3-4 Syllabus

English 3-4

2015-16

INTEGRITY is the foundation upon which all our work and relationships are built this year. We all shall conduct ourselves according to the highest standards of honesty, hard work, and strong principles. This means:

• Students shall complete all assigned work in the given time themselves and will no outside or unauthorized assistance;
• Students shall be prompt and truthful in all communications with the classroom teacher;
• Students shall endeavor to put forth their best effort consistently and be willing to accept constructive criticism;
• Students shall be engaged in the pursuit of understanding and true academic achievement--not merely points or grades.
• Students shall treat themselves, one another, and the classroom with respect at all times.

Of course, your instructor promises to adhere to these guidelines as well...

Ten Admonitions

1. Be in your seat when the bell rings; do not leave your seat until the bell rings at the end of the hour--no lining up.
2. Leave all electronic devices off and stored until I instruct you to use them.
3. When you go “to the bathroom,” go only to the bathroom; if you need to go somewhere else, ask permission to do so--in either case, you must leave your phone with me.
4. Makeups MUST be completed Thursday during fifth hour or Monday after school, whichever comes first. Failure to attend will result in a 50% deduction from the grade for that assessment. When your name goes on the makeup board, that is considered an appointment.
5. Do not touch anything that is not yours, especially any of my personal belongings.
6. Conduct yourself as the young professionals you will be.
7. Communicate! If there’s something unclear, please let me know.
8. Do your best work the first time, every time.

Daily routine:

• Mindful Minute
• Journal and/or warm-up
• Reminders and agenda

Other

• Monday--vocabulary or language work
• Tuesday-Thursday--grammar and writing work
• Friday--vocabulary or language assessment

I have designed the class in such a way that you should not have more than 20 minutes of homework per night, including weekends. As such, you should give this work your full attention and be purposeful, neat, and thorough in all you do.

Materials

Please be prepared every day with the following:

• Reading!
• Three-ring binder (1-inch is sufficient) and dividers
• Small composition notebook--no spirals
• Loose leaf paper.
• Pen and pencil—a colored pen is useful for peer editing and grading quizzes in class.
• Highlighter.
• Appropriate text (check assignment sheet!)
• I encourage you to bring in a netbook, laptop, or tablet if possible.

* Students are encouraged to acquire A Guide to MLA Documentation or A Pocket Style Manual by Diana Hacker through Bedford St. Martin’s

Curriculum (please organize your class binder according to numbered skill sets)

1. Reading--Reading assignments, study guides, and reading handouts go here

2. Writing--Writing assignments go here

We will engage in a variety of writing activities, including but not limited to:

• argumentation/persuasion
• explication (informative/explanatory)
• narrative
• research/synthesis--there will be a major research paper this semester!
• journals/reflection

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: NO STUDENT WHO DOES NOT SATISFACTORILY COMPLETE EACH MAJOR WRITING ASSIGNMENT CAN RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THE CLASS, REGARDLESS OF HIS OR HER PERFORMANCE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM.

3. Speaking, Listening, Viewing--Handouts and notes regarding film, projects, and presentations go here

Our aim with SLV is to create, present, and evaluate “texts” from sources other than print. To that end, we will engage in frequent small and large group discussions, create presentations and multimedia publications, and become conscientious consumers of media.

4. Language--Grammar and vocabulary materials go here

There will be an assessment on some aspect of language every Monday.

Grammar and Usage

Our study of grammar is focused solely on developing our skills as writers, so we will examine both grammar terminology AND examine “mentor texts” to see how we can use various syntactical structures to improve expression.

Vocabulary

• Vocabulary Workshop, Level E
• “Words in Action” (academic vocabulary, literary terms, and allusions) will be covered separately.
• Irksome Words: a list of words and phrases that are commonly misspelled or misused.

5. Study Skills/Habits of Mind--Put notes here

In addition to the traditional knowledge and skills we will obtain together this year, we will work toward productive and effective techniques for taking notes, taking tests, seeing connections, asking questions, and contributing positively to our learning community.

Procedures

• Assignment calendar The Google calendar is updated regularly, and the site has links to all my handouts and pertinent resources. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to refer to the site and be prepared for class when you return to school.
• Grades will be accessible through site—I try to update them every week.
• All work is due on the posted due date; late work will receive a 10% daily penalty.
• Any assignment not submitted or assessment not made up within one week will go in the book as a zero and may NOT be made up or revised.
• Major projects and/or presentations will NOT be accepted after the due date.
• Students will receive THREE Oops Coupons to be used each semester.
• I do not offer extra credit or re-takes, per se. Students may be allowed to retake an assessment under certain circumstances.

