Plan+for+First+year+Lit+class+till+the+summer+break


 * __ English Literature syllabus plan for the period till summer break, 2012 __**


 * ** November ** - By the second week, we will be done with the discussions on **//Pygmalion//**. I will be distributing the novel, **//Hour of the Star//**- Clarice Lispector to all the students so that they can start their reading. I expect that to be completed in two weeks. In the interim period lasting till the winter break, I will be covering a selection of poems by **John Donne, Browning** and **Sylvia Plath** (At least 2 poems each). This will go on till the end of the first week of **December**.

**__ IMPORTANT TO NOTE __**__ - __ The presentation is based on works studied/discussed in part 4. It is internally assessed and externally moderated through the **part 2** internal assessment task.
 * In **January**, 2012, we will be taking up **//Antigone// by Sophocles** for discussion. In the mean time, you will also decide on the topic or theme you want to do your **IOP**(Individual Oral Presentation) on. You will be given an **IOP** proposal form beforehand. You will put your proposal before me and I will approve or guide you on what is a feasible topic as well as give a presentation on the entire procedure of the **IOP**. The final presentations will take place just before the Annual exam in the beginning or middle of April, so you will have sufficient time to prepare for it on your own. Please consider this seriously as they constitute a major chunk of your internal assessment. (15%). Presentations may take place during class time or after school, so be prepared for some flexibility. You will be notified in advance about it. **(30 marks)**

Trimester Grades- For February- Based on Blog entries, and in class essay 50%- Blog entries (at least 3) & 50% -In -class essay (Due 10th February-2012)
 * In **January**, **February and March**, we will continue with **Part 1** of the syllabus (Works in Translation), your section which calls for a World Lit Essay, **supervised writing** as well as a **reflective statement.** The reflective statement is of **300-400** words in length while the formal World lit essay is between **1200-1500** words strictly. This part is actually worked out in four stages.
 * Stage one- **The Interactive Oral**
 * Stage two- **The Reflective statement**
 * Stage three- **Developing the topic- Supervised writing**
 * Stage four- **Production of the formal essay** **//(1200-1500)//** words.


 * ** February - //A Doll’s House// by H. Ibsen **
 * Stage one- **The Interactive Oral**
 * Stage two- **The Reflective statement**
 * Stage three- **Developing the topic- Supervised writing**


 * **March** - ** //Chronicle of a Death Foretold//- G.G Marquez **
 * Stage one- **The Interactive Oral**
 * Stage two- **The Reflective statement**
 * Stage three- **Developing the topic- Supervised writing**


 * ** April - ** Preparation for your **IOP** and presentation. Also, practice writing for paper 1


 * ** May- Annual Exam- ** Schedule already known. Trimester Grades- Based on Annual Final Exam marks

