English I Syllabus for Honors and Standard Levels

2015-2016 / Mrs. Lori Barnett

Class description: Based on the new Common Core Standards

  • Reading Literature—By the end of grade 10 [because 9 and 10 are now grouped together], read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • Reading Informational Texts--By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • Writing--Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
  • Speaking and Listening--Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively; Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
  • Language-- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Texts we will study (in tentative order): There may be additions and subtractions to the list.

  • Short stories: “The Sniper,” “The Necklace,” and “The Most Dangerous Game,” “TheScarlet Ibis,” The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Interlopers,” The Odyssey by Homer
  • Anthem by Ayn Rand
  • To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
  • Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
  • Non-fiction: “I Have a Dream,” various memoirs, JFK, FDR and other speeches, etc.
  • Poems: “A Dream Deferred,” “Dreams,” “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” “Hope is a Thing With Feathers,” “The Road Not Taken,” “Fire and Ice,” “Seven Ages of Man,” “Women,” “Oranges,”etc.

For English I standard: Many of the text choices are the same per the curriculum. Different texts include:

  • They Cage the Animals at Night by Jennings Michael Burch
  • Animal Farm by George Orwell

Class Expectations

1. Be polite and respectful.

2. Be prompt.

3. Be prepared and organized.

4. Be positive.

5. Be a person who follows all school rules.

Class Materials:

Students should bring the following itemsDAILY:

  • 2-inch, 3-ring binder with dividers
  • college-ruled notebook paper
  • black or blue pens or pencils
  • highlighter (optional)
  • text we are reading (when applicable)

Helpful materials:

If, at any point, you’d like to help out our English class, here are some materials that are always in high demand:

  • USB (for you)
  • facial tissue (for us)
  • hand sanitizer
  • used, school-appropriate magazines for art projects

Absences and late assignments:

ABSENCES:

If a student is absent, he should first look on Mrs. Barnett’s website for possible assignments. If nothing is there, he should ask the day he returns to class, and get missed handouts from the appropriate folder. Any missed work is the student’s responsibility. The student is allowed 3 days to make up missing assignments do to an absence unless it is needed earlier that that for a lesson. After that time, the student will receive a ZERO if it is not turned in.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS:

  • If a student is present but doesn’t have a homework assignment on the due date, it will be acceptedONE DAY late yet may earn no grade higher than a 70/D. After one day late, he will not receive credit.
  • A late major assignment (such as an essay or a project) will be penalized TEN points for each day that it is late.
  • Students who are absent have THREE days to make up any missing work upon returning to school unless the work was already in progress or if it is needed for the lesson.
  • IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO INQUIRE ABOUT ANY MISSING WORK!

Grading Scale:

SuperiorA90-100

Above AverageB80-89

AverageC70-70

Below AverageD60-69

FailureF50-59

IncompleteINC

Percentage Weight and Types of Grades

TermWeight

Class grades: homework, classwork,40%

Quizzes:25%

Tests, projects, and essays:35%

Cheating and Plagiarizing Policy:

Any test, assignment, or paper on which a student is caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive an automatic “0.” There is no exception. This is a school rule. Plagiarizing includes taking credit for another’s ideas or wording without proper citation, which we will go over in class. Copying another student’s homework is considered cheating.