Contemporary Literature Syllabus, Fall 2007

12th Grade Contemporary Literature & Composition
Fall Semester 2007
Mrs. Kathy Smith Room D106 Mrs. Dewi Mitchell
smithk4@fultonschools.org mitchelld@fultonschools.org
homepage: http://www2.fultonschools.org/teacher/smithk4/

Texts: Literature Across Cultures, 4th Edition ($65)
Media in Your Life ($84)
Supplementary Novels: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ($10/each for paperback titles; $15/each for hardcover titles)

Course Description
This one semester course is a study of modern literary topics and themes of the world. Students will continue to develop vocabulary and apply effective reading strategies to a wide variety of literary and informational texts; to learn about universal themes and symbols common to literary works including the novel, short story, poetry, drama, and nonfiction; to establish effective writing and research habits; and to refine language skills as they apply to writing, listening, speaking, and viewing.

Course Requirements / Expectations
Academic:
There are three major requirements for the course:

· A Writing Portfolio – In addition to the four major compositions (including a college application essay, an expository paper, an in-class essay, and a literary analysis piece) there will be journal and reading log assignments, and grammar/usage work included.
· Performance and Participation – A key component of the course is active participation, and student performances.
· Unit Tests – There will be a test at the end of each unit.

In addition, there will be graded homework and classwork assignments, as well as quizzes and a comprehensive final exam.

Notebook Requirements: Each student is required to keep an organized notebook specifically for this class. This notebook should contain all materials and work completed, including the following:
· Course syllabus
· Class notes and handouts

Supplies
Students need to provide a notebook with pocket folders of some type, as well as a 3 ring binder to use for their graded Portfolio.

Behavioral:
Obviously, follow the rules of the student handbook, but in short, I expect you to be on time, be prepared and be respectful of all the members of the class.

Attendance and Make-up Work
It is the student’s responsibility to complete all work within the prescribed time. Students have the number of days absent to make-up work, other than major projects. Therefore, if a student is absent for one day, he or she has only one day to complete make-up work or arrange for a make-up test. Failure to complete an assignment within this timeframe will result in a zero for the assignment. If a student is absent on a test day, the test will be administered in class on the next day he or she is present.

ALL MAKE UP WORK IS LISTED ONLINE AT http://www2.fultonschools.org/teacher/smithk4/

Late Work: Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the scheduled due date. Major compositions/projects are the only assignments that will be accepted late, and these assignments will be docked ten points a day for up to three days, and then the assignment will receive a zero. If a student is in school for any amount of time of the day an assignment is due, he or she must turn in the assignment that day or receive a late grade.

Grading Scale
The grading scale for the class is as follows:
A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C = 70-79 F = below 70
Portfolio 15%
Unit Tests, Major Compositions 30%
Class Participation/Performance 10%
Daily Work/Homework 15%
Quizzes 15%

A cumulative final exam given at the end of the semester will comprise the remaining 15% of the student's grade.

Chattahoochee High School Policies

CHS Recovery Policy
Recovery is available to students with a cumulative grade below 74% after a minimum of two (2) major grades. The maximum grade a student can earn for a recovery activity is 70%. There will be only one recovery opportunity per failed major assignment or test. The individual teacher will determine the means of recovery. THE STUDENT MUST INITIATE THE PROCESS WITHIN FIVE (5) DAYS OF NOTIFICATION OF A FAILING GRADE ON A MAJOR ASSIGNMENT/TEST.

Students are responsible for contacting the teacher concerning recovery opportunities. Teachers will establish, at their discretion and the concurrence of the department head, a reasonable time period for recovery work to be completed during the semester. All recovery work must be completed prior to the last 10 school days of the semester. There will be only one recovery opportunity per failed major assignment or test.

CHS English Department Plagiarism Statement
Plagiarism is the use of another's words or ideas and the presentation of them as though they are entirely one's own. Acts of plagiarism might include, but are not limited to:
1. using words or ideas from a published source without proper documentation;
2. using the work of another student (e. g. copying another student's homework, composition, or project);
3. using excessive editing suggestions of another student, teacher, parent, or paid editor.

Plagiarism on any project or paper at Chattahoochee High School will result in a zero for the assignment and an Honor Code violation. Unless directly stipulated by the teacher, collaboration on written work is not acceptable. Students who willingly provide other students with access to their work are in violation of the Honor Code. Students guilty of cheating will receive a grade of "0" on the assignment or test. The assignment may not be made up (students having zero’s are not eligible for recovery). Additionally, an Honor Violation Form will be completed by the teacher and filed in the school office. Violations may be considered by faculty in making future recommendations. Membership in honor clubs could be jeopardized. Students receiving an Honor Code violation will be assigned to serve two (2) days of Saturday School for the first offense.

