American Studies Literary Journals

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CBC Literary Journals:

Learning Through Literary Time Travel

Christian Brothers College High School
Saint Louis University
1818 Advanced College Credit Program

Task
	Each student has been assigned an author and asked to imagine that author's daily life. First, the students will research that author's life and write a brief biographical summary. Second, the students will focus on a particular decade of the author's life, looking closely at three to five events in this time frame. They will be expected to keep concise notes bibliographic notes on their readings. Third, the students will immerse themselves in particular places and events, actually taking on the persona of their author by writing a diary and recording the highlights of ten years.
Time Frame
	Expect five weeks to complete this task. The final due date for all documents: reading journal, literary journals, and works cited is the last week of the first semester..
Getting Started
	The first weeks are devoted to reading the author's work and responding to the selections in your reading journal. The next several weeks are devoted to researching the life and times of your author and learning strategies for creating fiction and poetry. Follow up days will focus on getting that last resource or looking for some event in particular. In between, we will devote about ten minutes of class time every other day to discuss questions concerning the project and updating student research. Otherwise, after the first week we will return to a chronological discussion of American literature.
Day One:
	Get to know your author. Do not take notes too soon. Browse through the books and settle on a perspective. However, do take reference notes as you read so that you will know how to come back to this information.

Student Objectives:
A,	To interpret historical data
B.	To use maps, charts and data tables as an aid to historical study.
C.	To evaluate the "cause and effect" relationship between historical events.
D,	To defend a personal interpretation of literature and historical data in classroom discussion.
E.	To demonstrate a mastery of effective oral, written and visual communication of ideas related to American culture
F.	To explore through inquiry and research, the interdisciplinary nature of a topic, as well as make a critical response to that inquiry
G.	To investigate American history and to personalize it.

MAJOR ASSESSMENT/ EVALUATION STRATEGIES:

Research Journal--50 points
Literary Journals--100 points

GRADING SCALE:

A -90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-80%

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CBC Literary Journals:

Learning Through Literary Time Travel

A -90-100% B 80-89% C 70-80%

A -90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-80%