| COURSE
DESCRIPTION
Literature is
concerned with our conceptions, interpretations, and experiences
of the world. The study of literature, therefore, can be seen
as a study of all the complex pursuits, anxieties, joys, and fears
that human beings are exposed to in the daily business of living.
It allows for an exploration of one of the more enduring fields
of human creativity and artistic ingenuity, and provides immense
opportunities for encouraging independent, original, and critical
thinking. *
The French philosopher Voltaire once claimed, “Liberty of
thought is the life of the soul.” Such a claim implies that
the freedom to think creatively nurtures the independent intellectual
curiosity in each of us. IB English 11 encourages you to discover
a personal appreciation for the art of language and literature,
and to recognize that scholarly pursuits both exercise and free
the intellect.
During the year, you will read a variety of texts that reveal
differing cultural viewpoints and influences. These texts, while
coming from seemingly different worlds, demonstrate the universality
of the human condition shared all over the globe; we will endeavor
to find the commonalities and the contrasts between them. Using
the idea of “Old and New Worlds,” our study of literature
focuses on an exploration of how this idea is represented within
a text – through characterization, plot, or theme -- and
within the context of a text – that is, the world in which
a particular text was written.
COURSE
OBJECTIVE
WWorld Literature
is one of the four components that make up the IB Language A1
program. The goal for first semester includes completing the World
Literature portion of the program and writing the corresponding
papers. In keeping with this goal we will study and apply the
techniques required to successfully complete these papers. A variety
of activities will provide you with background on the content
and practical opportunities to exercise and improve writing skill
and technique. Because IB Language A1 is a two year program, the
assignments you complete for this course have been modeled from
different parts of the program in an effort to assist you in becoming
more familiar with the IB format and requirements overall.
APPROACH
First semester
focuses on the World Literature texts selected for your program.
This content will drive the life force of the class. Without question,
complete mastery of each text is imperative. You must devote time
to reading these works or you will not be prepared to complete
the assignments associated with each one. A demanding reading
load is not impossible - it merely takes planning. To aid in this
planning, each Monday I will provide a weekly schedule. This schedule
gives your reading assignments for the week, weekly focus/objectives,
seminar topics, homework, and other information. Course announcements
and assignments will also be posted on Blackboard.
CONTENT
In addition to
the following, we will study short prose pieces, poetry, and critical
essays.
Anchor texts for First Semester include:
All
the Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy (summer reading 2005)
Siddhartha,
Herman Hesse (summer reading 2005)
The
House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende (WL#1)
God’s
Bits of Wood Sembene Ousmane (WL#2)
Thousand Cranes
Yasunari Kawabata (WL#3)
SUPPLIES
Please
obtain the following materials for this course:
- Composition
notebook. This is for your class journal.
- A 3 –
ring notebook or section of your binder for English materials;
I pass out a great deal of material and we will refer to it
frequently. Stay organized!
- Writing instruments
… pen or pencil is fine for daily class assignments.
- 2 or 3 colored
pencils or thin markers and a highlighter. These will be used
during editing sessions, color marking for analysis, and a variety
of activities.
- Paper.
- Glue Stick
– you are frequently asked to paste or tape material into
your journal, so this is a handy item.
- Not required,
but helpful is a personal copy of any work we read. I recommend
buying your books so that you may annotate them. Writing notes
and questions in the margins is particularly effective during
a close reading, and helpful when writing the World Lit papers.
This is not an option if you use a school copy.
GRADING
A Necessary
Evil…
- You will
receive points on all evaluated activities – keep in mind
some assignments might require work that is not evaluated by
the instructor directly. A portion of your homework or class
work (up to 10% of the grade) will be assessed for completion
only. Such work provides the practice necessary to achieving
mastery of a given skill or body of knowledge.
- In the event
of an absence, students will be given the same number of days
absent to make up an assignment before it is considered late.
- The above
policy DOES NOT apply to major writing assignments that were
assigned in advance. In such cases, if you are absent, sick
or otherwise, the due date still applies
- Late work
will be accepted within one week of the original due date. Late
assignments are penalized with as much as a one-letter grade
deduction off the initial score. Final deadlines will be established
for each assignment. Work submitted after this deadline will
receive no credit.
- All work is subject to the academic honor code of the IBO.
Students will be asked to adhere to the policies for academic
honesty outlined in the B-CC handbook. Plagiarism or cheating
will result in loss of credit for that assignment (0%).
- Grade sheets
will be provided two times a quarter, mid-term and end-of-term.
If you wish to know how you stand in the interim, come see me
at lunch or after school.
- Grades are
compiled using straight points, and influenced by the significance
and frequency of the activity.
FINAL
WORDS
The IB Language
A1 program is, in many ways, a university level course in literature;
its rigorous nature should not be underestimated. The program
aims to encourage students to see literary works as products of
art and their authors as craftsmen whose methods of production
can be analyzed in a variety of ways and on a number of levels.
This is achieved through the emphasis placed on exploring the
means used by different authors to convey their subjects in the
works studied. *
Embrace the idea that meaningful effort returns meaningful results.
With such effort, you should come away from the IB Language A1
program recognizing that the discussion of literature itself is
an art form; art which requires the clear expression of ideas
in conversation and in writing. We will pursue modes of such artistic
expression over the course of the semester.
*Text
taken in part from the IBO Language A1 guide, April 1999
IB
English 11 2005 Fall Schedule
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