ConVal High School

Honors American Literature Class

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Syllabus

 

Survey Results
 
 

 

Charts

 

Mid-Term Results

 

Survey Analysis

 

AP Prompts
04 B Q 3 ( html | pdf)

 

 

"We are all drugged
by our own frenzy."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

 



"Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."

Nathaniel Hawthorne

 

 

 



"We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results. "

Herman Melville

 

 

 



"There was never a good biography of a good novelist. There couldn't be. He is too many people if he's any good. "

F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

 

 



"The perfection of wisdom, and the end of true philosophy is to proportion our wants to our possessions, our ambitions to our capacities, we will then be a happy and a virtuous people. "

Mark Twain

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 6 - 9
 Monday
  No School — Labor Day
Assignment:
 
   
 Tuesday
  Discussion of Video; Discussion of summer work
Assignment:
 Read "Ellison on Twain" and write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote. Also, note a literary device the author uses.
   
 Wednesday
  Sharing of pithy quotes; Discussion of summer work
Assignment: Read Kilpatrick's "Putting a snal on a line of prose" and rewrite a line of your own prose to put a snap in it.
   
 Thursday
   Go over snappy prose; Discussion of summer work
Assignment:
Read Mencken's "Mark Twain's Americanism" and write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote. Also, note a literary device the author uses.
   
 Friday
  Go over pithy quotes; Discussion of summer work
Assignment: Complete a Weekly Feedback Form and write a response to the AP Language and Composition 2005 prompt
   

September 12 - 16
 Monday
  Go over Survey responses; Go over AP essays; samples reviewed; Answers to Huck Finn Multiple choice questions;
Assignment:
 Download and Read Emerson's "Illusions" ( html | pdf ) and write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote. Also write down a literary device and explain how it was effectively used.
   
 Tuesday
  Discussion of pithy quotes and literary devices; Covers activity
Assignment:
 Download and Read Emerson's "American Scholar" ( html | pdf ) and write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote. Also write down a literary device and explain how it was effectively used.
   
 Wednesday
  Discussion of pithy quotes and literary devices; Covers activity
Assignment: Read Emerson's "Cirlces" ( html | pdf ) and write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote. Also write down a literary device and explain how it was effectively used.
   
 Thursday
   Discussion of pithy quotes and literary devices; Covers activity; small group AP essay activity
Assignment:
Do next two sections of Huck Finn Multiple Choice questions
   
 Friday
  Go over multiple choice question answers; small group AP essay activity
Assignment: Complete AP essay 1 for Monday
   

September 19 - 23
 Monday
  Sharing of praise paragraphs; feedback on feedback; Discussion of model AP essays; Walden handed out;
Assignment:
 Read "Economy" in Walden, pp. 107-125 and write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote. Also, find an exemplary use of a rhetorical device, write it down and explain why is was well used.
   
 Tuesday
  Small and large group discussions on pithy quotations: parallelism lecture
Assignment:
 Read "Where I Lived and What I Lived For" in Walden, and write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote. Also, find an exemplary use of a rhetorical device, write it down and explain why is was well used. Do exercise 1 in parallelism booklet ( html | pdf ).
   
 Wednesday
  Small and large group discussions on pithy quotations; Covers activity
Assignment: Read "Reading" in Walden, and write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote. Also, find an exemplary use of a rhetorical device, write it down and explain why is was well used. Do exercise 2 in parallelism booklet ( html | pdf ).
   
 Thursday
   Quiz on parallelism; Small and large group discussions on pithy quotations; Covers activity
Assignment:
Read "Higher Laws" in Walden, and write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote. Also, find an exemplary use of a rhetorical device, write it down and explain why is was well used.
   
 Friday
  Small and large group discussions on pithy quotations; Covers activity
Assignment: Complete Feedback form for Sunday afternoon; Complete AP essay 2 for Monday and include it in DLP 3
   

September 26 - 30
 Monday
  Sharing of Praise paragraphs; Parallelism Discussion; Video: Little Women
Assignment:
 Do exercise 1 in parallelism booklet ( html | pdf ).: Do next two groups of multiple choice questions in Huck Finn booklet
   
 Tuesday
  Go over parallelism exercise; Go over Huck Finn multiple choice question answers; Video: Little Women
Assignment:
 Do exercise 2 in parallelism booklet ( html | pdf ).: Do next two groups of multiple choice questions in Huck Finn booklet
   
 Wednesday
  Go over parallelism exercise; Go over Huck Finn multiple choice question answers; Natural Object Activity; covers activity
Assignment: Read "Solitude" in Walden, and write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote. Also, find an exemplary use of a rhetorical device, write it down and explain why is was well used.
   
