English 303H: Junior English
Mr. Paul Totah, 2004–2005 ( ptotah@siprep.org ) (415) 731-7500 ext. 206 (w)
Course Description : English 3 03H covers the literature of the United States from the 1600s to the present. All the forms of literature, which had been studied specifically in themselves during the first two years, are now studied as they emerge historically through the imaginative life of major US authors. The course complements the study of American History, which is also taken during the junior year. The students' writing aims at greater control over the expository essay and specifically at developing theses on literature. The course aims at preparing the student to pass the Junior Writing Exam given at the end of the third quarter and the AP English Language Exam given in May.
Course Objectives: By the end of the junior year, the student will be able to
• see a clear relationship between the history of the American people and their literature,
• write of that relationship and see how the various periods have produced elements of fiction that are thematically similar across the various forms of literature,
• see the interrelationships of elements of fiction; e.g., the poetic in the dramatic, the narrative in the poetic, the dramatic in the narrative, etc., and
• pass the Junior Writing Exam.
Required Texts and Materials :
Concise Anthology of American Literature, Fourth Edition. Macmillan
(This text includes the following novels and plays which we will read and study: Daisy Mille & Huckleberry Finn.
Prentice Hall Writer's Companion, Prentice Hall
Vocabulary for Achievement, 5th Course, The Turn of the Screw , Henry James
The Awakening, Kate Chopin Beloved , Toni Morrison
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Crucible , Arthur Miller The Glass Menagerie , Tennessee Williams
Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow (summer reading) Reservation Blues , Sherman Alexie (summer)
Native Son , Richard Wright (extra credit reading)
You will also be required to bring to every class a notebook in which you can copy the day's assignments and keep your class notes and hand-outs, a pen, and a #2 pencil.
Class Structure: I hope to teach you the process of learning as much as the content of the course. Toward that end, you will be responsible for researching authors in libraries, on the Internet and through other sources, you will work in groups and make presentations to the class, you will act out scenes from plays and lead discussions, and you will participate in the writing of tests, the planning of field trips and creative projects and the publishing of student work. In short, this is a student-centered class focused on your work and wisdom.
Homework: All written assignments must be typed on letter-sized standard paper, double spaced, and in accordance with the English Department style sheet. Expect to write at least one essay every week and a half. After you write three essays, you will choose one of those essays to revise. I encourage you to rewrite and resubmit your essays not so much because your grade will dramatically improve (which it will), but because it's the best way to improve your writing. A majority of homework time will consist of reading in preparation for writing and class discussion. You should expect to spend 3 to 6 hours outside of class time to successfully complete your work each week.
Late Papers and Make-up Tests: Late papers will not be accepted. If you are absent, you must submit your essay at the very latest by the second day you have returned to school. Tests and quizzes missed because of absence or retreat must be made up within one week after your return to class. Making up assignments missed within the allotted time is your responsibility. You may revise any paper as often as you like. Try to turn in revisions within 2 weeks after receiving your graded essay.
Office Hours: M, T, Th, F: 5th period & 2:30-4 p.m. in room 206 in the Jesuit Residence
Grade: Class Participation 10%, Essays 40%, Final Exam 15%, Reading Quizzes 15%, Vocabulary & Grammar quizzes 10%, Committee Work 10%
A+ = 100%–96.8%, A = 96.7%–92.8%, A- = 92.7%–89.8%, B+ = 89.7%-86.8%, B = 86.7%–82.8%, B- = 82.7%–79.8%, C+ = 79.7%-76.8%, C = 76.7%–72.8%, C- = 72.7%–69.8%, D+ = 69.7%–67.8%, D = 67.7%–66.8%, D- = 66.7%–64.8%, F = 64.7% and less.