Tardies:

When the bell rings, you are expected to be in your seat, with class materials ready. Please put other gear out of the way. We will review and adhere to the NEW TARDY POLICY in the Student Code of Conduct.

Absences:

• If you miss class, you first should check the handout rack for the day you missed. If you missed a handout, it will be there with your name on it.
• Students have one day to make up work for each day of the absence. For example, if you miss class on Tuesday, you are expected to submit it on Wednesday.
• If your absence is unexcused or if you have a 10-minute tardy, the assignment will be counted as a zero and may not be made up.
• If you are absent on the day of a quiz or test, you must make arrangements with me the day you return to make it up, or it is a zero. You may be given an alternate version and will NOT be eligible for any curve or bonus points, as applicable.
• If you are in school part of the day but miss our class, you MUST see me while you are in the building to turn in any work.
• If you are absent on the day a paper is due, you MUST find means to have it submitted to me BEFORE the start of class, or it is a zero.
• If you are absent the day of a presentation or project is due, you MUST contact me directly BEFORE the start of class to let me know when you plan to make it up and have written documentation of illness or other reason why you were unavoidably detained.
• If you know in advance that you will be absent on a due date, you MUST let me know BEFORE the absence occurs to make arrangements for the completion of your work.

Class materials: Any extra handouts will be placed in the rack for that day and removed after one week; most class materials are available through my site. There is very little reason why a student who misses class should show up unprepared upon his or her return to school.

Bottom line: These policies are designed in the interest of common sense and fairness to all students. If you communicate with me and act responsibly, there will not be a problem. I fully recognize that “life happens,” and an occasional exception will be required.

Grades

• Grading is done on a point system. Cumulative points for the semester will count as 90% of the semester grade, and the final exam will count as 10%.
• As you might expect, papers and tests are “worth” more than quizzes and homework.
• Every six weeks, students will receive a self-evaluation form. The focus of the self-assessment is on PROMPTNESS, PREPAREDNESS, and PARTICIPATION. You are expected to reflect upon occasions when you are late or otherwise disruptive. The evaluations will be collected and commented upon, then together we will arrive at a grade for that six-week period and delineate plans for improvement as appropriate.
• Class performance: Each student begins a marking period with 50 points for preparation and performance. If a student arrives late or without his or her class materials that hour, there will be a two-point deduction from that grade which cannot be made up. Behavioral problems will result in deductions from the performance grade as well, but they may eventually referred to the administration.
• While assignments are scored with points and percentages, the final semester grade will reflect the student’s whole body of work. If he demonstrates consistent effort, steady improvement, and a commitment to our learning community, he will receive a grade higher than what the percentages suggest.

Behavior: Students are expected to conduct themselves according to the highest standards of academic integrity at all times. Please consult the Student Code of Conduct.

More on that…

Any student found to use or obtain unfair advantage through any means (copying, cheating, or plagiarizing) will have the incident reported to the main office, and the student’s home will be contacted.

Plagiarism may be accidental or blatant, and there is even self-plagiarism. However, students are held to the same standards whether or not they knew they were plagiarizing or whether or not they were plagiarizing themselves or someone else.

Accidental or Unintentional

One may not even know that they are plagiarizing. It is the student's responsibility to make certain that they understand the difference between quoting and paraphrasing, as well as the proper way to cite material.

Blatant

Here, students are well aware that they are plagiarizing. Purposefully using someone else's ideas or work without proper acknowledgment is plagiarism. This includes turning in borrowed or bought research papers as one's own.

Self

Turning in the same term paper (or substantially the same paper) for two courses without getting permission from one's instructor is plagiarism.

Violation of the academic integrity standards of this or any school is morally corrosive. It undermines the trusting relationship among students and teachers and, moreover, it diminishes the individual.

Cell phones and laptops *sigh*

While I recognize that cell phones and computers can be powerful learning tools, they have become seriously problematic. The constant use these devices for texting, games, or other non-educational endeavors undermines the whole climate of a classroom and has contributed to the ever-increasing problem of cheating. Any and all devices must be shut off and out of sight unless and until I ask you to use it.