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Freshcorn

White Oak High School – English I0 Honors

Ms. Freshcorn, Fall, 2016 Syllabus

Course Overview:

To become college and career ready, students must grapple with worksof exceptional craft and thought whose range extends across genres,cultures, and centuries. Such worksoffer profound insights into the humancondition and serve as models forstudents’ own thinking and writing. Along with high-quality contemporaryworks, these texts should be chosenfrom among seminal U.S. documents,the classics of American literature, andthe timeless dramas of Shakespeare. Through wide and deep reading ofliterature and literary nonfiction ofsteadily increasing sophistication,students gain a reservoir of literaryand cultural knowledge, references,and images; the ability to evaluateintricate arguments; and the capacityto surmount the challenges posed by complex texts.

Topics of Study:

The following is a generic list of the topics we will focus on this semester:

  • Fiction
  • Non – Fiction, including seminal U.S. documents
  • Poetry
  • Speaking and Listening Skills
  • Research Skills

Course Outline:

First Six Weeks: Around the World

In this six weeks students will look at six major geographical regions of the world and the way in which each region approaches writing and storytelling. Students will be asked to complete a short research project on the writings of the geographical region of focus for that week. In class students will critically read at least one poem, one short story, and one non-fiction essay or article from the region. In addition to studying these geographical regions students will also cover the four levels of grammar and begin work on sentence analysis for structure and meaning. Students will also be asked to produce two major writing assignments, narrative and information, for the Digital Writing Portfolio during this grading period.

Second Six Weeks: Myths and Legends

In this six weeks students will read, analyze and compare myths and legends from around the globe. Students will work to build their knowledge in these areas to help them make sense of the many archetypes from and, allusions to these myths and legends in their modern readings. Students will also make thematic connections across cultures with these myths and legends, as well as explore how specific groups, like women for example, are represented in these ancient tales. Students will also continue their study of grammatical structures and begin working on understanding how these structures dictate punctuation. Students will complete the argumentative piece for their Digital Writing Portfolio this marking period.

Third Six Weeks: Full Narratives

In this six weeks students will complete two full narrative fictional works. Students will be asked to read and analyze MacBeth as well as Lord of the Flies. During these two readings students will be asked to pay special attention to allusions and archetypes as they appear and make connections back to our previous readings. In addition to these two major texts students will be asked to complete a brief research paper. This research paper will be 3-4 pages in length, include a complete Works Cited, and be formatted according to MLA guidelines.

Final Exam Preparation:

Throughout the school year students will be asked to complete Benchmark Assessments created by Onslow County Schools for all students enrolled in English II. These benchmarks are a strong indicator of how students will perform on the End of Course Test and should be approached with the utmost respect and attention to detail. Student data will be tracked and monitored throughout the year and available to send home to parents. Students will also spend several days in review before the final state mandated EOC in January.

Grading:

All of your graded work will be classified as Major Assessments, Quizzes, Classwork, or Homework. Items will be averaged together within these three areas before being averaged into your final grade according to the following percentages:

* Major Assessments 40%

* Quizzes30%

* Minor Assessments 30%

Late Work:

Late work is not acceptable. Late work will only be graded if it is submitted within one day of the assigned due date. Students who are more than one day late turning in an assignment must complete an alternative assessment on similar objectives and standards in order to earn any points back to their grade. These assessments must be completed under teacher supervision before or after school at the teacher’s convenience. Students will not earn more than 70 points on any late assignment or alternative assessment.

Final Average:

Your final average will be comprised as follows:

  • 1st 6 Weeks = 25% 2nd 6 Weeks = 25% 3rd 6 Weeks = 25% Exam = 25%

Final Exam:

English II has a state generated End of Course Exam. Students need to remember that this final exam cannot be exempted, AND counts for 25% of the final average. Students should work to prepare for this exam all semester.

Standard Rubrics:

Your work will be graded using rubrics throughout this course. Unless I have given you a project specific rubric, then I will use one of the following rubrics depending on the type of work you are completing. Please understand the rubrics posted here are general rubrics, intended to assess a broad range of assignments. Work requiring more detailed assessment will be given a project/essay specific rubric.

