20 Church St. Mansfield, MA 02048

Academic Year: 2017-2018

9th/10thGrade Honors English Syllabus

Educator: HamzahHenshaw

E-mail:

Phone Number: 508-261-7077

9th/10thGrade Honors English Course Overview

The 9th/10th grade Honors English class is designed to stretch students who have demonstrated a talent and passion for language arts. While the material covered will often parallel that of College Prep English, the complexity of the assignments and the expectations of achievement will be markedly higher. For example, each vocabulary unit will include 25 words as opposed to 15 in CP English; essays will be longer and more complex; and we may read extra novels in the second half of the term.

The 9/10 English course is arranged thematically by trimester. I tried to choose themes that not only allow us to delve into classic works of literature but also force us to wrestle with contemporary issues facing us both as a society in general and as Muslim minorities in the West in particular.

In addition to their regular class reading, students will be expected to read at least one free reading book of their choice per trimester. Throughout the year, the students will work on building their vocabulary and adding tools to their grammatical toolbox through regular practice and assessments. Particular emphasis will be placed on preparing students for the grammar and critical reading sections of the new SAT. Students will complete one formal essay/project each month and will participate in numerous local and state contests such as: Letters about Literature, Muslim Poetry Contest, and a Brain Bee.

9th/10thGrade Honors English Course Structure

9th/10th Grade English meets three times a week during a “double block.” There are thus six separate class periods. In order to ensure that class objectives are met and that students stretch a wide variety of mental muscles, the course will generally follow this structure:

Class
Name / Meeting Time / Objectives
A / Monday 3: 9:26-10:11am / SSR/Free writingDiscuss reading or writing HW
B / Monday 4: 10:11-10:56am / Introduce vocabulary (or grammar)
C / Wednesday 5: 10:59-11:44am / SSR/Free writingDiscuss reading or writing HW
D / Wednesday 6: 11:44am-12:29pm / Test or Grammar practice
E / Friday 3: 9:12-9:50am / Hadith promptDiscuss reading or writing HW
F / Friday 4: 9:50-10:28am / Work on weekly vocabulary or grammar

The following grid attempts to outline the material to be covered this year. This curriculum may change as every group of students is different.

Trimester I: Importance of Individuality

Literature / Writing/Project / Grammar/SAT Prep / Vocabulary
Summer reading, A Separate Peace, SERIAL season 2 (or 3) podcast, (Catcher in the Rye) / Summer reading project, ASP essay, Individuality project / Phrases: noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute; SAT Reading strategies / Vocabulary Energizers II Units 1-4

Trimester II: Social Pressure

Literature / Writing/Project / Grammar/SAT Prep / Vocabulary
Sonnets of Shakespeare and Browning, Merchant of Venice, (Lord of the Flies) / Letters About Literature, Muslim poetry contest, Creative short story or play / Clauses: independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial; SAT Reading strategies / Vocabulary Energizers II Units 5-7

Trimester III: Social Change & Revolution

Literature / Writing/Project / Grammar/SAT Prep / Vocabulary
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Fahrenheit 451, Night, (Autobiography of Malcom X) / Autobiography, “Big Question” Research Essay / Parallel structure; semicolons & colons; SAT Reading strategies / Vocabulary Energizers II Units 8-10

9th/10th Grade Required Supplies

  • Journal—Black& White Composition Book (will be provided)
  • 3-Subject Notebook—Either a three ring binder with dividers & paper for taking notes OR a spiral notebook with pockets for storing handouts OR a spiral notebook and separate folder for handouts (provide your own; may be shared with other classes)
  • Ample pens & pencils – only blue or black ink please; other inks will not be accepted
  • Teacher will provide no pens/pencils; they can be bought for $1 EACH
  • Agenda/planner – for writing homework assignments for all classes
  • Access to a computer at home with internet, word processing and printing capabilities (access to kindles or other e-readers a bonus)
  • A valid email address that students can check on their own
  • A free reading book (approved by me) for every trimester to be kept in school

Textbook for Grammar, Writing, & SAT Practice(photocopies provided as needed)

  • Writing & Grammar (Green Level): Prentice Hall
  • Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar, 3rd Edition by Erica Meltzer
  • The Complete Guide to SAT Critical Reading, 2nd Edition by Erica Meltzer

Literature (A selection of the following, subject to change); all novels will be provided if students want hard copy

  • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  • A Separate Peace by John Knowles
  • Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
  • On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
  • Lord of the Flies by William Golding
  • The Autobiography of Malcom X by Malcom X & Alex Haley
  • Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
  • Night by ElieWeisel
  • Selections from commonlit.org
  • Various short stories and poems (photocopied or .pdf)

Vocabulary

  • Vocabulary Energizers II by David Popkin (Hada Publications)—will be provided

Class Rules

حسن الخلق نصف الدین

The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said, “Having good character constitutes half the religion.” To achieve half the religion, my class has just five rules:

  1. Listen And Follow Directions
  2. Raise Your Hand Before Speaking Or Leaving Your Seat
  3. Respect Your Classmates And Your Teacher
  4. Keep Hands, Feet, And Objects To Yourself
  5. Come To Class Prepared And Ready To Learn

Consequences

This is an Honors level course; students who fail to exhibit self-control will not be allowed to stay in this section.If any of the above rules is broken, these are the consequences:

•Violation 1: Verbal Warning (Initials on Board)

•Violation 2: Name Written Down (grade for any work that day is reduced by 50%)

•Violation 3: Sent to hallway (grade for any work that day is 0)

•Repeated violations result in letter home and mandatory parent meeting before being readmitted into class

* When needed, violations may move from a 1 to a 3 without heeding the steps in between.

** Poor discipline affects not only yourself but also all of your classmates. While you have a separate class participation and discipline grade, the violations mentioned above will affect homework and even test/quiz grades. Don’t destroy your hard work by failing to control yourself!

Assessments Plan

The following items will be assessed regularly:

  1. Homework—margin notes, grammar & vocabulary exercises, completion of free reading
  2. Discipline/Class Participation—appropriate behavior within class rules; active participation in class discussions; maintenance of notebook/journal
  3. Tests/Quizzes—bi-weekly tests on grammar, vocabulary, and critical reading
  4. Essays/Projects—monthly formal writing/project

Grading Plan

For the first trimester, course components will be weighted as outlined below (subject to change):

  1. Homework—30%
  2. Discipline/Class Participation—15%
  3. Tests/Quizzes—35%
  4. Essays/Projects—20%

Class Policies and Procedures:

Beginning of class: When you enter class, immediately find your seat, take out what you need, turn in your homework and begin what is on the board. You will have five minutes after the bell has rung to do this. If you have not settled down and started the assignment in five minutes, you will receive a Violation #1. Typically, students will engage in SSR (silent sustained reading) or free writing for the first 10-15 minutes of class. You are expected to come to class with your assignments completed BEFORE you enter the classroom. Homework will be counted as late if it is not ready at the beginning of the period.

Lateness: All students arriving to class after the bell without a written note from another teacher will get a Violation (first step of discipline system). Similarly, students who arrive on time but must then leave to get missing class materials will also get a Violation.

Homework: Homework assignments will be written on the board every day. It is your job to write them down in your agenda. While I will try to post the HW in Jupiter as well, failure to complete a HW assignment that was written on the board will result in a 0. Homework assignments should be completed on time (if handwritten, in pencil, blue or black ink only) and turned in at the beginning of class. Most assignments will be given some sort of grade in Jupiter.

Written Assignments: Any homework written on lined notebook paper should be turned in without the spiral fluff. This homework as well as any papers/essays should have the following headings on the left side of the paper:

Full Name

Subject

Teacher’s Name

Date

Formal Papers: All formal papers must be typed. Always save a copy for yourself. Formal papers must follow MLA guidelines in style and format. Procedures for digital submissions will be explained in class. Typed papers should be double-spaced, Times New Roman font, Size 12.

Late Work: NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR FULL CREDIT. Teacher discretion applies (illnesses and medical emergencies are obviously permitted), but please be advised that computer problems of any sort (printer errors, hard drive malfunctions, viruses) are never an acceptable excuse.

  • 1 day late = maximum 75% credit
  • 2 days late = maximum 50% credit
  • 3 or more days late = no credit

Absence Policy for Homework and Tests:(teacher discretion applies)

  1. Homework missed due to absence is your responsibility to make up.
  2. All homework assigned before an absence is due the first day you return; otherwise, it is considered late.
  3. For any test scheduled before a one-day absence, you must be prepared to take the test upon your first day back to school.
  4. All major essays must be handed in on the due date. If you know you are not going to be in class the day an assignment is due or you are sick that day, you must arrange to hand it in digitally.
  5. For any assignments and/or tests missed during an excused extended absence, the same number of days missed will be given to make up all work missed. For example, if you miss three days, you have three days to turn in your work and take any quizzes or tests. Weekend days count as make up days. Check with me your first day back for all assignments missed.

BATHROOM USE

You may use the bathroom as needed during class, but if I find this is being abused, this privilege will quickly be taken away. Only one student may use the bathroom at a time. He/she should leave the yellow “bathroom” school bus on his/her desk and then replace it on the hook. This should be done silently without fanfare. There will be no bathroom use during tests. Sorry!

CELLPHONES/IPODS/IPADS, etc.