Course Outline
Unit 1 – Self in the Modern World
In this unit students will read and interpret oral, written, and visual texts from a variety of cultures in a variety of genres and media. The unit will invite the students to reflect on the question: How do our perceptions of ourselves and our world affect our own self image and our attitude/perception of others? The focus will be on recognizing the variety of voices that writers and speakers use depending on their audience and how texts reflect both cultural, historical, and personal context. We will also cover basic film technique and consider how directors use them to influence viewer perception. Students will work in small groups to story board their own short film concept.

We will read a number of short selections from the text book to discuss the essential question of the unit and explore the essential question of “What is normal?” as we read the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Students will write an annotated bibliography about a film, write a paper related to the novel and various journal entries and reading logs. The grammar focus for the unit will include a focus on punctuation, particularly the comma, colon and semi colon.

Unit 2– Today’s Communities
In this unit, we will begin considering how individual freedoms and responsibilities contribute to a healthy community. In addition to short selections from the text book, we will read One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey. The students will do a creative writing assignment in this unit as well as working on journals and reading logs.

Unit 3 – Contemporary Global Perspectives:

In this unit students will understand and explain the ways in which different forms of media shape what we know about particular events. They will also investigate different news vehicles and different propaganda techniques. Throughout the unit we will be considering how communication influences contemporary global culture. What is the relationship between “literature/media” and “truth?” The students will work in small groups to present a culminating Media-Analysis Presentation. We will read a number of fiction and non fiction works as part of this unit, and the students will read work together in small groups to launch a fictional project, incorporating what we have leanred about film and media techniques. In addition to reading logs and journals, the students will finish turn in a selection of journals and reading logs with a reflective paper on their writing process. Our grammar focus will be on editing our work.

The order of some of the works covered and writing assignments may vary, and the pacing of the units is subject to change by the instructor. The order in which the above units will be studied will vary according to the availability of materials.

Film, Television and Music

Over the course of the semester I will incorporate some film clips, television, and/or music into the curriculum. With the exception of the two major films shown as part of the film unit, we will very rarely watch an entire film. Clips from PG-13 and R rated films are shown only with the approval of the administration and permission from parents. Films I plan to show to support the lesson plans are listed on the Parental Permission Form for Instructional Use of Videotape.

Georgia Performance Standards
The course will also conform to all of the Georgia Performance Standards outlined for English Language Arts at the 12th grade level. In English Language Arts performance standards are concerned with two major areas of focus: reading and writing conventions and listening, speaking, and viewing. The standards for viewing are new for Georgia, and they address the need for students to become discerning viewers of text. These standards are primarily concerned with media literacy.

The complete list of all the Performance Standards for the course are available online at http://www.georgiastandards.org/langart.asp under World Literature and Composition

This sheet should be signed and returned, and then will be kept on file in my classroom. The rest of the syllabus should be kept in the front of your notebook for the remainder of the semester.

Parental Permission Form for Instructional Use of Videotape
Fulton County Schools
Chattahoochee High School

The following videos/films have been selected for possible viewing during the 2007 spring semester in Contemporary Literature:
· One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest– Rated R for language, violence
· Citizen Kane – Rated PG
· Brother Where Art Thou – Rated PG-13 for some violence and language
· The Matrix - Rated R for sci-fi violence and brief language.
· Breakfast Club – Rated R for language, drug usage
· Moulin Rouge - Rated PG-13 for sexual content.
· Pleasantville - Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements emphasizing sexuality, and for language
· Crash - Rated R for language, sexual content and some violence.
· Philadelphia - Rated PG-13 for some graphic language and thematic material.
· Little Ms. Sunshine - Rated R for language, some sex and drug content

The videos support the following instructional objectives:
· Analyze directorial techniques
· Understand and appreciate the development of themes over time and across genres
· Examining the importance of audience in creating text
· Extend understanding of traditional literary concepts to new mediums
· Analyze how films both shape and reflect the society of which they are a product

Entire films are rarely shown; segments pertinent to teaching objectives are shown. An alternate assignment will be available for those who do not choose to view the films.
_______________________________________ Teachers

_______________________________ Principal

YES, ____________________________ has my permission to view all of the videotapes and read the novels.

NO, ___________________________ does not have my permission to view the following films or to read the following novels:

Additionally, signing below indicated that I have read and understood the classroom policies listed in the syllabus.

Student Name:____________________________ Student Signature: ____________________________________

Parent Name:____________________________ Parent Signature: ____________________________________

Home Phone: __________________________

Work Phone: __________________________

Parent e-mail address: Student e-mail address: