Ben Hughes
marshillheadmaster@gmail.com
859-433-6114
This is a complementary class to Mrs. Flannery’s American History class. The writing portion will include one semester of emphasis in advanced composition (topics for major essays determined by Mrs. Flannery), and one semester of various exercises alongside readings in Aristotle’s Rhetoric. The course will also include a survey of American literature from Plymouth Plantation through the mid-20th century, along with the unfamiliar vocabulary within the selected texts.
All planned assignments will be distributed up front, but there may also be some occasional ad hoc assignments that I give in class as we go.
Reading: There is a lot of reading in this class, but I will keep us on schedule with the weekly assignments. For the most part we will read a given section and talk about it in class.
Weekly Writing: Students can expect to write something either formal or personal/reflective of varying lengths (noted on the syllabus) most weeks.
Essays: These will be multiple week projects that hone essential skills of composition and rhetoric.
Exams: There will be a quarterly exam on the literature and the major concepts we cover in class.
Vocabulary (1st Semester): Students will often be asked identify 10 unfamiliar words each week from their reading assignments and provide the definition in its given context. These must be handwritten.
Marking/Outlining (2nd Semester): Students will outline and mark their reading in Rhetoric and How to Read a Book according to the standards set forth in a handout.
Recommended editions are linked below via amazon.com, but I understand book budgets can be tight. Feel free to order used copies, use hand-me-downs, or find what you can digitally if you are so inclined. I personally love scouring the shelves at Half Price Books. However, I do require students to purchase fresh copies of How to Read a Book and Aristotle’s Rhetoric since they will be marking those books.
PDF Texts
Rhetoric Books (clean copies required for marking)
Grades will be calculated roughly as follows, depending on how the quarter’s assignments pan out:
Weekly Writing 25%
Essays 25%
Reading (Vocab/Quizzes/Marking/Outlining) 25%
Quarterly Exam 15%
Professionalism/Participation 10%
100-90%=A
89-80%=B
79-70%=C
69-60%=D
below 60%=F