignments, if you submit them on time and do not like the grade earned, you can redo and resubmit to raise your grades. All resubmissions must be stapled to the original assignment and rubric or they will not be accepted.
COMMUNICATE WITH ME AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU NEED HELP OR MORE TIME TO GET ASSIGNMENTS OR PROJECTS DONE. I can be flexible with responsible, communicative students. Coming to me the day that the assignment is due (or after) with excuses will do no good. Students who attend regularly, conscientiously complete assignments, and participate will earn good grades. Those who miss class, fail to do their assignments, and/or disrupt class will not get good grades.
Honors Credit
Students can self-select whether to be in the Honors section or the regular section of American Lit. Please understand that the Honors course requires more reading and more writing, all of which will be expected to be done outside of class. If you have a hard class load or you have a heavy extra curricular load, please carefully consider whether you will be able to keep up with these requirements. You will only have three weeks to make your final decision and have your class assignment changed with the counselors.
In order to receive Honors credit for this class, you will be asked to (1) read at least one extra novel per semester; (2) write a synthesis argument essay focusing on this extra novel; (4) read one extra article per month and write a readers response and (3) complete all assignments. If you receive a D or F first semester as part of the Honors section, you will be placed in the Regular section second semester.
The Really Really Important Rules
Respect. For yourself, for others, and for the learning process. Acknowledge that all people with whom you come into contact are in fact people, human beings who deserve to be treated as such. Treat others as you wish to be treated.
Tolerance. We will treat each student with tolerance regardless of his or her religion, race, culture, sexual orientation, or ability. Indeed, we will strive to not only respect one another, but to accept and celebrate our differences, for diversity is at the heart of this class. For this reason, any and all discriminatory and/or hurtful language is prohibited. If you are not sure if your language is hurtful, err on the side of caution.
Semester 1: Immigration and Migration
Immigration
Essential Questions:
1. What is the “American Dream”?
2. What does it mean to be “American”?
3. Why have people come to the US in the past?
4. Why do people come to the US today?
5. What are issues around immigration currently and historically?
6. What is your family’s story of immigration or migration?
Readings:
1. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
2. What is the What? by Dave Edgars
3. Choice book from list
Final Products:
1. Art project presented in class based on choice novel
2. Interviews with students at East High School posted publically in a yet-to-be-determined format
Migration
Question:
1. For what reasons have large numbers of people migrated historically?
2. How is the migrant experience similar and different than the immigrant experience?
3. What are issues around migration and immigration in Denver? What can you do to help? How can you prove that your actions had a positive impact?
Readings
1. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
2. Sections from Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Final Products:
1. Service project in the Denver community
Statement of Understanding
August 25, 2014
Dear Family of Incoming Student:
Welcome to American Lit at DCIS! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or if there is anything you would like to discuss with me. I am thrilled to be working with you, and I look forward to a great year together!
Sara Finneagn-Doyon
Please complete the following and return by:
Blue Day (p.3&5): Aug 27th
Green Day (p.8&10): Aug 28th
_________________________________________ Student Name (Printed clearly)
_________________________________________ Student Signature
_______________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature ____________ Date
Preferred method of contact (circle one):
__________________________________________________________________Email
_____________________________Phone 1 _____________________________Phone 2
(work/cell/home) (work/cell/home)
Please share any additional info below that you feel is important that I know about your child or family.
2014-2015
Instructor –Sara Finnegan-Doyon
e-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Website: http://mssarafdamericanlit.weebly.com/
Denver Center for International Studies prepares students for college by developing multilingual, interculturally competent citizens who are actively involved in our rapidly changing world.
Goals:
This class is designed to teach students ways of thinking, analyzing, and researching that can be adapted to the understanding of a given culture through the lens of its literature. Our goal is to become critically thinking global citizens.
Essential Questions:
- What does it mean to be “American”?
- What are US values and how are they reflected in literature, music and art?
- How can we communicate truths about the human experience through writing, art and poetry?
- Planner: This will be your tool for staying organized and on top of assignments throughout the year. I do not care what form your planner takes (a physical planner, a calendar on your phone, etc); it needs to be something that will work for you.
- 3 ring binder with four dividers (at least 1.5”)
- post-it notes
- lined paper in binder
- writer’s notebook (This will be used for freewrites, journaling, poetry drafts, etc and can look however you like: a regular notebook, a nice journal, lined paper or plain. It will be kept in the classroom)
- reading response notebook (You will use this notebook to respond to the novels, poems and plays we read throughout the school year. A regular, lined notebook is best. You will transport this notebook back and forth between your home and school).
- pens: blue or black
- highlighter or colored pens for marking text
- markers or colored pencils or some sort of art supply
You are responsible for getting copies of our class novels: How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and What’s the What by Dave Edgars. You are welcome to check out copies from the library, purchase them used (Amazon or local book stores) or purchase them new (again, Amazon or local bookstores). I need you to have one copy of Garcia Girls by Monday, September 8th. What’s the What you will need to have by Monday, Sept 29th.
Submitting Assignments:
Assignments need to be submitted within the first minute of class unless otherwise noted. Do not ask to print assignments when you arrive; the answer will be no. Your job is to arrive prepared to my class. Plan ahead, print and be sure to back up your work in multiple places.
