English 3 CP

Click here for a printable English 3 CP Course Syllabus. En Español.

Click here for a printable English 3 CP Inclusion Course Syllabus. 

Course Description: English 3 CP introduces literary and informational texts reflecting a broad range of writing. The course is designed to prepare students for the rigor of the South Carolina State Standards for College and Career Readiness. Note: this course carries CP GPA weighting. Placement recommendations: Completion of English 1 and 2. 

Suggested Materials

-One 3” three-ring binder 

-College-ruled notebook paper

-Pens and Pencils

 The survey of American Literature will include selections from: 

• Fiction (short stories and novels) 

• Informational texts 

• Poetry 

• Drama

Required Texts

• Into Literature: Grade 11, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

• The Crucible 

A 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93.

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

A 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, the novel depicts narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby's obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan.

• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Click here to read a novel summary. 

A 1937 novel by American writer John Steinbeck. An unlikely pair, George and Lennie, two migrant workers in California during the Great Depression, grasp for their American Dream. They hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. For George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own. When they land jobs on a ranch in the Salinas Valley, the fulfillment of their dream seems to be within their grasp. But even George cannot guard Lennie from the provocations, nor predict the consequences of Lennie's unswerving obedience to the things George taught him.

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (excerpts only)

An 1884 novel by American writer Mark Twain. Huckleberry Finn, rebel against school and church, casual inheritor of gold treasure, rafter of the Mississippi, and savior of Jim the runaway slave, is the archetypal American maverick. Fleeing the respectable society that wants to “sivilize” him, Huck Finn shoves off with Jim on a rhapsodic raft journey down the Mississippi River. As Huck learns about love, responsibility, and how to make moral choices, the trip becomes a metaphoric voyage through his own soul, culminating in the glorious moment when he decides to “go to hell” rather than return Jim to slavery. Mark Twain defined “classic” as “a book which people praise and don’t read;” Huckleberry Finn is a happy exception to this rule. Twain’s mastery of dialect, coupled with his famous wit, makes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn one of the most enjoyable and distinctly American classics ever written.

Literary Units of Study (organized thematically in order to trace the evolution of American literature)

1. Foundations and Encounters

2. Building a Democracy

3. The Quest for Freedom

4. Modern and Contemporary Voices

5.   Analysis of literary elements, diction, syntax, rhetoric, and close-reading will be continuous.

Writing Units of Study

-Throughout the course of the semester, students will write for a variety of purposes, including compositions and response journals containing research-based informative, analytical, and argumentative interpretations of literature, as well as personal and imaginative writing. Also, students will analyze multiple pieces of writing, considering the author's craft and the elements of argument. Writing will be regularly utilized to interpret, analyze, and evaluate ideas, and research in MLA format will be integrated in order to support those ideas. 

Vocabulary:

-Vocabulary will be selected from literary units and/or SAT/ACT vocabulary lists. 

Academic Requirements:

Students will be expected to take this course very seriously, completing all assignments on time and keeping up with all assigned readings. Students will receive regular assignments, and work not turned in on time will be subject to the late policy (explained below). In class, students will be expected to be on task at all times, stay attentive and alert, and participate in all class activities and discussions. Students will be given several quizzes throughout each grading period, including vocabulary quizzes, pop quizzes, and other various quizzes throughout each literary unit. During the course of the year, students will write on a regular basis, both formally and informally.  If a major writing/project assignment is not turned in on time, the late policy, as explained below, will be applied. Finally, students will complete major assessments on literary and writing units under study. Students will receive a numerical average for this course.

Eastside’s Late Work Policy

-Late work is defined as work not completed/turned in on time, even though the student attended the class.

-Any assignment that is not turned in on time will have 10 points deducted from the original grade earned for each school day the assignment is late up to five school days. 

-After five school days, the student will be assigned a 0 for the assignment.

-Late work will not be accepted after the end of a grading period.

-Students are encouraged to utilize the before and after-school tutoring programs to complete make-up and late work in a proactive manner.

-Students must complete a late/makeup Google Form posted on Google Classroom in order to submit late work for grading (even if it’s excused makeup work). If students do not submit the Form, the late work will not be graded. 

Student Responsibilities:

• Chromebooks must be charged.  If your Chromebook can’t be used, you are expected to notify me that you need a paper copy.  Work is still expected to be completed on time.

• Your ID tag must be visible at ALL TIMES, and you may not enter the classroom without it. If I don’t see that you have an ID until after the bell rings, you will have to get a tardy slip when you go get your ID.

• Cell phones should be silenced and stored in backpacks when entering the classroom. Headphones/earbuds/AirPods must be removed before entering the classroom. 

• Be ready to begin work when class begins. Participate in class at the appropriate time. No sleeping or head down/ eyes closed during class. If you refuse to participate in class activities, this may result in a referral for class rules violation. 

• Demonstrate respect for yourself, your classmates, your teachers, and our school property. 

• Clean up around your workspace each day.

• Smart Pass should be used to leave the classroom. Students should complete a SmartPass on their Chromebook before leaving the classroom. If you leave without making a Smartpass, that is treated as leaving class without permission.  I will allow passes out of class when there is a natural break in the lesson.  Do not interrupt instruction to ask for a pass unless you need to go to the nurse.

• Follow all rules as stated in the student handbook.

Academic Policies: 

• Students will be held accountable for their reading assignments on the assigned dates and should always expect to be assessed, whether through quizzing, discussion, homework assignments, or written assignments. 

• Students will be expected to uphold an honor code, always submitting work that is both carefully and personally crafted and authentic. Plagiarism, in any form, including document sharing and use of Artificial Intelligence will not be tolerated and will result in an automatic zero on any given assignment as well as a referral. 

