Unit One: Native Cultures and Colonial Periods

Opening: Discussion of Standards

Before you begin this unit, you should review the Georgia Performance Standards it addresses.  Please take a moment to read the standard below published by the Georgia Department of Education:

ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.

1. Before you begin this unit, I want you to have a clear understanding of what you should be learning.  Take a moment to post to your blog what you think the standard above addresses, and why you think it is important for you to master.  Show me what you have written before you show me the rest.

Research:

2. Since we are starting at the beginning of American literature, we should start at a time before where we live was called America.  Use your favorite search engine to find an example of Native American Literature (a poem, short folktale, or a prayer will work best).  Read a few before you choose one.  You need to be familiar with the example you choose because you will need to answer some questions about it. Copy and paste the example into your blog post.

3. What do you think of your example?  What is it about?  Write a 2-3 sentence response to what you chose.

Mini-Lesson:

4. Go to my drop box, and click on the Assignments folder.  Watch the video called "Puritans".  You should take some notes of the things that stand out to you -- direct quotes from the sermon will be helpful later. You should also take specific notice of their core beliefs:

Total Depravity - through Adam and Eve's fall, every person is born sinful - concept of Original Sin.

Unconditional Election - God "saves" those he wishes - only a few are selected for salvation.

Limited Atonement - Jesus died for the chosen only, not for everyone. Irresistible Grace - God's grace is freely given, it cannot be earned or denied. Grace is defined as the saving and transfiguring power of God.

Perseverance of the "saints" - those elected by God have full power to interpret the will of God, and to live uprightly. If anyone rejects grace after feeling its power in his life, he will be going against the will of God - something impossible in Puritanism.

For some more real fun, check out some of these Puritan names.

Work Period:

Compare what your just heard to your Native American example.  What are the differences in these two groups of people's cultures that stand out to you.  How do their ideas of God differ?  Do you see ways in which their cultures may clash?  Post your thoughts to your blog.  It should be at least a good paragraph with direct support from your example and the sermon in the video.

When you are through here, continue on to The Rationalists.

Expository Writing Example

When Special Delivery Meant Deliverance for a Fugitive Slave

Analytical Writing Example

Five Ways Facebook Changed Dating (for the Worse)

Individual Novel Project

The first thing you need to do is choose a novel. I would prefer you read something British since Lit 12 is a British Literature class. You can get ideas from lists here, here, and here  here,
It is very important that you make a wise decision since this project will count as two grades and it will take you several weeks. Making a good choice of a novel will make this easier for you. Do not choose a book just because you think it is short; this often makes things more difficult. Do not try to get away without reading the book. This is a novel project -- you need to READ a novel.

Step One: Choose a novel from the list, and then talk to me about your choice before you begin. You may want to have several choices since I won't approve everything.

Step Two: Read the Georgia Performance Standards and write a proposal -- Read the standards I have copied below, and then create a post on your blog titled "Individual Novel Project Proposal".  In this post you should explain to me how you are going to address these standards in your work. It may help to explain the standards in your own words before explaining how your project will address them.

Keep in mind that this can be done many ways.  If you need help understanding the language of the standards, looking at the key words for each can be helpful.  Your proposal should have something in it addressing how you plan to respond to the novel as you read it (this does not mean you will write one long response at the end, and it also does not mean you will be writing a summary).  Shooting for three responses while you read the book is a good idea.  Those who have difficulty remembering what they read may want to do 5-6 shorter responses.  Once you finish your proposal, post it, leave me a comment, and wait for my approval.  Please do not hesitate to ask for help!

The Standards:

1. ELABLRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events, main ideas, and characteristics) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
2. ELABLRL2 The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of theme in a work of British and/or Commonwealth literature and provides evidence from the work to support understanding.
3. ELABLRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.
4. ELABLRL4 The student employs a variety of writing genres to demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of significant ideas in selected literary works. The student composes essays, narratives, poems, or technical documents.
5. ELABLRL5 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.

Step Three: Read your novel. Once again, trying to complete this project without reading your novel is foolish. I expect you to post at least three separate responses to your novel as you read. These responses need to be at least four complete paragraphs.  These responses are an excellent way to address the standards as you read. You should not wait until the end to do this (keep in mind that Blogger puts a date on all your work). You may want to look over your book and plan where you will write your responses before you begin.

Step Four: Once  all the elements from your proposal are complete, post your work on your blog and leave me a comment.  You will have one chance at a revision before your work is final.

Expository Writing Example

What does this SHOW you?

