Reading Schedule English 1 Fall 2012
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Reading Schedule English 1 Spring 2013
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SYLLABUS – ENGLISH 1
Textbooks:
Kemper, D. (2012). Write Source: Writing and Grammar. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Novels:
Alvarez, J. (2004). Before We Were Free. New York, NY: First Laurel Leaf
Bloor, E. (2005). Tangerine. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc.
Steinbeck, J. (2000). Of Mice and Men. London: Penguin Books.
Course Description and Objectives
This course is designed to develop students writing and literacy skills through the medium of literature. Students practice the language art skills of reading, writing, listening, viewing and speaking through the study of grammar, language, vocabulary and literary texts. Student will obtain sufficient knowledge of English grammar so that they can improve their writing skills and eliminate the most common writing errors from their work. Emphasis will be on the genre of fiction, which has been chosen on the basis of relationships to contemporary cultural, social and literary ideas and concerns.
Upon completion of this course, students will have completed the following objectives: read for meaning through a range of informative, technical and literary texts; acquire an extensive vocabulary through reading, discussion, listening and systematic word study; acquire an extensive understanding of the range of grammatical structures and be able to employ structures in editing written assignments; use structured writing strategies in various writing assignments which meet the needs of different audiences and answer specific writing purposes; develop effective listening and speaking skills through class discussions, group work and oral presentations; understand and respond critically and aesthetically to a variety of writing forms such as novels, articles, newspapers, academic papers etc.
Grading
There are several ways in which each student can achieve successful results in this course. For many assignments, such as class debates and research papers, grade analysis rubrics will be provided to guide you through the requirements of each assignment and to advise you what is required in order to earn the best results.
The Grading Scale below is a school-wide scale used to evaluate work for its accuracy, completeness, and quality. Grades will be awarded using the following scale:
A 94-100 Excellent
A- 90-93
B+ 87-89 Very Good
B 84-86
B- 80-83
C+ 77-79 Satisfactory
C 74-76
C- 70-73
D 60-69 Below Average
F 59 and below - Fail
The following criteria will be used to calculate your final course grade: (Grade distribution is within the purview of the instructor, except for attendance which is a school policy).
Scheduled Examinations & Quizzes = 25%
Writing Assignments (Blogs & Essays) = 25%
Homework / Class work (Active reading, Projects, Presentations) = 25%
Class Participation & Attendance = 25%
Scheduled Examinations There will be several scheduled examinations and quizzes during the course of the semester. The scheduled examinations will be worth a cumulative 20 percent of your total course grade. Please plan and devote sufficient study time and effort to this significant segment of your course grade. Make-up examinations may only be taken when there is an excused absence. There will be no re-testing in this course whatsoever.
Essays and Writing Assignments
Students will create a critical and analytical response, evaluating literature based on their understanding of the text and the influence of history and culture, using appropriate literary terminology and a formal writing style. There will also be various times within a semester when students will write persuasive and/or academic essays on given topics.
Blogs
On chosen pieces of literature, students will write a weekly blog entry. Students will be required to print their blog entries and bring them to class each Thursday before publishing them on the blog. The blog is an opportunity for students to practice self reflection, analyze literature, or to simply hone their writing skills. Late blog entries will not be accepted. Pen drives will be required each week for blog entries.
Class Participation, Attendance and Homework
It is expected that each student understands and accepts the high level of energy and commitment necessary to be successful on this academic level. The instructor is committed to provide a course of the highest quality and commits his time, energy and talents to the process. Reciprocity of these ideals is the highest form of compliment to the instructor.
All students are encouraged to participate in classroom discussions in a respectful manner as participation is an integral part of the course grade. Assigned readings must be completed prior to class in order to participate constructively in class discussions, master an understanding of the course material, and achieve excellent results.
Homework must be completed as scheduled and presented in a clear, concise, and orderly manner. Quality homework is the students’ best preparation for revision and exams. All homework is carefully evaluated and feedback provided. The feedback is meant to assist students in their mastery of the material and should be diligently assimilated into the students’ future work. Students will be advised of the format and standards required of all submitted work, as well as the standards of behavior and respect required in classroom discussion and debates.
Consistent and prompt attendance is an essential course component to earn an excellent grade, and prompt class attendance will be strictly enforced. Students will penalized two (2) points for each unexcused absence per class and one (1) point for each tardy per class out of the Attendance portion of their course grade. Three (3) tardies are equivalent to one (1) unexcused absence for the purposes of attendance and determining that a student qualifies to receive credit in this course. Those students with five (5) or more unexcused absences during the semester will not receive credit for the course.
