Course Syllabus

English III

Mr. Byron

Instructional Philosophy

District 205 serves a wide variety of students from various socioeconomic and ethnic groups, which also reflect a wide range of learning backgrounds, ability levels, and learning styles. Because of a diverse and constantly changing world, the program provides every student with the communication skills necessary to be responsible, productive, and life-long learners. In addition, students should be given the opportunity to explore the aesthetic aspects of the human experience. Besides the traditional content of literature, grammar, vocabulary, usage, composition, and technological skills, the program also explores a wide range of communication forms, including, but not limited to, written and spoken language.

Course Description

This course traces the development of American literature and thought from pre-Colonial times to the present through a survey of literary and technical genres, devices, and techniques representative of many diverse subcultures, eras, and ideas. This course is designed for college-bound and/or career-oriented students who perform at grade level in the reading and language arts skills. Integrating reading, writing, literature, speaking, listening, vocabulary, library, and critical thinking skills, students read and write for a variety of purposes. Students also begin to develop specific career plans while working closely with counselors and advisors. Preparation skills for college entrance exams and the PrairieState assessment are emphasized.

Course Goals

By the end of the course students will be able to

  1. Understand the various structures and uses of writing.
  2. Recognize the grammatical conventions of standard English.
  3. Recognize that vocabulary skills improve communication and direct social interaction.
  4. Understand that writing and reading relate to lifelong learning.
  5. Recognize the importance of comprehension, clarity, and conciseness in writing.
  6. Recognize the importance of comprehension in reading.
  7. Understand and appreciate the value and importance of American literature.
  8. Recognize the various genres in American fiction (short story, novel, drama, poetry, mythology, and folklore) and nonfiction.
  9. Discover, through reading and writing, diverse British and world cultures, eras, and ideas.
  10. Recognize how literary elements and techniques convey meaning.
  11. Understand the value of listening and speaking skills.
  12. Understand realistic applications of research and technology.
  13. Understand the critical thinking process and patterns of organization.
  14. Understand the value of various test-taking strategies (ACT, ASVAB, PSAE, etc.)
  15. Recognize the importance of education to careers.

Power Standards

Literacy – Students will read several books throughout the course. Students will complete at least one research project. Students will work on test taking strategies for reading.

Numeracy – Students will work on Work Keys strategies involving numeracy.

Technology – Students will utilize available technology to create and present products of learning.

Research – Students will utilize the APA and MLA formats for research. Students will utilize library and Internet resources.

Instructional Activities

Demonstrate understanding through a combination of techniques including writing assignments, oral presentations, dramatic performance, and artistic products.

Group work involving cooperative learning strategies.

Demonstrate knowledge of the resources available and the process required for research including print media, Internet searches, observational data, decision-making, evaluation, and appropriate presentation of new information as an end product.

Major Projects

  1. Students are to create acareer-oriented annotated bibliography(APA Format)composed of at least 10 sources of print/non-print information. This will fulfill the second writing phase for the senior project.
  2. Using MLA format, students are to write a research paper dealing with some aspect of American literature using the following guidelines:

Research must include a minimum of five sources each of which must be cited at least once within the body of the paper.

  • At least three sources from print material and two sources from non-print.
  • Students must show evidence of actual research such as note cards, annotated bibliography, detailed notes, etc.

The body of the paper must be at least 5 typewritten pages (12 font) using proper MLA textual citations.

The final product must include an outline (or other prewriting), evidence of detailed note-taking, a title page, at least five body pages (rough draft and final), and a works cited (reference) page.

Assessment Plan

Grading: The student’s grade is calculated by dividing the number of points earned by the number of points possible.

A (90-100%)Independent learner; superior work; all work completed on time at an exceptional level of quality and effort.

B (80-89%)Semi-independent learner; above average work; all work completed on time with few flaws.

C (70-79%)Dependent learner; average work; most completed on time showing average effort.

D (60-69%)Below average work; work completed shows minimal effort; missing and late assignments; rarely made up missed work.

F (0-59%)Failure; does not meet standards or expectations; many missing assignments/projects; rarely or did not participate in learning activities.

Struggling Student Protocol

Make-up Work: All students are given an opportunity to make up work that they missed due to an absence regardless if the absence is excused or unexcused. The following guidelines will be in effect:

Students with excused absences will receive full credit for make-up work.

Students suspended or absent-unexcused will receive 50% of the credit earned for make-up work.

Students and parents of suspended students are responsible for calling or e-mailing teachers during suspension to inquire about make-up work.

