Tenth Grade Humane Letters is devoted primarily to reading, discussing, and writing on nine great books of the modern European tradition. A secondary, yet essential, part of the course is the study of European history from the Late Middle Ages to the end of World War II. Although the course presents a general overview of European life and thought, special emphasis is placed on political and societal change. Such change is explored through the study of history and of five works of political philosophy and reflected as well in the imaginative literature of the period. One particular change to which much attention is given is the historical development and theoretical justification of modern constitutional government. Attention is also given to questions of the basis of property rights, the transformation from subject to citizen, the birth and growth of modern ideologies in the 19th and 20th centuries, the causes and effects of revolution, the ever-present conflict between individual and community, and the political understanding of what it means to be human.
Required Texts:
William Shakespeare, Henry V
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Alexander Solzhenitsyn, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
John Locke, Second Treatise on Government (in Political Writings)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto
NOTE: It is required that you have the same books with the same translators and ISBN numbers as your teacher and classmates. Please see the Scottsdale Prep consumable list for the most current list of books and ISBN numbers.
Course Syllabus
Humane Letters
10th Grade
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Tenth Grade Humane Letters is devoted primarily to reading, discussing, and writing on great books of the modern European tradition. A secondary, yet essential, part of the course is the study of European history from the Late Middle Ages to the end of World War II. Although the course presents a general overview of European life and thought, special emphasis is placed on political and societal change. Such change is explored through the study of history and of works of political philosophy and reflected as well in the imaginative literature of the period. One particular change to which much attention is given is the historical development and theoretical justification of modern constitutional government. Attention is also given to questions of the basis of property rights, the transformation from subject to citizen, the birth and growth of modern ideologies in the 19th and 20th centuries, the causes and effects of revolution, the ever-present conflict between individual and community, and the political understanding of what it means to be human. Additionally, the following questions we be revisited many times:
What does a well-organized human society look like? Is it possible?
What makes a good king? Can a good king be a good man?
What makes a good law? Are the rights of many more important than the rights of one?
What makes something natural? If something is denatured, is it ruined or improved?
Are manners more important than honesty? Is pride good?
What is a human being?
What makes something good?
Class Materials
Students should bring their literature text, any notes, a notebook, writing instruments, and their history text (when applicable) to class every day.
I. To develop habits of (1) intelligent, careful, critical reading;
(2) rational, precise, courteous discussion;
(3) logical, fluent, textually supported writing.
II. To become familiar with the key people, events, dates, causes and effects in Modern European history.
III. To foster a sense of wonder, a love of learning, as well as the pursuit and attainment of truth.
The texts we will read in this seminar can be divided into three classifications: (a) Works of Imaginative Literature, (b) Treatises of Political Philosophy, and (c) Reference Books.
A. Imaginative Literature:
1. William Shakespeare, Henry V
2. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
3. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
4. Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
5. Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
6. Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
B. Political Philosophy:
1. John Locke, Second Treatise on Government (in Political Writings)
2. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
3. Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto
C. Reference Books:
1. The Making of the West (MW), ed., L. Hunt et al. (Chapters 13-26)
Course Expectations
STUDENT EVALUATION:
Student work is evaluated according to three major criteria: participation in classroom discussions, the writing of five-paragraph essays, and performance on history tests. A student’s first necessary task is to read the assigned texts carefully, critically, completely, and on time: attentive reading is an absolutely essential precondition of participation in classroom discussions and of writing intelligent essays. A key component to attentive reading is note taking, and annotations. Annotating the text is mandatory and book checks will frequently be used in lieu of reading quizzes. To ensure faithful completion of reading assignments short, unannounced quizzes are frequently given.
Attributes of Successful Students
Successful students develop and cultivate a serious and consistent curiosity, as well as a manifest passion for discovering truth. Other traits of high achieving students in this course are
Daily preparation for intelligent discussion of the assigned reading
Asking questions and attempting answers
Admitting ignorance, but pursuing knowledge of what is not known
Textually supporting comments, questions, and insights during seminar
Falling in love with that which is Good, True, and Beautiful
After School in 223 Monday/Thursday in 223 from 2:40 - 3:05
Assignments and Assessments
Thoughtful, informed, and charitable participation is required for a successful seminar class.
Students should strive for all of the following in seminar:
Relying on the text to create ideas and to support them
Responding directly and inferentially to peers’ comments
Putting together ideas from multiple sources to answer the opening question
Scholarly body language
Asking questions from the text
Consistent verbal engagement during the seminar
The participation grade is a fluid mixture of quantitative and qualitatively expressed ideas. There is no number of times a student must speak during one seminar to earn an excellent grade.