 Thursday
   Small and large group discussions of pithy quotes and rhetorical devices
Assignment:
Read "Conclusion" in Walden, and write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote. Also, find an exemplary use of a rhetorical device, write it down and explain why is was well used.
   
 Friday
   Small and large group discussions of pithy quotes and rhetorical devices
Assignment: Complete Feedback form for Sunday afternoon; Complete AP essay 2 for Monday and include it in DLP 3
   

October 3 - 6
 Monday
  Discussion of pithy quotes; Books out: The Scarlet Letter; Reading of praise paragraphs
Assignment:
Read chapters 1 and 2 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote and chose and explain the effectiveness of a literary device the author used well.
   
 Tuesday
 
Assignment:
 Read chapters 3 and 4 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote and chose and explain the effectiveness of a literary device the author used well.
   
 Wednesday
 
Assignment: Read chapters 5 and 6 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote and chose and explain the effectiveness of a literary device the author used well.
   
 Thursday
   Field Trip: Walden and Concord, MA
Assignment:
Read chapters 7 and 8 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote and chose and explain the effectiveness of a literary device the author used well.
   
 Friday
  No School — Teacher Workshop
   

October 10 - 14
 Monday
  Discussion of pithy quotes and rhetorical devices
Assignment:
 Read chapters 5 and 6 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote and chose and explain the effectiveness of a rhetorical device the author used well. Also, download Preposition Packet ( html | pdf ) and do exercise 1;
   
 Tuesday
  Field Trip Debriefing; Alternative Pithy Quote assignment explained; Go over Preposition exercise; small and large group discussion of of pithy quotes
Assignment:
 Read chapters 7 and 8 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote or alternative assignment and chose and explain the effectiveness of a rhetorical device the author used well. Also, do exercise 2 in Preposition Packet.
   
 Wednesday
  Go over Preposition exercise; small and large group discussion of of pithy quotes
Assignment: Read chapters 9 and 10 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote or alternative assignment and chose and explain the effectiveness of a rhetorical device the author used well. Also, do exercise 3 in Preposition Packet.
   
 Thursday
   Go over subject verb exercise; small and large group discussion of of pithy quotes and rhetorical devices
Assignment:
Read chapters 11 and 12 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote or alternative assignment and chose and explain the effectiveness of a rhetorical device the author used well. Also, do exercise 4 in Preposition Packet.
   
 Friday
  Preposition quiz; small and large group discussion of of pithy quotes and rhetorical devices; Summer Cover Activity
Assignment: Complete DLP Essay 3 ( html | pdf ) for Monday
   

October 17 - 21
 Monday
  Sharing of Praise paragraphs; Class discussion of "The Rhodora" by Emerson; Read AP Sample Essays
Assignment:
 Read chapters 13+14 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote or alternative assignment and chose and explain the effectiveness of a rhetorical device the author used well. Also, download subject/verb grammar packet ( html | pdf ) and do exercise 1; Also downlead the Rhetorical Terms List 1 from Quia and practice for a quiz on Friday.
   
 Tuesday
  Go over grammar exercise; discussion of pithy quotes or alternatives; Discussion of AP Sample Essays
Assignment:
 Read chapters 15+16 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote or alternative assignment and chose and explain the effectiveness of a rhetorical device the author used well. Also, do exercise 2 in subject/verb Packet.
   
 Wednesday
  Go over grammar exercise; discussion of pithy quotes or alternatives; Scarlet Letter options out; Scarlet Letter objective test
Assignment: Do exercise 3 in subject/verb packet; work on Scarlet Letter Project
   
 Thursday
   Go over grammar exercise; Subject/Verb Agreement Quiz; work time on Project
Assignment:
Prepare for Lit Terms quiz; work on Scarlet Letter Project
   
 Friday
  Lit Terms quiz; Scarlet Letter Presentations
Assignment: Complete DLP AP Essay 4 for Monday
   

October 24 - 28
 Monday
  Reading of praise paragraphs; debrief of online quiz; Rhetorical Terms lesson; Subject/antecedent agreement explained
Assignment:
  Read chapters 21+22 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote or alternative assignment and chose and explain the effectiveness of a rhetorical device the author used well. Also, download the packet on pronoun/antecedent agreement ( html | pdf ) and do exercise 1.
   
