IB Diploma Programme –HL Language A: Literature – English IV Course Syllabus – 2015/16
Jacksonville High School
Instructor:
Stephanie Kellum
Email:
Phone: 910-989-2048
Course Description:
This IB English A1, HL course offers students one of the higher level courses in the Jacksonville High School program. It will include a balance of literature chosen from a variety of cultures both at the national and international levels. The goal of this program is to offer students the opportunity to examine the artistic aspect of world literature as well as developing independent, original, critical, analytical thinkers. Students will be given many opportunities to develop powers of expression: writing, speaking, and listening in a variety of situations. By developing and improving skills in these areas, students will be encouraged to enjoy literature for a lifetime.
Course Objectives:
The objectives of the course will be achieved by providing students multiple opportunities to explore literature using a variety of methods. Through extensive literary analysis students will be able to examine and evaluate ideas about works of literature. Journal writing, analytical essays, and student discussions will be extensively used. This will provide students the practice necessary to become proficient and self-confident in literary analysis skills needed for IB internal and external assessments.
Requirements: Three (3) works of literature chosen from the IB Prescribed List of Authors (PLA). Each work must be from a different genre and 3 different authors must be used.
Genres – Drama, Autobiography, Poetry
· Hamlet by William Shakespeare
· Black Boy by Richard Wright
· Selected poetry of Sylvia Plath
The culmination of Part 2 will be a final Individual Oral Commentary (IOC) assessed internally by the instructor which will count as 15% toward the final IB score in English but is audited by IB for accuracy in scoring. This also counts as the mid-term exam in January which means EVERY student is responsible for this assignment. Detailed information about this (IOC) can be found in this packet.
Requirements: Four (4) works of literature from the same genre from the IB Prescribed List of Authors (PLA). Each work is written by a different author both in Part 3 as well as the rest of the course of study.
Genre – Drama
· Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard
· Master Harold and the Boys by Athol Fugard
· A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
· The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
The culmination of Part 3 will be a final Essay which will count as 25% toward the final IB score in English. Detailed information about this Essay can be found in this packet.
Course Subject Matter:
Please understand that some of these works contain mature themes such as sexuality, violence, religion, and objectionable language that may contradict your own values and which, at times, you may find offensive. However, understand that by reading these novels, we are not condoning the actions or language found in these pages. By learning to analyze what we may find foreign and questionable and to express our views and opinions about said material, it helps to increase our understanding of the world and those who inhabit it – one of the main objectives of the IB Language A1 program. All material for this course comes directly from the IB Prescribed Reading List (PRL) or the IB Prescribed List of Authors (PLA).
Supplies:
· Three-ring binder – 2 inch
· Writing journal
· Loose leaf paper
· Dividers
· Pen or pencil
· Colored pencils
· highlighters
Assessment:
IB external assessments
Essay writing
Journal writing
Oral presentations
Literary term vocabulary development
Group and individual projects
Internal Assessments (grading policy):
In class writing / activities 30%
Out of class assignments (essays / journals) 40%
Quizzes / tests / in-class presentations 30%
Senior Grad Project 50% of the third 6-weeks grade
LANGUAGE A: LITERATURE ASSESSMENT OUTLINE – HL
When / Assessment Component / Weightingoutside the curriculum
Part 3
Part 1 / External Assessment (4 hours)
Paper 1: Literary commentary (2 hours)
The paper consists of 2 passages: one prose and one poetry.
Students choose one and write a literary commentary. (20 marks)
Paper 2: Essay (2 hours)
The paper consists of 3 questions for each literary genre.
In response to one question, students write an essay based on at least 2 works studied in Part 3. (25 marks)
Written Assignment (WA)
Students submit a reflective statement and literary essay on 1 work studied in Part 1 from the PLT.
The reflective statement must be 300-400 words in length.
The essay must be 1,200-1,500 words in length.
The essay will be revised in your senior year. / 70%
20%
25%
25%
Part 2
Part 4 / Internal Assessment (IA)
This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by IB at the end of the course.
Individual Oral Commentary and discussion (IOC&D) (20 minutes)
Formal oral commentary on poetry studied in Part 2 with subsequent questions (10 min.) followed by a discussion based on one of the other Part 2 works (10 min.).
(30 marks)
Individual Oral Presentation (IOP) (10-15 minutes)
The presentation is based on works studied in Part 4. It is internally assessed and externally moderated through the Part 2 internal assessment task. (30 marks) / 30%
15%
15%
Part 2 – Fall Senior Year
Individual Oral Commentary and Discussion (IOC) (15% of A1 Assessment)
The following is an explanation of the requirements for the assessment attached to the Part 2 study of this course:
Part 2 Selections: Genres – Drama, Autobiography, Poetry
· Hamlet by William Shakespeare
· Black Boy by Richard Wright
· Selected poetry of Sylvia Plath
The Commentary:
· The commentary lasts for 10 minutes (with 20 minutes preparation time), in response to an extract from one of the works listed above. The first 8 minutes of this time is uninterrupted and the final 2 minutes will include questions about the extract asked by the instructor.
· The extract must be chosen randomly, and you will not know beforehand which extracts will be chosen.
· The commentary will come from the poetry only.
· Both the commentary and the discussion are recorded and a random selection is sent to IB for external moderation.
· This commentary will only be conducted once. No two students will receive the same extract. Once an extract is randomly chosen by a student, it will not be used again.
The Discussion:
· Because you are HL (Higher Lever) students, you will complete your commentary on the poetry text and additionally undertake a discussion with the instructor based on another Part 2 work, which lasts for a further 10 minutes.