Students are the sole party responsible to recuperate any work missed due to an excused absence. The instructor will not pursue any student for work missed. Work not recuperated within the prescribed timeline will not be permitted for submission. Therefore, you will not receive credit for the work.
Students must come to class on time and with the appropriate materials (for example: an agenda or daily planner which is required every day, textbook (when necessary), notebook, homework, and pen or pencil). This course will require a significant amount of reading; therefore, students should follow the attached reading assignments carefully. Students who do not come to class prepared to learn, will neither maximize their potential in the course nor earn sufficient points on the assignments or class participation portion of the course grade to warrant an excellent grade. Please remember, a student earns his/her grade, the instructor does not give it.
Electronic Device Usage
Students are not permitted to use or have on their possession at any time in the classroom any non-approved electronic devices during the class period. The use or possession of non-approved electronic devices (iPods, MP3 players, cellular telephones or electronic translators) in the classroom is strictly forbidden. Students who violate this policy will have these devices confiscated which can only be redeemed after consultation with a parent. Use of any of these devices during an examination will result in the student’s automatic failure of the examination. Additionally, any student who refuses to surrender to any faculty or staff member prohibited electronic devices will automatically face a Disciplinary Committee Hearing. No Exceptions!
Academic Integrity A school is a community of individuals who voluntarily join together for the purpose of learning. At the heart of this sense of academic community is the idea that the behavior of its members is guided by a shared commitment to the highest standards of academic integrity. Any form of cheating, plagiarism or assisting others in acts of dishonesty is a violation of such standards. As a student in this course, it is assumed that you pledge that you will neither receive nor give unauthorized assistance during the completion of any work in this course.
Plagiarism is defined as using another person's writings or ideas as one's own without the appropriate acknowledgement such as quotation marks or a properly formatted citation/footnote/endnote. Please be sure to properly format and cite your sources when writing the research paper. No excuses, sad stories or exceptions will be accepted. Take pride in your hard work and accepts its rewards.
Academic Guidance and Office Hours This instructor maintains an "Open Door Policy" and encourages ALL students to seek help or guidance concerning his/her work in this course when he/she feels necessary. If you have any questions or feel that you need clarification in any particular area, please feel free to see me. This open exchange of information will permit the instructor to give you a continuous evaluation of your progress as the course develops. All students must accept and understand his/her responsibility in the learning process, and it will be each student’s responsibility to seek assistance as needed.
Kemper, D. (2012). Write Source: Writing and Grammar. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Novels:
Alvarez, J. (2004). Before We Were Free. New York, NY: First Laurel Leaf
Bloor, E. (2005). Tangerine. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc.
Steinbeck, J. (2000). Of Mice and Men. London: Penguin Books.
Course Description and Objectives
This course is designed to develop students writing and literacy skills through the medium of literature. Students practice the language art skills of reading, writing, listening, viewing and speaking through the study of grammar, language, vocabulary and literary texts. Student will obtain sufficient knowledge of English grammar so that they can improve their writing skills and eliminate the most common writing errors from their work. Emphasis will be on the genre of fiction, which has been chosen on the basis of relationships to contemporary cultural, social and literary ideas and concerns.
Upon completion of this course, students will have completed the following objectives: read for meaning through a range of informative, technical and literary texts; acquire an extensive vocabulary through reading, discussion, listening and systematic word study; acquire an extensive understanding of the range of grammatical structures and be able to employ structures in editing written assignments; use structured writing strategies in various writing assignments which meet the needs of different audiences and answer specific writing purposes; develop effective listening and speaking skills through class discussions, group work and oral presentations; understand and respond critically and aesthetically to a variety of writing forms such as novels, articles, newspapers, academic papers etc.
Grading
There are several ways in which each student can achieve successful results in this course. For many assignments, such as class debates and research papers, grade analysis rubrics will be provided to guide you through the requirements of each assignment and to advise you what is required in order to earn the best results.
The Grading Scale below is a school-wide scale used to evaluate work for its accuracy, completeness, and quality. Grades will be awarded using the following scale:
A 94-100 Excellent
A- 90-93
B+ 87-89 Very Good
B 84-86
B- 80-83
C+ 77-79 Satisfactory
C 74-76
C- 70-73
D 60-69 Below Average
F 59 and below - Fail
The following criteria will be used to calculate your final course grade: (Grade distribution is within the purview of the instructor, except for attendance which is a school policy).
