Policy Sheet 9H

What you will learn this year:

By the end of the year, the student should be able to...

...identify various literary genres.

...identify the use of literary tools and devices.

...identify a writer's message and how the writer uses literary tools and devices to make it.

...identify the basic elements of grammar.

...use the new vocabulary she has learned in her writing.

...use the various new phrases and clauses she has learned in her writing.

...be familiar with the basic formatting of the language section of the SAT.

...be able to construct a coherent and well-organized piece of writing.

...identify credible and reliable sources and cite them in her writing.

How you will be graded:

▪ Quizzes, brief writing assignments and homework make up 40% of your grade.

▪ Tests and projects, e.g. vocabulary tests and major essays, make up the other 60%.

▪ Please review the Preston Student Handbook for school policy on absences and tardiness.

▪ Students are expected to take responsibility for the quality of their work. Grades will be reduced for lateness and sloppiness.

Makeup Work Policy: You are expected to be present for all quizzes and tests and to hand in all writing assignments on time. It is your responsibility to stay informed about upcoming homework assignments, quizzes and tests. The information will be found on my website. Missed quizzes cannot be made up. Tests may be made up, at the teacher’s discretion, within three school days of your absence.

My Expectations:

I expect each student to...

...come equipped to class with the requisite textbooks, notebooks and writing tools.

...keep their cellphones off and in their bags. (Do you see the mistake here?)

...arrive for class on time and prepared to discuss her assignments.

...keep their drafts, revisions and final copies of all papers in their portfolios.

...maintain a respectful attitude toward her fellow classmates and the teacher with the intent of

building a positive learning environment for all.

Discipline: A parent or guardian will be notified if a student has not completed her assignments, if a student is consistently unprepared for class, if a student’s behavior interferes with the learning environment, or if deemed necessary by the teacher. The teacher will issue demerits when deemed necessary.

Electronics: The English Department will not allow laptops, iPods, iPads, Nooks, Kindles, or other electronic devices during class for reasons relating (but hardly limited) to distraction and unequal resource distribution. (The teacher’s discretion may determine if research purposes can override this rule.) Cell-phone use during the class breaks a school-wide rule and therefore results in school-imposed consequences explained in the Preston High School student handbook.

Extra Help: If you find yourself having difficulty in the class, please feel free to ask me for help. I will let you know my schedule and when I am available. In addition, help with writing assignments is available at the Writing Center after school from 3 - 4 pm, Monday thru Thursday. You must sign up on the sign-up sheet posted on the bulletin board outside the English department office before the day of your appointment. Your regular presence at the Writing Center will impact your grade in a VERY positive way! Ignoring the teacher’s suggestion to go to the Writing Center will impact your grade in a negative way!

Syllabus

Quarter One –

Literature:

Summer reading:

The Color of Water by James McBride

Short stories:

“Checkouts” by Cynthia Rylant, pg. 74

“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, pg. 294

“American History” by Judith Ortiz Cofer pg. 312

“The Scarlet Ibis’ by James Hurst, pg. 350

Glossary of literary and poetic terms

Vocabulary: Lessons 1 – 3

Grammar: Prepositional phrases, appositive phrases, participial phrases

Writing: Using vocabulary, writing about literature, Intro and MEAL formats,

Landmark Supreme Court Decisions project

Quarter Two –

Literature: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Vocabulary: Lessons 4 – 6

Grammar: Absolute phrases, relative clauses, adverbial phrases

Writing: Using vocabulary, responses to literature, Intro and MEAL formats, Bildungsroman project

Quarter Three -

Literature: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Vocabulary: Lessons 7 – 9

Grammar: Writing a research paper

Writing: Using vocabulary, responses to literature, Intro and MEAL formats, Literary research paper

Quarter Four -

Literature: Poetry project, Silas Marner by George Eliot

Vocabulary: Lessons 10 – 15

Writing: Literary research paper

(Automatic failure for the year if the final research paper is not completed)

I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education.

- Wilson Mizner (1876 - 1933)