Senior CP English 1

CP English 12 - World Literature
Course Syllabus for Fall 2010 / Spring 2011
Mrs. Smith

I.COURSE OBJECTIVE

The main objective of this course is to explore literature from multiple genres, cultures and periods in order to become more competent writers, thinkers and speakers of English. A secondary goal is to explore the following themes:

  • Where am I from?
  • Who am I?
  • Why am I here?
  • Where am I going?

We will encounter these themes and various answers to these questions through literature but more importantly through class discussion and personal reflection.

A secondary (although no less important) objective of the course is preparation for college/career. Rules will not be flexible. You will be expected to turn assignments in on time with few reminders. You will be expected to make good decisions about studying based on the calendars and the guides you are given, not based on teacher reminders and harassment!

II.GOALS

  1. Use content to determine meaning of words.
  2. Make appropriate predictions and/or generate supported interpretations by using backgroundknowledge and by identifying and examining literary elements.
  3. Evaluate by explicating literary devices and/or elements and analyzing organizational patternsas appropriate.
  4. Respond in writing demonstrating an acceptable level of understanding of the material and identifying the author's purpose and/or tone.
  5. Use multi-step directions to accomplish a task requiring supporting information drawn from appropriate sources.
  6. Identify the best or construct an appropriate paraphrase.
  7. Analyze the intent and possible effects of propaganda and/or differentiate among statements based on inference, fact or opinion.
  8. Address purpose and audience through use of effective writing processes: prewriting, drafting, conferencing, revising, editing, and publishing.
  9. Write in a variety of genres for a variety of purposes.
  10. Be able to use words and sentence structures appropriate to audience, topic and purpose.
  11. Demonstrate appropriate grade level listening/viewing skills through interaction with a variety of media.
  12. Demonstrate appropriate grade level oral performance.

These goals are based on the State of Ohio's minimum competency standards for all students in their twelfth grade year.

III.ATTENDANCE

A. Good attendance is essential for the successful completion of this course.

B. You are responsible for your make-up work upon returning from an absence. You must take any missed quiz or test within one week following the absence. Failure to do so will result in a zero for the quiz or test. Regularly given assignments or previously scheduled tests are still your responsibility upon return from an absence. For example, say you miss school on Monday and a test is scheduled for Tuesday. If you return to school Tuesday you are required to take the test on Tuesday. Papers and projects should be emailed on or before the due date.

C. Upon return from an absence, YOU need to check with me for make up work. Appropriate times to consult with me are before or after school. You will not be reminded to obtain make-up work or to turn it in. This is your responsibility. Also ( and this is very important) do not hand your make up work to me. That is a sure-fire way to lose it. Place it in the designated folder on my desk.

D. Tardiness is not acceptable. However, due to the uncontrollable nature of some circumstances, you are allowed two tardies per quarter. In the event that you incur two tardies, you will receive a 30-minute detention for any subsequent late arrivals to class (to be served at my convenience).

IV.CLASSROOM RULES

A. Please be seated and ready to go when the bell rings. If you forget your book or something
else of paramount importance, you may use one of your tardies to procure those items.
Remember you are only allowed two tardies per quarter, so just don't forget your stuff.

B. No food or drinks in the room. Only plain drinking water is allowed. It's school policy. It's in your handbook.

C. You are allowed two bathroom passes per quarter. Use them appropriately. However, if I say, "No you may not go to the bathroom," don't whine or pout or give me a face, just ask me later in the period.

D. All other school rules stated in the student handbook apply. This means no electronic devices, no profanity and no disrespect.

V.DISCIPLINE

A. You are expected to comply with the school's official code of conduct outlined in the student handbook.

B. The first offense will result in a verbal warning and a possible conference.

C. The second offense will result in a 30-minute detention (to be served at my convenience) and a call home.

D. The third offense will result in an office referral.

I will not repeat myself the next day on correcting the ill behavior you have done previously. At any time I will contact parents about your inappropriate behavior in the classroom.

VI.SUPPLIES / MATERIALS (recommended)

A. Flash drive, zip drive, thumb drive, whatever you want to call it. You need a way to work with files both at home and at school, even when the internet is down and you cannot access email.

B. Three-subject notebook or a three-ring binder with three divider pages. The first section is for class notes, the second for writing space, and the third for "my favorite words".

VII. HOMEWORK

Homework is to be completed and ready to turn in or to be checked at the beginning of the period the day it is due. All work for this class, if not typed, must be turned in with either blue ink, black ink, or pencil. No pastel or otherwise creative colors for you submitted work.

I'm not into late work. I don't deduct so many points for so many days it's late. However, I know it's senior year and there's so much to do and to experience and sometimes you just need a wee bit more time to finish or rather to begin a paper so I'm issuing each of you TWO Grace Passes. These GracePasses allow you to turn in TWO assignments late -- no questions asked. When I grade it you will get the grade you earned. No deductions. No tricky mathematical calculations. To use a pass, just simply tell me, "Mrs. Smith, I need to use my grace pass." I will then record the usage in my book.