Scheduled Examinations & Quizzes = 25%
Writing Assignments (Blogs & Essays) = 25%
Homework / Class work (Active reading, Projects, Presentations) = 25%
Class Participation & Attendance = 25%
Scheduled Examinations There will be several scheduled examinations and quizzes during the course of the semester. The scheduled examinations will be worth a cumulative 20 percent of your total course grade. Please plan and devote sufficient study time and effort to this significant segment of your course grade. Make-up examinations may only be taken when there is an excused absence. There will be no re-testing in this course whatsoever.
Essays and Writing Assignments
Students will create a critical and analytical response, evaluating literature based on their understanding of the text and the influence of history and culture, using appropriate literary terminology and a formal writing style. There will also be various times within a semester when students will write persuasive and/or academic essays on given topics.
Blogs
On chosen pieces of literature, students will write a weekly blog entry. Students will be required to print their blog entries and bring them to class each Thursday before publishing them on the blog. The blog is an opportunity for students to practice self reflection, analyze literature, or to simply hone their writing skills. Late blog entries will not be accepted. Pen drives will be required each week for blog entries.
Class Participation, Attendance and Homework
It is expected that each student understands and accepts the high level of energy and commitment necessary to be successful on this academic level. The instructor is committed to provide a course of the highest quality and commits his time, energy and talents to the process. Reciprocity of these ideals is the highest form of compliment to the instructor.
All students are encouraged to participate in classroom discussions in a respectful manner as participation is an integral part of the course grade. Assigned readings must be completed prior to class in order to participate constructively in class discussions, master an understanding of the course material, and achieve excellent results.
Homework must be completed as scheduled and presented in a clear, concise, and orderly manner. Quality homework is the students’ best preparation for revision and exams. All homework is carefully evaluated and feedback provided. The feedback is meant to assist students in their mastery of the material and should be diligently assimilated into the students’ future work. Students will be advised of the format and standards required of all submitted work, as well as the standards of behavior and respect required in classroom discussion and debates.
Consistent and prompt attendance is an essential course component to earn an excellent grade, and prompt class attendance will be strictly enforced. Students will penalized two (2) points for each unexcused absence per class and one (1) point for each tardy per class out of the Attendance portion of their course grade. Three (3) tardies are equivalent to one (1) unexcused absence for the purposes of attendance and determining that a student qualifies to receive credit in this course. Those students with five (5) or more unexcused absences during the semester will not receive credit for the course.
Students are the sole party responsible to recuperate any work missed due to an excused absence. The instructor will not pursue any student for work missed. Work not recuperated within the prescribed timeline will not be permitted for submission. Therefore, you will not receive credit for the work.
Students must come to class on time and with the appropriate materials (for example: an agenda or daily planner which is required every day, textbook (when necessary), notebook, homework, and pen or pencil). This course will require a significant amount of reading; therefore, students should follow the attached reading assignments carefully. Students who do not come to class prepared to learn, will neither maximize their potential in the course nor earn sufficient points on the assignments or class participation portion of the course grade to warrant an excellent grade. Please remember, a student earns his/her grade, the instructor does not give it.
Electronic Device Usage
Students are not permitted to use or have on their possession at any time in the classroom any non-approved electronic devices during the class period. The use or possession of non-approved electronic devices (iPods, MP3 players, cellular telephones or electronic translators) in the classroom is strictly forbidden. Students who violate this policy will have these devices confiscated which can only be redeemed after consultation with a parent. Use of any of these devices during an examination will result in the student’s automatic failure of the examination. Additionally, any student who refuses to surrender to any faculty or staff member prohibited electronic devices will automatically face a Disciplinary Committee Hearing. No Exceptions!
Academic Integrity A school is a community of individuals who voluntarily join together for the purpose of learning. At the heart of this sense of academic community is the idea that the behavior of its members is guided by a shared commitment to the highest standards of academic integrity. Any form of cheating, plagiarism or assisting others in acts of dishonesty is a violation of such standards. As a student in this course, it is assumed that you pledge that you will neither receive nor give unauthorized assistance during the completion of any work in this course.
Plagiarism is defined as using another person's writings or ideas as one's own without the appropriate acknowledgement such as quotation marks or a properly formatted citation/footnote/endnote. Please be sure to properly format and cite your sources when writing the research paper. No excuses, sad stories or exceptions will be accepted. Take pride in your hard work and accepts its rewards.
Academic Guidance and Office Hours This instructor maintains an "Open Door Policy" and encourages ALL students to seek help or guidance concerning his/her work in this course when he/she feels necessary. If you have any questions or feel that you need clarification in any particular area, please feel free to see me. This open exchange of information will permit the instructor to give you a continuous evaluation of your progress as the course develops. All students must accept and understand his/her responsibility in the learning process, and it will be each student’s responsibility to seek assistance as needed.