Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. - Anton Chekhov

Cambridge International - English Language

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

- Maya Angelou

Before you review your specific course information, please click on the GENERAL INFO page for important information on grades, the attendance policy, SRA policy, etc.

Please click on the GENERAL INFO page for important information.

Please note that this course has been implemented using selected resources from the College Board as well as Cambridge International, in addition to the resources referenced in the Palm Beach County Scope and Sequence for ELA. The Scope and Sequence has been reviewed and approved by Teaching and Learning. That approval does not extend to any additional content that may be found within the StudySync platform.

Please note that I, generally, do NOT accept resubmissions of submitted work, unless as part of certain activities. Also, please note that plagiarism (and blatant use of AI, etc.) will result in a zero on the assignment and may not be made up.

Supplies Needed

You will need…almost DAILY

Permanent pens, not erasable (dark blue or black ink only)
College-ruled paper (lots)
#2 pencils
Assortment of color pencils
Glue stick(s)
Chromebook or laptop for daily use
Binder or folder
NOVELS (TBA?)

Grading policy? Communications? Spam?

School policy is to have grades updated regularly on SIS, generally at least two grades per week. Trust me... this will not likely be a problem. NOTE: This is where I would insert an evil laugh, perhaps.

We do a lot. And, I try to keep everyone (students and parents or guardians) in the "know" whenever possible. I hope that you do not see this as a SPAM. NOTE: Please check the SIS regularly.

Grades will be determined as indicated (though subject to change as needed):

MISC (essays, critiques, journals, revision activities, daily work and activities, homework, miscellaneous test-your-knowledge and miscellaneous WDYK (WHAT DO YOU KNOW) assignments, etc.) = 58%;

MEMBEAN, GRAMMAR, MISC = 10%

- Membean grade is based on completing 40-45+ minutes, with few to no "dubious"* minutes, AND at least 70% or higher score for the week
  - Min. time met on Membean (40-45+ minutes, with few to no "dubious"* minutes) AND a 80%-100% score for the week = 100;
  - Min. time met on Membean (40-45+ minutes, with few to no "dubious"* minutes) AND a 70%-79% score for the week = 70;
  - Min. time met on Membean NOT met AND/OR with excessive "dubious"* minutes) AND/OR a less than score of 70% for the week = 0;

* The computer tracks periods of "dubious" inactivity (running the clock, questionable lack of accuracy, etc.). Excessive "dubious" minutes will often be noted as a ZERO in the gradebook.

NOTE: Students that complete 60+ minutes of MEMBEAN, with few to NO "dubious" minutes, and SCORE at least 80%+ for the week, will receive an additional ten (10) points onto the MEMBEAN grade for the week

MISC1 (forms (i.e. Contact Form, etc.), items to be signed and returned (i.e. Classroom Progress Reports, etc.), textbook/cover checks, miscellaneous test-your-knowledge and miscellaneous WDYK (WHAT DO YOU KNOW) assignments, etc.) = 2%

QUIZZES and TESTS = 30%

NOTE: Extra credit points are, generally, provided each quarter but are usually linked to a classroom lesson, writing contest, etc. As such, the list changes often, especially as contest due dates come and go. Check back regularly for updates.

REMINDER: STUDENTS MUST HAVE & USE THEIR DISTRICT-ISSUED CHROMEBOOKS IN CLASS EVERY DAY. Students will receive a 10% grade reduction for assignments not completed on a school district issued chromebook.

Absent students must stay updated on what’s going on in class. CHECK the GOOGLE CLASSROOM regularly for updates, please.
PLEASE be sure to communicate with me what’s going on to make arrangements to help you.
Plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment and may not be made up.
No resubmission of student work in the fourth quarter. Assignments will not be regraded!
Late policy will be strictly followed. Classwork not submitted by the allocated time (except for those with documented accommodations) may be subject to a penalty. This includes “forgetting to submit work online.”
If absent on a quiz or test day, students are subject to a make-up version of the test that assesses the same skills but may appear in a different format. Students have one week to either make up or make arrangements to schedule the make up. If arrangements are not made within the week, the assessment will receive a full letter grade deduction for every week.

Dropped grades will be determined as indicated (though subject to change as needed).

Homework policy? Holidays? Vacation? Performances?

