English 4

This year, in English 4, we will be exploring themes of conformity and rebellion, love and relationships, gender roles and society, and several others. In addition to working with the summer reading text, Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, we will be reading novels which may include One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, The Stranger by Albert Camus, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and others. 

Grading:

A student’s grade is a reflection of how well her or she is able to use the information during class assessments, discussions, projects and writings. 

Marking period grades will consist of points earned by completing assignments, group activities, and class participation. 

These assignments will have a specific point value assigned to each one (homework and classwork 10, quizzes 25-50, tests 100) and will be added together and divided by the total points possible to determine a student’s final grade. Assessments comprise 90% and 21st Century Skills comprise 10% of the marking period grade.

Ms. Stem’s courses require a significant amount of reading, with discussions dependent on completing the reading; therefore, failure to complete the reading can and will produce negative effects on a student’s grade. 

Please note that late work will be worth half credit.

AI Policy:

Students may use AI to help generate ideas for a creative writing piece, but must compose the actual content themselves. The generation of written content and/or original thought is a requirement of the student. However, AI could be used to broaden a perspective for further investigation, help expand search perimeters, or assist with editing. Only in assignments where the teacher explicitly requires AI creation may AI writing be submitted in final work. Students may use AI tools to assist with initial steps in the research process, such as generating questions, organizing ideas, or developing outlines, but final submissions must reflect authentic student work and independent thinking.