Course+Syllabus

World Literature Mrs. Johnson Westover High School Phone: 229-438-3581 Email Address:quatrissia.clemons@docoschools.org Room 203 Office hours: 9:30am- 11:30am

**Course Prerequisite:** Completion of Technology 1- Students are required to complete Technology 1 before taking this course. Technology 1 provides instruction on software that can be use to help student complete assignment throughout the course. Course of Study: Through our exploration of literature from the non-western world, 10th grade honor English students will read and reflect on literature selections that complement the cultures and themes studied in the 10th grade World Cultures course. In this class, we will make connections between culture and literature, develop our writing, research, reading and speaking skills, and strengthening vocabulary. We will learn about basic literary theory and criticism and will also apply our new knowledge to the critical analysis and interpretaion of the course text. Additionally, students will make the connection between the text read, their English course and the cultures studied in their social studies classroom.
 * Cultures Studied || **Primary Texts** ||
 * Africa || Three Cups of Tea (Summer Reading) ||
 * The Middle East || Of Beetles and Angels (Summer Reading) ||
 * South Asia (India, Pakistan, etc.) || The Power of One ||
 * Asia (China, Japan, etc.) || Kite Runner ||
 * Latin America || Night ||
 * || Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress ||
 * || A non-wester memoir ||
 * || various short stories, poems, and myths ||

WRITING: Studens will build upon their knowledge of narrative and expositional writing styles and learn to incorporate clearly defined thesis statements, smooth transition sentences, and various organizational strategies into their writing. Students will reflect on their writing process and develop individual writing goals for the semester. As we learn to write effective essay, we will work to improve our skills in focus, content, organization, style, and conventions. Students will know in advance how their writing is being graded and will reflect on their semester goals following each writing assignment.

CLASS PROJECTS: 1) Students will complete a variety of narrative, expositional, and creative writing pieces, which will undergo various levels of revision. A few examples include:
 * * reflection essays || * research proposal || * thesis driven paper about a text ||
 * * poetry || * personal narrative essay || * cultures research projec ||

2) Students will complete a Self Selected Reading (SSR) project during the first quarter. The project will be complete in small groups who will work together to read a self-selected non-wester memoir, write an individual paper, and then teach the book and a cultural tradition presentation in the text to the class.

3) Every tenth grade student will complet a research project. The cultures research project will represent a culmination of the skills learned in the World Literatures course and will call for students to incorporate a varitey of writing styles and techniques. The cultures project is reseach based and will teach students how to write a thesis driven paper, correctly use the MLA citiation style, use the library, and how to discriminate between general (popular) and scholarly (academic) sources. Additionally, students will find ways to share their research with an audience outside of our classroom.

Recommended Supplies **CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS: ** 1) **Respect **  Students will demonstrate respect for other students and the teacher by using appropriate language, being prepared for class, following directions, adhering to all school policies, and by keeping an open mind when learning about different cultures, traditions, beliefs and life styles.  2) **Be Prepared ** Always come to class prepared. This means coming into class and being seated when the bell rings, bringing your class binder each day, completing homework on time, and reviewing your notes between 15-20 minutes each night. In addition, your presence in the classroom is essential to your success. Tardiness and unexcused absences will have an adverse effect on your grade. 3) **Expect great things from yourself and your peers **  Your attitude plays an important role in your education. If you believe you can succeed – you can! Encourage your classmates to succeed as well.  4) **Take ownership of your education ** <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">Take personal responsibility for your learning: set goals, evaluate progress towards those goals, adhere to high standards and revise your performance when needed. You can also take responsibility for your learning by asking questions when something is unclear, participating in classroom discussions and asking for extra help if you need it. Take ownership of your classroom. This is your space and your area to learn; help keep it clean and organized. This is your education – get everything you can out of it! **<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">TECHNOLOGY: ** <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">We will be using a variety of technology and web-based applications in this course. Students will be posting written work to online discussion boards and blogs, using a streaming video site to connect with our pen pals, as well as finding ways to share their written pieces with authentic audiences. The sites used in this class are password protected and not open for the general public to view. However, it is important to keep the following in mind when publishing online:
 * A USB flash drive with at least 2GB
 * A Google account
 * An inexpensive accordion or expansion folder for organizing research materials
 * //**<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal;">Safety: **// //<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal;">Never post your personal information or information about someone else. //<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;"> Keep things like ages, addresses, phone numbers, full names, and even names of towns off the Internet. Remember that information on the internet may still be around after you've deleted it. Additionally, only post your work and images. Do not post photos of another person without their permission.