• Deadlines for major written assignments will always be made clear well in advance. If a student fails to meet a deadline, he/she will have the opportunity to turn in the assignment late at a penalty of ten points per day. See late policy above. 

• When completing writing assignments, students must turn in the document where ALL drafting occurred. If the version history does not reflect the drafting and editing process, the work may not be accepted. 

• If a blank or incomplete document is turned in on Google Classroom, once the deadline passes, it will be graded as submitted, and students will not be allowed to resubmit for regrading.

• Students will be expected to use time-management skills in order to complete all assignments. In preparation for more upper-level coursework, on occasion, timed writing will be incorporated as a form of assessment, and students should be properly prepared to complete all assessments within the allotted time. 

• If a student is absent, it is expected that he/she will consult Google Classroom in order to get missed assignments. Students with excused absences have five days to complete missed work, but any assignments due on the date of an absence will be due upon the date of return. Students are responsible for remembering this. 

• Extra credit is offered throughout the year in this course and is explained in full detail at the end of this document.

• If a student is present on the day a test, quiz, or project due date is announced and then absent on the day of the test, quiz, or project deadline, he/she must be prepared to take the test, quiz, or turn in the project on the day he/she returns to school. 

Grading Percentages:

-Major Assessments: Tests, Writing Assignments, and Projects:                           60%

- Minor Assessments: Quizzes, daily work, etc.                         40%

Attendance and Tardy Policy:

All Greenville School District and Eastside High School attendance and tardy policies will be enforced. Students have five days in which to complete work missed because of an excused absence. If a student has been absent, it is his/her responsibility to check Google Classroom for missed assignments. Students will be counted tardy if they are not in their seats when the bell rings. 

 Classroom Rules and Expectations:

(posted before all students each day)

1. No food and/or drinks 

2. Always come to class prepared 

3. Raise your hand to speak and wait for acknowledgment 

4. Be in your seat when the bell rings 

5. Do not leave your seat without permission and you must have a Smart Pass to leave the room

6. Stay on task 

7. Be courteous and respectful toward everyone.

8. Abide by all student handbook policies. 

Cell Phone/Headphone Policy

-Cell phones and headphones/earbuds must be kept secured in backpacks in the classroom. Students may not use cell phones or headphones/earbuds in the classroom and will be warned about this each day at the beginning of class. If students do not comply with this policy by securing their phones/headphones in backpacks each day when directed, they will be subject to the consequences below. 

Consequences for Failure to Comply with Cell Phone/Headphone Policy:

1. First Offense: Parent Notification and Administrative Referral

*For administrative consequences, see the cell phone policy in the Eastside Student Handbook.  

Consequences for Failure to Comply with all Other Classroom Rules and Expectations:

1. First Offense:                Warning

2. Second Offense:               Phone Call or Written Notice to Parents/Guardians

3. Third Offense:              Office Referral

Extra Assistance Policy: 

Students are encouraged to seek extra help and have the opportunity to do before/after school by appointment.

Communication With Parents

1. Teacher Phone

2. Teacher Email

3. Google Classroom 

4. Teacher Website

5. Report Cards

6. Periodic Letters and Emails from Teacher

Course Breakdown by Quarters:

This syllabus is subject to change.

Quarter 1

Literary Focus: 

-Informational texts and Poetry- various selections on the Early Americans, Puritanism, and the Revolutionaries

-Drama- The Crucible by Arthur Miller

-Fiction- various selections on Romanticism and Realism 

Writing Focus:

-Informational writing and research

-Argument writing

-Grammar in context

-Creative Writing

Quarter 2

Literary Focus:

-Poetry- Romanticism and Realism

-Fiction: excerpts from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

-Fiction: The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men

Writing Focus:

-Extended Research: Argument and Informational Writing

-Literary Analysis

-Grammar in context

-Creative Writing

Movie Permission

Throughout the course, films will be shown in the classroom to accompany our literary units. We will watch these to enhance our readings and for the sake of comparison and contrast. As required by district policy, I am requesting permission for your child to watch these movies in my classroom.  Below is the list of films I will be showing, as well as their ratings. No nudity or sexual content will be shown. Please review these titles carefully and then, when you complete the syllabus acknowledgment form (a paper copy will be sent home) you will be asked for your permission for your child to watch these films. Know that alternate assignments will be provided for students if permission is not granted to view any of these movies. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Films without asterisks may or may not be shown, depending on the time available. 

-*The Crucible (1996)- PG-13

-The Village (2004)- PG-13  (We compare and contrast this film with The Crucible). 

-Disney’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1993)E- PG (excerpts only)

-*The Great Gatsby (1974)- PG (2013) -PG-13 (We watch the 1974 version as we read and then compare and contrast the 2013 version post-reading).

-*Of Mice and Men (1992)- PG-13

Extra Credit

There are several year-long opportunities for extra credit in this course. The first is to read one of the books from our library’s selection of South Carolina Young Adult Book Award (SC YABA) winning novels. After reading one of the novels, the student should contact one of the Media Specialists from the library to take the assessment. At the end of each quarter, the Media Specialist will send me a list of all students who have completed novels and passed the tests and those students will be awarded extra credit The second opportunity for extra credit is to find either a meme, political cartoon, a comic strip, or song lyrics that somehow tie into a theme, concept, or discussion topic we’ve addressed during class. These should be copied into a document. Beneath the image or lyrics, students should explain, in paragraph form, how it ties into what we’ve been learning. Students may do up to four of these per quarter, and have the opportunity to replace low minor grades with a 100. There will also be several additional extra credit opportunities offered throughout the year as the curriculum is approached. Be sure to check Google Classroom regularly to find out!

Click here to view the EHS Master Book List