Below you will find the Standard Class Work Rubric:

A = 95 / The student completed the assignment and followed all directions. The student’s work clearly shows independent thinking and careful attention to detail (Lots of Sprinkles!!). The work is very neat and ready to be graded.
B = 85 / The student completed the assignment and followed all directions. The student’s work shows some evidence of independent thinking and some attention to detail (A few Sprinkles!). The work is neat and ready to be graded.
C = 75 / The student completed the assignment and followed all directions. The work is legible and ready to be graded.
D = 65 / The student’s work is incomplete. Some directions may have been followed while other directions were ignored. The work is barely legible and not entirely ready to be graded.
F = 50 / The student did not complete the assignment or follow directions. The work is sloppy and should be redone before it is worthy of additional points.
  • (+) Option: Work that has some traits from the grade descriptor above it will receive a +. The numeric grade associated with the + option are as follows: A+ = 100, B+ = 88, C+ = 78, D+ = 68.
  • (-) Option: Work that has some traits from the grade descriptor below it will receive a -. The numeric grades associated with the (-) option are as follows: A- = 92, B- = 82, C- = 72, D- = 62

Below you will find the Standard Essay Rubric:

Focus / Organization / Elaboration / Style / Conventions
4 / Topic/subject is clear, though it may or may not be explicitly stated. Maintains focus on topic/subject throughout the response. / Organizational structure establishes relationships between and among ideas and/or events. Consists of a logical progression of ideas and/or events and is unified and complete. / Support and elaboration are related to and supportive of the topic/subject. Consists of specific, developed details. / Exhibits skillful use of vocabulary that is precise and purposeful. Demonstrates skillful use of sentence fluency. / Exhibits skilled control of sentence formation, of standard usage (including agreement, tense, and case) , and of mechanics.
3 / Topic/subject is generally clear, though it may or may not be explicitly stated. May exhibit minor lapses in focus on topic/subject. / Organizational structure establishes relationships between and among ideas and/or events,although minor lapses may be present. Consists of a logical progression of ideas and/or events and is reasonably complete, although minor
lapses may be present. / Support and elaboration may have minor weaknesses in relatedness to and support of the topic/ subject. Consists of some specific details. / Exhibits reasonable use of vocabulary that is precise and purposeful. Demonstrates reasonable use of sentence fluency. / Exhibits reasonable control of sentence formation, of standard usage and of mechanics.
2 / Topic/subject may be vague. May lose or may exhibit lapses in focus on topic/subject / Organizational structure may establish little relationship between and among ideas and/or events. May have major lapses in the logical progression of ideas and/or events and is minimally complete. / Support and elaboration may have major weaknesses in relatedness to and support of the topic/subject. Consists of general and/or undeveloped details, presented in a list-like fashion. / Exhibits minimal use of vocabulary that is precise and purposeful. Demonstrates minimal use of sentence fluency. / Exhibits reasonable control of sentence formation, of standard usage and of mechanics though clear lapses exist
1 / Topic/subject is unclear or confusing. May fail to establish focus on topic/subject. / Organizational structure may not establish connection between/among ideas and/or events. Ideas and/or events are presented in a random, or confusing fashion. / Support and elaboration attempts to support the topic/subject but may be unrelated or confusing. Consists of sparse details / Lacks use of vocabulary that is precise and purposeful. May not demonstrate sentence fluency / Does not exhibit control of sentence formation, standard usage, and mechanics.

Absences:

In the unfortunate event that you are absent, then you are responsible for obtaining missed assignments. Your teacher will not remind you to do this. Please check with your peer for a copy of any notes and/or assignments you missed. You will have three days to turn in any graded assignments we completed while you were absent without any grade penalty.

Tutoring:

In addition to Viking Valor time every other week, I will be available between 2:22 and 2:50 most days for tutoring or make-up testing. I will be involved in teacher meetings during this time every Wednesday, and several Mondays, so please do not assume I will be in my room on these days. If you need longer than 30 minutes, please schedule a time with me in advance.

Tutoring is NOT a social hour with your friends. I retain the right to end a tutoring session early and deny any additional requests for tutoring if you abuse the time with me. If you are ever removed from a tutoring session or denied a time after school, a parent conference will be required to reinstate your tutoring privilege.

Discipline Policy:

We have four simple rules in this class.

  • Follow all directions given by an adult the first time they are given.
  • Be prepared.
  • Be respectful of yourself and those around you at all times.
  • Take responsibility for all of your actions without exception.

You will be given one warning should you choose not to adhere to these rules. If your behavior requires my attention twice during a class session I will begin to follow the disciplinary consequences below:

  • Student – Teacher Conference
  • Parent Contact/Behavior Incident Report and After School Detention
  • Office Referral

Honor Policy

Cheating, plagiarism, and any other form of academic dishonesty are not tolerated in this course. If you are found to be involved in any form of academic dishonesty, then you will not receive credit for that assignment and an alternative assignment may be given in its place. I will not grade work that is not 100% the intellectual property of the student being assessed. All students are expected to do their own work, without the help of others and without the “copy and paste” function of the computers.

