Quia - Class Page - Livengood Contemporary Literature Spring 2012

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Livengood Contemporary Literature Spring 2012	Mrs. Livengood
Mt Vernon Township High School	English I, English II, American Literature, Contemporary Literature
http://mvths.org
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Contemporary Literature
2012 Course Expectations

Instructor: Mrs. Livengood Room: 107-G
Phone: 242-3700 ext. 5713 Homework Hotline: 246-5678 ext. 6713
Email: elivengood@mvths.org               Credit Hours: ½ credit
Prerequisite: English I, English II, American Literature
Course Website: www.quia.com/profiles/elivengood

Textbooks and Class Materials:

• Reading materials provided by instructor or obtained by interlibrary loan, or on your own.
• You will need a separate notebook to serve as your reading journal, which you will need to bring with you every day. Your reading journal will be invaluable, do not misplace it!
• You must be willing to talk about the books you have read so that others in class can have a chance to get a glimpse at a good book – perhaps your book talk will convince your classmates to read the book also. In our discussions we will learn how to talk about what you do not like about a particular book or passage in a productive manner.

Specific Course Description:

This will be a class partially based in independent study with class discussion, oral presentations, and written book reports. We will focus on literature written across all spectrums within the last 50 years, with emphasis on Pulitzer Prize winners, best-sellers, Caldecott winners, Newbery Award winners, Nobel Award winners, and books adapted for the movie screen.
Course Content Standards:
• Students construct meaning as they comprehend, analyze, and respond to literary works.
• Students interact with print and non-print literary works from various cultures, ethnic groups, traditional and contemporary viewpoints written by both genders.
• Students use literary works to enrich personal experience and to connect to the broader world of ideas, concepts, and issues.
• Students apply a range of skills and strategies to read.
• Students set goals, monitor, and evaluate their progress in reading.
• Students write clearly and effectively.

Instructional Modes:

1. Lecture/Discussion/Seminars
2. Demonstrations (films, transparencies, slides)
3. Investigations via: group work, individual study, essay, project, etc.

Student Evaluation:

Students will be evaluated and earn points in the following categories: class participation (bell work), worksheets, online assignments, essays, projects, quizzes, and tests. Grade is assessed by total points earned in a quarter.
• You will earn five points per day if you come into class prepared and ready to read. These points will add up by the end of quarter, so you must utilize your time. Time spent in the library or time not fully engaged in reading or writing reports will earn fewer points.
• Written assignments, reading journals, and oral reports are due on the dates indicated. Late assignments may be accepted with prior permission, but you will only be able to earn half credit. There are no excuses for late work.
• I expect you to read at least 700 pages per quarter (not counting the novel and poetry collections we will read together).

Office Hours: From 8:00 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. and from the end of the school day till 4:00. Other time may be available if prearranged.

Inclement Weather Policy: Become familiar with the inclement weather policy of Mount Vernon Township High School. It will be read in all classes and posted in the student handbook.

Academic Dishonesty or Plagiarism: Review the schools policy regarding academic dishonesty in the Student Handbook.

Administrative Policy: Administrative policy prohibits the following: eating or drinking in the classroom (you may bring bottled water); bringing unauthorized individuals to the classroom.

Attendance Policy: Each student is expected to attend all class meetings. The student is expected to be on time and ready to begin class with the proper materials at the beginning of each class period. Poor attendance will result in a lower grade.

Tentative Course Outline:
3rd Quarter:
1. A book of your choice from the provided list– choose something you have wanted to read from this list (i.e. you have NEVER read this book). Written entries in reading journal to include bibliographic information, setting, main character descriptions, favorite lines and/or scenes, two or three paragraphs summarizing plot, and your thoughts and/or questions about the book. Written report /brief oral report are required.

• The Lovely Bones-Alice Sebold
• Fallen Angels-Walter Dean Myers
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest-Ken Kesey
• The Things They Carried-Tim O’Brien
• The Kite Runner-Khaled Hosseini
• The Night Country-Stewart O’Nan
• No Country for Old Men-Cormac McCarthy
• Fight Club-Chuck Palahniuk
• A Simple Plan-Scott Smith
• The Five People You Meet in Heaven-Mitch Albom
• Mystic River-Dennis Lehane
• Hidden Empire by Orson Scott Card
• The Disappearance of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant
• Guns of the Timberlands by Louis L’Amour
• Timeline by Michael Crichton
• Maximum Ride by James Patterson
• Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
• Open House by Elizabeth Berg
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
• Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
• It by Stephen King
• Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
• The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
• World Without End by Ken Follett
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
• A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
• The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
• My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Beloved by Toni Morrison

2.      An Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri - a compilation of short stories by a young Indian-American writer in 1999. This is her first book and it has won numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize, PEN/Hemingway Award, New Yorker Debut Book of 1999, American Academy of Arts and Letters Addison Metcalf Award, and has been listed as a Notable Book of the Year from multiple prestigious newspapers, including the New York Times. We will read this together, and class will be run as a seminar, with class time based on discussion. You will take quizzes on each short story. A final paper on an approved topic within the novel will be assigned.

