Download American Literature

American Literature
Quarter 2 Unit Plans
Unit 3: American Romanticism (Continuation of Unit 2: Introduction to Am. Rom.)
Content: Literature from the American Romantic time period (Collections 2 and 3 from
Elements of Literature)
Timeline: October 15-November 2; 15 days
Objectives:
1.) Students will evaluate the historical and social influences of the Romantic period
on American literature.
2.) Students will analyze: Allegory in literature
Symbolism
Romantic poetry
Irony and paradox
3.) Students will participate in literature circles where they will discuss out of class
assigned reading. Each literature circle will discuss a novel from the American
Romantic and Realist periods of American literature. Students will choose from
one of the following novels:
Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, The House
Of Mirth
Willa Cather’s My Antonia, O Pioneers!
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter,
The Blithedale Romance
Kate Chopin, The Awakening
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin
4.) Students will acquire new vocabulary weekly.
Assessments:
1.) Reading comprehension will be assessed by reading quizzes; higher order
thinking skills, such as analysis and evaluation, will be assessed by participation
during class discussions, class work (both individual and group), in-class writings,
tests on historical context and literary terms, and group presentations.
2.) Students’ participation and work during literature circle time will be assessed by
daily checks for individual preparation (each student will have a role to fill each
day, and a corresponding assignment to prepare). Literature circle work will
result in a final group project and presentation (at the end of Unit 4).
3.) Vocabulary mastery will be assessed by weekly quizzes.
4.) Students’ understanding of American romantic literature will be assessed by a
unit test.
Weekly Schedules:
Oct. 15-19
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Dr. Heidegger’s
Experiment”
Walt Whitman: selected poems
Emily Dickinson: selected poems
Literary term review: Allegory
Oct. 22-26
The “Week of Poe”!
Introduction to literature circles
Oct. 29-Nov. 2
American Romanticism Test (10-30)
Grammar Review: Commas, part III
Discussion of Emerson in-class essay
Introduction to Realism
Literature Circle Planning Meeting (11-2)
Unit 4: The Rise of Realism
Content: American literature from the Civil War to 1914 (Collection 4 from
Elements of Literature)
Timeline: November 5-December 19; 29 days
Objectives:
1.) Students will continue working in literature circles.
2.) Students will analyze: Comic devices
Irony
Point of view
3.) Students will compare points of view across texts.
4.) Students will continue acquiring new vocabulary.
5.) Students will continue weekly SAT preparation.
Assessments:
1.) Students’ mastery of objectives will be assessed by participation in class
discussions, analysis during in-class writing, responses to discussion questions,
and a historical context/literary terms test.
2.) Literature circle groups will prepare presentations that reflect work during
literature circle time in class.
3.) Vocabulary mastery will be assessed by weekly quizzes.
Weekly Schedule:
Nov. 5-9
Ambrose Bierce, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek
Bridge”
Literary term review: Point of View
Literature Circles begin! (11-7) *Meetings will
be Wednesday and Friday this week only*
Stephan Crane, “A Mystery of Heroism”
Nov. 12-16
(Midterm)
Stephan Crane, “The Open Boat”
Literary term review: Irony
In-class essay on Crane short stories
Nov. 19-20
(Thanksgiving)
Kate Chopin, “A Pair of Silk Stockings”
Nov. 26-30
Charles Chesnutt, “The Wife of His Youth”
Mark Twain, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog…”
Literary term review: Comic Devices
Dec. 3-7
American Realism Test (12-3)
Grammar review: Apostrophes
Final literature circle meeting (12-6)
Dec. 10-14
Charles Chesnutt, “Po’ Sandy”
Literature Circle Presentations!
Dec. 17-19
Mid-Year Surveys
Discussion of Crane in-class essays
Discussion of upcoming midterm exam
Dear Parents,
Learning is a cooperative effort that should include the student, parents, and
teachers. You know your child better than anyone and I will rely heavily on your input.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions. The best way to contact me is by
email. My address is [email protected]. In addition, you can call the school at 828-6579998. If you would like to keep up with what your child is working on in class, you can
check the school’s website at www.tjca.org under the teacher outlines link. I will keep
weekly schedules posted, along with assignment descriptions.
I look forward to working with you!
Sincerely,
Holly Omlor
** Please sign and return this page to Mrs. Omlor no later than Friday, October 19th.
Turning in this form will count as a homework grade. After Friday, students who have
not returned this form will receive a zero.
I have read and understand the contents of the quarter two syllabus for American
Literature.
Student signature________________________________________Date_____________
Student email_______________________________________Phone________________
Parent signature_________________________________________Date_____________
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