Welcome!!!

Contemporary Literature
I. OVERVIEW:
For the purpose of this course, contemporary literature shall be defined as those works published from 1946 to the present. Through the study of these works and an exploration of their themes, students will gain a deeper understanding of how certain issues affect them as individuals.  Our goal is that after a semester of studying contemporary issues through literature and developing related knowledge and critical thinking skills, students will become lifetime readers, more active citizens, and more compassionate human beings.

Upon successful completion of this one-semester class, students will be awarded a ½ credit of English, fulfilling half of the senior English requirement. Contemporary Literature is not for the student who is looking to slack off during his/her last semester of high school. It is a college preparatory class and student expectations are high.

II. MATERIALS: Due Wednesday 1/30
1. One notebook (any kind, as long as it is used exclusively for this course)
2. Blue/black pen or a pencil
3. A pocket folder (any kind, exclusive to this class)

III. CLASS PROCEDURES: When you enter the room:
1. Go straight to your seat and sit down before the bell rings.
2. Take out your notebook and whatever it is we have been working from – novel, packet, article, etc…
3. Begin immediately working on the Do Now.

IV. CLASS BEHAVIOR:
1. Please come to class on time. If you must be late, be sure you have a pass.
2. Please ask for the bathroom/nurse pass only in an emergency.
3. If you’re absent, you are responsible for getting and completing on time all of the work that you missed.
I will not chase you down to remind you of what you should be doing.

V. GRADING POLICY:
10% = HOMEWORK - All homework handed in on time earns an automatic 100%. Late (even one period) or incomplete HW will receive an automatic 50%. HW not handed in receives a zero.

10% = PARTICIPATION – reflective of your role as an active listener and member in class discussions, Socratic Circles, and group work, in addition to your preparation for class as indicated by having the requisite materials (notebook, pen, novel, etc.), and being “on-task”.

80% = TESTS and QUIZZES – these include exams, reading checks, essays, etc…All Tests will have double the weight of a quiz.

VI. SYLLABUS (tentative):
1.  All My Sons by Arthur Miller
2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
3. Other works included in the course anthology, The Conscious Reader

VII. FINAL ASSESSMENT:
Your Final Exam is a 5 page MLA literary research paper based on the literature we studied in this course. It, with Q3 + Q4 doubled, counts as 1/5th of the course average.

VIII. Class Blog – www.contemporaryriegger.blogspot.com

Some of your homework and/or classwork will appear on our class blog. Please be aware of the address. Since we are constantly coming across material for this class, the blog is a great way to access that material quickly.