The Newman School
Boston, MA
Brad L. Riggs
briggs@newmanboston.org
Name of Course:
English Higher Level – Grade 11 - 12
Course Description:
This course begins a two year long course that examines the nature of the individual in the larger context of the world we live. Students will read texts, short stories, plays, and poetry from around the world see listed below. Upon reading these texts, students will work on some analysis about the larger world and how they work into it. What is the self in terms of society? Standard Level students will write World Lit papers 1 of 1000-1500 words to be assessed externally. After the paper is completed and students are well into their research, they will present a 10-15 minute oral presentation with a media component that explains and addresses the search for self that the topics address. Students will also record an Oral Commentary to assessed externally as well.
Along with extensive reading and written analysis, students will build a larger world view through discussion of cultural topics through their readings while engaging in the IB philosophy of intellectual risk taking, caring for others, principled, open-minded, balanced, and reflective communicators. The course will also be concerned with how to integrate math, sciences, history, art, and secondary languages
Topics:
Topics considered in this course include, but are not limited to the following bulleted list.
1. Selfhood
2. Personality
3. Social memory
4. Family
5. The Quest and purpose
Assessment:
The teacher will assess the students progress with periodical conferences and require students to keep all notes and researched organized along with adhering to a time-line agreed upon with the teacher at the conferences. Further, external assessment will take place with the essays being graded using the IB-criterion. Specifics listed below.
External Assessment 70%
Written Exam Papers 1 & 2 50% from Part Three works
Paper 1 commentary 2hrs 25%
Paper 2 Essay 2hrs 25%
World Literature Assessment 10%
Comparative study of at least two Part One works
Individual Oral Commentary 10% from Part Two works
Individual Oral Presentation 10% from Part Four works
Resources: See attached for list of IB-Approved texts a teacher may choose from
Part 1: World Lit. 3
Rickshaw Boy
Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima
Six Characters in Search of an Author
Pt 2: Detailed Study. 3
2.1: Othello
2.2: Yeats, Whitman, Langston Hughes
2.3: Things Fall Apart: Achebe
2.4:
Pt 3: Groups of Works (Non Fiction). 4
3.4
Emerson essays
Thoreau Walden
Du Bois
Doris Lessing
Pt Four: 3
House on Mango Street
Nervous Conditions: Tsitsi Dhangerimba
Animal Farm (Centennial Edition);
Supplemental required:
Ib English A1 : Higher Level and Standard Level