User Agreement

Using a weblog for our classwork will require some parameters for your safety and the quality of everyone's work. First, you should recognize that your work, as well as mine will be published for the entire on-line world to see. This will ultimately make us all responsible for better and more original output than ever before. By visiting other students' weblogs, you will be able to view all their work, and it will also make it easy for me to see who is not making an effort to submit work that is original.

Once you create your own weblog for this class, I will add it to the class blog roll so everyone's work can be accessed from this page. I encourage you to look at your peers' work for ideas or inspiration, but what you submit must be your own. Language Arts lends itself well to this format since you will be asked to respond to the literature and history we study with your own ideas and opinions. There are no right or wrong answers in a Language Arts class, so looking at other students' ideas can help you. It can also create problems if you choose to be lazy.

I will leave comments about your work. These comments will usually instruct you on how you can improve your work. Please make sure you check your comments and your e-mail regularly, and make sure you are finished with one assignment before moving to the next.

Since this weblog will be part of your education at Classic City High School, any activity on your weblog should be considered school activity, even if it is done outside of school. You should feel free to create posts that are not school related, but you should also be sure to refrain from anything that could be considered inappropriate. This includes, but is not limited to: references to alcohol or drugs, violence, or gang activity, foul language, nudity, threats, etc.

Plagiarism is submitting someone else's work as your own. This can be done in many ways: copying work from Wikipedia, classmates, Sparknotes, etc. If you plagiarize your work, you will receive a zero -- no questions asked.


THE USER AGREEMENT:

1. I agree to submit original work to my weblog. I realize I will have the opportunity to view my peers' work, and I will use this opportunity constructively. I understand that if I choose to plagiarize, I will receive a zero for the work in question with no option to redo the assignment in question.

2. I agree to keep my weblog appropriate for Classic City High School. I understand that if innapropriate material were to appear on my weblog, be it from myself or an outside comment, I will be asked to remove it. Failure to do so will result in my weblog being removed from the class roll. I also understand that refereneces to illegal or dangerous activities will be reported since it is the legal responsibility of my teacher.

Classroom Procedures and Expectations
Dana Siegmund
Classic City High School

NovaNet:
You are required to score at least an 80% on all post-tests.
You should take notes on all your lessons to use when you take the post-test. Pasting screen shots onto Powerpoint is not taking notes.
I will check your notebook four times during the semester, and these grades will be factored into your total NovaNet score.
I will not override prescriptions after your pretest, unless it is a special circumstance.
If you score lower than a 70 on a post-test, I will reassign prescriptions

Leaving the Classroom:
Please let me know you need to leave before doing so.
Once you leave, take care of your business and come right back. Do not disturb other classes.
If you plan to purchase anything from Jittery Joe’s, you will need the pass.
If your trip is not absolutely necessary, please do not be surprised if I say “no”.
If you are gone for 15 minutes of any class period, I will mark you absent.

Administrative Absences:
If you did not come to school to work, I will mark you absent and ask you to leave.
You shouldn’t take this personally.
There is a waiting list full of people waiting to be a student at Classic City High School PLC, and if you are not making the best use of your spot, it will soon be someone else’s.

Great Headphone Issue:
Some people work well with headphones and others do not.  If you choose to use headphones, you should have your own.  I have a couple sets that are reserved for projects that require them.  Students using headphones need to use them responsibly.  If your headphone use is disrupting yours or other students' work (completely at my discretion), your privileges will be suspended (see Internet Use as well).


Internet Use
The Internet is an extremely useful educational tool, but it can also be misused.  If your Internet use becomes detrimental to your progress (including music), your Internet privileges will be blocked.  Students who attempt to circumnavigate this decision will receive an administrative absence.
Food:Food is great. Pick up your trash.

Mobile Phones:
I will follow the mobile phone policy explained in the Classic City High School Handbook.
The Classroom:Please leave it in the condition you found it.
Push in your chairs.
Put books away.
Pick up after yourself. 


To agree, post a comment to this message like this:
I agree to Mr. Siegmund's Weblog User Agreement as well as his Classroom Procedures and Expectations.
I will not add your weblog to the class roll until I receive a comment from you like the example above.

Analytical Writing

Wayne's new world: A track-by-track breakdown of Lil Wayne's 'Rebirth'

Exemplary Work

Please take a moment to review some of the excellent work your classmates have been submitting this term.  Play special attention to how well each of these examples address the Georgia Performance Standards.

Jasmine Sigman -- Dark Romanticism and Realism

Shuntavia Smith -- Native American and Colonial Periods

Laura Benevides -- Romanticism and Transcendentalism