 Tuesday
  Discussion of Pithy Quotes and Rhetorical Devices
Assignment:
  Read chapters 23+24 of The Scarlet Letter, write 180 words minimum on a pithy quote or alternative assignment and chose and explain the effectiveness of a rhetorical device the author used well. Also, do exercise 2 in pronoun/antecedent agreement packet.
   
 Wednesday
  Go over grammar exercise; Objective Test on The Scarlet Letter; workday on projects
Assignment: Work on presentations; Also, do exercise 3 in pronoun/antecedent agreement packet.
   
 Thursday
   Go over grammar exercise; Textbooks out; worktime on projects
Assignment:
Work on presentations
   
 Friday
  Project Presentations
Assignment: Complete October 28 Survey; Read pp. 1-25 and write down a statement about or quote from each section for discussion.
   

October 31 - November 4
 Monday
  Reading of Praise Paragraphs; Sharing of Presentations
Assignment:  Download Apostrophe Booklet ( html | pdf ) and do exercise 1
   
 Tuesday
  Go over Apostrophe exercise; Sharing of Presentations
Assignment:
Do exercise 2 in the Apostrophe booklet 
   
 Wednesday
  Go over grammar exercise; Class Discussion of Readings
Assignment: Read pp. 26 - 44 in Textbook and write down a statement about or quote from each section for discussion.
   
 Thursday
   Apostrophe Quiz; Class discussion of Readings
Assignment:
Read pp. 50-70 in Textbook and write down a statement about or quote from each section for discussion.
   
 Friday
  Class discussion of Readings
Assignment: Complete DLP AP Essay 4 for Monday
   

November 7 - 9
 Monday
  Sharing of Course Evaluation Results; Video: The Crucible
Assignment:  Read pp. 70-84in Textbook and write down a statement about or quote from each section for discussion.
   
 Tuesday
  Discussion of readings; Video: The Crucible
Assignment: Read Paine's "Of the Origin and Design of Government in General" and write down an analysis of the rhetorical devices he used to create his point. 
   
 Wednesday
  Discussion of reading; Video: The Crucible
Assignment: Read pp. 96-114 and write down a statement about or quote from each section for discussion.
   
 Thursday
   No School — Teacher Workshop
Assignment:
   
 Friday
  No School — Veterans' Day
Assignment:
   

November 14 - 18
 Monday
  Discussion of writings on readings; Finishing of video: The Crucible ; debriefing of video
Assignment: Read Classicism vs Romanticism and choose a quote about which to speak and write it down on the top of a piece of paper.
   
 Tuesday
  Quote Carousel Activity; essay writing activity out
Assignment:
 Work on essay
   
 Wednesday
  Work time on essay
Assignment: Work on essay
   
 Thursday
   Work time on essay
Assignment:
Work on essay
   
 Friday
  Rough Draft of essay due; sharing of essays rough drafts
Assignment: Complete your essay for sharing on Monday
   

November 21 - 22
 Monday
  Sharing of essays in class
Assignment:
 Read pp. 115-128 and write down passages from each segment that interest you.
   
 Tuesday
  Sharing of homework; sharing of essays in class
Assignment:
 Read pp. 136 - 159 and write down passages of each section that interest you
   
 Wednesday
 
   
 Thursday
   
   
 Friday
 
   

November 28 - December 2
 Monday
  Sharing of essays in class; discussion of readings; Quiz on "The Fall of the House of Usher"; Books out: Moby Dick
Assignment:  Read chapters 1 - 3 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Tuesday
  Sharing of essays  in class; discussions of pithy quotes and literary devices; Poetry from Text
Assignment:
 Read chapters 4-12 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Wednesday
  Sharing of essays  in class; discussions of pithy quotes and literary devices; Poetry from Text
Assignment: Read chapters 13-23 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Thursday
   Carousel Quotes; Literary Device discussion; Poetry from Text
Assignment:
Read chapters 24-31 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Friday
  Discussions of pithy quotes and literary devices; Poetry from Textbook
Assignment: Complete AP Prompt and DLP for Monday. Complete feedback survey by 8 on Sunday night.
   