Regardless of the reason for absence, the student has a maximum of two school days to make arrangements for make-up work.

Upon Return to school, it is the student’s responsibility to request a make-up opportunity session with the teacher.

Redo Policy: Students may revise any test, essays, projects and/or research papers that were completed on time by the due date in order to receive a better grade. If the teacher designates a specific time and/or place for the work to be redone, the student must comply. Students may not revise quizzes and daily work, unless permitted by the individual teacher.

CP Period

The following are representative/suggested activities to best utilize Communication Period:

Make-up Work

Reading/English Skills Work

PSAE Practice

Critical Thinking Activities

Homework Assistance

Silent Sustained Reading

Parent/Guardian Communication

Teachers will contact parents/guardians on a regular basis noting both academic and disciplinary behaviors, positive and negative. Teachers may use any of the following modes of communication:

Phone Calls

E-mail Contact Lists to Parents

Notes Home

Parent Connect

Library Homepage Link

Plagiarism Policy

Note: My policy was adapted from Michigan State University’s and District 205’s policies

“Plagiarism is copying another person’s text or ideas and passing the copied material as your own work. …You must both delineate (i.e., separate and identify) the copied text from your text and give credit to (i.e., cite the source) the source of the copied text to avoid accusations of plagiarism. Plagiarism is considered fraud and has potentially harsh consequences including loss of job, loss of reputation, and the assignation of reduced or failing grade in a course.

This definition of plagiarism applies for copied text and ideas:

(i) regardless of the source of the copied text or idea;

(ii) regardless of whether the author(s) of the text or idea which you have copied actually copied that text or idea from another source;

(iii) regardless of whether or not the authorship of the text or idea which you copy is known;

(iv) regardless of the nature of your text (journal paper/article, webpage, book chapter, paper submitted for college course, etc) into which you copy the text or idea;

(v) regardless of whether or not the author of the source of the copied material gives permission for the material to be copied; and

(vi) regardless of whether you are or are not the author of the source of the copied text or idea (self plagiarism).

This definition also applies for figures and figure legends and for tables and table legends which you copy into your text.”

Quoted from “Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Avoid It”, Peter Cobbett, PhD, August 2016

Plagiarism may be accidental or blatant or self-plagiarism. However, students are held to the same standards whether or not they knew they were plagiarizing or whether or not they were plagiarizing themselves or someone else.

Accidental or Unintentional:

You may not even know you are plagiarizing. It is your responsibility to make certain that you understand the difference between quoting and paraphrasing, as well as the proper way to cite and delineate quoted material.

Blatant:

Here, students are well aware that they are plagiarizing. Purposefully using someone else's ideas or work without proper acknowledgment is plagiarism. This includes turning in borrowed or bought research papers as one's own.

Self:

Turning in the same term paper (or substantially the same paper) for two courses without getting permission from one's instructor is plagiarism.

In outlining what he called “the perils of plagiarism” to his students, the late W. Cameron Meyers, a revered journalism professor at MSU, wrote:

“Plagiarism not only is legally wrong but also morally corrosive. . . . Any paper based upon the writing of others should acknowledge every source used. In a reference paper, the acknowledgements are made in footnotes--numbered notes at the bottom of the page (corresponding to the numbers in text) that show exactly where the information was obtained. There are times, however, when such acknowledgements can be incorporated smoothly in the text without their becoming distracting or obtrusive.”

Unless authorized by myself, students are expected to do their own, original work on each assignment in each class. A student who recycles his or her course work from one class to another may face an allegation of academic dishonesty. If I believe a student has committed an act of plagiarism, I will take appropriate action, which includes the issuing of a “penalty grade” for academic dishonesty.

According to page 33 of THORNTON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL

HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 205’s ATTENDANCE POLICY and DISCIPLINE GUIDELINES:

“Students are expected to exhibit honesty in school endeavors, including academic assignments. Students may be found to have violated this responsibility if they plagiarize or cheat. Webster's Dictionary defines plagiarism as the act of taking ideas or writings from another and passing them off as one's own, this includes ideas and writings found on the Internet. Webster's Dictionary defines cheating as deceiving, taking, giving, or accepting any illicit advantage for any course work inside or outside of the classroom. A student caught in the act of plagiarizing or cheating may receive a grade of "F" for the assignment in which the offense occurred. Further violations may involve parent contact, referral to a dean or counselor, and/or being dropped from class.

Final disposition of any case may result in recommended expulsion if student has not made adequate and necessary adjustment. Any behavior deemed unacceptable may lead to disciplinary action.”