Manhasset High School- Grade 12 Senior English Studies – 2015-2016 Course Outline- Ms. Ferguson
Course Objective: SES is a class designed for college-bound seniors who have demonstrated proficiency on the English Regents examination. The objective of this course is to enhance the written and oral communication skills of our students as they concurrently broaden the scope of their literary experience. This course will provide students with an array of written and oral projects that reflect the kinds of projects that they will be expected to do at the university level.
Thematic Content: All of the literary works read in SES have a common theme: One’s Moral Journey. We will examine how we make “moral” decisions and the consequences of these decisions.
Academic Integrity Policy: As written in the annual student planner, “To help students achieve their maximum academic potential, Manhasset Secondary School promotes an environment which fosters integrity and honorable conduct. Administrators, faculty, students and parents share the responsibility for maintaining an atmosphere in which personal accountability is valued.” With this statement in mind, students must maintain work that is theirs alone and does not violate the academic integrity policy. Please refer to the student handbook regarding the consequences and procedures used when an academic integrity violation has occurred.
Summer Reading: During the first quarter of this school year, students will be assessed on the required summer reading. Any student that has completed this reading prior to September will benefit from having some prior knowledge of the work’s content. While it is encouraged that students buy their own copies so that they can annotate the text directly; it is not required. A borrowed text will be provided for those who do not have a copy and post-it notes may be placed on the pages for annotations. This technique of close reading is within the paradigm of the Common Core Learning Standards and will be the foundation for all works read this year.
Summer Reading Mandatory Selections:
*Angela’s Ashes –Frank McCourt
*The Kite Runner-Khaled Hosseini
Quarter 1 : The Writer’s Craft
* Poetry Classics: Techniques and Annotations through Close Reading
~Poets include, but not limited to: Blake, Wordsworth, Shakespeare, Marlowe, Spenser and Milton
~Culminating Poetry Picture Project
* Night –Elie Wiesel
* “Jakob the Liar”
~AThematic Comparison Paper
* Angela’s Ashes- Frank McCourt
~Outside Reading Study Guide Exam
* The Kite Runner –Khaled Hosseini
~Outside Reading Study Guide Exam
*Literature Circles
~ Summer Reading Novels
*College Essay Writing Seminar
~Overview of grammar and clarity in prose
Quarter 2: The Essential Plays
*Antigone –Sophocles
~ College-Style Research Paper “Stand up and be Counted”
* Fences –August Wilson
~African-American Culture and Literature
*The Comedy of Errors – William Shakespeare
~The Argument Paper
Quarter 3: Literary Criticism and Existentialism
* Short Story Seminar (Fishbowl) the stories include, but not limited to:
~Desiree’s Baby – Kate Chopin
~Heat – Joyce Carol Oats
~A Worn Path – Eudora Welty
~The Yellow Wallpaper – Charlotte Perkins Gilman
~The Lady or the Tiger – Frank Stockton
~The Ransom of Red Chief – O. Henry
* The Metamorphosis –Franz Kafka
~Existentialism and Surrealism an Interdisciplinary Project
* Contemporary Poetry
Poets included, but not limited to: Allen Ginsberg, Robert Hayden, Frank O’Hara, Sharon Olds, Natasha Tretheway and Nikki Giovanni
Quarter 4: Finding Your Voice in Prose
* The Life of Pi –Yann Martel
~Dialectical Journal Writing
* Senior English Studies Final Research Portfolio Project
~The Power Point Presentation will be the final exam in this course
Extra Help is available by appointment Tuesday –Thursday mornings in room 179 from 7:40-8:00am
Teacher Communication: In order to guarantee timely and direct contact with your teacher, parents and students are advised send an email to:
SES 2015-2016 Student Contract
Classroom Expectations:
* Students are expected to follow the rules stated in the Manhasset Handbook.
* Students are expected to arrive to class on time and be expected to start work immediately after the bell.
* Respect and cooperation are essential for a successful academic year.
* Students should be prepared daily with text, pens, notebook (preferably a loose leaf binder with paper) and several highlighters.
*Outside reading should be completed prior to coming to class to ensure participation in classroom discussions.
* All homework assignments should be typed and printed before class with a full heading:
~First and last name~Assignment
~Date~Period
Grades:
* The final grade for this course will be the average of the four quarters and the final exam.
* The quarter grade will be determined by: 40% assessments; 50% classwork and homework; and 10% class participation.
*All assignments are expected to be submitted on time. If you are “legally absent” please email the assignment to me on or before the due date. When you return to school please submit a hard copy of the assignment with a copy of your email for conformation. If this is not done a penalty of (2 points per day for any homework assignment with a value of less than 50 points; and a 5 point deduction every day for work submitted worth 50 points or more.) Extenuating circumstances will apply on a case by case basis. Please note that all major assignments are given 2-3 weeks before they are due. Please check my school website for quarterly updates. Enjoy your senior year!
Signatures: I, (Student’s full name printed) ______understand the expectations for English 12 SES.
(Student’s Signature) ______(Parent/Guardian’s Signature) ______9/2015