Summit Rainier Charter High School

English 10: Literature, the Individual, and Society

Course Syllabus 2014-2015

Instructor: Caitlin Curry
ccurry@summitps.org
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 7.45 - 8.45am, Room 1210


What can you expect from this course?

Course Description

Welcome to 10
th
grade English: Literature, the Individual, and Society! This year, we will be reading some incredibly
fascinating and challenging texts, discussing what they mean for us and for our world, and writing about what we have
read, discussed, and learned.

The focus of English 10: Literature, the Individual, and Society is to understand the way that individuals act within and
outside of societies. We will read a variety of texts that help us to think about these questions. After reading one or
more novels, plays, essays, and/or poems, we will demonstrate our thinking around these issues through various
projects. Listed below are the major texts and projects for this year.

All 10
th
grade students will take the California High School Exit Exam (CaHSEE) for English/Language Arts in March. We
will spend some of our year preparing for this exam so that 100% of students can pass it successfully.

This course is designed to be challenging and to push you as a reader, writer, speaker, and thinker. I am here to support
you in your growth, and I know that each and every one of you can meet our shared high expectations. Please do not
hesitate to contact me whenever you have questions or need extra support!

Yearlong Essential Questions

What is power?
How do individuals gain and keep power in society?

Units of Study
*subject to change

Semester 1 Semester 2
Project 1: Poetry Comparison Project
Selected poems
Socratic Seminar
Poetry Comparison Essay

Project 2: Dystopian Narrative Project
Class Text: 1984, George Orwell
Suggested reading:
The Handmaids Tale, Margaret Atwood
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Presentation
Dystopian Narrative
Project 3: Film Review Project
Macbeth, William Shakespeare
Selected film adaptations of Macbeth
Socratic Seminar
Film Review Essay

Project 4: World Literature Research Project
One of the following texts:
Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe
Like Water for Chocolate, Laura Esquivel
The Kite Runner, Khaleid Hosseini
Breath, Eyes, Memory, Edwige Danticat
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
Presentation
Research Paper


Assessment and Grading

As at all Summit Public Schools, grades are determined by the following formula:

70% - Cognitive Skills Scores on Projects
30% - Content
21% - Power Focus Areas
9% - Additional Focus Areas

What is expected of you?

Daily Assignments and Participation

I expect that you will complete all class and PLT assignments, read actively, and participate fully in all discussions and
activities. You should expect to spend 30 minutes per school night on reading and/or playlist studying for this course.

Be prepared!

You should always have the following materials with you in class:
Charged Chromebook
Headphones
Class text and/or independent reading book
Pens and pencils
Notebook or lined paper
Highlighter

Attendance

We will follow the Summit Rainier attendance policy strictly. You must be in your assigned seat and at work when class
begins or you will be marked tardy.

Late Work / Revisions

Playlists and content assessments are to be completed at your own pace. I will provide general recommendations of when each
content assessment should be passed to be on track. Additionally, you can refer to the PLP tool to see the pacing line.

Projects will be due in class on assigned days. Failure to turn in a high-quality project on time will put you at risk of receiving an
Incomplete for the course. Additionally, it will delay my ability to grade the project and give you feedback to improve your skills.

We honor growth of skills throughout the year. You may revise any project at any time. In order to revise, you must schedule a
conference with me to discuss your current score and your plans for revision.

Expectations of Integrity

I expect you to behave as scholars. I expected that you will understand, uphold, and model the six Core Characteristics of SPCHS
inside and outside of our classroom: Curiosity, Compassion, Courage, Respect, Responsibility, and Integrity.
All work for this class must be created by you alone (unless the assignment allows for collaboration), for the purpose of this class,
this year. Any work that does not fit these criteria will not be accepted and will receive no credit. Plagiarism takes many forms and
students are often confused about what constitutes plagiarism. In general, if you take somebody elses work (words, ideas, or
concepts) and use them as your own, you are committing plagiarism. The SPCHS plagiarism and cheating policy outlined in the
Student Handbook is strictly enforced.