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American Literature Syllabus and Expectations
Heather Sprague
Phone: 303-982-2600
E-mail: heather.sprague@jeffco.k12.co.us
Hours: 7:45-4:00 M-F
Required Materials:
Academic planner
College ruled, loose-leaf paper
Blue, black, and red pens; pencils
Annotation materials
Composition book or spiral for note-taking
Charged chromebook
Course Goals/Objectives: The English Department’s plan of instruction includes a systematic study of grammar, vocabulary, literature and composition designed to progress and develop sequentially from year to year. We assume parts of speech are mastered and proceed with grammar study including complements, phrases, clauses, punctuation, MLA formatting, etc. We study literature through a genre approach. Writing instruction and practice include several literary analysis essays, comparison/contrast essays and a variety of shorter writings.
Course Requirements
For all assignments:
Use a MLA formatted heading. If you are typing, follow the most up-to-date MLA guidelines
Absolutely no texting shorthand (abbreviations, lower case names, etc.) is accepted. Proofread and check your spelling on EVERY document that you submit to your teacher. This includes email correspondence
Due Dates:
Assignments must be completed and submitted by the beginning of class on the due date unless otherwise specified by the teacher
Homework/Day-to-Day assignments will not be accepted late
All major essays will be submitted through turnitin.com by the due date and time. If you are absent from class on the day the assignment is due, you are still required to submit the assignment by the due date and time. Failure to submit your assignment through turnitin.com by the due date and time will result in a late penalty
Absent Work:
Excused Absences:
Absent students have two calendar days for every day absent to make up all work missed for full credit. Students are encouraged to use a pre-arranged absence form whenever possible
Unexcused Absences:
No more than half credit is granted on all completed work submitted within 24 hours upon return. Additionally, no more than half credit is given for any assessments a student misses during the course of their absences. (Example: an assignment which normally would receive a score of 80% would have its score cut in half to 40%)
Suspensions:
Students with their first suspension are limited to 24 hours to turn in their make-up work from the time that they return to receive full credit. Students with their second and subsequent suspension follow the unexcused absence policy above
Tardies:
Students are expected to be in the classroom ready to learn when the bell rings. After the third tardy, students will be assigned detention.
Major Assignments and Tests:
A late essay or make-up test loses 25% of its value for every day that it is late. After three days, a paper has no point value. If you fail to turn in major assignments, your grade lowers significantly. If you do not submit a major essay or complete a major test, the highest semester grade you may achieve is a D regardless of your total accumulated points. If you do not submit two major assignments, you will earn an F regardless of your total accumulated points.
Grading: I want students to focus on knowledge acquisition, the mastery of skills, and their academic growth, rather than on the accumulation of points. My evaluation of students takes into consideration the following:
Completion of assigned work: Complete All assigned work by the due date. Every assignment is purposeful and must be completed. Failing to turn in assignments will jeopardize your chances of getting an A, B or C, because not doing the work is certainly below average performance
Daily preparation: I give both announced and unannounced quizzes and/or check homework for completion. Homework, especially the careful reading of assignments, is essential to understanding what we discuss. Class discussion is also a part of your evaluation, so prepare to be a positive contributor
Tests/Essay scores: Tests and essays are a significant factor in the determination of student grades (although they comprise only a portion of the grade). They are designed to measure student understanding over a segment of work. Through tests and essays, you have the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and the mastery of skills
Weighting: My grade book is weighted with the following categories: Course Content (50-55%), Vocabulary (10%), Writing (20-25%), and Final Exam (15%). The content grade is divided into sections that correspond to each unit we study
SEMESTER I Gradebook Categories
Summer Reading 10%
Vocabulary 10%
Composition 20%
Unit 1 (Puritans) 10%
Unit 2 (Revolutionaries) 10%
Unit 3 (Early Romantics) 10%
Unit 4 (Romantics) 15 %
Final Exam 15%
SEMESTER II Gradebook Categories
Vocabulary 10%
Composition 25%
Unit 5 (Rise of Realism) 15%
Unit 6 (Realism/Naturalism) 15%
Unit 7 (Modernism) 20%
Final Exam 15%
Grades will be determined on a 100 point scale:
90%-100% A 80%-89.9% B 70%- 79.9% C 60% - 69.9 D
Be responsible and be brave: seek extra help when you need it. I will make myself available after school, as well as during 7th Hour. Please come to me to set up an appointment.
Technology
Students use one website extensively over the course of the year: Turnitin.com. Utilizing Turnitin.com provides accountability for creating original essays. All typed responses will be submitted through Turnitin.com - for accountability and grading.
Students will be required to keep their phones in a numbered spot at the front of the room during formal assessments and out of sight on a daily basis. If a phone is being used without permission, it will be confiscated and delivered to the front office where the student can collect it at the end of the school day.
Cheating and Plagiarism:
Cheating and plagiarism are very serious violations of the academic program at D’Evelyn Jr./Sr. High School. D’Evelyn holds high academic expectations for all students and academic integrity is an extremely important aspect of those expectations. Any student caught cheating on a quiz, test, homework, or any classroom assignment, or found guilty of plagiarism (to pass off the ideas or works of another as one’s own without crediting the source) will receive a grade of zero on that assignment or paper. Consequences for cheating and plagiarism range from a detention to suspension in addition to a zero on the assignment. The use of AI to generate work as a replacement for work students are supposed to authentically create will be considered plagiarism.
The D’Evelyn Liberal Arts curriculum places value on building a foundational understanding of knowledge that is student-generated from start to finish.
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