American Literature: 1st Trimester
Assignments are to be
completed by the beginning of class on the given date unless otherwise
noted. Essays will be graded down one
letter grade for each day they are late, and you will receive no comments on
late work. Print drafts as you work, as
computer and printer problems are not acceptable excuses for late work. Whenever there is a reading assignment, you
should be prepared to take a reading-check quiz. These quizzes may not be indicated in the
syllabus. These quizzes are not designed
to make you think; they are annoyingly necessary to keep your reading
current. There are no make-ups for
reading quizzes, but you are welcome to take them early if you know you’ll be
absent. Come to class prepared to discuss the material.
Grades are determined by points earned
on quizzes, tests, essays, and participation.
The grading scale follows the usual 92 = A-; 88 = B+; 82 = B-; etc.
8/21 Overview
of course. Hand out Vocab. Unit 1
words. American History Pre-test.
8/22 Reading
“The Truth about the First Thanksgiving.”
8/25 Expository
Paragraph due. Quiz over Colonial Period Introduction in textbook
& “The Truth…”Discuss early American history. Evaluate paragraphs in groups.
8/26 Begin
Puritan Poetry: Bradstreet & Taylor.
8/27 Continue
with poetry
8/28 Edwards:
“Sinners in the Hands. . .”
Discuss. Assign imitation paper
8/29 Quiz:
Rowlandson: from “A Narrative of Her Captivity.” Start The Crucible.
9/1 Labor
Day
9/2 Vocabulary Quiz 1:
twenty minute time limit. Quiz: Knight: from “The Journal of Madam
Knight.”
9/3 Continue The Crucible
9/4 Continue The Crucible
9/5 Continue
The Crucible
9/8 Imitation Paper Due. The Crucible
9/9 The
Crucible
9/10 The
Crucible
9/11 The
Crucible
9/12 The
Crucible: Film.
9/15 The
Crucible: Film.
9/16 Film. Discuss Thesis Statements.
9/17 Introduction
with thesis statement due. Review essay
writing strategies. Essay workday.
9/18 ITEDS
9/19 Test over Colonial Period and The
Crucible.
9/22 Vocabulary Quiz 2: twenty minute time limit. Crucible Essay Draft Due. Peer editing. .
9/23 Due
for today: Introduction to Revolutionary Period (pp.66-71). Begin
9/24 Quiz:
9/25 Together:
Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention.”
9/26 Crucible Essays Due. Quiz: Equiano (pp.84-86). Discuss. Begin watching Amistad
9/29 Watching
Amistad
9/30 Finish Amistad
10/1 Begin
Romantic Writers. Bryant’s “Thanatopsis”
together
10/2 Bryant
10/3 Reading Poe and Irving in class. Take-home Quiz over Revolutionary and Romantic
Writers
10/6 Take-home
Quiz due. Vocabulary Quiz 3: twenty minute limit. Introduce Melville/Hawthorne.
10/7 Reading Time for “Bartleby.”
10/8 Quiz:
“Bartleby.” Agree/Disagree Discussion.
10/9 Finish
“Bartleby.” Start reading “Young Goodman
Brown” together.
10/10 Quiz: “Young Goodman Brown.” Discuss.
10/13 Quiz: “The Minister’s Black Veil.”
10/14 Reading Time for “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” (PSAT)
10/15 Quiz: “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” Discuss.
10/16 Finish
10/17 Reading time: The Scarlet Letter or working on essays
10/20 Quiz and discussion, chapters 1-4 The Scarlet Letter.
10/21 Vocabulary Quiz:
Cumulative Units 1-3; Reading Time.
10/22 No School.
10/23 Quiz and discussion, chapters 5-8 The Scarlet Letter.
10/24 Quiz and discussion, chapters 9-12 The Scarlet Letter.
10/27 Hawthorne / Melville
essay due.
10/28 Quiz
and discussion, chapters 13-16 The Scarlet Letter.
10/29 Reading Time.
10/30 Quiz and discussion, chapters 17-20 The Scarlet Letter.
10/31 Reading Time.
11/3 Final Quiz and Discussion: The Scarlet Letter.
11/4 Test or viewing film clips
11/5 Vocabulary Quiz 4.
11/6 Whitman
11/7 Whitman
11/10 Whitman / Dickinson
11/11
11/12
11/13 Review
11/14 Quiz over Whitman and
Dickinson.
Introduce Transcendentalists.
11/12 Together: Emerson from “Nature” and from “Self-Reliance.”
11/13 Continue Emerson. Start
“The American Scholar.”
11/14 “The American Scholar.”
11/15 Finish “The American Scholar.”
Read selections from Walden together.
11/14 Quiz:
“Resistance to Civil Government”(pp.220-224).
Discuss. Begin reading The
Night Thoreau Spent in Jail.
11/15 The
Night Thoreau Spent in Jail.
11/16 The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail.
11/19 The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail.
11/20 finish The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. Discuss.
Transcendentalism Quiz.
10/17 Discuss Take Home
Exams. Finish Bartleby. Quiz: “Young Goodman Brown.”
10/18 Continue discussing
“Young Goodman Brown.”
10/19 In partners, outline an
essay for “Young Goodman Brown.” Due at
the end of class. Optional assignment: Write a short story for
Monday. See assignment.
10/22 Vocabulary Quiz:
Cumulative Units 1-3.
10/23 No classes.
10/24 Quiz: “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” Discuss.
10/25 Quiz: “The Minister’s Black Veil.” Discuss.
10/26 Introduce and begin The Scarlet Letter.
10/29 Quiz and discussion,
chapters 1-4 The Scarlet Letter.
10/30 Reading time.
10/31 Quiz and discussion,
chapters 5-8 The Scarlet Letter.
11/1 Reading time.
11/2 Quiz and discussion,
chapters 9-12 The Scarlet Letter.
11/5 Vocabulary Quiz Unit 4.
11/6 Quiz and discussion,
chapters 13-16 The Scarlet Letter.
11/7 Quiz and discussion,
chapters 17-20 The Scarlet Letter.
11/8 Quiz and discussion,
chapters 21-24 The Scarlet Letter.
11/9 Final discussion The
Scarlet Letter.
11/12 Short Exam: The Scarlet Letter. Thesis statements due.
11/13 Discuss thesis
statements. Work on outlines.
11/14 Outlines Due. Discuss. Work on essays.
11/15 Essay drafts due.
11/16 ESSAYS DUE. Begin
independent reading project.
11/19 Independent reading
time.
11/20 Journals for
independent reading projects due.
Discuss.