Honors American Literature  (2212)

The Scarlet Letter

"On a field, sable, the letter A, gules."

By an overwhelming vote of the Honors American Literature class (Period 03) pictured above--it wasn't even close--the godly Reverend Mister Dimmesdale was voted Homecoming King, and the teenage Pearl was voted Homecoming Queen.    (Mistress Hester came in a close second, and will, when Pearl is unable to perform her duties as Homecoming Queen, graciously discharge those responsibilities on her behalf.)    Not surprisingly, Mistreass Hibbins and Roger Chlliingworth came in   dead last.   

[Thanks to Melana Krivitsky for the picture, and Mrs. Gloria Dempsey for all her support.]

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The first entry on this web site is the latest syllabus which will be updated every schedule cycle--roughly every two weeks.  This two-week syllabus identifies all the assignments and readings for that cycle, with a look forward to any major assessments or assignments in the next rotation of the schedule (A- through G-Day).  The course syllabus, which identifies the course's objectives, the curriculum overview, the major works to be covered, textbooks, policies, and standards, is at the end of this web site.   

Please Note:  There will be a vocabulary assessment on every subsequent A Day unless I announce a change in the schedule.

CURRENT SYLLABUS 

Honors American Literature Syllabus for October 6-15, 2008

HONORS AMERICAN LITERATURE

Assignment: You will write a five-paragraph essay on this topic, “Hypocrisy:  Subject of Two of America’s Early Novels (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Scarlet Letter).”  Citing extensively from both novels, you will demonstrate that hypocrisy is a major topic in these classics of American literature.  Your success for this essay will be in presenting a logical, well organized essay proving the claim that Hawthorne and Twain attacked hypocrisy in 17^th Century Puritan society and in antebellum Missouri respectively.   

Due:  October 27, 2008

Length:  5 paragraphs (perhaps 3 ½ to 5 pages of text).  The Works Cited page does not count as part of the required length.

Style:  Double-spaced, one-inch margins, Times New Roman, font size 12 pt.

Scoring:   

Clarity: 75 points

·         a clear, unambiguous thesis statement

·         a clear statement of the issue

·         clarity of overall expression

·         precision in word choice

 Unity and structure: 75 points

 ·             an introduction that states your thesis

 ·             a middle that provides sufficient examples from both novels to prove your thesis 

• conclusion that brings to a logical close the topic that you have developed

Points will be deducted for errors in format for in-text citations or the Works Cited page.  Points will also be deducted for mechanical errors—typographical errors, errors in spelling or punctuation, grammatical errors, such as sentence fragments or run-on sentences, etc.

N.B. This is a major assignment, and the paper needs to be submitted on time.  For every day the paper is late the starting grade will be lowered by 20 points.

Honors American Literature Syllabus for September 24-October 3, 2008

 Honors American Literature Syllabus for September 15-23, 2008

The vocabulary quiz for all is postponed until September 10, 2008.

CURRENT SYLLABUS  

Honors American Literature Syllabus for September 5-16, 2008

                                                                                            HONORS AMERICAN LITERATURE                                                                                            Syllabus for August 26-September 5, 2008

Homework:  There are nearly seventy vocabulary words on pp. 4-23 in our vocabulary book.    There are fifteen exercises, including the “pretests.”    Plan your work.  Pace yourself so that by Sept. 5, you will have mastered all the vocabulary.  I will not collect your vocabulary books at least during this first rotation.   You are on your own.   If file cards help you master the words, then create file cards.   If you can master the words through the exercises, then master the words that way.   In addition, there are five evenings and portions of two classes to draft, polish, and type your essay.   Plan your work accordingly.

Assignment for the Argument essay

HONORS AMERICAN LITERATURE

THE ARGUMENT ESSAY 

Assignment: You will write an argument that answers the question “Should Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn be taught at St. Mary’s Ryken High School?”  Obviously, you must take a clear stand on this issue that has generated controversy in a number of American school districts.  Your reader should, upon finishing your essay, conclude that it is more reasonable to adopt your position than that of the opposing side.  You can be in favor of having Twain’s novel be part of our curriculum or you can be against it.   For the purpose of this exercise, there is no “correct” side.   Your success will be in presenting a logical, well organized argument that makes a convincing case for your position. 

 In making your case, you must include at least three citations from secondary sources.  You should use the articles from Time and pbs.org distributed in class on August 29, 2008.  You must also include at least two citations from the primary source—the novel itself.   All in-text citations as well as the Works Cited page must conform to the standards of the Modern Language Association.

 Due:  September 9, 2008

 Length:  3 ½ to 5 pages of text (The Works Cited page does not count as part of the required length.)

 Style:  Double-spaced, one-inch margins, Times New Roman, font size 12 pt.

 Scoring:   

 Clarity: 75 points

·         a clear, unambiguous thesis statement

·         a clear statement of the issue

·         clarity of overall expression

·         precision in word choice

Unity and structure: 75 points

·         an introduction that states your thesis (your position on the issue) and relevant background for the controversy.   (The exordium and the narratio.)

·         a middle that concedes the merits of the opposing view, refutes it, if necessary, and presents the reasons for your position. (The concession or refutation should not interrupt the flow of the argument.)  (The confirmatio  and the refutatio.)

·         a conclusion that summarizes your argument or brings the argument to a logical close. (The peroratio.)

Points will be deducted for errors in format for the five in-text citations or the Works Cited page.  Points will also be deducted for mechanical errors—typographical errors, errors in spelling or punctuation, grammatical errors, such as sentence fragments or run-on sentences, etc.

N.B. This is a major assignment, and the paper needs to be submitted on time.  For every day the paper is late the starting grade will be lowered by 20 points.

*  ASSIGNMENT for HONORS AMERICAN LITERATURE (Section 03) due on August 28, 2008:   ^{Watch a speech from the Democratic convention.   Take careful notes.   Note how the speaker develops his or her ethos with diction, tone, allusions, and style, but concentrate on the allusions the speaker makes and determine what those allusions say about the speaker, i.e., what kind of a person the speaker presents himself or herself to be.  Is the speaker, by his or her references, a person of faith, a person dedicated to preserving the Constitution, a person mindful of the sacrifices our military has made for us?  Then, write a well constructed paragraph that describes the speaker’s ethos and explain how the speaker developed credibility with his or her audience through his or her allusions.   Type your paragraph and attach the speech to your submission.    (Copies of all the speeches should be available on the internet or printed in the newspaper—either The Washington Times or The Washington Post.)   This assignment is worth 30 points.} 

^{Discussion questions for group work (8-27/8-28):}

8-26-08

                                                                                        HONORS AMERICAN LITERATURE: Section 03                                                                          &nbs