Andrew Holyfield

World Literature

English 10
World Literature
Mr. Andrew

Homework:  REQUIRED.  Plan on 2-3 hours  week for reading and writing/revision assignments.

NOTE:  Some assignments will be required in the month of August before classes start at HuckleBerry in September.

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English 10 is a year-long English composition and reading course which fulfills A-G guidelines.
This course is a total of four units, separated into three trimesters. Each unit is centered around a
theme, including fiction, academic and creative non-fiction, and civil discourse, allowing
students to refine the drafting process of essay writing, implement cross-cultural analysis from
international texts, and dive deeper into philosophical inquiry and thematic synthesis across
texts. By the end of the academic year, students should have firm grasp on grammatical concepts
(the foundation which builds our writing), creative skills (the methods in which we express in
our writing), and how to research, articulate, and rebut a multi-layered thesis (a position).

Each class will review weekly assigned reading, unpacking plot, layered symbolism, and the
construction of sentences which stand out as examples of quality writing. This expectation will
force students to write academic-level responses, considering tone, diction, and syntactical
variety. Close reading will be a central cornerstone of class discussion, ensuring students can
analyze, extrapolate, and articulate literary elements within the text. Participation in class
discussion is encouraged. Grammar and syntax will also be reviewed in compartmentalized
lessons to ensure students have an understanding of age-appropriate paragraph construction.

Homework is assigned weekly, reflected on the Google Classroom (a code will emailed prior to
the in-person trimester beginning to all enrolled students and respective parents). Homework will
often include a portion of reading from the required text, and this will serve as a guide for
portions of in-class discourse. Writing assignments will parallel the text or lesson, ensuring
students can put into words what he/she is learning from the text and/or class lectures. Each
assignment will be worth 10 points. Each Unit is allotted one Key Assignment. Students will be
given plenty of time to complete each and will be expected to present their work to the class.
Each Key Assignment will be worth 100 points. Each assignment is graded and returned weekly
with written feedback. Student participation in class discussion and in-class work also contribute
to the trimester’s final grade. Please review the grading rubric below for more details.

A Final Portfolio will be due twice: before winter break and again at the end of the year.
This assignment will include handwritten notes taken by students during lectures, scanned copies
of key assignments with written feedback, and a letter of reflection discussing areas of growth
from each student. Students are reminded to keep returned, graded work so assignments can be
included in the portfolio. Plenty of time will be given for students to gather and prepare
materials.

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Fall

The fall trimester will include both Unit I and Unit II. That said, learning will start remotely a
few weeks before in-person instruction begins at Huckleberry, to ensure enough time is had to
complete both units. This is due to Huckleberry following a trimester system and guidelines
following a semester system, and, with fall being our longest session, it makes most sense to
front-load the work so that students can adjust and have lighter reading/course work as the year
progresses.

Unit I will prioritize how to identify themes from highly regarded works of literature. Our first
text is the magical surrealist magnum opus by Gabriel Garcia Márquez: One Hundred Years of
Solitude. This multi-generational saga is renowned for its thematic commentary the weight of
solitude in an aristocratic Colombian family, experimenting with stream of consciousness and the
subjective voice. Because this is our longest novel of the year, students should be expected to

keep up with the early reading pace set in August, established in the weeks leading up to in-
person instruction, set to begin in early September. During that interim, discussions will initially

be held via Google Classroom, with invitations sent via email.

Unit II will begin half-way through fall session and focus on argumentation. The reading will be
split across two novellas (short novels): The Death of Ivan Ilyich by acclaimed Russian novelist
Leo Tolstoy and Heart of Darkness by Polish-British Joseph Conrad set in the Congo. Weekly
assignments will focus on extrapolating layered symbolism, researching the time/culture around
the narrative, and unpacking the meaning of the writing.

Each Unit concludes with a Key Assignment. Unit I will end with an Argumentative Essay,
including a clear thesis, stipulated terms, and consistent research on a thought-provoking social
issue. Unit II will conclude with Literary Analysis Essay. Class discussion and close reading
skills will assist students in building upon their analytical skills. Students will present these to the
class and turn in physical copy. Written feedback and grade will be given and returned for
inclusion in each student’s portfolio, the first of which will be submitted in the first two weeks of
winter break.

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Winter

Unit III will build upon the previous session’s interdisciplinary reading and encourage students
to think critically and question the truth and source of information. The reading for this unit will
consist of two distinct modes of thought. The primary text this session will be James Joyce’s A
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. An early work, Joyce is contested as one of the greatest
authors of the 20th Century, experimenting in prose, structure, and voice. The second part of
winter session will center around selected essays from authors and political figures like
Churchill, Roosevelt, Reagan, Twain, and Kingsolver (Final selection will be made closer to
winter session). Class lectures will dissect in class while we review the Aristotelean rhetorical

appeals––Logos, Pathos, and Ethos––as well as logical fallacies. Students will learn to question
concepts like truth, reliable information, authority, and the value of autonomy.
The Key Assignment consists of either an Informative or Expository Essay on a relevant figure
or event in history. Students will present their findings in class on the final class of this trimester.
Due to the academic cycle, winter session will not include a portfolio (submitted after Unit II and
Unit IV). Thus, 20% of the grade will instead be allocated to class participation and attendance.
Details will be reviewed in class so all students understand how grades will be tallied.

Spring

Unit IV focuses on the individual human experience and how it is encapsulated in memoirs and
biographical writing. Our third trimester will center around the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir,
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. Students will unpack the layers of familial trauma and grit,
split between Depression-era Ireland and New York.
The spring session Key Assignment is to construct a Personal Narrative. Modeled after our
spring text, this can come in the form of an essay or multi-media project. This project will
incorporate the most common form of writing students will be faced with in the near future,
whether that be Personal Statements, Cover Letters, or Grant Applications.

Additionally, students will be working on a Final Project, to be submitted at the conclusion of the
academic year, prior to the second Portfolio. This assignment encompasses all of the theories,
ideas, and skills learned in class across all four Units. While students can start on this assignment
early, its recommended they pace themselves to best reflect their unique learning process and
pacing. This assignment can come in the form of a diary (4-6 entries), travel brochure, illustrated
timeline, comic/children’s book, newspaper, or educationally equivalent method, approved be
either myself or the student’s HST. This will be discussed in lecture.
Once the spring session has concluded, students will submit the second and final Portfolio.

Reading List

Fall (Unit I & II)
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Márquez
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy (novella)
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (novella)

Winter (Unit III)
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
Selected Essays

Spring (Unit IV)
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt

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Grade Rubric

40% Key Assignments
-Each Key Assignment must follow MLA guidelines, include work cited pages, and respond to
each prompt completely.
-In the trimester with two Key Assignments, each will hold a respective 20% value toward the
trimester grade.
40% Weekly Assignments
-Each assignment will be worth 10 points.
-This allotment of points includes both homework and in-class work which is turned in.
20% Portfolios
-In our fall and spring trimesters, 20% of the total grade is allocated to the portfolio.
OR
20% Attendance & Participation (Winter Session ONLY)
-Attendance is only reduced if student is absent without cause
-Parents or student need only send an email verifying absence to ensure full points
-If students aren’t keeping up with work or participating, points will be reduced.
-If student is struggling with assignments, he/she is encouraged to speak with me