International Baccalaureate English A1 Grade 11 2016-2017
Mission: Patrick Henry High School is a diverse community that values and supports the experiences of inquiry and learning through meaningful opportunities that bring intercultural understanding to our students, our staff, our neighbors and our world.
Vision: Patrick Henry is a community where all stakeholders will work systematically to close educational and opportunity gaps to become a stronger, higher performing IB world school ensuring that all students are college, career, and life ready.
IB English 11 Teachers are:
Ms. Eva Lockhart, who can be reached at: or texted/called at: (952) 212-4169 Room: 208
Ms. Susannah Wright , who can be reached at: or texted/called at: (612) 868-1226 Room: 209 and room 307
Course Description: IB English is a two year college preparatory course of study designed for highly motivated high school students. This class, as part I of the two year 11/12 course, helps prepare students for IB examinations to be taken in the senior year (for potential college credit) and helps students develop strategies and essential study skills necessary for success in college by incorporating all aspects of the IB Learner Profile. IB English 11 students will learn to better appreciate literature in multiple genres, will learn to better interpret and discuss literature and the cultural and contextual components of that literature as well as connect the ideas within literature to their lives and experiences. Further, students in IB English 11 will learn to write and speak in an academic register, learn the importance of diction and to think critically about the role literature plays within our society and within world societies. Students will be required to complete the Interactive Oral Presentation (the first IB Assessment) and to complete the IB Written Assignment (the second IB required Assessment) as part of this course, and both must be completed if the student wishes to continue into Year II of the course.
Course Objectives:
Skills in oral communication and presentation, formal academic writing, critical analysis and interpretive reading will be developed as we read and study literary texts. We stress that students will:
* become effective communicators, in both speaking and writing
* learn to see relationships across and between texts and other media
* learn to think critically and to cite textual evidence for their conclusions
* emerge as prepared for continued rigorous course work in their senior year
* be engaged with the literature and with the learning as we strive to make the study of literature and the pursuit of academic writing useful, interesting and meaningful
Our Goals Include:
* learning to read closely and critically (via annotation)
* to discuss convincingly
* to write effectively
* to build vocabulary
* to analyze critically and cite evidence effectively
* to make connections to other cultures, societies and to ideas found in other classes
* to effectively understand and demonstrate ideas found in TOK and in the IB Learner Profile
* to understand the Language A1 IB Command Terms as they apply to the study of literature and writing
Grading Policy:
Formative Assessments: class discussion, daily work, group work and homework are worth 20% of students’ quarterly grades.
Summative Assessments: tests, quizzes, essays, graded discussions and required IB assessments are worth 80% of students’ quarterly grades.
IB Assessments:
Independent Oral Presentation (also known as the IOP and completed at the end of quarter II/ Semester I, with either one partner or independently) *Students will base this presentation on one of the three first texts read and assignment choices/options will be thoroughly explained prior to completion of this assessment. This assessment in internally graded by your teacher and comprises 15% of your overall IB score, if you continue with IB English 12.
IB Written Assignment (end of quarter IV/Semester II) **Students will write this 1200-1500 word literary essay on a topic based on one of the three texts in translation read in quarters III and IV. Much of this essay will be written in school during the month of May and several drafts will be completed. This assessment will be externally moderated by IB and comprises another 25% of your overall IB score. Thus, by the end of your junior year 40% of your overall IB English score will already be complete. ***Be sure to ask your teacher if you want to know more about IB scores, exams or anything else about the program, about receiving college credit or about anything having to do with IB! J
*All formative and summative assessments will be aligned to IB Standards.
** To further understand assessment policies across all classes in the Henry Diploma Program Programme, please also refer to the Programme Assessment Policy or see the IB Program Coordinator, Mr. Chad Owen, room 155. Your grades will be updated regularly. Be sure to see your teacher if you have any questions regarding any grade. It is expected that students with questions about their grades will speak to their teacher personally, or will email or text their teacher as appropriate. Additionally, if tests, quizzes or other assessments need to be made up, it is your responsibility to schedule a time after school to accomplish this. Passes from your teacher may also be obtained for Thursday advisory times in some cases.
