Academic Writing and Voices of St. Louis, a Literature Intensive
Angie Mertz
$330/semester; $660 full course
Prerequisites: None
Min Required Students: 6 Max Seats Available: 12
Class day: Wednesday
Second Session: 12:00 pm – 1:55 pm – Note the Start Time
Materials:
Jensen’s Format Writing, Available Here at Rainbow Resource, $19
Curriculum Purchase Decisions Pending: The final cost/selection for student source material is being explored. The source book “Seeking St. Louis” contains a large volume of material. Students may be better served by a binder or a bound booklet containing the reading selections. The final cost of materials for this course will not exceed $60.
Syllabus will be available in August, 2024.
Academic writing is expository writing focused on effective communication through clear structure. This type of writing can be used at any level of education, including collegiate. The lessons learned will also be applicable in professional settings. The goal of
Literature is often associated with classic novels but encompasses a wide variety of style, voice, presentation, culture, and more. To expand our student’s understanding of the power of literature, “Voices of St. Louis, A Literature Intensive,” brings the wide world of literature to our own backyard.
The resource book Seeking St. Louis, Voices from a River City, 1670 – 2000, features authors, poets, journalists, and playwrights who were inspired by our home town. Students will read a selection from Seeking St. Louis, including T. S. Elliot, Tennessee Williams, Kate Chopin, and others. Through their writings, students will continue to master the art of literary criticism while examining the influence of the St. Louis region, from local neighborhoods to international impact.
Using the guidelines for curricular requirements set by the Advanced Placement Program,* students will work through a study guide specifically created for “Voices of St. Louis.” Specifically, the course will review/instruct on the seven skill categories of all Advanced Placement Literature/Composition requirements:
1. Function of Character
2. Function of Setting
3. Function of Plot and Structure
4. Function of Narrator or Speaker
5. Function of Word Choice, Imagery, and Symbols
6. Function of Comparison
7. Textually substantiated arguments about interpretation of a portion or whole text
“Voices of St. Louis, A Literature Intensive” is open to 9th – 12th grade students. Students will be given a composition assessment before the start of class. If necessary, students will be grouped into different sections, A and B. Both sections will read the same material, explore the same concepts, and participate in the same class. Section A will be assigned less intensive composition/comprehension, while Section B will be assigned more intensive composition/comprehension work.
*“Voices of St. Louis, A Literature Intensive” does not qualify as an Advanced Placement course.
World Literature is part of High School programming.