Any devices you have with must be kept on silent and in your bag. Unless I have given you explicit permission, if I see use of any device, it will be confiscated for 24 hours. All devices must be placed in the tech-free test basket before tests.

DISHONESTY/PLAGIARISM

•I begin the year with complete trust and faith in each of you. Islam, for me, is much more about walking the walk than talking the talk. Please do not abuse that trust by being dishonest.

•Academic dishonesty of any kind, including but not limited to plagiarism, cheating on any assessment, copying homework answers from the back of the book or other students, will not be tolerated. It has become the norm here, but it is anything but normal.

•Plagiarism is stealing. It includes downloading papers from the Internet and using words or ideas without attribution

•Remember, changing a few words or phrases around does not make the work your own and is still considered plagiarism even if you cite the source. You need to use direct quotes or really make the work your own by combining material from several sources (and then citing those sources) to avoid plagiarism

•You should also not cite sources that you haven’t used

•Cheating on tests encompasses using or having the appearance of using any unauthorized materials during a test or quiz. Students are responsible for removing all study materials and electronic devices from within sight and reach during each testing period

•Incidents of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of 0 and will be reported to the administration and your family. Students who give others their work to be copied will also receive zeroes. This is absolute. No questions asked. If it were up to me, the consequences would be much higher.

Free Reading Requirements

The very first command of the Quran was, “Read!” Studies have shown that children who love to read lead happier, more successful lives. Students are thus required to read at least one book of their choosing during each trimester. Students will have a variety of choices for how to get credit for their free reading (oral presentations, projects, etc.), but one project grade for each term will be based on their free reading book.

Students should choose at least one fiction and one nonfiction book. They should try to find books that genuinely interest them and that they want to read and that they have NOT read before. These books may be taken out of the ANA library, a local public library, or purchased, and they must be approved by the teacher. Helpful reading lists can be found at Goodreads.com and ISLA. The first 10-15 minutes of many classes will be devoted to Silent Sustained Reading (SSR), and students MUST bring their free reading book to EVERY CLASS. Students finishing tests and classwork early will be instructed to free read; failure to have a book with you will result in a “violation.”

On Homework

Islam flourished in MadinaMunawwara when the Muhajireen of Makkahwere assisted by the Ansar of Madina. Muslim scholars have said that the divine formula is: hijra + nusra = hidaya. Similarly, in the academic setting, experience has shown that students achieve the greatest success when they combine focused classwork with meaningful homework. The formula is thus: classwork + homework = achievement.

Since all of our classes are double blocks, students will typically have two different types of homework as explained below:

  • Homework 1—Reading or Writing: When reading novels or short stories, students will be assigned a certain number of pages/chapters. To ensure careful, active reading, they will often have to write 1-2 key quotes and 1-2 questions about the reading in their journals. When working on essays or projects, students will have to meet intermediate deadlines.
  • Homework 2—Vocabulary or Grammar: Students will usually have either a written vocabulary or grammar assignment in one of their textbooks.

Note: Sometimes teachers can miscalculate how long their homework will take and thereby unintentionally inundate their students with more homework than they can handle. If students have spent 1 hour on their English homework and are still not done, they may get a note from a parent explaining that they had to move on to other subjects.

Notebook Requirements

The prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said, “Cleanliness is half of imān(faith).” Staying organized is essential to success in the increasingly busy modern world. Students will be expected to file all handouts in an organized manner. When completing assigned reading, students should write down quotes, questions, and other notes in their notebook. They must also adopt a system for taking notes during class. Student notebooks will be collected and assessed during each trimester, and this will affect their class participation grade.

Journal Requirements

Becoming a competent writer of the English language is absolutely essential if you want to leave your mark on the world. Peter Elbow has distinguished between two types of writing: free writing & formal writing. While the latter consists of edited essays that have long been the mainstay of schools, the former is often neglected. Free writing means simply that for ten minutes you write without stopping. The idea isn't to produce a polished piece of writing, but to simply get in the habit of writing without censoring and editing. In free writing, "[n]ever stop to look back, to cross something out, to wonder how to spell something, to wonder what word or thought to use, or to think about what you are doing." The only rule to follow in free writing is to simply not stop writing.

Students will do their free writing in their journals, often in response to a writing prompt. They will also use their journals to write responses to the class book or their free reading book. Entries should always be dated. Journals will be collected and assessed regularly throughout the trimester.

Vocabulary and Grammar Requirements

High school is a time where students can take a “shortcut” to becoming competent scholars of English by explicitly studying vocabulary and grammar. The second half of many classes will be devoted to introducing and practicing the new vocabulary from the vocabulary textbook and completing grammar exercises in the grammar textbook. Tests on grammar, vocabulary, and critical reading will be given roughly every two weeks, usually on Wednesdays.