American Literature with Mr. Noonanemail: tnoonan@sad6.k12.me.usroom: 206 ext: 861 phone: 648-7861

Be not simply good; be good for something. -Thoreau

“I am prepared to meet anyone, but whether anyone is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting

me is another matter.”

-Mark Twain

Welcome to English 11. Over the course of the semester we may cover various genres of literature ranging from novels and short stories to plays and poetry. This course is designed to develop thinking and communication skills for motivated students seeking to further their education beyond high school.

As students, you will be given a variety of different assignments and assessments. Assignments may range from personal essays relating to course work to more formal types of research projects and essays with presentations. You are expected to complete all course work. This is a rigorous course with high expectations and a challenging course load. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to speak with me outside of class time.

Upon completion of English 11, students should be able to

• write with little to no errors in grammar and mechanics;• use the writing process to draft and revise a piece of writing;• organize a piece of writing well, using topic sentences and transitions; • develop ideas in writing by integrating excerpts and using vivid details; • reveal command of written language showing strong voice and sentence variety;• read literature, both fiction and nonfiction and demonstrate an understanding of conflict, personification, allusion, irony, imagery, flashback, and foreshadowing;• demonstrate an understanding of main ideas presented within a text;• evaluate the relevancy of ideas presented within a text;• and recognize an author’s use of details to support conclusions within a text. F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby

Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.

Class ExpectationsAttendance

Attendance in my course is absolutely mandatory. Although the school policy justifies passing a course with multiple days absent, you will have great

difficulty achieving success in this course if you are frequently absent.

If you know of any day(s) that you will be absent from class, you need to speak with me about an agreed upon plan to complete your assignments. Being absent the day(s) before a previously announced exam

or due date is not necessarily an excuse for not taking the exam or submitting an assignment.

Deadlines

All assignments are due at the time specified. If you cannot attend class to submit work that is due, it is your responsibility to make alternative arrangements to ensure you have met the deadline. Unless specified, work will not be accepted via email. Your work must be printed off, in hard-copy format by the beginning of the class period the assignment is due. Late work is unacceptable and will earn a 0 for a grade. Be judicious. I will drop the lowest grade of each quarter.

Make-up Work Unless you need extra help, make-up work is to be completed first block, fourth block (if you have early dismissal or late arrival), or after school. Your deadline to complete make-up work is equal to the number of classes you have missed, provided the absences are excused; you will earn a 0 for the work not completed by the due date. If you need extra help, I will be available at an agreed up time and location (TBA). As the semester continues, there will be other times I can meet with you; be sure to

communicate the convenient meeting times for you.

Cheating

Cheating or plagiarism of any kind is not tolerated and will earn a 0 in the work with a potential meeting set up with a parent or guardian.

Journal

You are expected to keep a journal for this class. Your journal should be either a composition or spiral notebook. Halfway through each quarter I will collect your journal for a quiz grade. At the end of the quarter, you will earn a test grade for keeping a journal. There will be more details to come about this assignment.

Habits

Food is allowed in this classroom, provided you are respectful and that you pick up after yourself; however, there is one exception: NO JUNK FOOD ALLOWED! If you come to class with soda or junk food, I will ask you to put it away until after class has been dismissed.

Cell phones and headphones (I-pod’s, MP3’s, etc.) are not permitted in this classroom. Be courteous, turn your cell phones off, and keep your headphones and phone in your bag.

Grading Homework 10% Quizzes 20% Essays 40% Tests 30%

Third Quarter

Thematic Questions

What is the American Dream?What are its obstacles?How is it obtained?

Literature

Of Mice and MenThe Great GatsbyDeath of a SalesmanSelected short stories, essays, and poetry

Lennie and George, from Of Mice and Men

Fourth Quarter

Thematic Questions

How is identity shaped and influenced?What does literature imply about human nature?

Literature

Catcher in the RyeTheir Eyes Were Watching GodSelf-selected, independent reading

In addition to the literature each quarter, we will study vocabulary,

standard English writing conventions, and SAT’s. You will also be expected to complete various assignments for English Department’s writing folder; we will discuss details

behind all of this later in the semester.

Welcome to English class!