Shakespeare
Mr. DeVitis
Room 105 – (330) 896-7575 extension 616018
Dear Student,
Welcome to Shakespeare. This course combines the study of the Elizabethan and Jacobean Eras and Shakespeare’s works with composition and reading skill development. You will be reading, performing, and deciphering plays and sonnets and assessing criticism. You will also be required to respond to literature and expand your reading, writing, and research skills. Expect this course to be both challenging and rewarding.
Instructional Philosophy
Instructional models used will include direct instruction, discussion, oral presentations, and cooperative learning. Students will be expected to complete group work as well as independent assignments and projects.
Classroom Guidelines
1. Show deference
2. Be seated or in the classroom and en route to seat at the sound of the tone
3. Arrive prepared for class and have only class-related personal effects atop desk
4. Raise your hand and be recognized before speaking or leaving your seat
5. No theft, vandalism, or littering
6. No noisemakers or electronics
7. No sleeping
8. No negative colloquialisms
9. No food or candy; the lone acceptable drinkable is water; the lone acceptable vessel is a
clear bottle; all other items will be confiscated
10. No airborne projectiles
11. Do not leave your seat or the classroom until dismissed by the instructor
12. Do not do homework during class unless granted permission; it and any host papers will
be seized and the affiliated teacher will be notified
ü If you wisely choose to follow the classroom guidelines, then you are choosing the following consequences:
1. An amicable learning environment for all students
2. Quality education for each individual
3. A safe working environment
ü If you poorly choose not to follow the classroom guidelines, then you are choosing the following consequences:
1. Detention
2. Office referral
Materials
ü notebook and folder
ü college-ruled loose-leaf paper
ü two ink pens (traditional blue or black only)
ü current selection and related materials
ü paperback books, handouts, journals, and any other supplemental materials
ü No. 2 pencils, crayons or colored pencils (on exam or art days)
ü Akron Summit County Public Library card
Title Pool
Antony and Cleopatra Much Ado About Nothing
As You Like It Othello
Coriolanus Pericles
Hamlet Richard III
Henry IV Part 1 Sonnets
King John The Tempest
King Lear Timon of Athens
Knight of the Burning Pestle† Titus Andronicus
The Merchant of Venice Twelfth Night
†A pastiche by Francis Beaumont, Shakespeare’s contemporary
Major Course Assignments and Projects
ü class, independent, and outside reading assignments
ü annotated bibliographies and scholarship reviews
ü essays and miniature research papers
ü performance of soliloquies and scenes
ü performance of Shakespeare’s sonnets
ü tests and quizzes
Course Assessments and Grading Scale
Students will be assessed on a point system. Approximately 80 percent of the final mark will be derived from academic achievement; the remaining 20 percent, academic practice. Each assignment will be awarded a specific number of points based on the extent and difficulty of the assignment. Students will also be assessed on their level of participation in the course. The Green High School grading scale will be employed. The grading scale is as follows:
98-100 = A+ 87-89.99 = B+ 77-79.99 = C+ 67-69.99 = D+ < 60 = F
93-97.99 = A 83-86.99 = B 73-76.99 = C 63-66.99 = D
90-92.99 = A- 80-82.99 = B- 70-72.99 = C- 60-62.99 = D-
The final mark will be determined by doubling the sum of the four nine-week percentages and adding the midterm and final exam percentages. The resulting figure will be divided by ten to determine the final percentage. This number will then be rounded (averages ending in .50 and above will be rounded up to the nearest whole number; averages ending in .49 and below, down to the nearest whole number). The corresponding letter grade will be assigned. Percentages are rounded only to determine the final mark. Quarter/semester percentages will not be rounded.
Example Report Card
First Nine Weeks: 89.32 = B+
Second Nine Weeks 84.65 = B
Midterm Exam 78.88 = C+
Third Nine Weeks 89.91 = B+
Fourth Nine Weeks 87.71 = B+
Final Exam 80.04 = B
Final Percentage 86.00 (rounded down from 86.21)
Final Mark B
Principal’s Addendum
At Green High School, grades are calculated in all classes based on the 80/20 Policy. As a result, a student’s grade is divided into two categories: Academic Achievement and Academic Practice. After a student has had sufficient instruction and practice on a topic, it is then reasonable to judge his/her mastery of the information or skills in the form of academic achievement assessments. The purpose is to evaluate how well a student has learned the material. Eighty percent of the total course grade comes from academic achievement and will consist of tests (oral, written and performance), some quizzes, some homework, writings, projects or presentations.Whenever a student learns new material he or she goes through a time of wrestling with the material before eventually mastering the information or skills. It is expected that a student will make some mistakes during this learning process. Work completed during this learning period is considered academic practice. Twenty percent of the total course grade comes from academic practice and will consist of some quizzes, homework, first drafts of writing, teacher questions during instruction, some worksheets, informal observations or pre-testing.
Assignment Heading Format
Your Name
Teacher’s Name
Class Name
Date
Title (or assignment)
Richard Burbage
Mr. DeVitis
Shakespeare
23 August 2012
“Men that make
Envy and crooked malice nourishment
Dare bite the best.” All is True (5.2.77-79)
*All submitted assignments must be penned in blue or black ink. Do not use pencil or any other colored ink; it will not be accepted. I will let you know which assignments must be typed.
Units
Each play is approached as a 100-point unit. We begin with background and a look at the dramatis personae and conclude with a project. The following is a breakdown of the unit:
Act 1-5 Quizzes: 10 points apiece for a total of 50 points
Participation: 10 points
Final Paper/Project: 40 points
Homework
You are always advised to reread the material from the day’s performance and discussion as homework. You will be pleasantly surprised to find how much better you understand the material the second time around. I will rarely ask you to read a scene or two as homework before the next day’s class.
Papers
All major papers must be typed using 12-point Times New Roman and be 1.5-spaced throughout. Please put only one space after end punctuation. Papers are required to have one-inch margins on all boundaries and a running header bearing the student’s last name and corresponding page number. All papers are to be submitted in MLA format on the date due. Late papers will suffer a 10-point deduction for each day late.
Make-Up Work
Only those who missed due to an excused absence are eligible to submit make-up work. Do recall, it is the student’s responsibility to seek out and complete make-up work. If your absence is excused, you must complete your missing work in the time allotted. Any work that is not submitted will receive a zero.
Plagiarism
Any work produced wholly or partly through cheating/plagiarism receives a grade of zero. Those involved in plagiarism receive a call home and attend a conference with Mrs. Brown.
Cliffs Notes, SparkNotes, and other supplementary guides
Students may often find Cliffs Notes and other supplementary materials to be helpful in understanding the text, reviewing the sequence of events, and getting ideas for papers and classroom discussion. Nonetheless, reading Cliffs Notes alone will not help you pass reading checkpoints (often based on quotes) and will be of little help for papers and tests. Do not bring any such aids into the classroom.
Tenth Period
Two-hour after-school enrichment session focusing on the unit at hand. Times to be announced.
Restroom Policy
Do not ask to use the restroom unless it is necessary. Sign out and wear a hall pass.
Pen Pal Policy
Pens and pencils are rented at a rate of 25 cents per period or block of use. Rental requires a down payment of 50 cents, 25 cents of which is returned upon remittance of the rented pen. A pen that is unreturned at the end of the session will be considered purchased, and all monies are forfeited to the lender, who thus becomes the seller. Exquisite pens will be sold at market price. Any work produced with a shared pen will result in a zero for all involved parties.
Cellular Telephones and Electronic Devices Policy or Do Not BYOD Policy
Communicative and entertainment electronics, including but not limited to cellular phones, iPods, and video games, are not permitted in the classroom. If such a device is seen, heard, used, or even detected, the following four steps will be incontinently taken:
1. Device will be immediately surrendered to the instructor
2. Student will be assigned a detention to be served that afternoon from 2:30-2:50 p.m. Provided
the detention is served in its entirety, the device will be restored to the student’s possession at 2:50 p.m.
3. Credit accrued during the block or period in which the violation takes place may be forfeited
at the discretion of the instructor
4. An office referral will be submitted
Retesting Policy
Each student is allotted one retest of an act quiz over the course of the school year. In order to be eligible, a student must complete a supplementary exercise germane to the unit and have entirely attended the Tenth Period in conjunction with the unit. Exercises are to be submitted on Friday of the week following the original assessment. The said Friday will double as the date of the retake. The percentage scored on the second assessment, whether greater or less than the original, will replace the existing percentage. Any student with an unexcused absence or outstanding assignment is ineligible.
Detention Policy
Twenty-minute detentions are readily assigned to those whose offenses merit punishment. When a detention has been levied, the violator’s name, the date of the offense, and the nature of the offense are written in the detention log. All detentions are to be served after school from 2:30-2:50. You are responsible for arranging transportation. Students must be prompt, and detentions must be served in their entirety. Multiple offenses will inevitably result in an office referral. Office cards are submitted daily.
Conference
I am available to answer questions and provide assistance during second period. Outside soccer and track season, I am available to meet you after school. In the event that you wish to arrange a meeting, speak with me in my classroom. Meetings will be held in 105 during second period. Please indicate the nature of the meeting so I can have the necessary materials at the ready. I will be available most days before school.
Parent Signature Form
Shakespeare
Please sign and return this portion.
I, the undersigned parent or guardian of ______, have
reviewed the attached course information and understand the rules and procedures for Shakespeare. If I have any questions or concerns, I know that I can reach you by e-mail at or telephone you at (330) 896-7575 extension 616018.
Signature of parent or guardian: ______
I, the undersigned student, have read the above course information and understand my
responsibilities in this class.
Signature of student: ______
*Students must return this signed form no later than Friday, August 31. Failure to return the
signed form will result in detention.
To access course description: 1. Begin at www.greenlocalschools.org 2. Select “Green High School” in pull-down 3. Click “Teachers” on the grey bar 4. Click “DeVitis, Mr.” 5. Click “Classroom Procedures” 6. Open “Shakespeare”