· The higher level discussion takes place immediately following the commentary with NO lapse in the recording.
· The discussion will focus on one of the two works in this section other than the poetry.
· The purpose of this discussion is for the student to provide a detailed, intrinsic reading of the extract, with only passing reference to the work as a whole. Questions asked by the teacher should be used as a springboard from which to develop your response.
· Remember – this is not an opportunity for you to be caught unaware, it is an opportunity to show what you know.
Part 3 – Spring Senior Year
Papers 1 and 2 – Literary Commentary (20% of A1 Assessment) and
Essay (25% of A1 Assessment)
The following is an explanation of the requirements for these crucial grades.
Paper 1 – Literary Commentary
This paper will count 20% toward your final IB score in English. It is based on a work you have not studied. This is not a reason to panic. Your exposure to each of the works throughout your two years in IB English should more than prepare you for this paper.
Step 1: Choose one work (the passage or the poem) for your commentary.
Step 2: Follow these guidelines for the best response possible:
1. Read the passage once for a quick overview, a second time to get a feel for the language, and a third time after having planned your paper to see if it still works.
2. Plan your paper. How are you going to structure your ideas? What key lines must you talk about? How does the beginning of the passage connect to the ending?
3. Find a focus. It should fit the passage rather than making the passage fit it.
4. Introductions and conclusions frame your paper. Try for swift, incisive entries and thoughtful exits.
5. Avoid narration. Remember analysis rather than summary. Show how meaning is created. The reader needs to be led to see “the hand of the writer.”
6. Assess effects of literary features. Be sensitive to the effect created by the author’s choice of words.
7. Use language appropriate to the discussion. Be conscious of the difference between prose and poetry.
8. Adopt a neutral, objective voice without losing your own personal flair.
9. Use specific references and integrate them seamlessly.
10. Edit and revise as much as time allows.
This paper will be written during the IB “exam time” for “English A Literature HL paper 1” the morning of Monday, May 2, 2016. You are given 2 hours for this paper.
Paper 2 – Essay
This paper will count 25% toward your final IB score in English. It is based on the works you will study in Part 3 – Literary Genres – Drama. While you may be more comfortable in the knowledge that you have already read the works you are to address, this paper may be more challenging than the commentary. Here are some suggestions:
Step 1: Focus on detailed knowledge and a deeper understanding of each work.
Step 2: Understand the literary genre and conventions of the works.
Step 3: Realize that this essay will be a comparison and contrast of 2 or more works in this section.
2 works MUST be used or you will incur a penalty. Students who use 3 works can extend themselves too far to be able to effectively respond in the time allotted. 2 works would be a safe choice.
Step 4: Follow these guidelines for the best response possible:
1. Know the four works in Part 3. You CANNOT use another drama piece from a different part.
2. Choose an appropriate question for the works you know. Pick a question that fits the works you know best.
3. Respond to the whole question, not just art of it. Expand the question to include all of the aspects being assessed. Try not to rewrite the question by changing terms. Use the language of the question in your response.
4. Plan your essay response. Structure should appear intentional, not accidental. Find a focus. It should fit the question rather than making the question fit it.
5. Avoid narration and generalizations. Retell only what is necessary to illuminate your thesis. General statements need to be made relevant by including specific details. Remember analysis rather than summary. Introductions and conclusions should frame your paper. Try for swift, incisive entries and thoughtful exits.
6. Assess effects for literary features. Be sensitive to the effect created by the author’s choice of words. Show how meaning is created.
7. Use language appropriate to the discussion of the genre you are discussing.
8. Adopt a neutral, objective voice without losing your own personal flair.
9. Use specific references and integrate them seamlessly. However, you must realize that no texts are allowed in the examination room. Being able to quote speeches found in specific scenes means nothing if they are not used in the correct context. Details come in many forms and they need to be there.
10. Edit and revise as much as time allows.
This paper will be written during the IB “exam time” for “English A Literature HL paper 2” the morning of Tuesday, May 3, 2016. You are given 2 hours for this paper.
Language A: literature and Theory of Knowledge
The study of literature offers many possibilities for the questioning and reflection that form the basis of theory of knowledge (TOK). The language A: literature course focuses on different approaches to reading literary works. It encourages close analysis of language, as well as an understanding of the different perspectives presented through literature and the ways in which these are informed by, and interact with, the student’s own culture(s). All of these activities require students to engage in knowledge inquiry, critical thinking and reflection. The following questions are adapted from the Theory of Knowledge guide. They are intended to assist teachers in challenging students to explore the methods of study in the field of literature and to enhance students’ critical reflection on related knowledge issues, ways of knowing and areas of knowledge.
• Is a work of literature enlarged or diminished by interpretation? What makes something a good or bad interpretation?
• How can a literary work of fiction, which is by definition non-factual, convey knowledge?
• What is the proper function of literature—to capture a perception of reality, to teach or uplift the mind, to express emotion, to create beauty, to bind a community together, to praise a spiritual power, to provoke reflection or to promote social change?
• Does familiarity with literature itself provide knowledge and, if so, of what kind—knowledge of facts, of the author, of the conventions of the form or tradition, of psychology or cultural history, of oneself?
•What knowledge of literature can be gained by focusing attention on the author? Can, or should, authors’ intentions and the creative process itself be understood through observing authors or knowing something of their lives? Is the creative process as important as the final product, even
though it cannot be observed directly? Are an author’s intentions relevant to assessing the work? Can a work of art contain or convey meaning of which the artist is oblivious?
• What knowledge of literature can be gained by focusing attention solely on the work itself, in isolation from the author or the social context?