Class+Info

What you need to know...

Throughout the course of this year, we will be examining the progression of European philosophical, cultural and religious life from the late Middle Ages to the modern period. By looking closely at literature, we can better connect human experience with historical facts and see that the events of the past are directly connected to our society in the present. This course is designed to run parallel to A. P. European History, and it will be our focus to analyze the literary contributions of important historical figures within the context of the socio-political landscape that defined their time.


 * __ Materials __**

Dante Alighieri Inferno (Norton Critical Edition) William Shakespeare Othello (Folgers Shakespeare Library) Voltaire Candide (Norton Critical Edition) Jane Austin Pride and Prejudice (Norton Critical Edition) Fyodor Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment (Norton Critical Edition) Albert Camus The Stranger (Vintage)

-Come to class prepared and on time. -Be respectful of others during class discussion. -Submit all assignments on time. -Whatever you do, do it with honesty and integrity. -Read! Read! Read! It is vital that you keep up with daily reading assignments. -Think! Think! Think! Do not rely on others to think for you. -Discuss! Discuss! Discuss! Discussion is the foundation of the class.
 * __ Expectations __**

You are responsible to make up any assignments that you missed. 15% will be taken off for assignments that are one day late. 30% will be taken off for assignments that are two days late. Assignments later than two days will not be accepted. Refer to the handbook for school policy for excused/unexcused absences.
 * __ Make-Up work __**

Be aware that the penalties for plagiarism and cheating are extremely severe. You are all capable of doing the work on your own, and I expect that you will work to the best of your ability. One of the most important things you need to know about plagiarism is that I will catch you, and the penalties are steep.
 * __ Plagiarism and Cheating __**


 * __ Notes __**

You are responsible to take notes. There are a variety of terms you are expected to know. These will be written on the board. Other than that, you will know what is expected of you by following the packet that I give you at the beginning of each unit. You should take any notes as you read. Your notes should consist of the following:

1. Observations about setting, language, and tone. 2. Analysis based on your observations. 3. Observation and analysis of the items I have indicated on your unit term/quote guide.

I will check notes regularly for a completion grade. This grade will go in the quiz category.


 * __ Breakdown of category percentage weights for European Literature __**

Rhetoric—33.3% Quizzes—33.3% Tests—33.3%

__ Rhetoric __

Rhetoric refers to the presentation of applied knowledge. There are many ways that you can demonstrate your creativity, understanding, and thoughtfulness. This category contains a wide range of assignments, from compositions and imaginative writing to oral and visual presentations. Rhetoric assignments will be weighted according to the following hierarchy:

// Thought Pieces // —Thought pieces are one to two page writing assignments designed to encourage you to consider what you think and why before you come to class (or right at the beginning of class). They are not meant to be revised, but they could become the basis for a more formal piece. Therefore, you should keep your thought pieces in a separate notebook after I return them to you. Thought pieces are graded on a 1-10 scale for your effort, but they do not receive a formal grade. You may be asked to read them aloud to the class. For thought pieces, you may begin by taking a line, a word, an incident, or an issue in the story, poem, or essay we are reading, and using it as an entry point into a discussion. You may also be asked to respond to a prompt. You do not have to come to a major conclusion in a thought piece—you do not have to answer your question. You just have to think about it—on paper. (Thought Piece idea and explanation from Ellen Greenblatt of The Bay School of San Francisco)

// Imaginative Writing // —You will often be asked to write poems, short stories, scripts, or other imaginative types of writing. These assignments will be graded according to specific rubrics, depending on the assignment. You may be asked to read these assignments in class.

// Rough Drafts // —Rough drafts and final drafts will be graded according to the ERB rubric. You can expect to have at least one formal writing assignment per quarter. The types of assignments falling into this category include drafts for formal presentation, essays, and poetry or prose analysis. When you turn in your rough draft, only one page will be graded strictly for grammar. The entire paper will be returned to you with comments and an ERB grade for revision.

// Final Drafts // Final drafts will be graded using the ERB rubric and have the highest weight in the rhetoric category. Final drafts **__must be submitted along with the ERB rubric that accompanied your rough draft.__**

__ Quizzes __

The quiz category contains assessments meant to test your “mastery” of certain skills, responsibilities, or information. Items in the quiz category cover a wide range and are weighted according to the following hierarchy:

// Participation // -- It is very important that you come to class prepared and that you are engaged in class discussion. There are 5 points available to you each week for regularly participating in class. You will start each week with 3 points, and can earn or lose points depending on your behavior in class.

// Note Checks // —see the “notes” category on page 1 of this syllabus.

// Homework // —Homework in the quiz category includes all assignments that are not thought pieces, formal writing assignments, or reading assignments.

// Vocabulary Quizzes // —You will be asked to define in your notes words from your readings that you do not know. There may be unexpected quizzes.

// Reading Quizzes // —Periodically, you will be quizzed on the readings you are assigned for homework. During many units, these quizzes will occur every class period. Therefore, read!

__ Tests __

Items in the test category are formal assessments that will occur at the end of each unit. Tests usually consist of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. Often, tests will consist of essay questions (or //an// essay question) only. A specific rubric will be provided in this case.

__ Grading Scale __ A 94-100 B 84-93 C 74-83 D 66-73 F Below 66


 * __ Tentative Schedule __**


 * Unit 1—Late Middle Ages—4-5 weeks **

// Intro to Rhetorical Analysis // Dante Alighieri, //Inferno// // Intro to Poetry // Petrarch’s sonnets Geoffrey Chaucer, from //Canterbury Tales//


 * Unit 2—Renaissance Literature—3 weeks **

William Shakespeare, Othello William Shakespeare, selected poems John Donne’s “metaphysical” sonnets


 * Unit 3—The Age of Reason—3 weeks **

Voltaire, Candide, Descartes, from //Discourse on Methods// Emmanuel Kant, “What is Enlightenment?” Jean-Jacques Rousseau, “The Social Contract” Jean LeRond, “The Human Mind Emerged from Barbarism”


 * Unit 4—Romanticism—5 weeks **

Jane Austen, //Pride and Prejudice// Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Kubla Kahn” John Keats, selected poems Lord Byron, selected poems Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Ozymandius” and “Ode to the West Wind” William Wordsworth, selected poems


 * Unit 5—Industrial Europe/Realism—4 weeks **

Fyodor Dostoyevsky, //Crime and Punishment// Anton Checkhov, “The Bet” Charles Baudelaire, from “Paris Spleen”


 * Unit 6—Modernism—4 weeks **

Albert Camus, //The Stranger// Franz Kafka, //The Metamorphasis// Sigfried Sassoon, “A letter home” Wilfred Owen, “Dulce Et Decorum Est”