WORLD LITERATURE SYLLABUS

DSST Byers High School

2017-2018
Contact Information

Instructors: Katie Hickey, Room: 11 Mike Bienkowski, Room: 4

Email: katie.hickey@scienceandtech.org , michael.bienkowski@scienceandtech.org
Mandatory Tutoring (Tri 1) - Wednesdays, 1:50 - 2:30
Phone: 303-524-6350
Mailing Address: DSST Byers High School, 150 S. Pearl St., Denver, CO 80209

Course Description

Literature is often the window that we use to understand not only ourselves, but others as well. In order to
ensure that our 10th grade students are prepared for a 21st century world, students will see World Literature as
an opportunity to understand what it means to be human. Students will wrestle with the central archetypes of
various stories throughout the year. Through understanding these archetypes, students will begin to understand
the human connection between various cultures and how differences and similarities between these people and
cultures make the world what it is today.

By the end of their sophomore year, students will have a basis of the foundational reading, writing, speaking,
listening, and critical thinking skills that they will need before college. Each of these will be broken down later
on, but in essence, students will increase their critical thinking and understanding of the world through a variety
of tasks.

Units of Study & Texts

Unit 1: Introduction to Critical Reading & Best How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas Foster
Practices, Literature as Content

Unit 2: The Epic and Heros Journey -- Warrior Quest The Epic of Gilgamesh (Herbert Mason translation)

Possible excerpts from:

The Iliad, The Odyssey, Beowulf, Genesis, and
Ramayana

Unit 3: Quest for Identity - Who am I? Who are we? Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Unit 4: World Poetry World Poetry: An Anthology of Verse from Antiquity to

Our Time

Unit 5: Vengeance and Jealousy Othello, William Shakespeare

Unit 6: Human Morality A Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Unit 7: Surrealism and the Absurd, Quest for Love Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
Samsa in Love, Haruki Murakami

Grading Policy
 Work Habits Proficiency
Assignments are graded for Assignments are graded for proficiency
completion/quality

Practice and Preparation, Formatives Summatives (end Finals (end of Trimesters)

Classwork and HW (weekly) of unit)

30% 20% 30% 20%

Classwork and assignments will include:

Short written responses

Close reading and Class Discussion
Socratic Seminars
Multiple Choice assessments
Journal Writing
Surveys and Questions / Mastery Checks on Google Classroom
Visual Projects
End of Unit Essays
Required Materials
Pens and / or pencil
Folder OR 3 ring binder to keep readings and handouts
Spiral for notes and Journaling
Note: Post-it notes and highlighters are recommended, but not required. These will be provided as needed.

Late Work Policy

In order to best prepare students for future success in high school and college, this course has a very clear late
policy. Students will be provided ample time to complete each summative and formative assignment; therefore,
unless extenuating circumstances are present, students will not be granted extensions.

Missed Work due to Absences

Students that are absent from school and are excused will have one additional day to make up work for every
day they missed. Students who are absent for an extended period of time should contact Ms. Hickey or Mr.
Bienkowski.

Missing Work, Make-Up Work and Late Work:

After absences students are responsible for making up missed homework, quizzes, and tests. There is a filing
crate at the back of the classroom labeled Make-up Work where all work from each class day will be filed by
day and date. Students are responsible for finding and completing make up work.

Lateness
Lateness will be counted as a separate Participation assignment (see table above)
Formative assignments will be accepted until end of unit
 Summative assignments will be accepted until end of trimester

If the student has questions about an assignments due date or the late policy, please contact Ms. Hickey or Mr.
Bienkowski.

Acceptable Work

All formative and summative work must be typed, submitted in the manner designated on the Assignment
Sheet, be in .doc or .docx format, and in proper MLA formatting (unless otherwise specified). If work is not
typed, not submitted to the correct area, and/or not in proper MLA format, it will be kicked back to you and you
will have 48 hours to correct work and resubmit with 10% point deduction. After 48 hours, the work is
considered late. This policy is designed to prepare you for the rigor of college.

MLA format entails: Proper heading, double spacing, 12 pt. Times New roman font, 1 inch margins, 1 space
between sentences, first line of paragraphs indented using the tab button, no title pages, title centered and not
bolded, italicized, etc.

Class Communications

All communications to and from students must go through DSST email. Check your email on a regular basis, at
least once a day during the school week, because this is how Ms. Hickey or Mr. Bienkowski will communicate
with you outside of class time.

Tips for Success in World Literature

Read and understand this Syllabus. A syllabus is like a contract between student and teacher so that both
know what to expect. Not understanding the syllabus will not exempt a student from what it states.

Read and understand Assignment Sheets. An assignment sheet is like a mini-syllabusit outlines in detail
exactly what is expected of you. Dont lose it, throw it away, or let it get crumpled in the bottom of your
backpack. Re-read the Assignment Sheet as you work on your assignment.

Prepare for situations when you will not be able to access the drives or your computer. If you know you
have spotty Internet, or will be away from your computer for a while, plan ahead, get your work done ahead of
time, and/or work while at school.

BACK UP YOUR WORK IN MULTIPLE WAYS (ex: external hard drive, USB stick, email it to yourself, Google
drive, etc.). Every year students lose work because they have not backed up their work in multiple waysdont
let this be you! IMPORTANT: You will not be excused from assignments or given extensions because your
computer died before you saved, you lost your USB stick, or some other set of circumstances that cause you to
lose your work. This policy is designed to help train you to anticipate and prepare for possible challenges that
can keep you from succeeding. It is also designed to keep things fairit is too easy for a student to say that he or
she lost their work when in reality simply late on an assignment.

Keep your computer fully charged. Seriously. Do it.

Have a growth mindset. No matter how hard it seems, you will get better at reading and critical thinking if you
fully invest yourself in this class and the learning process. Everything depends on your attitude. Putting the work
in now means that reading will be easier in all of your other classes.
Opt in to College Prep and/or Mandatory Tutoring if you are struggling, or just want some extra help.

DSST Policy on Plagiarism

Students will respect the intellectual property of others by using appropriate citation, refraining from all forms
of plagiarism, and abiding by federal copyright laws. Any of the following acts, without full acknowledgement of
the original source, are also violations of the Academic Honor Code:

Direct duplication by copying anothers work, whether from a book, article, web site, another students
assignment, etc.
Allowing another student to copy an assignment
Inclusion of images, text or other forms of media, in whole or in part, from the internet or other
electronic resource without proper citation
Duplication in any manner of another students work during a quiz, test, or exam
Possessing any unauthorized documents or resources during class time, including crib sheets, calculators
or the internet
Paraphrasing anothers work closely, with minor changes, but with the essential meaning, form, and/or
progression of ideas
Piecing together sections of other works into a new whole
Submitting ones own work that has previously been submitted for assessment purposes in another
subject or at another school
Producing assignments with other people (another student, a tutor) that should be ones own
independent work
Using often-quoted phrases without citation
Pressuring others to violate the Academic Honor Code
Presenting group work as independent work, or presenting an individuals work as that of a group
Falsifying or fabricating information, data, or sources

Student + Parent/Guardian Signature Date:

I have read through the Humanities syllabus and understand what it contains. I will ask questions when/if I
need clarification.

Student Signature:________________________________________________

Student Name:___________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature:_________________________________________________

Print Name:_____________________________________________________