The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you.

Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So

write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.
Neil Gaiman

ENGLISH III
2016-2017
Office: D301
Period 1: C-302
Period 3: C-307
Period 4: C-307
Instructor: Raven Cole
E-mail: *EBR has not currently given me an email address. I will update this syllabus on our
Google Class as soon as I am given the email. In the meantime, you may contact me on the office
phone. (225 924-9406)
Office Hours for parent conferences: To schedule a parent conference, please contact the
office.
Tutoring: T, TH 6:40-7:00am. I am also available for SCHEDULED after school tutoring.
Course Information:
I.

This course is designed to familiarize students with some of the important American
literary texts and movements from European-American contact to now. Our readings
cover a broad swath of historical, generic, and thematic ground, but we will attend to
each texts unique features to understand its depths and complexities. We will examine
issues such colonial settlement, American Puritanism, identity and autobiography,
slavery, womens rights, Transcendentalism, and the development of American literature.
Threaded through our investigations will be an attention to how a flexible and changing
notion of Americanness takes root in the writings of its inhabitants, as well as how such
constructions are sites of conflict and conversation. We will investigate how texts
construct communities, as well as to how individuals are written out and write against
these narratives. This course will also teach students the writing process through weekly
workshops that target specific reading and writing skills.
Student progress will be evaluated through a combination of formal and creative
writing assignments, written exams, and in-class activities. Attendance is mandatory,
and well-informed, engaged classroom discussion is vital to student success.
In this course, I intend to not only to help you prepare for the ACT and EOC exams,
but I also intend to prepare you for college life in general. This means that I have
higher expectations about work ethic and quality and that I will be putting a strong
emphasis on personal responsibility. I intend to run this class as a college course.
Thus, there are strict policies for late work and for keeping up with your reading
assignments. Like college professors, I will not allow you to use excuses to avoid
work. However, I will be available whenever you need me to help with work if you

are struggling. You must learn to ask questions and advocate for yourself as a student
- even if it makes you nervous and uncomfortable. If I return an assignment and you
do not understand my comments, please come and speak to me, and we can go
through the work together.
II.Materials:
Class Fee: $20
Textbook: Pearsons Elements of Literature: The American Experience; assorted texts and novels
III. Late Work
I have strict policies for late work and for keeping up with your reading assignments. Like
college professors, I will not allow you to use excuses to avoid work. However, I will be
available whenever you need me to help with work if you are struggling. You must learn to ask
questions and advocate for yourself as a student - even if it makes you nervous and
uncomfortable. If I return an assignment and you do not understand my comments, please come
and speak to me, and we can go through the work together.
For each day an assignment is late, I will deduct a letter grade. If there are specific
problems that you are having outside of school that are making it difficult to turn work in
on time, please come speak to me directly before the due date. I am more than willing
to make concessions on due dates if you speak to me before the day its due. I WILL
NOT ACCEPT ANY ASSIGNMENT THAT IS MORE THAN FIVE DAYS LATE IF
YOU WERE NOT ILL AT THE TIME OF THE ASSIGNMENT.
Make-up work: You have one week from the last date of your absence to make-up any
missed work. If you are coming back after an extended absence, we can work together to
come up with an appropriate timeline for anything that you need to make up.
A NOTE ABOUT MAKE-UP/LATE WORK: With the volume of work that comes
across my desk, I must place precedence on the current work being done by the bulk of
the class. At times, it may take me a couple of weeks to get to your make-up/late work.
Just as I have been understanding in accepting these assignments from you, I expect that
you will be understanding of me in the amount of time that it may sometimes take for me
to grade what you have given me.
IV. Grading Procedures
Student grades will come from the following:
1. (5%) Quizzes: These weekly quizzes will be based on the bellringers that will focus on
vocabulary given on the ACT exam and general ACT type questions. 50 pts.
2. (5%) Summer Reading Assignment 50 pts.
3. (10%) Narrative Essay: This essay will require the students to write a narrative based on a
personal experience. 100 pts
4. (10%) Literary Analysis Essays: Students will be required to write and revise multiple
literary analysis throughout the year based on both in class and cold readings. 100 pts
5. (10%) Midterm Exam 100 pts
6. (15%) 5 pg. Issue/rhetorical Analysis Research Paper and Presentation with a 5 Source
Annotated Bibliography: Students will choose an issue, research said issue, and write a 5

page paper. They will then present their research and analysis to the class in a 5 minute
presentation. 150 pts
7. (20%) Reading and Writing Studio: Time will be dedicated each week to reading and
writing workshops that will target specific aspects of the writing process. Students will
create a portfolio based on their use of this workshop time. 200 pts
8. (20%) Participation: This class will rely heavily on student participation in class
discussions and writing. 200 pts
9. (5%) Additional assignments I will give based on the needs of the students 50 pts

V. Academic Integrity
Lee Magnet High School offers a magnet curriculum that allows students to pursue academic and
performing arts courses of a high degree of excellence. That excellence rests on the foundation of
academic honesty necessary to foster high scholastic achievement. In order to insure that the
opportunity for excellence exists for every student, the following policy has been adopted by the
faculty in regard to scholastic honesty. Cheating and Plagiarism will not be tolerated. First
offense: In-school suspension, second offense: suspension, third offense: magnet status
revoked/expulsion.
VI. Accommodations for students with disabilities
Accommodations for tests and quizzes will be provided per each students IEP or IAP. Students
with extended time may have to finish tests and/or quizzes during lunch or after school. The
affected student must schedule the time with the teacher prior to the test/quiz date. All
tests/quizzes must be completed the same day they are started.
VII. Tentative Course Schedule (Subject to change)
Dates