** Remember, this is a rough plan and might be subjected to minor changes here and there. As far as possible, we will stick to this. Over the summer break, you will be required to read all the works in part 3 of the syllabus as well as work on your first draft of the WLE. ** ** Details about your Individual Oral Presentation ** **The oral presentation ** It is in this part of the course, more than anywhere else, that students can choose an assessment activity that is suited to their own interests and abilities. **Essentials ** Students must be able to show their knowledge and understanding of the work(s) used for the presentation. Students must choose a manner of presentation that matches the chosen style of delivery and use strategies to make the presentation interesting for the audience. The choice of language must be suited to the type of activity and style of delivery. It could be an informal register if the student is attempting to convey the voice of a character in a role play, or it could be a formal register if they choose to present an analysis. Discussion must follow the presentation, so it is best conducted as a class activity or an activity done in front of an audience. **Rationale ** The aim is to give an incentive for students to develop their oral presentation skills in an area that interests them. Presentations may take the form of: This task rehearses a life skill that will assist students to develop confidence in future situations. Part of the authenticity of the task is that students need to think hard about the audience they are addressing and how they can best interest those people. They will also be required to field questions on their topic. In no case may the student read from a prepared talk. This is clearly stated in the “Internal assessment” section of the subject guide (see “Guidance and authenticity”). The teacher’s role is to: **Points to keep in mind ** **Marking the individual oral presentations ** Teachers are required to use the criteria for the individual oral presentation to mark the students’ work. There are separate set criteria for SL and HL. The same skills are assessed, but HL students are expected to show more depth of understanding and thoughtfulness in matching the topic with the style of presentation and in choosing strategies to engage the audience. There is no requirement to record the presentation but doing so assists in the marking process and in conducting in-school moderation. **<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">Using the descriptors ** <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">Please note the following changes from language A1. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">The mark for the individual oral presentation is added to the mark for the individual oral commentary (and HL discussion) and then divided by two. Translation can be a linguistic bridge into another culture and may illuminate our understanding of some aspects of that culture. Different translations of the same work will differ; when exploring the “literariness” of the work it is worth keeping in mind that the translator has used craft in finding equivalent words and art in working to convey literary elements such as the style and tone of the original author. If possible, compare different translations of the same work—even short extracts. This is a valuable exercise that highlights issues such as: Choosing works in translation for part 1  The works must be **titles** chosen from the prescribed literature in translation (PLT) list: two works at SL and three works at HL.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">delivering a straight analytical or critical talk
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">trying out acting abilities in role play
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">working with another student
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">developing debating skills.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">assist students to choose a style of presentation that is suited to the student and the topic
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">liaise with the student to make sure that the presentation will address the three assessment criteria
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">ensure that each student’s presentation lasts for 10–15 minutes
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">lead a follow-up discussion.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">Where students work together to deliver a presentation the teacher must apply the assessment criteria separately to each student. In such a situation, teachers are strongly advised to record the presentation visually to assist with assessment.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">If students choose to use role play they need to include a rationale that explains what they are trying to achieve with the performance.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">If students use visual aids such as a PowerPoint® presentation, they need to be taught how to use such devices effectively. For example, students should not read from a large number of slides. This would, in effect, be similar to reading from a prepared talk and unlikely to engage the audience.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">Students should select their own topic and plan their presentation alone, albeit with the teacher’s guidance.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">Presentation topics should not be repeated between students.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">Students have only one attempt, which should be treated as an examination.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">The time limit for the task is 10–15 minutes, including questions, and ideally some brief discussion as a class. Do not let students go on for longer than the time limit allows.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">Make sure students are made familiar with the assessment criteria throughout the process of planning and conducting their presentation.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">The internal assessment task for part 4, the individual oral presentation, now has separate criteria and there is a distinct difference between the skills being assessed in part 2 and those in part 4 of the course.
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">The level descriptors for criterion C: Languages assess the same degree of competency at SL and HL.
 * **//__<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: 16pt;">Details about your written assignment: __//**
 * what is translated
 * how it is translated
 * how it is received in translation
 * what is lost in translation.