3.      Best Seller List Book – May be fiction of non-fiction. Instructor must approve the book. Reading journal should include same information as the book of your choice plus notes on why the book may have become a best seller, in your opinion. Written report/oral report will be assigned.

4th Quarter:
1.      Books/Movies - Find a book that has been made into a movie within the last 50 years. Instructor must approve the book. Read the book first, journaling as you have the other books. Watch the movie next and look for differences and similarities between the book and movie. Include your opinions on which you liked more, why the movie makers used or left out pieces from the book, etc. Your written report should include the similarities and differences and also which version you thought most effective and why. Written report/oral report will be assigned.

2.      Poetry – we will read (or view a performance) collections of contemporary poetry in class and again run class as a seminar. A quiz will be given for each grouping of poems. A final paper on an approved topic covering the pieces or a collection of original poetry written in the style of the author will be assigned.

3.      Young Adult Literature – a novel or nonfiction book of your choice which focuses on characters that are in their teens and facing issues similar to what other teens must deal with. Instructor must improve the book. Reading journal should include the required elements as before plus a discussion of what sets a young adult book apart from adult literature. Written report /oral report will be assigned.

4.      Caldecott Medal Winners (picture books) – Read at least ten picture books, including at least two Caldecott winners, and record required information in reading journal. Discuss the themes presented in these books and why they make good books for children. No written report will be due for these books, but you will give the class an oral report on each one. Reading journals will be assigned.

Bibliographic Entry (MLA format):
Follow this example for every citation –

Author Last, First Name. Title, City where published: Publishing Company, year published.

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street, New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1984.

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Homework for the week of Jan 3:
Find both novels and begin reading

Week of Jan 9
Monday: read choice novel and work on reading journal
Tuesday:read choice novel and work on reading journal for novel
Wednesday: read “A Temporary Matter”;
Thursday: read “A Temporary Matter”; begin discussion and notes on story
Friday:read choice novel and work on reading journal for novel

Week of Jan 16
Monday – no school
Tuesday – read choice novel and work on reading journal for novel
Wednesday – finish discussion and notes for “A Temporary Matter”; take quiz over story
Thursday – Read “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
Friday – read choice novel and work on reading journal for novel

Week of Jan 23-27
Monday: Read choice novel and work on reading journal
Tuesday: Finish “When Mr. Pirzada Comes to Dine”
Wednesday: Notes on Mr. Pirzada
Thursday: finish notes on Mr. Pirzada and take quiz over story; begin next story
Friday: Read choice novel and work on reading journal

Week of Jan 30 - Feb 3
Monday: read choice novel
Tuesday: finish story #3 and being notes
Wednesday: notes and summary over story #3
Thursday: quiz over story #3; begin story #4
Friday: read choice novel

Week of Feb 12
Monday: read choice novel and work on reading journal
Tuesday: read next short story
Wednesday: finish short story
Thursday: notes for short story
Friday: read choice novel and work on reading journal

Week of Feb 21
Monday: no school
Tuesday: read choice novel
Wednesday: Read next short story
Thursday: finish short story
Friday: read choice novel

Week of Feb 27
Monday: read choice novel
Tuesday: read short story #7
Wednesday: read short story #7
Thursday: read short story #7 quiz over story
Friday: read choice novel
Note: projects and reading journals over two choice novels will be due 3/8.

Week of March 5
Monday: no school
Tuesday: work on choice novel
Wednesday: next short story
Thursday: work on choice novel; read short story
Friday: (end of quarter) oral reports due
Note: projects and reading journals over two choice novels will be due 3/8.

Week of 3/19 schedule:
Monday: read required books for 4th quarter
Tuesday: read “Third and Final Continent”
Wednesday: read “Third and Final Continent” and work on reading journal
Thursday: take “third and Final Continent” quiz; read required books for 4th quarter
Friday: read required books for 4th quarter

Week of 3/26 schedule:
Monday: read required books for 4th quarter
Tuesday: in class essay over Lahiri
Wednesday: in class essay over Lahiri
Thursday: read required books for 4th quarter
Friday: read required books for 4th quarter

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