Topic

Important Dates/Texts/Assignments

August 10-12 Syllabus Discussion

Pre-Test and literary analysis
August 15-19
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Postponed
August 22-26 Pre-Test and literary analysis
Community Contracts

A
Summer Reading Assignments Due

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Postponed
August 29September 2

Narrative
Introduction to Narrative

Narrative Story Circles,

Introduce Narrative Essay (with rubric)
Survivor Narratives, LSU Oral History

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO:Postponed
September 5-

Narrative Writing

Sept. 5 Labor Day (No school)

th

September 9

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Breaking Down the
Rubric/ Make Up Pre Test

Native Youth Magazine Online Texts

Susan Powers- Museum Indians

September
Narrative Writing/Memoir
12-September
16
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Narrative Writing
Workshop

Narrative excerpts from Facing History and Ourselves

SOAPSTone

September
Rhetorical Analysis
19-September
23

The Rhetorical Situation, Occasion Context and Purpose, The

Rhetorical Triangle, SOAPS; David Foster Wallace- This is
Water, Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs,
from Common Sense, Thomas Paine

Narrative Essay Due

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Giving and Receiving r Taylor Malis Totally Like Whatever, Melissa Lozada Olivas
Like Totally Whatever
Feedback

Sept. 20 End of 1 Six Weeks

Sept. 21 Early Dismissal
th

st

st

Narrative Essay Due

September
Paratext
The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer
26-September
Isles; A Description of New England By John Smith
30
Of Plymouth Plantation By William Bradford
8 critical lenses (Reader
Response Lens, Socio-Economic
Lens, Historical Lens,Race)
Analyzing Voices of Exploration
and
Colonialism
Literary Analysis
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Conventions
October 3October 7

Oct. 7 Teacher PD (No students)

The Scarlet Letter
8 critical lenses (Spiritual, new Half Hanged Mary by Margaret Atwood
Deodat Lawson: A Brief and True Narrative of Witchcraft in
criticism, psychological,
Salem Village
gender )
th

Analyzing Voices of Exploration Fishbowl Discussions

and Colonialism
Fishbowl Reflections
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Peer Editing
October 10October 14

Analyzing Voices of Exploration Oct 10 Fall Break

and Colonialism
th

Reading and Writing Studio:

Annotation

Literary Analysis 1 Due

The Scarlet Letter
Sen. Joseph McCarthys Speech at Wheeling

October 17October 21

Analyzing Voices of Exploration The Scarlet Letter

and Colonialism
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

October 24October 28

Analyzing Voices in the

American Revolution:

Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
October 31November 4

Analyzing Voices of Social

Nov. 4 End of 2 Six Weeks
Change, Post-Revolutionary War Frederick Douglas, Harriet Jacobs, Booker T. Washington,
W.E.B. DuB
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice
th

nd

November 7- American Romanticism

November 11 READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Nov. 8 Election Day (No school)

Nathaniel Hawthorne, Washington Irving

November 14- American Romanticism

November 18 READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Edgar Allen Poe

November 21- Transcendentalism/ Naturalism

November 25
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Ralph Waldo Emerson, David Henry Thoreau

November 28- American Romanticism and

December 2
Transcendentalism

th

Whitman and Dickinson

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
December 5December 9

Modernism
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Robert Frost, William Carlos Williams, Ezra pound, T.S. Elliot

Ernest Hemingway

December 12- Modernism

December 16
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Dec. 16 Early Dismissal

Hemingway and Faulkner Excerpts
Literary Analysis 2 Due

December 19- American Poetry

December 23
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Dec 19 20 Early Dismissal

Dec. 20 End of 3 Six Weeks

th

th

th

th

rd

January 5-6

The Harlem Renaissance

Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Richard Wright

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
January 9-13

The Harlem Renaissance

American Identity:
Their Eyes Were Watching God

Writing Portfolio Check In

Socratic Seminars

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
January 16-20 American Identity:
Their Eyes Were Watching God

Jan. 16 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

th

Socratic Seminars
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice
January 23-27 American Identity:
Their Eyes Were Watching God

Introduce/ Sign Up for American Voices Project

Socratic Seminars

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
January 30February 3

ACT/EOC Prep Writing

Workshops
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

February 6-10 ACT/EOC Prep Writing

Workshops

Literary Analysis 3 Due

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
February 1317

American Identity:Absolutely
Feb. 15 Early Dismissal
True Diary of a Part Time Indian Feb. 15 End of 4 Six Weeks
th
th

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice

th

Literature Circles

February 2024

American Identity:Absolutely
Sign Up for American Voices Presentations
True Diary of a Part Time Indian
Literature Circles
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

February 27March 3

American Identity:Absolutely
Feb. 27 Mar. 1 Mardi Gras
True Diary of a Part Time Indian
Literature Circles
th

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
March 6March 10

American Poetry

Mar. 10 Early Dismissal

American Voices Presentations
th

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
March 13-17

American Poetry

American Voices Presentations

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
March 20-24

Introduce Research Paper

Generate Topics

LSU Oral History Collections- BR History (SOAPStone)

Community Visit: Shamaka Schumaka- A Case for Hope

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
March 27-31

Research Week/ Writing

Workshops

Individual conferences
Annotated Bib Check in.

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
April 3-7

Writing Week: Editing

Apr. 4 End of 5 Six Weeks

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice

Annotated Bibliography Due

April 10-14

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice

Research Papers Due.

Research presentations/discussion

April 17-21

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice

Research presentations/discussions

April 24-28

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice

Research Reflections due

May 1-5

American Literature and Film

th

th

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
May 8-12

American Literature and Film

May 8 Last Day for Seniors

th

Reflection
May 15-19

American Literature and Film

Reflection

Writing Portfolio and Reflections Due

May 22 - 26

Final Exams