Honors British Literature & Composition
Fall 2017 – Spring 2018
Ms. Petrusa
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Contact Info:
Phone: 770-651-6256
Email:
Course Description:
British Literature & Composition is a curriculum with a British historical focus, which also illuminates the origins and influences of early American literature. It trains students to become skilled readers and writers in diverse genres and modes, such as narrative, expository, literary analysis, and research. Its purpose is to enable students to understand complex texts and write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers.
Daily Materials:
Obtain the following class supplies: 1.5” binder with at least 4 dividers (warm-ups, vocabulary, research, notes), notebook paper, pencil and pen, and a Google Docs account.
*The following textbook will be used in the classroom and can also be checked out from the library:
Wiggins, Grant, et al, eds. The British Tradition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2011.
Online Classroom:
You are required to setup an Edmodo account on the first day of school. Parents are also encouraged to setup a “student” account, so they can be aware of what we are doing in class each day, as well as upcoming assignments and deadlines. Simply go to Edmodo.com (or the app)and create a new account by providing the class group code: 67yzx7. Make sure to retain your login information!
Warm-ups: When the bell rings for class each day, you are expected to be in your seat and starting the warm-up or instructions on the board. During this time, there should be no talking. Warm-ups will be randomly collected and graded, so you should be preparedto submit these at all times. Each entry should be dated, kept in order, and brought to class daily.
Writing: Aside from shorter writing assignments, the one major paper you will write is a rhetorical analysis. It will require you to read a British poem of your choice, determine a theme, and explain how specific techniques contribute to that theme. *See me for poem approval as soon as you’re ready.
Classroom Expectations:
You are expected to be highly motivated and willing to participate in a class that prepares students for college and career. Behavioral expectations and consequences follow those outlined in the CHHS Student Handbook. No phones or electronic devicesmay be seen or heard, and smart watches may not be seen or used during assessments or at the teacher’s discretion. You will be allowed to have drinks or small snacks, as long as this privilege is not abused.
Make-Up Work:
Late work will not be accepted, which is anything submitted after I call for it. The only exception is work missed because of an excused absence, which is due within 2 days of your return to class; quizzes and testsmust be made up within 1 week. You are responsible for getting your makeup work from Edmodoas soon as you return to class by logging in on my laptop. If you need a handout, have questions, or need to schedule a makeup assessment, you must see me by the end of that class.
Hall Passes:
You will receive3 hall passeseach semester. You will not be allowedout of class during the first or last 15 minutes of class or during lectures or assessments. You must submit the pass to me before leaving and as soon as you return to class, and I will also keep a tally of how many you use. If you need to leave class, and you have run out of, forgotten, or lost your allotted passes, you will have to serve 15 minutes of detentionwithin 4 days. Failure to serve will result in a 30 minute detention for the first offense and an administrative referral if this detention is not served. Passes may not be given away, sold, copied, or traded; doing so will result in a referral. Your unused passes may be used to submit late work or to add 20% to a minor grade.
Academic Integrity:
Cheating is a serious infraction. Cheating includes copying someone’s answers, possessing notes or unauthorized aids during a test or quiz, talking during an individual assessment, or collaborating on assignments when independent work is expected. Plagiarism, the use of another’s ideas or words without properly crediting one’s source, comes in several forms: (1) taking information verbatim from a source without using quotation marks and citing the source in text, (2) paraphrasing information without citing the source in text, or (3) rearranging the order of words and/or changing words as written by the author. Cheating will result in a zero and a possible administrative referral.
Summer Reading:
Honors students were required to read a British novel from the list provided last year (Brave New World, Angela’s Ashes, or The Glass Castle). Be prepared to write an in-class essay in the second week of school about a major theme(s) from the novel by providing specific evidence from the text. You may not use notes, but you can use your book, as long as it does not have anything written in it.
Grading Policies/Scale:
Your course grade for the semester will be calculated as follows:
Final: Research paper and comprehensive exam / 20%Research Process: paper drafts, research artifacts, self/peer evaluations, plagiarism checks
Major Work: Quarter Assessments (district-wide), unit tests, writing assignments, projects
Minor Work: Class work, homework, participation
Quizzes: Vocabulary, warm-ups, pop / 10%
25%
25%
20%
SYLLABUS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Teacher: Ms. Petrusa Course: Honors British Literature & Composition
Dear Parent and Student,
Please read the class syllabus and complete the contact information below. After you have read and understand the grading policy and expectations, sign below.
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PARENT & STUDENT CONTACT INFORMATION
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(Date) (Date)
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*YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO ALL GRADES ON INFINITE CAMPUS (contact main office to sign-up).
Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions.
I look forwardto working with you.