December 5 - 9
 Monday
  Reading of praise paragraphs; titling exercise; Mrs. Lawler and Poetry (maybe)
Assignment:
 Read chapters 34-39 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective. Also, download Literature Terms II list from Quia site and prepare for Friday quiz
   
 Tuesday
  Discussion of quotes and lit devices; Mrs. Lawler and Poetry
Assignment:
 Read chapters 41-46 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Wednesday
  Discussion of quotes and lit devices; Mrs. Lawler and Poetry
Assignment: Read chapters 47-53 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Thursday
   Discussion of quotes and lit devices; Mrs. Lawler and Poetry
Assignment:
Read chapters 54, 58-63 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Friday
  Quiz on Lit Terms II, AP in class writing to prompt; Collation of DLP
Assignment: Read chapters 64-72 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   

December 12 - 16
 Monday
  Discussion of quotes and lit devices; Mrs. Lawler and Poetry (Maybe)
Assignment:
 Read chapters 73-80 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Tuesday
  Discussion of quotes and lit devices; Mrs. Lawler and Poetry (Maybe)
Assignment:
 Read chapters 81-86 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Wednesday
  Discussion of quotes and lit devices; Mrs. Lawler and Poetry (Maybe)
Assignment: Read chapters 87-92 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Thursday
   Discussion of quotes and lit devices; Mrs. Lawler and Poetry (Maybe)
Assignment:
Read chapters 93-100 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Friday
   Discussion of quotes and lit devices; Mrs. Lawler and Poetry (Maybe)
Assignment: Read chapters 101-108 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   

December 19 - 22
 Monday
  Discussion of quotes and lit devices
Assignment:
 Read chapters 109-118 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Tuesday
  Discussion of quotes and lit devices; Books out: Into the Wild
Assignment:
 Read chapters 119-129 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Wednesday
  Rhetorical Terms II test; discussion of reading
Assignment: Read chapters 130-135 of Moby Dick and choose and write down a pithy quote. Also, find a literary device used well, quote it and write about why it is effective.
   
 Thursday
  Objective test of Moby Dick; final discussion of the novel
Assignment:
Read Into the Wild for the Tuesday following vacation
   
 Friday
  No School — Winter Vacation
   

January 3 - 6
 Monday
 
Assignment:
 
   
 Tuesday
  Sharing of Winter Vacation Survey; Reading quiz on Into the Wild; Sharing of Into the Wild  quotes;
Assignment:
 
   
 Wednesday
  Sharing of Into the Wild  quotes; Video: Billy Budd
Assignment: Read "American Realism" pp-377-383 and write down two quotes for discussion
   
 Thursday
  Video: Billy Budd; Discussion of reading
Assignment:
Read "The Open Boat"
   
 Friday
  "Open Boat" Quiz and discussion; In class AP essay
Assignment: Read "Big Two-Hearted River" in the text and write down four symbols Hemingway used to help make a thematic statement
   

January 9 - 13
 Monday
  Discussion of Video Billy Budd; Quiz on "The Open Boat"
Assignment:
 Read "Big Two-Hearted River" in textbook; Download the Rhetorical Terms 3 List and learn them for Friday's Quiz
   
 Tuesday
  Quote Carousel on the reading; Discussion of the story
Assignment:
Read "The Bear" in the textbook 
   
 Wednesday
  Quiz on "The Bear"; Discussion of the story; Books out: The Great Gatsby
Assignment: Read Chapters 1 and 2 of The Great Gatsby
   
 Thursday
  Quiz on the reading; discussion of the reading
Assignment:
Read Chapters 3 and 4 of The Great Gatsby
   
 Friday
  Quiz on Rhetorical Terms 3; In class AP essay test
Assignment: Read Chapters 5 and 6 of The Great Gatsby
   

January 17 - 20
 Monday
  Martin Luther King Day — No School
   
 Tuesday
  Discussion of quotes and reading; AP Practice Essay activity;
Assignment:
 Read Chapters 7 and 8 of The Great Gatsby ; Download the Rhetorical Terms 4 List ; Download sample student responses to AP Prompt from Friday
   
 Wednesday
  Discussion of quotes and reading; AP Practice Essay activity; Discussion of sample student responses
Assignment: Finish reading The Great Gatsby
   
 Thursday
  Final Discussion of The Great Gatsby; Objective Test on Gatsby; AP Practice Essay activity;
Assignment:
Do practice multiple choice test:
   
 Friday
  Go over multiple choice test answers; Rhetorical Terms 4 quiz;
Assignment: Complete compilation of homework for Monday; complete Course Evaluation Survey; Complete Survey on the Survey Tool
   

January 23 -27
 Monday
  Last Day of Classes: ; Review for final; final survey review
Assignment:
 
   
 Tuesday
  Blocks 1 and 2 finals
Assignment:
 
   
 Wednesday
  Blocks 3 and 4 finals
Assignment:
   
 Thursday
  Make-Up Day for finals;
Assignment:
   
 Friday
  No School — Teacher Workshop
Assignment: