Myerson 1
Mr. Myerson
English Department
West Essex Regional High School
September 2014
Welcome to English III CPA
Contact Information:
Phone/ext.: (973) 228-1200 ext. 856
E-mail:
Schoolwires (including homework): http://www.westex.org/cms/Workspace/Section/Section.aspx?DomainId=350
Course Description:
Students in the English III program will be immersed in great American works- both classic and contemporary- of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. This course is designed to meet the rigorous standards of the Common Core and to foster independence in reading and writing in each student. Readings are completed independently, as well as in class with added classroom discussion to expand the students’ comprehension and analysis of the material. Some skills addressed in this course include, but are not limited to, close reading, choosing and citing textual evidence properly, vocabulary development, grammar and usage, and proper essay format with practice in argument, narrative, and informative / explanatory writing styles. Students are introduced to the critical reading and writing sections of standardized tests in preparation for the high-stakes standardized tests taken during your junior year. All students are expected to fulfill independent reading requirements each marking period. Students will compose appropriate comprehensive, culminating original works for this course. The English III curriculum is quite rigorous and requires a serious commitment to fulfill the regular, independent reading and writing requirements. Daily homework is to be expected. It is expected that students in this class will demonstrate maturity in their work when completing independent reading, writing, and research assignments, public speaking, as well as preparing for daily class discussion.
Course Objectives:
Reading
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
Writing
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
10. 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
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on other’s ideas and expressing their ownclearlyandpersuasively.
2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating
command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Language
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing,
3. 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.
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
5. Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
NJCCSS:
§ Reading Standards for Literature (RL.11-12.1 thru RL.11-12.10)
§ Reading Standards for Informational Text (RI.11-12.1 thru RI.11-12.10)
§ Writing Standards (W.11-12.1 thru W.11-12.10)
§ Speaking & Listening Standards (SL.11-12.1 thru SL.11-12.6)
§ Language Standards (L.11-12.1 thru L.11-12.6)
Texts & Resources:
Textbooks:
§ Adventures in American Literature. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1996.
§ Back to the Lake: A Reader for Writers. Thomas Cooley, ed. Second Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012.
§ Modern American Poetry. Joseph, Coulson, Peter Temes, and Jim Baldwin, eds. Chicago: The Great Books Foundation, 2002.
§ Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop, Level F
Core Texts:
§ Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
§ Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
§ The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
§ The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
§ When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmerelda Santiago
§ Krik?Krak! by Edwidge Danticat
§ The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
§ A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Or The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
§ The Things They Carried byTimO’Brien
§ The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Supplemental Texts & Resources:
§ The New York Times
§ Easy Writer: Pocket Reference
§ This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women Jay Allison and Dan Gediman, eds. New York: Henry Holt, 2006
§ Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
Technology and Media Resources:
§ Clips from films including but not limited to: Of Mice and Men; Death of a Salesman; The Great Gatsby; The Scarlet Letter; The Glass Menagerie; A Streetcar Named Desire; The Grapes of Wrath; When the Levees Broke; On the Waterfront; Midnight in Paris; The Artist; My Vietnam, Your Iraq; Modern Times.
§ Internet Databases – Ebsco, MLA, Literature Resource Center, JSTOR, Gale Databases, Facts on File, & America’s Newspapers.
Optional Independent Reading Texts:
§ Typical American by Gish Jen
§ LongDay’sJourneyintoNight byEugeneO’Neill
§ A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
§ Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
§ The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
§ The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
§ The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemmingway
§ Our Town by Thorton Wilder
§ Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
* Please be sure your name is written on the inside cover of the state books. You will be responsible for paying for the replacement of or damage to any book loaned to you.*
Course Units & Topics:
§ Summer Reading (September)
§ Academic Honesty & Citation (All Year)
§ Vocabulary (All Year)
§ SAT Preparation (All Year)
§ HSPA Preparation (September - March)
§ Independent Reading (All Year – Each Marking Period)
§ Unit #1: The American Dream (MP1)
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
§ Unit #2: Every American (MP2)
- Introduction to the Unit (selections from textbooks)
- Native American Voices (selections of non-fiction & poetry)
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
- When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
- Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat
- Asian-, Arab-, & South-Asian- American Voices (selections of non-fiction & poetry)
- Expressions on Sexual Orientation (selections of non-fiction & poetry)
§ Unit #3: Song of Myself (MP3)
- This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women edited by Jay Allison & Dan Geidliman
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- The Glass Menagerie OR A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
§ Unit #4: Speak Out (MP4)
- Introduction to the Unit (selections from textbooks)
- The Crucible by Arthur Miller
- The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
*Please note that only major works were listed below each unit. Other works of poetry and non-fiction will be read along side these texts.
