American Literature Honors Winter Semester Exam

Presentation Instructions

 What do I need to prepare?

• Index cards with discussion notes – You need to give talking points in the same order that is on your rubric
• A handout that your classmates will complete as they listen to your presentation. It should not be detracting from your presentation – they should be able to listen and complete it at the same time. (Think: Fill-in-the Blank style but it also should contain additional information from your presentation and your introductory paragraph exactly as it appears in your final paper).
• A collage – minimum size (1/2 a poster size) of quotes, titles/authors from each book, symbols, and other images from your novels. (You can use images from magazines or computer images – just make sure that you have a clean color ink cartridge!)

You absolutely have to be prepared the day of your presentation. I will announce the order of your classmates’ presenting on Tues. 12/16.  It will be random. No one will be able to request when they go.

I will not be printing out anything for you. Do not ask. If your printer doesn’t work/you don’t have one/etc., you will HAVE to find a way to get this done – friend’s house/library, etc.

I also will not be “giving you an ‘A’ or a ‘B’ merely because you stand up and present. You will earn whatever grade you get. Preparation, attention to detail, and diligence is the key to getting an “A.”

Good Luck! Email me at: breauxclassroom@gmail.com with any questions up to 9 pm weeknights.

American Literature Honors Final Exam Presentation Rubric

Name:________________________________________

Title of books/authors:_________________________________

List title and total page numbers in book:

1.                                                                                 2.

3.

Description of creative project:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Description of handout that you gave your classmates:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Presentation Portion

I.         Introduce the title/authors of your book _________/5 pts

II.     Explain the overview/purpose of your semester book project (based on the proposal you gave me in early September) _________10 pts.

III.   Explain your handout and what students how students are supposed to complete it during your presentation.______________/10 pts.

IV.   Read your introductory paragraph to the class from your essay_________________10 pts.

V.     Finally, present your creative project…explain each part of it thoroughly. (Hint: if you don’t have much to explain, it’s too simple and not thought-out well enough!)_________________10 pts.

VI.  Explain what you learned from this semester book project – this should focus on your self-improvement in reading literature or writing literature (Remember – this is your final exam grade so be reflective, honest with yourself and me, and thorough!)____________/15

Written/Creative portion

VII. Handout Portion: No grammatical errors, enough copies for class (19), meaningful, learning opportunity for your peers, insightful and interesting:______________________/20

VII.                        Creative Project – Aesthetically pleasing (if you can’t draw well, don’t draw!), multi-faceted (isn’t just a picture of one thing) collage, has quotes from each book, symbols from each book, titles from each book, is minimum of half a poster board size, no maximum size, all of poster is used efficiently, no excess white space.  ______________________________/20

Total points:_______________________/100

Mrs. Breaux’s comments and constructive criticism:

Winter Semester Exam Study Guide/American Lit. (2^nd, 4^th, 6^th)

Ms. Breaux

Test is: multiple choice, matching, quote identification, essay.

What you need at home to study:

Elements of Language (yellow textbook), Literature textbook, Unit 1 and 2 semester folder with all handouts, study guide, vocabulary index cards, additional grammar practice handouts

Review in class on Monday, 12/15 and Tues., 12/16

How should I study?

• Study all quizzes and CORRECT the mistakes you made
• Study Unit 1 Test corrections
• Study The Crucible study guide and multiple choice/matching test
• Practice additional grammatical exercise in your Elements of Writing book and practice the ones we did in class because the test questions will be very similar. No tricks, no surprises.
• Go to www.quizlet.com and register to use their free site. Enter all lit. terms and vocabulary words and have fun playing games to learn your vocabulary words.
• Practice finding: imagery, allusions, symbolism, tone in the origin myths/narratives/poetry we read.
• Practice these reading strategies – DO NOT RE-READ AND RE-READ the literature. INTERACT with your text: make a time-line of the plot events, write out possible test questions on post-it annotations and then the answer, write down example quotations from the myths/poetry/narratives we read in class and then apply your literary terms to these quotes on flashcards and quiz yourself to see if you can identify them.

What does it cover?

This test covers all material 8/20-12/5/08

·         literature (origin myths, explorer myths, Puritan Poetry)

·         grammar (from warm-ups)

·         Poetry analysis (from warm-ups)

·         literary terms (in post-it annotations in your literature book)

·         vocabulary (from The Crucible only)

·         The Crucible – character development, plot knowledge, theme knowledge, symbol knowledge, how to write  thematic and character analysis essays

What should I bring with me?

• A pen for your essay, a pencil for your scantron, 2-3 sheets of loose-leaf paper, your INDEX CARD (4X6) that has any information from this study guide that you wish. You will turn in your index card with your exam. If anyone’s index card is copied from another student, both index cards will be confiscated and a referral will be written for each of you. In other words, DO YOUR OWN WORK!!!

Specifically:

Literature:

·         “The Earth on the Turtle’s Back”

·         “When the Grizzlies Walked Upright”

·         From “Of Plymouth Plantation”/Bradford

·         From “The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano”

·         “To My Dear and Loving Husband”/Bradstreet and “Huswifery”/Taylor

·         Know how to interpret and analyze a poem – from your warm-ups

·         Arthur Miller/McCarthyism/The Crucible

Grammar:

• They’re/there/their
• Independent vs. dependent clauses
• How to correct a fragment when a dependent clause comes first
• Nouns (definitions, how to recognize and identify): concrete/abstract, collective, compound.
• How a collective noun functions and what kind of verb you use with it.
• Singular vs. plural verbs and subjects
• Pronouns (definitions, how to recognize and identify): relative, demonstrative, reflexive, intensive, interrogative, personal, indefinite
• Know how to identify these pronouns in a sentence
• Know what an antecedent is

Literary Terms

Symbol, allusion, tone, imagery, narrative (first, second person), slave narrative, Puritan Plain Style  – know the definitions and be able to identify these in a sample work of literature.

Essay Writing

Review all writing handouts – especially the one that explains how to write a character analysis. You will be asked multiple choice questions on how to write an essay – Thesis statement? Topic sentence? Body paragraphs? How to write an intro. paragraph. You will also be asked about MLA style – headings, and parenthetical citations.

Independent Reading

Be familiar with themes in your independent novels. Choose one novel and pick the major theme. Write a thematic statement and outline an essay for this theme.

What is the format? This exam is comprehensive. It is 100 multiple choice questions and 1 full-length 5-6 paragraph essay that will respond to either: poetry, an excerpt from a play that you must read, or a question about your independent novel. 

For students that came from other schools/classes – You need to see me with a list of the major works of literature (short stories/novels/plays) that you read in your other classes by the end of class Mon., 12/15.  Your exam will cover prior works from your previous English class as well as any work that you were here for in this class. Do note, that each question for the material covered while you were in this class will count more than your current classmates, since you may have fewer questions on the complete exam.

• Thur. 12/11 – Rough Draft Due of Comparison/Contrast Paper
• Tues. 12/16 – Final Semester Comparison/Contrast Paper Due
• Fri. 12/19 – Semester Comparison/Contrast Presentation for final exam

Mon. 12/8

Handouts:

• How to Write a Literary Essay (You received this about two months ago)
• Semester Book Paper Overview (You received this about two weeks ago)
• Comparison/Contrast Overview (new handout)

Discussion of final paper

Review Romanticism/Transcendentalism

Read 240-241 to yourselves (Washington Irving brief biography); take notes on the following literary terms: third person omniscient, characterization, indirect and direct characterization. 

HW: Work on paper

Tues. 12/9

Handouts: Rubric for written paper

-Read pages 242-247 of “The Devil and Tom Walker” in your textbook

-Take post-it annotations (analytical only, not summary) on: character observations; plot development observations; difficult vocabulary words that you look up and define (the ones defined already in the book DON’T count!).

-Rest of the period: work on your paper.

HW – Work on paper

Wed. 12/10

-Finish “The Devil and Tom Walker” pages 247-248; finish taking post-it annotations as detailed above.

-Work on Paper

HW: Finish rough draft. To get a 100% and to earn a peer partner to evaluate your writing, you must have the following completed: 3 ½ pages (minimum) double-spaced, typed in MLA format, 2-3 short quotations in MLA style embedded into your essay. Each book title italicized OR underlined. Intro/Conclusion paragraphs: 3-5 sentences with an UNDERLINED or highlighted thesis, and body paragraphs are 5-8 sentences.  If you don’t have all this, you will receive a quiz grade that is reflective of the work you did and will not have a peer partner (which you are getting a grade for working on his/her paper as well today).

Thur. 12/11

Comparison/Contrast Peer Editing day

Handout: Peer Editing/Revising Checklist

Fri. 12/12

Handout: Rubric for final exam presentation

-Quiz on “The Devil and Tom Walker”

-Fireside/Campfire Poetry in textbook

Email me, as always, if you have questions.

Mon. 12/8

• We reviewed your assignment from Friday — #1 in your Table of Contents – Romanticism pre-reading activity
• Then, we read pages 240-241 – background to Washington Irving
• Then, we read the intro. to “The Devil and Tom Walker” on page 242 and a couple of paragraphs of the short story

Tues. 12/9 – Special Guest Speaker RHS’ Ms. Thomas. Topic: The Importance of Reading in h.s. and post-high school life

Wed. 12/10

• Handout:  “The Devil and Tom Walker Questions” — #2 in your Table of Contents – this is to be filled out when we read aloud in class.
• Read pages 242-246
• Work with your group, complete questions #1-15

HW: If you are not finished up to question #15, finish it for hw and have it with you tomorrow.

Thur. 12/11

·         Read “The Devil and Tom Walker” pages 247-252

·         Complete questions #16-30

HW: Finish questions #16-30; quiz tomorrow on “The Devil and Tom Walker”

Friday, 12/12

·         Handout: Study Guide for Final Exam

·         “The Devil and Tom Walker” Quiz

·         Complete 57-58 in your selection support book on “The Devil and Tom Walker” after quiz.

Changes next semester (In Jan.) – We are going to start each day by reading 10 minutes in your independent novel. You WILL NEED TO BRING it with you everyday. I also need you to make sure you have your warm-up notebook (or a new one!) with you everyday.

Here’s the weekly schedules:

AP Lit. — Your schedule until 1/5 is under the AP Lit. link.

American Lit. (2,4,6)

Major Due Dates:

Wed. 12/3 – Crucible Essay Test

Thur. 12/4 – Crucible multiple choice/matching test & Crucible Unit Folder due

Fri. 12/5 – Independent Reading Projects due

Monday, 12/1 –  Essential Question on board: What factors in Salem society led to the Salem Witch Trials? Partner activity/class activity.

Then, work on study guide with partner.  Crucible folder with all assignments including study guide (200 pts) due on Wed.

HW: Study for Crucible test; finish study guide

Tuesday, 12/2 – Test Review in class

HW: Prepare index cards for the essay portion of the test tomorrow.

Bring loose-leaf paper and a black or blue pen with you tomorrow.

Wednesday, 12/3-  The Crucible Essay Exam

Hw: Study for multiple choice/matching test Crucible Test tomorrow

Thursday, 12/4 -  The Crucible Multiple choice/matching Test

Friday, 12/5 – Independent Reading Projects due at beginning of the period; Introduction to Romanticism

American Lit. Honors (5th)

Major Due Dates:

Wed. 12/3 – Crucible Essay Test and Crucible

Thur. 12/4 – Crucible multiple choice/matching test due; Unit 1 Folder Due

 

Monday, 12/1 – Essential Question on board: What factors in Salem society led to the Salem Witch Trials? Partner activity/class activity.

 

Then, work on study guide with partner.  Crucible folder with all assignments including study guide (200 pts) due on Wed.

 

HW: Study for Crucible test; finish study guide

 

Tuesday, 12/2 – Test Review in class

HW: Prepare index cards for the essay portion of the test tomorrow.

Bring loose-leaf paper and a black or blue pen with you tomorrow.

 

Wednesday, 12/3-  The Crucible Essay Exam

Hw: Study for multiple choice/matching test Crucible Test tomorrow

 

Thursday, 12/4 – The Crucible Multiple choice/matching Test

 

Friday, 12/5 –  Introduction to Romanticism

 

Upcoming Due Dates:

Thur. 12/11 – Rough Draft of Comparison/Contrast essay due = one quiz grade

Tues. 12/16 – Final Semester Book project due

 Final Exam: Presentation of Semester Reading Project

 

 

Mon. 11/3 – Beowulf Essay re-write due; Lit. Terms test Mandatory Re-take for those of you who scored under 80%.

Tues. 11/4 – SAT words Quiz #1

Mon. 10/27 -  Work individually on either:

Chapters 11-15 How to Read Lit. Like a Professor – Annotate each chapter

Or

Applied Practice Workbook pages 96-101; questions 23-54

HW: Whatever you did not complete in class from the above assignment; complete.