Grading:
20% Process: Are you doing your work?
Do you turn work in on time? Are you actively engaging in the work that is assigned?
1. Activities (in class and homework)
2. Essay drafts and revisions
3. Project drafts and revisions
40% Content: Are you learning the content?
Are you learning the concepts covered in class? Can you discuss those concepts critically?
1. Quizzes, tests, benchmark assignments
40% Application of Knowledge: Can you apply and communicate your knowledge?
Are you creating beautiful and polished work?
1. Essay Final Drafts
2. Final Products
3. Socratic Seminars
To encourage you to take ownership of your own grades, I ask that you please contact me directly with any questions about your assignments and grades. Please do not have your parents contact me regarding your grades until you have asked the questions first, via email, speech, or writing. If you or your parents still have questions after you have talked to me, I would be happy to address your/their concerns at that point!
Grading Scale:
A– Excellent work that exceeds all standards 90-100%
B– Good quality work that meets all standards 80-89%
C– Complete work that meets most standards 70-79%
D– Incomplete and/or missing work, repeat course 69-60%
F– Failing, repeat course. < 60%
Don’t ask to make up work at the end of the semester—the answer will be no, barring extraordinary circumstances.
Late Work:
If you are absent from school, it is your responsibility as a student to contact me for missed assignments. I suggest emailing me and checking my website, or getting in touch with me as soon as you are back at school. For excused absences, you will be given the same amount of time to complete the assignment as the rest of the class had. Whenever possible, try to plan ahead when you know you are going to be absent.
Assignments will be deducted a letter grade for each day they are late:
One Day Late= 85% B
Two Days Late= 75% C
Three Days Late= 65% D
Four Days Late= 50% F
After one week, late work will not BE accepted. (This does not apply if your work is late because you missed class and your absence was excused; in that case,]
On major assignments, if you submit them on time and do not like the grade earned, you can redo and resubmit to raise your grades. All resubmissions must be stapled to the original assignment and rubric or they will not be accepted.
COMMUNICATE WITH ME AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU NEED HELP OR MORE TIME TO GET ASSIGNMENTS OR PROJECTS DONE. I can be flexible with responsible, communicative students. Coming to me the day that the assignment is due (or after) with excuses will do no good. Students who attend regularly, conscientiously complete assignments, and participate will earn good grades. Those who miss class, fail to do their assignments, and/or disrupt class will not get good grades.
Honors Credit
Students can self-select whether to be in the Honors section or the regular section of American Lit. Please understand that the Honors course requires more reading and more writing, all of which will be expected to be done outside of class. If you have a hard class load or you have a heavy extra curricular load, please carefully consider whether you will be able to keep up with these requirements. You will only have three weeks to make your final decision and have your class assignment changed with the counselors.
In order to receive Honors credit for this class, you will be asked to (1) read at least one extra novel per semester; (2) write a synthesis argument essay focusing on this extra novel; (4) read one extra article per month and write a readers response and (3) complete all assignments. If you receive a D or F first semester as part of the Honors section, you will be placed in the Regular section second semester.
The Really Really Important Rules
Respect. For yourself, for others, and for the learning process. Acknowledge that all people with whom you come into contact are in fact people, human beings who deserve to be treated as such. Treat others as you wish to be treated.
Tolerance. We will treat each student with tolerance regardless of his or her religion, race, culture, sexual orientation, or ability. Indeed, we will strive to not only respect one another, but to accept and celebrate our differences, for diversity is at the heart of this class. For this reason, any and all discriminatory and/or hurtful language is prohibited. If you are not sure if your language is hurtful, err on the side of caution.
Semester 1: Immigration and Migration
Immigration
Essential Questions:
1. What is the “American Dream”?
2. What does it mean to be “American”?
3. Why have people come to the US in the past?
4. Why do people come to the US today?
5. What are issues around immigration currently and historically?
6. What is your family’s story of immigration or migration?
Readings:
1. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
2. What is the What? by Dave Edgars
3. Choice book from list
Final Products:
1. Art project presented in class based on choice novel
2. Interviews with students at East High School posted publically in a yet-to-be-determined format
Migration
Question:
1. For what reasons have large numbers of people migrated historically?
2. How is the migrant experience similar and different than the immigrant experience?
3. What are issues around migration and immigration in Denver? What can you do to help? How can you prove that your actions had a positive impact?
Readings
1. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
2. Sections from Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Final Products:
1. Service project in the Denver community
Statement of Understanding
August 25, 2014
Dear Family of Incoming Student:
Welcome to American Lit at DCIS! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or if there is anything you would like to discuss with me. I am thrilled to be working with you, and I look forward to a great year together!
Sara Finneagn-Doyon
Please complete the following and return by:
Blue Day (p.3&5): Aug 27th
Green Day (p.8&10): Aug 28th
_________________________________________ Student Name (Printed clearly)
_________________________________________ Student Signature
_______________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature ____________ Date
Preferred method of contact (circle one):
__________________________________________________________________Email
_____________________________Phone 1 _____________________________Phone 2
(work/cell/home) (work/cell/home)
Please share any additional info below that you feel is important that I know about your child or family.