02 How to Read Literature 1

Hi Everyone!

Sorry for the delay in posting the first homework for this year—there were a few complications but here goes!


For my Monday American Literature class, read the following chapters and answers the questions in about a paragraph each.

• Read the Introduction 
• Write down a brief explanation of the three things that contribute to literary analysis: Memory, Symbols, Patterns.
• Read Chapter 5
• How might this chapter explain why we read classics?
• Read the chapter called "Interlude: One Story"
• Do you agree that all literature is "one story," the human story? Why or why not? *Keep in mind—there is no right or wrong answer, as long as it's well thought out!

For my Tuesday American Literature class:

• Write a 1-2 page explanation of how reading may be important and useful.
• Consider reading's effect on:
• The world
• The reader's personality
• The reader's view of other people and the world

Email me if you have any questions!

01 Syllabus

Hello! In this Literature class, we will be reading great literary novels and interacting with them in several different ways. We will ask critical questions, discuss major ideas in class, write creatively, and learn relevant literary elements. The class hopes to create a love of reading, a personal connection to texts, and a deeper understanding of the art form.

I am very excited to meet you all, and if you have any questions throughout the year, feel free to come talk to or email me any time!

Three main keys of this class:

• Critical discussion about readings

• Creative connection to readings

• Understanding of literary elements relevant to reading

Grades will be calculated on a ten point scale:

90 - 100 = A

80 - 89 = B

70 -79 = C

60 - 69 = D

00 - 59 = F

If you are struggling with the homework or not understanding anything in class, come talk to me or email me—I'm always happy to help and we can certainly figure something out!

Absences:

• We complete a lot of work in-class, and as I see you only 1 day per week, this time is invaluable. Most days, class will include graded activities. If the class is missed--even for excused absences--that grade will show up as a zero. However, these grades can be made up within 2 weeks of class by completing a writing assignment of my choice that relates to the in-class work. Email me within one week of the missed class to ask what make-up assignment can be completed.

Late Homework:

• Due to the nature of this class, late homework will quite negatively affect you on a practical level. Without the work being done on time each week, there may be little for you to discuss and you will likely miss the discussion grade.
• You can still turn in homework up to one week late for ½ credit or within one day for full credit (you’ll still probably miss the in-class discussion grade).

Homework:

• Homework will be posted each week at amlit-options.blogspot.com.

• If it is not posted, I may have had technical difficulties without realizing it (sometimes I will post but the internet will not actually send it through. It happens occasionally). Feel free to email me and I will repost as soon as possible.
• Every assignment should be typed up and printed out for class in the following format:

Times New Roman; 12 pt. Font; double spaced; 1/2-1” margins

Including a header at the top left that reads:

◦ Student name

◦ Teacher name

◦ Class name

◦ Date

Including a title

• Every assignment should be saved on the computer in a folder specifically for this class. Typing and saving assignments will make revising papers much easier and will help clear up any situations of lost papers.

Bring to class:

• Homework
• Pen/pencil
• Notebook/Paper

Book List:

• We may not get through all of these books, but they are all on the list as options.
• All of these books are frequently read as high school classic literature that is important for college-bound students to know.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines	Thomas Foster
The Crucible	Arthur Miller
The Scarlet Letter	Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Great Gatsby	F. Scott Fitzgerald
Of Mice and Men	John Steinbeck
Their Eyes Were Watching God	Zora Neale Hurston
Death of a Salesman	Arthur Miller
Fences	August Wilson
Into the Wild	Jon Krakauer
A Farewell to Arms	Ernest Hemingway