The only stipulation is that you have a maximum of one week after the due date to turn in the grace pass assignment. Expect a zero and the forfeiture of your grace pass if you do not comply with this guideline.

Understand that these TWO passes cover the entire school year. Not two per quarter. Not two per semester. Just two for the year. Use them wisely. Late assignments beyond the two grace passes will NOT be accepted. They will result in a zero. This means there are no other chances. Once your grace passes are used there are NO excuses accepted for late work. Finally, I reserve the right to declare an assignment "off limits" for grace passes. This is rare and I will give you ample notice if I plan to do so.

Also, being absent on the date that an assignment is due is not a legitimate excuse for work handed in late. You are provided with ample notice of due dates. Assignments may be emailed from home or turned in early if you are absent on the day an assignment is due. Any student attending a field trip, college visitation or other planned absence must complete the work beforehand or make arrangements with the teacher.

Just to be clear: There is NO late work accepted once your two grace passes have been utilized.

VIII. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Plagiarism of someone else's words or ideas will not be tolerated in my classroom. According to the Students Rights and Responsibilities section of the school handbook, "Any student who misappropriates or plagiarizes someone's work, assists another in such misappropriation or otherwise engages in academic dishonesty shall not obtain credit for the work in question and shall be subject to other disciplinary action." This includes copy/paste from the web. If I catch someone plagiarizing, I will confront him/her first. Then I will make a phone call home and finally I will write up an office referral. I record a zero in my grade book for the assignment, and the main office typically issues a SaturdaySchool Detention in addition to keeping the academically dishonest work in the student's permanent file.

  1. COLLUDING

Any work done through collaboration or collusion without my permission is academic dishonesty as well. One can be expelled from college due to colluding with another and turning in the assignments. If you are to work on any assignment within a group, it will be assigned as such.

X. EVALUATION

Evaluation will be based on the percentage of accumulated points. The percentage scale for assessing grades concurs with the school format listed below.

A / 90 - 100 / 4.0
B / 80-89 / 3.0
C / 70-79 / 2.0
D / 60-69 / 1.0
F / <60 / 0.0

I do round up for percentages. For example, if you earn an 89.5%, I will round up to a 90%. 89.4% does not round up to a 90%.

All semester grades will be calculated using the following formula: 40% quarter one, 40% quarter two, 20% exam = semester average.

All papers MUST be typed. All papers MUST have the proper heading. All papers MUST be double-spaced. All papers are to be submitted to turnitin.com no later than one week after the hard copy is due. Papers not submitted within the allotted one week will earn NO CREDIT.

Literary Paper Grades: Most of your papers will be graded using the scoring rubric found below. Understand that I will make little if any analytical markings on your papers. You are CP seniors; I expect quality papers with few grammatical and spelling mistakes. My grading will focus on the quality of the content, structure, diction and syntax of your papers. A word to the wise: I will not grade crap. After reading the opening paragraph, if I find that the paper is a last minute, jumble of thoughts, I will read no further. I will draw a line where I stopped and expect you to use one of your grace passes in order to re-do the paper. One criterion for this is spelling. I will mark a paper one complete grade lower for blatant and egregious spelling and grammatical errors.

Personal Narrative Grades: These will also be graded on a modified version of the 9-point rubric found below.

Writing Practice Grades: If I check at all, you will earn a few completion points for some of the writing practice we do. However, don't expect a ton of padding points from these exercises/assignments. Writing practice is just that: practice. I expect that you have the intrinsic motivation to do what's necessary to grow as a writer regardless if there is a possibility to earn points.

Senior Narrative Grades: This year-long project will have various rubrics that I will give to you prior to the due dates. All of the writing practice exercises are designed to help you develop this project. Due dates are listed in the Course Outline section of this course syllabus.

XI.WRITING GROUPS

Once the year gets rolling, you will choose 2 or 3 people to form your class writing group. The purpose of the writing group is to provide a small community within our large class to which you can go for feedback, encouragement, criticism or anything else you might need as a writer. This is not a social group. Because most writing does not occur in isolation, I frequently go to other writers for help. I go to others to talk through an idea, wrestle with wording, or fiddle with an opening. My intention for your writing groups is that you will find a safe place to obtain feedback on your writing and to see how others are tackling the assignment.

XII.SELF-SELECTED READING

Because reading and writing go hand in hand, we will read with variety and depth. Both teacher-chosen and self-selected books will be a part of this course. Although shared reading experiences are valuable and we will engage in them, self-selected reading is another way to find not only the questions of life but also the answers. So, you are required to choose and read at least one self-selected fiction or non-fiction book per quarter. You will be given some in-class time to read, but expect to read the majority of these works outside of class. At the beginning of the quarter you will sign up for your book. Then, near the end of each quarter you will submit a brief evaluation of this book. Specific directions will be forthcoming on a handout.

