Honors 10 Syllabus
Welcome to Honors English 10. This course will challenge you in ways you’ve not been challenged before, and the challenge will be different for each of you. You will read a variety of literature and learn how to analyze it for it elements, themes and social applications. You will learn to write analytically about literature as well asnon-fiction. I will encourage and incite you to debate ideas and question one another’s perspectives, but you must always do so in a respectful manner. You will be expected to present your research and ideas to the class on a regular basis. Finally, you will be asked to think about your own academic strengths and weaknesses and focus on those differently for each assignment. Our most significant growth most often comes from challenge or what seems “hard” at times. Every year of your academic career will stretch you in new ways; learn to embrace and anticipate challenge and all the lessons it brings you through both success and failure.
Course Description
Honors English 10 is a course designed to develop advanced language, literature, and analysis skills. Students will study all aspects of literature including Shakespeare, poetry, non-fiction, short stories and drama. Literary analysis, expressive writing, persuasive techniques and a proposal for the 11th grade AP/IB extended essay are required. This course will engage students in the MYP programme, prepare students for the statewide assessment while building the foundation to move on into the 11th grade Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate English class. Evidence of higher-level thinking and independent work is expected and required.
Materials:
One college ruled notebook designated for this class only
Three-ring binder (a section of a large binder is fine)
Lined paper for note taking and timed writings
Pencils
Blue and black ink pens for timed writings and essays
Planner or some form of keeping track of due dates
Email address for turnitin.com
Required novels (during the time they are being discussed)
- Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- Othello by William Shakespeare
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
It is recommended, but not required, that you purchase personal copies of the literature novels we read this year. You will find it increasingly useful to write/annotate in your books as you read, and it is nice to have them as a resource as you begin to prepare for the AP or IB tests in future years.
Late Work:
As a general policy, late work will not be accepted. If you do not complete an assignment, I will ask you for a full piece of paper on which you will write, “I did not do my homework,” including your name and the date of the assignment.You will have an appropriate window of time to complete and revise major papers. Procrastination results in “the excuse,” i.e., my printer is out of ink/this didn’t save on my flash drive/I emailed it but it didn’t get to you/I uploaded this but it’s not there.
Also, every time you are relyingon technology to complete an assignment you should have it saved/stored in a minimum of two places. Below are only a few of the ever expanding options available to you:
- Email (yours AND mine)
- Dropbox
- Google Docs
- Any other “cloud” storage
- Flash Drive
A fair and early warning- I have no patience or tolerance for those who do not have assignments prepared because they were left at home, saved in an incorrect format and/or “missing” somewhere on the World Wide Web. Double-check that you have saved everything in at least three places. Remember to always save your work in a universally accessible format (rich text format/ adobe acrobat).
Having said this, I reserve the right to consider evaluating circumstances for late work. The key is to communicate with me. Smaller assignments, such as homework, cannot be turned in late, except for excused absences. It is your responsibility to remember to turn in work upon your return to school – I will not remember to ask you. If you do not turn in the work the day you return, it will be accepted at the teacher’s discretion.
Formal essays and large projects will be accepted late with the following point reductions:
1st day late = 25% off grade
2nd day late = 50% off grade
3rd day and beyond = no credit
Tardies:
Administration and Security will be sweeping students who are not in class on time.
If you are ‘caught in the sweep’ and you missed a quiz or a test:
- You must make up the quiz/test after school the same day in or your test grade will result in a zero. You must show up to right at the end of the school day to take the quiz/test.
If you are ‘caught in the sweep’ and an assignment is given or checked in:
- You must make live contact with me (an email or note does not count) the day you are swept to find out the given assignment and to check in the assignment from the previous class.
- It is your responsibility to check with a classmate and get all relevant notes, examples, and/or homework corrections from the day you missed before the next class.
Absences & the Make-up Policy:
You are responsible for any and all make-up work you miss due to an absence. School policy will be followed as to the number and label of absences. Quizzes and tests must be made up within one week or the grade will become a zero. In addition, if you are home ill you can check Schoolwires so you don’t fall behind.In order to make up missed work, the absence must be excused. The student has the same number of days absent to make up any missed work. Any work assigned before the absence will be collected on the due date or the first day of the student’s return. When the student returns from an absence, it is his/her responsibility to get make-up work
Final Exam Policy
All students will take Final Exams. Students who have no more than 4 absences (one tardy or sweep counts as one absence) in the class and a grade of 75% or higher, and who are present in class on the final exam day, may choose whether or not to have the final exam calculated into their grade.This policy does not apply to courses which may require final exams, including but not limited to IB, AP, and Dual Enrollment classes.School sponsored events are not counted as an absence.
Grading:
Semester grades for all classes at CHS are determined on a 40/40/20 calculation.This means that 40% of the semester grade is the grade at the end of quarter one, 40% is the grade at the end of quarter two, and 20% is the final exam.
In addition, grades will be weighted in this class as follows:
Formative30%
Smaller assessments that assess student progress toward unit goals i.e.quizzes, in class writing
Summative50%
Major assessments that assess whether a student has met the unit goals i.e. major essays, tests
Practice20%
Homework and in class work
*Percentages are subject to change
It is on rare occasions that extra credit will be given; you earn you grade by the consistent completion of each assignment and showing mastery of objectives on quizzes and tests. Effective study habits and self-discipline will also be advantageous for success. Do not rely on extra credit to reverse inconsistent work completion or poor study habits throughout the semester.
Cheating and Plagiarism:
We will discuss and define cheating and plagiarism. Neither will be tolerated and any assignment or assessment found to be not your original, genuine product will be given a zero and cannot be made up. In addition, egregious offenses may also warrant an academic referral.
Honors 10 English Syllabus Acknowledgement Form
Ms. Brewington
Please sign and date below after you have read the syllabus. In doing so, we all agree you and the student are aware of my classroom expectations and the school policies set forth by CHS. If he/she does not follow the expectations, we are also aware of the sequence of consequences.
Please sign and return to Mrs. Jones by the next class period. Thank you.
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Student Name
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Student SignatureDate
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Parent/Guardian SignatureDate
If you have any additional concerns or comments that you would like to share with me concerning your student, feel free to call me anytime or leave a note here:
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