Live Oak Academy

American Literature 2008-2009

Mrs. Debbie Luoma

(408)848-6412

luomafam1@verizon.net

 

Course Description:

This course will cover a broad spectrum of American literature—poetry, novels, and short stories—in the context of historical and philosophical change.  Students will read and respond in class discussion and in essays.  The course will provide instruction in essay composition, vocabulary development, rhetorical grammar, and research techniques.

Students should expect to spend between one and two hours a day reading and writing in order to keep up with class assignments. 

 

Goals:

·         Experience joy in reading the various literary selections.

·         Establish discourse with fellow students on literature and themes.

·         Discuss literary techniques and themes.

·         Critique the underlying assumptions of authors.

·         Write coherent and effective essays.

·         Develop mature and effective sentence structure.

·         Successfully and correctly write researched and documented essays.

Texts:

1.  The Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin

2.  Moby Dick, Herman Melville

3.  Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain

4.  The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

5. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

6.  Our Town, Thornton Wilder

7.  Three Centuries of American Poetry, Allen Mandelbaum, ed.

8.  The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne

Requirements:

·         Read selections when assigned: annotate, summarize, and be prepared to discuss.

·         Take weekly vocabulary quizzes.

·         Write bi-weekly essays on assigned topics.

Grades:  Students’ grades will be calculated according to the following criteria:

                10%                        Vocabulary and Reading Quizzes

20%                        Reading-Response Assignments

70%                        Essays (Grades will be based on mechanics, rhetorical structure, and significance.  Points will be deducted for lateness.

My Great Expectations:

  • I expect students to arrive in class with paper, pens, our current literature selection, a three-ring binder, and a lovely, hopeful attitude.  (BTW: no electronic doo-dads will be tolerated).
  • All homework must be written neatly and carefully in ink on clean, whole binder paper.  I will not accept work done in pencil or work written on torn or shredded sheets of paper.
  • All essays must be typed: double-spaced, size 10 or 12 font, 1-1 ˝ inch margins, and stapled.  The first page must include student’s full name, date, and title of assignment at the upper left margin; every essay must have a title, centered above the first line, capitalized, no quotation marks. 
  • We will be using standard Modern Language Association style for in-text citations and end-notes.

  Schedule

 

Date

Writing

Reading

9/3,5

 

Autobiography

9/10,12

 

Autobiography

9/17,19

Essay #1 Due

Autobiography

9/24,26

 

Autobiography

10/1,3

 

Scarlet Letter

10/8,10

Autumn Holiday

 

10/15,17

Essay #2 Due

Scarlet Letter

10/22,24

 

Scarlet Letter

10/29,31

 

Scarlet Letter

11/5,7

Essay #3 Due

Moby Dick

11/12,14

 

Moby Dick

11/19,21

Thanksgiving Holiday

 

11/26,28

 

Moby Dick

12/3,5

Essay #4 Due

Moby Dick

12/10,12

 

Moby Dick

12/17-1/5

Christmas Holiday

 

1/8,10

 

Moby Dick

1/15,17

Essay #5 Due

Moby Dick

1/22,23

 

Moby Dick

1/29,31

 

Huckleberry Finn

2/5,7

Essay #6 Due

Huckleberry Finn

2/12,14

 

Huckleberry Finn

2/19.21

 

Huckleberry Finn

2/26,28

Essay #7 Due

Huckleberry Finn

3/4,6

 

The Great Gatsby

3/11,13

 

The Great Gatsby

3/18,20

Easter Holiday

 

3/25,27

Essay #8 Due

The Great Gatsby

4/1,3

 

The Great Gatsby

4/8,10

 

To Kill a Mockingbird

4/15,17

Essay #9 Due

To Kill a Mockingbird

4/22,24

 

To Kill a Mockingbird

4/29, 5/1

 

To Kill a Mockingbird

5/6,8   

 

Our Town

5/13,15

 

Our Town

5/20,22

  Research Essay Due

Our Town