Syllabus: 11

th
Grade English Language Arts
British Literature
Ms. Murray
2014-2015

Contact Information:

Teacher: Danielle Murray
Classroom: 318
Email: dmurray@bostonpublicschools.org
Phone: 617-817-4520
Class Webpage: BrightonMurray.weebly.com


Essential Question:
How does literature REFLECT and AFFECT the society in which it is written?

Grading Policies:

Your grades will be available on our ASPEN page. Your grade will be made up of the following:

20%: Homework - given daily, either reading (to be graded by reading quizzes), or
worksheets/writing. If homework is to be passed in and is LATE, you may turn it in until the
next MONDAY. It will lose points for being late. It will not be accepted after the next MONDAY.

20%: Classwork- A weekly grade will be given based on attendance, focus, participation and
class work.

50%: Tests/Essays/Projects- Both in class and take home essays will be given throughout the
year.

10%: Quizzes- These will include a weekly vocabulary quiz and any daily reading quizzes. Your
lowest score will be dropped.

Materials:
You will need the following:

- a three ring binder with LOTS of paper! It should have three sections: notes,
vocabulary and handouts.
- a pen/pencil
- your classroom text


Tardiness and Absences:
Tardiness and absences affects your learning and disrupts class. Therefore:

1. 1 minute of tardiness will result in 5 minutes of detention.
2. Detention must be served on the day of the tardiness, unless previously discussed.
3. Absences will decrease your class grade and the class work must be completed.

Expectations:

1. Respect- language, attitude, actions
2. Responsibility- make up work, do your OWN work, communicate with classmates and
teacher
3. Communicate when there are concerns in or out of class.

Units of Study:
The order may change, and some units may be changed, depending on our class goals and work.

Unit One: Anglo-Saxon Literature
Texts: Beowulf, The Seafarer, The Wanderer,
The Wifes Lament

Unit Two: Middle English and Englands
First Great Writer
Text: Chaucers Canterbury Tales

Unit Three: The English Renaissance
Text: Macbeth, supplementary texts by
Marlowe, Spencer, etc.

Unit Four: Restoration and the
Enlightenment and the Romantic Age
Texts: Essays by Pope, Johnson, Gray and
writings by Wollstonecraft, as well as poems
by Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron,
Shelly, Keats

Unit Five: The Victorian Age
Texts: Jane Eyre, Dracula. and
supplementary texts

Unit Six: Wit and Wilde on Stage
Text: The Importance of Being Earnest

Unit Seven: Science Fiction
Text: The Time Machine

Unit Eight: Utopian Literature
Texts: Anthem, 1984

Unit Nine: Anarchy in Literature
Text: The Lord of the Flies

Unit Ten: The Cruelty Within
Text: Silas Marner

Unit Eleven: Products of Society
Text: In Cold Blood

Unit Twelve: Persuasive Essay
Text: Various

A FINAL NOTE:
Good communication is very important to me. If you do not understand something,
please let me know. I can talk with you before, during, or after classes. I will always be
willing to meet after school. If you are having trouble with the work, it is my
responsibility to help you! I can only do that if you communicate with me. Also, if
something is going on outside or inside of class that is distracting you, please let me
know. I am very flexible and understanding if I know something is going on. PLEASE
do not wait for weeks to let me know!