World Culture & World Literature

 

Mr. Vaccaro & Ms. Kirkpatrick

 

 

Course Description: This challenging, Honors-level course presents a comprehensive study of western and eastern civilization from the Enlightenment to modern times by focusing on the historical events, artistic and literary achievements, and architecture of each time period.  The year begins with a brief review of 9th-grade time periods and an additional focus on the values of each society as seen in its art, architecture, and literature.

 

A course calendar, which lays out the first six weeks in depth, was distributed to each student.  Major assignments are also listed for the entire year.  On “blank” calendar days, the classes will meet separately, studying topics and time periods that coincide.  We urge parents to check the calendar.

 

Tips for students’ success in Cult/Lit:

 

 

Textbooks

  • Arts & Ideas, 10th edition
  • World History: Patterns of Civilization

 

Literature

  • Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (excerpt)
  • Dante’s Inferno (excerpt)
  • Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal and Gulliver’s Travels (half)
  • Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
  • Poetry of the Romantics
  • Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities
  • Chaim Potok’s My Name is Asher Lev
  • Kamala Markandaya’s Nectar in a Sieve
  • 20th Century poetry (time permitting)

 

Regents Exam in Global History

  • Covers Global 9/10
  • Grade does not count toward course grade

 

Final Exam for Cult/Lit

  • Three parts (art/arch., essay, 5-min. oral)
  • Counts for 20% of final course average

Oral Presentation

  • 20-minute in-depth research presentation
  • Students draw dates during the first week of school and receive a detailed handout describing the project
  • Successful orals are a result of extensive research, practice, and conferences with teachers prior
  • Book chosen from class book list (some students have chosen a person instead)
  • Food is allowed, but not required

 

Book Essays

  • Two per year (see calendar for dates)
  • Based on Regents critical lens essay

 

Art Essays

  • Three per year (see calendar for dates)
  • Requires in-depth description and analysis of key works of art/architecture

 

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