**IMPORTANT: parents or guardians will be contacted prior to the last two weeks of any quarter if a student is in danger of earning a D or lower in the class. Additionally, all late work must be turned in prior to the last two weeks of the class in order for it to be graded/assessed by the end of the quarter.
Absence Policy:
School policies on absences and tardies will be enforced. Persistent, unexcused absences may result in a parent/guardian, IB Coordinator meeting. You may find yourself struggling to achieve excellence in your summative assessments if you are regularly absent or tardy. It is expected that you or a parent/guardian will communicate with your teacher regarding planned, excused absences and absences resulting from school activities. It is further expected that emergency absences (particularly those which are extended due to illness or family emergency) be reported to the teacher and the IB coordinator in a timely fashion by a parent or guardian.
Academic Support:
Ms. Wright will be available after school most Wednesdays and by appointment on other afternoons. Ms. Lockhart stays after school most days until four and stays even later on Tuesdays. Students from Ms. Wright’s classes or Ms. Lockhart’s can see either teacher for support. Both teachers have listed their phone numbers on this syllabus and both teachers check their email multiple times every day. Communication is essential—please let us know how we can help you succeed! That is our goal!
Required Texts (provided by PHHS in the media center):
Their Eyes Were Watching God —an early 20th century African American classic novel from the time of the Harlem Renaissance, written by Zora Neale Hurston
A Collection of Poetry by Langston Hughes—early to mid-century poems by renowned African American poet
A Streetcar Named Desire—mid 20th century American drama from Pulitzer Prize and Academy and Tony Award winning LGBT playwright Tennessee Williams
Medea—a drama (encompassing further study of ancient Greek culture), by dramatist Euripides, written during the Golden Age of ancient Greece
The Metamorphosis—an early 20th century Czech-European novella by world famous Jewish writer Franz Kafka
Kitchen—a well-regarded contemporary novel from Japan by Banana Yoshimoto
King Lear by William Shakespeare
** Please note that first semester we will be reading American Literature, in three different genres as Part IV, the IB Free Choice selection while second semester we read works in translation, as Part I of the IB curriculum. Parts II and III will be read senior year as completion of the two year IB English curriculum. Shakespeare’s text will be read as part of Patrick Henry’s all-school reading this year and we will look forward to watching this play performed at the Guthrie Theatre as well.
Late Work:
Late work will be accepted on summative assessments only and must be turned in ten school days before the end of the mid-quarter and final grading periods. It is highly recommended that students make arrangements with the teacher to understand and complete all work and to avoid a grade of NC (No Credit) or I for missing summative assessments.
Academic Honesty: Academic honesty in the International Baccalaureate (IB) is a principle informed by the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. In teaching, learning and assessment, academic honesty serves to promote personal integrity and engender respect for others and the integrity of their work. Upholding academic honesty also helps ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they acquire during their studies. In all their studies for the Diploma Programme, students must demonstrate academic honesty and avoid any form of academic misconduct. (Academic honesty in the Diploma Programme. IB Publications.occ.ibo.org)
It is expected that students in this course will do the following:
· Bring a planner to class EVERY DAY and use the planner as an organizational tool
· Bring a pen or pencil EVERY DAY
· Have and maintain an English notebook and folder and bring this to class EVERY DAY
· Bring text and other course materials EVERY DAY
· Have and try their best to maintain a pleasant, respectful manner EVERY DAY
· Listen to classmates and exchange ideas and opinions in a respectful manner ALWAYS
· Conduct themselves generally as high achieving and motivated young men and women
· Be focused, engaged and attentive and IGNORE ENTIRELY their cell phones J
Please sign the document on the following page as well as have your parent/guardian read through this syllabus and sign.
I have read through my IB English 11, Year I syllabus and have discussed it in detail with my classmates and teacher over the course of several days. I understand what is expected and will do my best to follow these guidelines in order to ensure my success in this college preparatory class.
______
(student signature and printed name above)
I have read and agree to the parameters of IB English 11, as found in the IB English, Year I syllabus.
______
(parent or guardian signature)