English 11 Syllabus 

SHS English Language Arts Department

TEACHER: LAURIE WITTE

Email Address: students: laura.witte@sausdlearns.net parents: laura.witte@sausd.us 

Room: 201

Important Websites:

Studysync.com

History.com

Biography.com

pbs.org

Course Description:

This course is intended to familiarize students with the literature of North America and to help them understand the narrative structure as well as relate the course concepts to the history of the United States.  Formal essay writing as well as projects and cooperative work will be emphasized in each unit. This course is an A-G English course for grade 11 students. 

During the course, students will explore the selected literature (poetry, short stories, speeches, documents, novels, and expository texts); they will view, examine, appreciate, and analyze relevant literature written from a variety of perspectives. Instruction will also include the use of Studysync texts (consumable) as well as the online program. 

English 11 Studysync Units

Unit I: We the People

Unit II: The Individual

Unit III: Modern Times

Unit IV: Seeking Romance

Texts:

         The Crucible by Arthur

         The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 

         The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Course Expectations: Students are expected to maintain an excellent work ethic and to meet the challenge of higher-level thinking. Students will be expected to work in different groups throughout the year. Students will be expected to analyze the literature in depth. Projects for the units include group and individual and group digital projects, formal essays, extended responses, research assignments, and more.  All assignments are expected to be completed/submitted on time and with maximum effort. Students are expected to act in a mature and professional manner regarding the literature we read and the discussions that will take place. Students will be expected to respond in writing to Essential Questions and concepts such as:  A) How do place and time shape the authors’ works and our understanding of them? B) How did the Puritans influence colonial thought and expression? C) What aspects of Puritanism are visible in contemporary society? D) What factor leads a person to maintain or lose clarity in a crisis?

Grading:

Assessments (Including exams/quizzes, major essays, and projects) count for approximately thirty percent of the grade. Classwork and homework account for approximately fifty percent of the grade. The final exam accounts for approximately twenty percent of the grade. Late work will be scored one grade per day past due. Students are expected to work independently, outside of class time, in order to complete the many requirements of the course.