 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">**Respect:** When you post, it is important to be respectful; be respectful of other people posting and respect yourself. This means that personal attacks, inappropriate language and content, insults and harassment of any kind are strictly forbidden. Our online work is an extension of our classroom; ask yourself if your comments would be acceptable in our physical classroom setting.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">**Rigor:** When publishing online, make sure that your comments and posts are adding to the discussion. Before posting a comment, question, or blog entry, ask yourself, "Will this forward the discussion we are having?" Your thoughts and ideas should be supported, and you should be using specific details to illustrate your ideas. Your comments and posts should add to the knowledge of our class.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">**Credit:** Cite your sources and give credit for ideas and someone else's material. Try to use creative commons material. Always give credit and cite your source.

**<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">HOMEWORK AND ASSIGNMENT POLICIES: **
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">Assignment will be listed on a weekly calendar posted at the beginning of each week on our class website. Students should keep track of assignment in their planner.


 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">Copying, cheating, and/or plagiarizing are grounds for failing the assignment and disciplinary action. Plagiarizing is defined as using someone's research, ideas, words (whether they are the words of a scholar or another student) without acknowledging the author of the idea. If you had to look it up, you must give credit to the original author through parenthetical citations and a works cited page.


 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">All handouts, assignments, class notes, vocabulary, and literary definitions will be kept in a joint World Cultures/World Literatures binder. The binder will be checked periodically by both the World Cultures and English teacher. Students must have all work organized, fully completed, and correctly labeled in order to receive full credit.


 * In order to receive full credit on all assignments, students must turn in their work on the designated due date. All assignments will be accepted one day late for half credit. If the assignment is turned in two days late, it will not receive any credit.


 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">In the case of an excused absence, students are responsible for making up all missed work and for any class notes given during their absence within two days. Students should plan to speak to the teacher before or after school upon return and/or utilize information posted on the class website.

**<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">GRADES: ** <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">Grades in this class are weighted by category. Each quarter students will receive grades for assignments that assess their progress in reading, research, writing, speaking and listening, and miscellaneous assignments. Each quarter starts fresh; grades from the first quarter do not carry over into the grade for the second quarter. The final course grade is calculated by combining the percentages for each of the two quarters with the final exam grade. Each quarter is worth 40% of the final grade and the final exam grade is worth 20% of the final course grade. **<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">A+ **<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">= 100%-90% **D** 69%-60% **<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">B+ **<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">= 89%-80% **F** = 59%-0% **<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">C+ **<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">= 79%-70% <span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Identifies, describes, and evaluates major themes. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Analyzes the use and effectiveness of literary elements. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Demonstrates literary analysis by making and supporting assertions. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Distinguishes between essential and nonessential information. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Identifies author's purpose and effectiveness. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Demonstrates evidence of critical thinking, ability to make connections, and insightful analysis of literature through class activities, discussions, and assignments. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">22.2% || **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">SKILLS FOR RESEARCH: ** <span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Uses a variety of electronic and published sources to support Assertions. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Organizes research material, including bibliographical information and notes. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Skillfully incorporates appropriate and scholarly sources. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Applies understanding of MLA conventions through correct use of a works cited page. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Uses correct MLA parenthetical citation format for all ideas, paraphrases, and direct quotations. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Successfully integrates and punctuates quotes from outside sources. || <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Presentation skills include: · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Speaks using skills appropriate to the situation, including pace, inflection, volume, sentence variety, and verbal and nonverbal communication skills. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Participates in small and large group presentations using audio-visuals and examples to emphasize and clarify key points.
 * **<span style="color: white; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">PERCENT OF QT. GRADE ** || **<span style="color: white; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">GRADING CATEGORY AND DESCRIPTION ** || **<span style="color: white; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">PERCENT OF QT. GRADE ** || **<span style="color: white; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">GRADING CATEGORY AND DESCRIPTION ** ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">22.2% || **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">SKILLS FOR READING: **
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">22.2% || **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">SKILLS FOR SPEAKING AND LISTENING: **

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Discussion skills include: · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Introduces relevant information, ideas, and opinions · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Supports assertions with examples and reasoning · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Paraphrases and/or summarizes what others say to demonstrate listening and understanding. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">22.2% || **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">SKILLS FOR WRITING: ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Writing assignments reflect evidence of sophisticated academic writing skills with respect to focus, content development, organization, style, and conventions. Specifically, the student's writing: <span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Maintains a sharp, focused thesis. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Appropriately and skillfully incorporates relevant examples and support. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Sustains a logical organization · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Writes with command of stylistic aspects of composition (structure, diction, and voice). · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Understands and applies knowledge of grammar, mechanics, and MLA punctuation. || <span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Consistently maintains an organized binder that includes all required notes and handouts. Consistently comes to class on time and is prepared for daily activities. · <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Assignments labeled as "Miscellaneous" are those that demonstrate the student's organization, preparation, and participation skills. ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">11.2% |||||| **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">MISCELLANEOUS: **