All written essays must have a copy of the Honor Code signed and attached to the end of the essay. Essays without the signed Honor Code will not be graded and will only be eligible for late credit. You can access the Honor Code in our online class notebook under “Forms”.

English Interactive Binder:

Please keep an Interactive Binder for this class. I recommend at least a one inch 3 ring binder. We will use this binder just like a spiral bound notebook, so please stock the binder with notebook paper and dividers. We will set up our notebooks together as a class during the first week of September. It is therefore imperative that you have a 1 inch binder before September 6th.

Textbooks:

Textbooks will be used primarily in the classroom. If you should need to take one home, you will need to sign the book out on the designated sign-out sheet and return in a timely manner. Any other text from the classroom that you need to take home should be checked out in the same manner. Novels will be assigned to you periodically throughout the semester, and you will be held responsible for that book until it is collected again by your teacher.

Acceptable Use Policy:

The White Oak High School English Department we strive to teach responsible use of cell phones and electronic devices. To that end, students will be allowed to use approved electronic devices at the teacher’s discretion. However, unless your teacher has given you permission, your electronics should be stored out of sight and operating in a silent mode. Using your electronics for activities that are not directly connected to the lesson is an undeniable indicator that the student is off-task and not adhering to classroom policies.

Headphones are never appropriate in the classroom. If you are listening to your headphones, then you have created your own personal world and have disengaged from the classroom. Your cell phones are also a distraction if you are using them for any purpose other than to look up information for class, so please stay off your cell phone during class.

Technology can connect people around the world in seconds; however, it can also create vast spaces between people sitting right next to one another. As young adults, it is imperative that you learn how and when to use your technology. Please, try to avoid being more invested in your smart phone than your neighbor. Also, remember not to invade the privacy of others by posting their information or picture to the internet.

Hall Pass Requests:

We will use the ten/ten rule. There will be no passes out for the first ten minutes of class, or the last ten minutes of class. You should handle your bathroom needs during hallway changes if a need arises during these time units.

You are responsible young adults, so treat Hall Passes appropriately. Please contain hall pass requests to Independent Work time ONLY. Never interrupt class to ask to leave, as this is exceedingly rude. If you do not have an agenda, then you may not leave the room for any reason – barring of course an EXTREME emergency. If you habitually ask to leave the room during class, please be aware that I may feel compelled to alert your parents.

Food and Drinks:

The classroom is a space for working, not eating. Please finish all snacks before entering the room. Water is the only beverage that you should bring into the classroom. All beverages must have a lid that is tightly closed when not in use.

Heading Your Paper:

All work that you complete and turn in for a grade must have the following information placed in the upper-right hand corner: Your Name, Teacher Name, Class, and Date. In addition to this header, you are also required to write the title of the assignment, page number, and question numbers in the center of the top line of your paper.

Failure to place your header or titles on your paper will result in the loss of five points to that grade.

Honors Independent Reading:

Honors students at the English II level will be required to complete three Independent Readings during the semester. Each six weeks, a text/selection of texts will be provided for students to read outside of class. Students should critically attack each work and seek a thorough understanding of the assigned text. If you are confused by the text, please create a list of questions and schedule a tutoring time with me to discuss the text. This is an excellent use of Viking Valor time as well! Below are the required texts or text options for each six weeks:

  • First Grading Period: Night
  • Second Grading Period: The Aeneid or The Iliad
  • Third Grading Period: Long Way Gone, Life of Pi, or Sold

These readings will all be assessed with a timed essay in class. Students will be given a prompt and asked to use evidence/quotes from the text to respond. Students will be allowed to use any notes they have taken as well as the text itself. Preparation for these essays is essential.

Additional Notes:

  • Formal Writing AssignmentsAll formal writing assignments should be typed and adhere to the following formatting requirements: Times New Roman, 12 pt font, double spaced, MLA formatting
  • Teacher Areas  (Desk, computer cart, closets, back book shelves) No student has permission to enter or touch any teacher areas. If you are found in a teacher area without the express permission of the teacher, then consequences will follow for failing to respect your neighbor.
  • Important Dates  Please check this board on a regular basis for upcoming tests, project due dates, school events, etc. If the event is written on the board, then your teacher is not responsible for verbally reminding you.
  • Twitter/Remind101 I have a Twitter account and a Remind101 for my English classes. I encourage you to search for me (StacyFreshcorn), and follow my Twitter account. I will post reminders, pop quiz announcements, and extra credit opportunities to my Twitter and Remind101 accounts.

Student Agreement: