Jestice/English 4
Men with Swords
English 4A Syllabus—Mrs. Jestice
This semester features some the most magnificent literature in the
English language!
Our semester’s guiding question: What characterizes a hero?
Objective: Students will understand why it is important for people and
cultures to construct narratives about their heroes.
Our daily work includes:
 Reading literature in excerpts and larger pieces.
 Writing (grammar and mechanics) will be an ongoing process
throughout the semester.
 In our writing, we will start small and progress with larger pieces.
Our assignments will build ending in a final project with an MLA
formatted research paper.
Unit 1: Defining heroes in society (August/September)
Historical Context/Archetypes
Excerpts from Beowulf
Excerpts from Lord of the Rings
Excerpts from Le Morte d’Arthur
Comparison/Contrast or Cause and Effect Paper
Unit 2: Enduring Heroes and Conflict (October)
Arthurian Legends: “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer: “Prologue,” “The Wife
of Bath’s Tale,” “The Knight’s Tale”
Thematic Presentation
Midterm Exam
Unit 3: Tragic Heroes (November/December)
MLA formatted Research Paper
Humanism
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Check the classroom website for more specific dates and assignments as
the semester progresses. Syllabus subject to change as necessary.