Tues. 10/28 – Annotations checked; 250 Spark Notes SAT words – Mark these quiz dates in your calendar:

Tues. 11/4 – 1-25 (abjure-clemency)

Tues. 11/11 – 26-50 (cogent-egregious)

Tues. 11/18 – 51-75 (enervate-hapless)

Tues. 12/2 – 76-100 (harangue-inveterate)

Tues. 12/9 – 101-125 (jubilant-nascent)

For each quiz, you will need to know: the definition, the correct spelling of the term, how to recognize it in a sentence based on context clues, and how to write an original sentence of your own using context clues. 

**Hold onto the list, as we will learn the next 125 words third quarter. 

www.turnitin.com info.: the first time you will need to register. I need you to register by Thursday night so that if you are having any problems, I can help you before your How to….Project is due. 

1. go to: www.turnitin.com (there’s a link on my website)
2. register as a student

1. Then, you will be prompted through the steps: MAKE SURE YOU WRITE DOWN your new LOG-IN (your email address) and your unique password. I CAN NEVER LOOK UP your password – so if you forget it or don’t write it down, it is a HUGE PAIN.
2. Test logging in so that you can make sure this works. Locate your assignment.

Finally, we will review the answers to questions 1-54 in your applied practice books.

Hw: Work on How to Read….project – wrong date on email: due the date I originally told you; Also, highlight ALL poetic terms in your literary terms handout in one distinct color – pink, yellow, green, it doesn’t matter and bring this with you tomorrow to class.; bring highlighters in three different colors tomorrow.

Wed. 10/29 – Beowulf Prompts handed back; re-writes due (original grade will be averaged with re-write grade for final grade) Mon. 11/3; comments and feedback (you take notes from feedback in your notebook)

Poetry in Perrine’s Literature (brown anthology): “The Eagle”/Tennyson (563); “Winter”/Shakespeare (564); “Dulce et Decorum Est” (565-566) 

You will be given handouts of these in class to write on.

 Instructions given in class on how to explicate poems with highlighters. Complete activity.

HW:  Read pages 563-568 in Perrine’s Literature.

Thur. 10/30 – Beowulf Tests handed back;  Discussion of  hw; Read “Spring” and answer questions at end of poem (568-569) HW: Register for www.turnitin.com if you haven’t done so already.

HW: finish “Spring” and discussion questions if you didn’t finish all in class.

Fri. 10/31 – HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Let’s have breakfast as we work…who wants to organize it?

Poetry: “The Whipping” (Hayden); “The Computation” (Donne); “Hawk Roosting” (Hughes) pages 569-571 – answer all questions at end of each poem on sheet of paper.

Weekend HW: How to Read…project….

Week 10/27-10/31/08

Mrs. Breaux

 Mon. 10/27 – Book Talk presentations: Matt M., Jon. A, Shannel B, then watch Act I

 Hw: Prepare book talk

 Tues. 10/28 – Discussion of Book Talk presentations: evaluation handout sheet given out:

Book Talk presentations: Byron R, Mandy A, then finish Act I, begin Act II

HW:  Read Arthur Miller Article by Thursday’s class:  be VERY PREPARED for a pop quiz on this.

If you are Elizabeth or John Proctor, you need to have read/prepared the first 20 pages of Act II for tomorrow

Wed. 10/29 – Book talks: Brittany L, Frances R; Perform Act II: in class today, we read from _____________ to___________; Act II handout – to fill out as actors perform.

Hw: Finish Arthur Miller article; book talk presentation if you haven’t gone yet; study for Friday’s quiz

 Thur. 10/30 – Book Talks – Courtney B. and Jessie H; Pop quiz on Arthur Miller Article (?); Discuss Arthur Miller Article

 HW:   Study the following for tomorrow’s quiz: Act I-II: know all characters in play thus far and a little bit about them, 1-30 vocabulary words from handout last week; Arthur Miller Guardian article; 

 Reading Strategies to help you study: skim over play and create possible quiz questions as you skim. Put the question on the front of a post-it note and the answer on the back; make index cards for your vocabulary terms, use www.quizlet.com to create index cards and play games online with vocabulary terms; make a time line of significant events in Acts I-I

Friday, 10/31/08 –   1. Book Talks: Megan B, Astrid R  

2. Weekly Quiz #4 

3. Read Semester Book Project Book #2

Mrs. Breaux

Week 10/27-10/30

Work collected last week:

• No written work was collected; however, if you had a part in Act I, you were earning points every time you acted for your Crucible Acting Assessment.