Aim for a consistent demonstration of your sense of wonder. Strive, with your words and body language, to work towards a more perfect understanding of the text and question at hand every day. This daily demonstration of genuine curiosity and inquiry leads to success in participation.
Expect at least 3 quizzes a week, regardless of history, philosophy, or literature. These quizzes will cover basic concepts, important details, and the quality of reading completed.
Exams will cover 1-2 chapters from The Making of the West. Paragraph and essay writing within the tests will make up a portion of the exam, while multiple choice, identification, and matching will complete them. Writing on exams will focus on looking at historical data through the lens of figures we have studied and read from in class.
Essays
Twice per quarter students will brainstorm, draft, and polish a 5-paragraph essay directly answering a prompt from one of the texts of the course. As these are thesis driven essays that seek to better understand the book at hand, it is crucial that students check in frequently with their teacher to ensure that their work is sufficiently clear, profound, and on-topic. Time in class will be devoted to essay writing, however appointments during Lyceum and before and after school may also be necessary. Students will be required to leave their literature text in the classroom the day we begin working on the essay for that particular text. All writing of the essays will take place in school in a writing notebook (provided), either in class or in the Writing Lab. Two drafts for every essay will be required, one rough and one final. Given that essays are handwritten, they MUST be legible, otherwise students must rewrite and their essay will be considered late. Essays are analytic, not summative, in nature. Direct analysis of well-chosen quotations is necessary for progress and success in essay writing. While a greater explanation of writing guidelines, criteria, and expectations will shortly be provided, be aware that essays must always contain the following:
A critical and clear answer to the prompt with strong textual evidence
Correct grammar
Sound logic
Persuasive rhetoric
Perfect MLA citations
Per Great Hearts policy, grades are not written on essays. Students are requested to focus on the comments provided to them on their work for praise and for areas of improvement. Mr. White will be very happy to share your grade with you following a conversation about the strengths and weaknesses of your essay. These conversations are by appointment. Grades will be published two days after essays are handed back in order to foster these conversations.
Essay Late Policy (Humane Letters):
Students will be required to leave their literature text in the classroom on the final seminar day for that particular text. All essay writing will take place in the provided writing notebook, either in class, tutoring, or the Writing Lab. If a student is absent, they will be allowed to use the next four Writing Lab opportunities per essay-writing day missed before their essay is due. For example, if a student misses two days of essay writing, they will have the next eight Writing Lab opportunities to finish their essay. If the Writing Lab is offered twice in one day, those are considered two separate opportunities. We are doing our utmost to ensure your student receives an exemplary writing education, and as such we seek to create as studious and controlled an environment as possible.
Other Assignments: Assignments turned in one day late will receive a 50%, and any following days will receive a 0.
Course Work
Percentage
Participation
40%
Essays
25%
Quizzes
15%
History Exams
20%
TOTAL
100%
The final semester grade will be calculated as such:
1st Quarter Final Grade 45%
2nd Quarter Final Grade 45%
Final Exams 10%
Academic Policies and Institutional Resources
Academic Policies and Procedures:
All student work (tests, quizzes, homework, projects) will be returned within one week of submission, with minor exceptions. Essays will be returned within two weeks of submission. Please refer to Scottsdale Prep’s Family Handbook pp. 26-38 for more information on the academy’s policies.
About religion: One cannot be a great student without understanding the impact that religion has made, therefore, we will learn about religion in class. However, any teaching on religion will be taught in the historical or literary context. These discussions are meant to better learn about the people and what they believed in their time and should in no way shape or form be misconstrued that the teacher’s beliefs are being pushed on a student. Personal beliefs will not be focused on, rather simply seeking to understand how these religions affected the people’s lives.
About sensitive topics: We will be talking about sensitive topics at times pertaining to religion, morality, justice, politics, and values. At these times, students must remain mature and never get into heated arguments that attack other people’s views or beliefs. We can have discussions on these topics, and we should, but they cannot be taken personally or should not be an attempt to attack other students. Any attempt to attack another student will result in disciplinary measures.
A FINAL NOTE
All those involved in the seminar, teacher and student, agree to the following:
· I will read in good faith every night.
· I will humbly and completely engage in each conversation to aid the communal search for truth.
· I will, without prejudice, defer to the quietest contributor of the seminar, the author of the text.
· I will use my language as precisely as possible to be better understood by my peers, teacher, and myself.
· By these means, I hope to be a free learner.