The written assignment process  Stage 1: The interactive oral   There are many ways to organize an interactive oral. The demonstration in the // Language A teacher //// support film // shows four students each presenting a different aspect of a work, followed by class discussion, and this works very well for that group of students. However, it is just one of any number of ideas that would work in the classroom. ** Essentials ** At least one interactive oral must be conducted for each work studied. Each student should have some specific role in one of the orals (across all the works studied). The prompts that students work with must require them to probe into the cultural and contextual underpinnings of the work and to consider how these considerations affect their understanding of the work. The orals ideally should be an integral part of teaching the work, not an artificial “add-on”. The following suggestions show the range of possible types of interactive orals. In all cases it is advisable to ensure the prompts (or stimulus for discussion) have a tight focus that relates directly to a specific part of the work. Stage 2: The reflective statement ** Essentials ** It must be written as soon as possible following the interactive oral. It is advisable for students to take notes during the interactive oral discussion to assist them in writing the reflective statement. Each student must write one reflective statement on each work studied. Where there is more than one interactive oral on a work, which is likely, writing on each interactive oral is advised, but optional. Students must know that the reflective statement on the work on which the essay is written will be assessed, along with the essay. There is one guiding question for the reflective statement, which is: “Context” refers to all possible contexts. It is intended to embrace the cultural underpinnings of the works by looking at specifics such as: “Developed” is the other key word in the question. It is a personal statement that is most likely to be written in the first person, and should be an honest account of the evolution of understanding. If the student feels that they have not really learned anything, then they should reflect on what they still do not understand. The aim is to ensure the focus of discussion is sufficiently challenging so that students will be stimulated to think more deeply about some aspect of the work. The criterion by which students are assessed uses the same words as the question on which the reflective statement is based. If they answer this honestly and fully, then they should be able to achieve the three points. Sample reflective statement  Example 3 is a sample of what a reflective statement on // Fathers and Sons // by Ivan Turgenev might look like. The question that must be addressed is written at the top of the reflection; the title and the author of the work used are also clearly stated. Stage 3: Developing the topic—supervised writing ** Essentials ** At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher should provide three or four prompts for the work studied. The students must not have seen these prompts prior to the lesson. Supervised writing is intended to stimulate independent thinking and choice of topic. It must be in continuous prose. However, the format is not prescribed—it could be journal writing, or it may be more like a draft. At this stage, it is no longer important to consider the cultural or contextual elements of the work. The students complete three pieces of supervised writing and their essay topic must be generated by one of them. The link between the final choice of title and the supervised writing does not have to be direct, but there must be a recognizable germ of an idea that can be tracked. When students are deciding on which work to write (and hence which piece of supervised writing to use as a starting point), it is not the quality of the supervised writing that counts, but the link with the essay. Teachers must play a key role in helping the student to develop from the supervised writing a tightly focused title for the essay. The examples below demonstrate how prompts for the supervised writing can lead to a precise title for the essay. Supervised writing prompts and essay titles ** Prompt: ** In what ways are the voices of history and tradition present in the work? ** Work: ** // God’s Bits of //// Wood // by Sembène Ousmane ** Essay title: ** Age and wisdom: The significance of Ramatoulaye in // God’s Bits of //// Wood // ** Prompt: ** To what extent is the natural landscape important for the impact of the work? ** Work: ** // The Sorrow of War // by Bao Ninh ** Essay title: ** How the landscape affects the outcome for Kien in // The Sorrow of War // ** Prompt: ** How does the writer convey a sense of time passing in the work? ** Work: ** // One Day in the Life of Ivan //// Denisovich // by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn ** Essay title: ** The significance of time for Shukhov in // One day in the Life of Ivan //// Denisovich // ** Prompt: ** How are different voices used to express thoughts and feelings? What effect do these have on your responses to the poems? ** Work: ** Selected poems of Derek Walcott ** Essay title: ** Allegiance and identity in the poems of Derek Walcott ** Prompt: ** In what ways is memory important in the work? ** Work: ** // Jane Eyre // by Charlotte Brontë ** Essay title: ** The significance of memory for Jane in // Jane Eyre // ** Prompt: ** How do external and internal structures work together? ** Work: ** // Waiting for //// Godot // by Samuel Beckett ** Essay title: ** Conveying a sense of purpose in // Waiting for //// Godot // Stage 4: Production of the essay  The teacher’s role  ** Essentials ** The teacher should assist the student to develop a suitably challenging topic that will allow him or her to show insight into the work chosen for the assignment. Teachers are encouraged to comment on the first draft, either orally or through notes on a separate sheet of paper. However, they may not annotate the essay nor assist with subsequent drafts. Presentation  The essay should be a formal piece of writing with a title and a developed argument. The main references are likely to be to the literary work chosen for the essay. It is essential that a recognized reference system is used consistently throughout and that the bibliography includes the full provenance of the work used, including the edition. Secondary sources may be used, although they are not essential, and they must also be referenced using the same system and included in the bibliography. Students are assessed on their ability to organize and develop their ideas, and to integrate examples from the works used. Before they begin to write their essays, it is important that they have had plenty of practice in using quotations from literary works to support and further their arguments. ** Written assignment checklist ** Has an interactive oral been completed by the class on each work? Has each student written their reflective statement? Has each student done supervised writing on each of the works? Does the topic of the essay derive from one of the pieces of supervised writing? Is the reflective statement 300–400 words in length and the essay 1,200–1,500 words? Have the student and teacher signed the coversheet?
 * During the course of one lesson, several students could introduce a problem they have in understanding the culture or the context, with the class and the teacher discussing each issue raised.
 * Students could introduce the discussion, adopting the teacher’s role for lessons on the work, and lead the class discussion.
 * Students, either individually or working in groups, could choose a clip of a film or other visual medium and lead a discussion on how it may deepen understanding of culture or context.
 * How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the interactive oral?
 * the time and place in which the work was written
 * information about the author (particularly as it relates to the way in which the author’s ideas as presented in the work do, or do not, accord with situations in the contemporary society)
 * philosophical, political and social contexts
 * ideas that the students themselves bring to the work.