Activities & Assessments:
With respect to diverse learners, I will incorporate a variety of activities and assessments each marking period. It is understood that you will each have the opportunity to review your graded assignments in class and ask questions for clarification. A combination of formative and summative assessments will be utilized in this course including, but not limited to:
§ Do Nows
§ Entrance and Exit Cards
§ Cognitive Strategies Sentence Starters
§ Academic Blogs
§ Journal Writing
§ Group inquiry
§ Online Discussion Board Posts (Edmodo)
§ Debates
§ Dialectical Journals/Double Entry Notes
§ Quote Logs
§ Cornell Summaries & Notes
§ One-Pagers
§ Class Discussions
§ Book Chats
§ Letters
§ Group or Individual Projects & Presentations
§ Speeches
§ Peer Revision and Writing Workshops
§ Self-Assessment (Reflection & Reflexivity)
§ Participation & Teacher Observation
§ Quizzes
§ Unit Tests
§ Socratic Seminars
§ Seminars
§ Literary Analysis Essay
§ Argument Essay
§ College Essay
§ Narrative/Memoir
§ Informative/Explanatory Essay
§ Digital Writing Portfolios
*Writing: At least once per marking period, each of you will be expected to
generate at least one significant piece of writing, receive teacher feedback
on that assignment, and be eligible to resubmit it for revision. In conjunction
with departmental goals, I will determine the appropriate writing assignments
for the course. These writing assignments will be housed in digital writing
portfolios and MUST be submitted to TurnItIn.com.
Supplies:
§ A three ring binder (highly suggested since I do use handouts often)
§ Ample supply of loose-leaf paper
§ Three ring tab dividers
§ Multiple pocket folder(s)
§ A blue or black pen
§ #2 pencils
§ A memory stick (be sure to always back up all your assignments and projects)
Your Notebook:
I recommend that you use a three ring binder as your notebook in class. Your notebook should be labeled and divided into the following sections and organized in the following order:
§ “All Year” – where you will include all rules and regulations, rubrics, and this very syllabus.
§ “Literature/Units” (this section may be labeled according to each unit/book we are working on in and out of class).
§ “Vocabulary”
§ “Test Prep” – where you will include important information about the PSAT, SAT, and HSPA exams.
§ “Grades” – where you will keep a record sheet of your grades and all returned and graded assignments/tests/papers.
General Course Information:
§ You should be prepared for a quiz every time you have a reading assignment.
§ I check homework regularly so ALWAYS be prepared.
§ All written work should be handed in with the following MLA heading in the upper left hand corner of the paper:
Name
Ms. Perez
English III H
Date
§ Use Times New Roman, size 12 font for all printed work.
§ Papers should have a one inch margin on all sides and should be double spaced.
§ Be sure to indent for each new paragraph.
§ When citing outside sources in a paper, you are expected to follow MLA format (a review of this format will be given over the course of the year). Please note that the current MLA guidelines can be found within the Easy Writer handbook.
§ Remember that computers can have a mind of their own - be sure to save all your work to your hard drive and a memory stick. This will insure that you never lose your work.
Grades & Department Policies:
§ Grades will be based on the following percentages:
Homework 10% Formative 20% Summative 70%
§ Late or missing homework receives no credit except excused absences.
§ Late work loses 10% per day except excused absence.
§ Excepting in class timed writes, students may revise papers at least once to demonstrate improvement in all areas except grammar and mechanics. The revision will be worth up to twenty points more than the draft.
§ All work will be produced according to MLA formatting criteria
§ Pupils are expected to be honest in all of their academic work. A pupil found guilty of academic dishonesty may be subjected to a full range of penalties including, but not limited to, reprimand and loss of credit for all of the work that is plagiarized.