Course Description
English III is a year-long course of chronological study of
American literature, beginning with literature of Native Americans and ending
with the study of contemporary novels. Students
will study the historical and cultural context of American writing as well as
its literary context.
Syllabi will be distributed prior to each chronological
unit. Readings are due on the day
listed and students are required to take homework notes on each reading.
Students can routinely expect that they will be quizzed over their
reading and notes at the beginning of each class.
Students will be allowed to use their notes on quizzes and half their
quiz grade will be over the completion of the notes, the other half over the
answers to the questions. Daily quizzes will not be made up in case of excused absence.
Students must bring their textbook to each class. Required texts for the course include:
Literature: The American Experience, Prentice Hall
The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald
Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck
A Lesson Before Dying, Gaines
Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut
Reservation Blues, Alexie
All the Pretty Horses, McCarthy
Donald Duk, Chin
Writing assignments will occur for each unit and will
routinely be due the day after the unit exam, with some exceptions.
Composition assignments will be expository,
persuasive, or creative. Each
will be graded with a guided rubric and with the Handbook of Composition
grading code. Usually the test and
paper are weighted evenly.
Grading is done on a point system. Generally, quizzes are worth 10 points, exams 100 points, and
papers 100 points. Other work will
be assigned an appropriate point value. All
work must be done on time and will be downgraded 20% per day for lateness.
If the student is absent, he should complete his homework
as per the syllabus if he is physically able to do so and show the teacher his
homework notes upon his return to class. If
he cannot do so, his excused quiz grade will become a zero.
If the student has a planned absence, he is responsible for all missed
work, except quizzes, and should notify the teacher of this planned absence
prior to its occurrence. He must also show his homework notes to the teacher at the
next class or he will receive a zero for that quiz.
Students are required to take notes on all class lectures and discussions and will periodically be asked to produce those notes for the teacher’s review.
Unit One Syllabus:
Early American Literature—Native Americans, Explorers, Religious
Settlers, Slaves
8/24 Introduction to the course
8/25
Quiz and
discussion over Donald Duk
8/26 Continued discussion and presentation on Donald Duk
8/27 Introduction p. 1-15
“The World on the Turtle’s Back” p. 16-18
“When Grizzlies Walked Upright” p. 19-21
“The Navajo Origin Legend” p. 22-23
8/30 Poems/Songs (handout)
“Iroquois Constitution” p. 24-26
8/31 Introduction p. 30-31
Cabeza de Vaca, “A Journey Through Texas” p. 32-36
Cardenas, “Boulders Taller than the Great Tower of Seville” p. 37-38
9/1 Introduction p. 42
Equiano, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” p. 44-48
9/2 Introduction p. 59-60, 68-69
Columbus, “Journal of the First Voyage to America” p. 62-64
9/3 Introduction p. 70
Smith, “The General History of Virginia” p. 72-77
Bradford, “Of Plymouth Plantation” p. 78-84
9/7 Introduction p. 98
Taylor, “Huswifery” p. 100 + handout
Bradstreet, “To My Dear and Loving Husband” p. 102 + handout poems
9/8 Introduction p. 106
Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” p. 108-112
9/9 Miller, The Crucible p. 1230-1340
9/10 Crucible
9/13 Crucible
9/14 Crucible
9/15 Exam over Unit 1
9/10 Essay due over Unit 1