Important dates for this week:

• Folders collected Wed. (assignments #12-16 checked for 300 cw points)
• Weekly Quiz #5 on Friday 10/31
• Reading Logs or alternative assignment due in notebook (

Mon. 10/27

1. We updated our Table of Contents by adding: 12. Reading Log #8 (pages 211-245) 13. Reading Log #9 (246-280) 14. Crucible Vocabulary handout (front and back) from last week  15. Weekly Quiz #4 (you received this back from the sub on Thur.) 

2. Next, we read to almost the end of Act I.

HW: Read your independent novel; review vocabulary from last week for Thursday’s quiz.

Tues. 10/28  2^nd period only – Review Vocabulary for this week’s quiz

All periods: 1. Finish Act I

2. Act I questions – finish questions from Thursday and complete rest of questions for Act I. If you don’t get finished in class, take it home and finish. (Questions are #16 in your folder)

     3. Independent Reading Log Options handout

HW: Read independent novel; study vocabulary words; finish Act I questions if you didn’t finish in class.

Wed. 10/29 –  Folders collected #12-16 checked (300 CW pts.); Watch Act I in class; Handout for Act I film completed while watching film.  3. Add #17 to Table of Contents: Crucible Film handout

Hw: Read independent novel; review Crucible Act I for quiz on Friday; review vocabulary for quiz on Friday.

Thur. 10/30 – Late folders collected (-10 pts per day) 1. Review for quiz: study vocabulary from handout; character list for play to be familiar with the following character names: Hale, Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Ann/Thomas Putnam; Ruth Putnam; Mary Warren; Abigail; Betty; Rev. Parris; Mercy Lewis; Susanna; Tituba; Rebecca Nurse; Giles Corey. Know content and plot of Act I and pages __________to ______________read today in Act II.

2. Read pages 1267 to________________ in Act II.

Hw: Review for quiz; bring independent novels to class tomorrow

Fri. 10/31 Weekly Quiz #5 (see study guide under Thursday’s hw

1. Independent Reading (6^th period – read silently for 25 minutes or this will be removed this semester from your schedule and you will have to do this entirely on your own outside of class).
2. Put reading log or alternative assessment for this week’s 30 pages (281-316) in folder.

HW: Read your independent Novel

Have a safe and fun Halloweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!

Mrs. Breaux

Mon. 10/13 – Discussion Question rotation – Each group chose two of the three discussion questions from each group. These questions were designed on Friday and were from the: Analysis/Synthesis/Evaluation tiers of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

HW: Complete first 10 chapters from How to Read….

Tues. 10/14 – 1. How to Read…checked from me…. 2. Rubric for project handed out.

3. Groups present discussion questions  4. AP Question Stems Handout 

HW: Create 10 questions using question stems from Beowulf. Email these to me: breauxclassroom@gmail.com by 6:45 am Wed. 10/15.

Wed. 10/15   1. Turn in HW   2. Beowulf Critical Essay handed out for those that don’t have the Norton edition: Tolkien “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics  3. Answer the following questions for this essay and have this read to turn in before your test:

HW: Study for your test. This test is: short answer/multiple choice/short answer

It is ASSUMED you have concrete, solid plot knowledge. Therefore, the majority of the test questions come from the bottom three tiers of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Study the following for your test:

• Background notes I gave you in class (the typed ones)
• Background notes you took in class: Old English Language and Poetics and Translator’s Introduction
• All your annotations and focus on: symbols/character development/themes/motifs
• All the elements of a heroic myth and the ability to apply Beowulf to these elements

And for your super, sweet surprise (how’s that for alliteration?) you may create a plot timeline of 40 major events to use on your test. I’m not grading this, but if I were you, I would definitely take the time to make it. YOU MAY NOT INCLUDE ANALYSIS and MAY NOT USE THE INTERNET (Spark Notes, etc.) to create this.

Thur. 10/16 – Beowulf Test.  Prompt given for Essay Test on Mon. 10/20.

Fri. 10/17 – Multiple choice question practice. 

HW: Outline prompt for essay on Monday.