XIII. WORD WALL VOCABULARY

Part of growing as a writer involves increasing one's vocabulary. Thus, for each quarter you will create an annotated list of 10 new words that you encounter in your independent reading. Additionally, you will use these words within various writing assignments. Specific directions will be forthcoming on a handout. In addition, you will be required to focus on root words and stems to build your vocabulary.

XIV. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

If you would like me to write you a letter of recommendation for admission to a university or for a scholarship, you need to follow the procedure below:

1. Ask me in person if I would write you a letter of recommendation.

2. Obtain and complete a copy of the recommendation form.

3. Return the completed form no less than 2 WEEKS before the application deadline. You must personally submit this form to me. Do not place it on my desk, in my mailbox or anywhere else. I will not write the letter if you do not hand the form to me personally. Additionally, I will not write the letter if I do not have at least 2 weeks in which to complete it.

4. Write a letter of thanks to me once I've given you or the guidance office the letter of recommendation.

XV. COURSE OUTLINE

Primary Text: World Literature. Holt, Rinehart and Winston: New York, 2001.

QUARTER ONE

Theme: Where am I from?

"We who are clay blended by the Master Potter, come from the kiln of Creation in many

hues." Polingaysi Qoyawayma, Hopi

"We are all related." Cherokee saying

Titles

  • Myths, Legends, Folktales (Hebrew, Persian, Greek, Russian)
  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho*
  • Novel of student's choice
  • Short stories, poetry and the arts TBA
  • Vocabulary Roots and Stems workbook

Major Assessments

  • NY Times formatted book review for summer reading novel
  • Self-selected Reading Sign Up
  • College Admissions Essay
  • Vocabulary (annotated list of 10 words)
  • Self-selected Reading Assignment

Pieces for senior narrative (could include college admission essay)

  • Literary Criticism Pieces

QUARTER TWO

Theme: Who am I?

"If you could be anyone, would you choose to be yourself?" Naomi Shihab Nye

"Know thyself." Plutarch

"He who knows others is wise; He who knows himself is enlightened." Lao-tzu

"The man who does not value himself, cannot value anything or anyone." Ayn Rand

"We do not know what we want and yet we are responsible for what we are - that is the fact." Jean Paul Sartre

"This above all: to thine own self be true." Shakespeare

Titles

  • Oedipus by Sophocles (in textbook - no purchase necessary)
  • The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka *
  • Himalaya - a film
  • Novel of student's choice
  • Short stories, poetry and the arts TBA

Major Assessments

  • Self-selected Reading Sign Up
  • Vocabulary (annotated list of 10 words)
  • Oedipus Critical Analysis
  • Self-selected Reading Assignment
  • Pieces for senior narrative

QUARTER THREE

Theme: Why am I here?

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."Ecclesiasties 2:16

"The gods help them that help themselves." Aesop

"The superior man ... does not set his mind either for anything, or against anything;what is right he will follow." Confucius

"Man-every man-is an end in himself, not a means to the ends of others; he must livefor his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others tohimself." Ayn Rand

"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. Youwill never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." Albert Camus

"Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth." Mahatma Gandhi

Titles

  • Anthem by Ayn Rand*
  • Seek by Paul Flieschman*
  • Novel of student's choice
  • Short stories, poetry and the arts TBA

Major Assessments

  • Vocabulary (annotated list of 10 words)
  • Anthem essay with revision
  • Self-selected Reading Assignment
  • Pieces for senior narrative

QUARTER FOUR

Theme: Where am I going?

"If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand."Confucius

"Nothing endures but change." Heraclitus

"All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost." J.R.R. Tolkein

Titles

  • Othello by William Shakespeare*
  • Novel of student's choice

Major Assessments

  • Othello Assessment
  • Senior Narrative Summative Assignment
  • Self-selected Reading assignment

*Supplemental text to be bought from the school bookstore. You MUST have the same school copy and MUST have your own copy (interaction with the text will be a grade)*

VI. WRITING RUBRIC

9-8:These scores are for essays in which excellent content and impressive writing reveal the

writer's ability to reason with perception and to express ideas clearly and skillfully with

stylistic maturity. They accomplish the following:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the assignment/question;
  • Reveal depth of analysis supported by appropriate, specific references to the

text and the student's ability to apply knowledge of literary techniques to a

valid interpretation of the content;

  • Reflect consistent control over the elements of effective writing, particularly

diction, syntax, and structure.

7-6:These scores are for essays that are somewhat similar to but not as strong as the 9-8 essay. These essays demonstrate the writer's ability to express ideas clearly but with less maturity and control than the top papers and sometimes with minor flaws in interpretation or writing.