There is NO SCHOOL POLICY on having a fixed homework schedule. NOTE: I do try to LIMIT homework, usually to assigned readings OR to work that is unfinished in class. I do reserve the right to issue homework as needed.

Holidays? Vacations? Performances? If a holiday or vacation is coming, I will AVOID assigning any homework or readings "immediately" before a holiday or vacation. When I do assign homework or readings for homework, I will tend to assign assignments days, even weeks, earlier AND the due dates several days, or even weeks, later.

PLEASE ALERT ME at richard.ehrlich@palmbeachschools.org to WHEN PERFORMANCES are happening in your departments. I TRY TO WORK WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE SCHEDULES as well.

House Bill 1467 requires school districts to be transparent in the selection of instructional materials, including library and reading materials. Works for this course have been carefully selected to meet the needs of the course and the requirements.

If any particular work causes you any sense of angst or issue, please email me at richard.ehrlich@palmbeachschools.org .

NOTE: Lessons, updates, notes, assignments, etc. will be posted on the GOOGLE CLASSROOM, under the TAB at the top marked CLASSWORK. Students should not rely the STREAM to keep track of class activities. The AGENDA option on the STREAM may also change without due notice. So, again, students should check the CLASSWORK tab each class for lessons, updates, notes, assignments, etc.

NOTICE ABOUT MEMBEAN

We will be using MEMBEAN for at least 45 minutes per week. The first fifteen minutes of class will be used to complete MEMBEAN. On days when we meet only twice in the week, you will be responsible to complete at least fifteen minutes of MEMBEAN as HOMEWORK.

As part of the class, you will prepare for and then complete multiple Florida State Assessments.

Click here for a practice test for your grade: https://www.edcite.com/florida-common-assessments

COMPUTER? LAPTOP? CHROMEBOOK?

We are a Google Classroom and use Chromebooks. Students are expected to bring their fully charged Palm Beach Schools District issued Chromebook to school daily (and use the district's WIFI rather than personal hotspots). Otherwise, may result in loss of quarterly participation points.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lessons, updates, notes, assignments, etc. will be posted on the GOOGLE CLASSROOM, under the TAB at the top marked CLASSWORK.

Students should not rely the STREAM to keep track of class activities.

The AGENDA option on the STREAM may also change without due notice. So, again, students should check the CLASSWORK tab each class for lessons, updates, notes, assignments, etc.

As you see, I am a BIG user of technology (and anything else) that makes the class more fun and interesting. I made a WISH LIST of items on AMAZON. If able, ANY donation of items will be MUCH APPRECIATED to make the class GREAT!!!

https://shorturl.at/tFLY3

Click here for the official Cambridge International Syllabus

Information on the CAT or ADAPTIVE TESTING for FLORIDA

General Course Information

AICE English Language prepares students for the rigor of college writing, reading, and thinking. Opportunities to read and write commentary, narrative, descriptive, discursive, and argumentative essays with an emphasis on how language shapes meaning, frame the course curriculum.

Students will explore a rich range of contemporary texts including speeches, reviews, editorials, brochures, blogs, diaries, biographies, essays, advertisements, and even voiceovers and podcasts to fully understand and appreciate the power of language. Students who successfully complete AICE English Language find themselves ready to meet the demands of college writing tasks while improving their ability to communicate effectively in college and beyond.

Advanced courses require a greater demand on students through increased academic rigor. Academic rigor is obtained through the application, analysis, evaluation, and creation of complex ideas that are often abstract and multi-faceted. Students are challenged to think and collaborate critically on the content they are learning. Honors level rigor will be achieved by increasing text complexity through text selection, focus on high-level qualitative measures, and complexity of task. Instruction will be structured to give students a deeper understanding of conceptual themes and organization within and across disciplines. Academic rigor is more than simply assigning to students a greater quantity of work.

GENERAL NOTES

You will begin to think more explicitly about how texts are constructed (structure) in order to create meaning.

•The process of discussing how texts create meaning is called discourse analysis.

•You will be looking at a vast range of different texts as well as producing your own texts in a variety of styles.

•You will reflect on your own writing and the choices you make as a speaker/writer.

•You will widen your technical vocabulary (lexicon) for critical analysis.

The content should include, but not be limited to, the following:

active reading of varied texts for what they say explicitly, as well as the logical inferences that can be drawn
analysis of literature and informational texts from varied literary periods to examine:
- text craft and structure
- elements of literature
- arguments and claims supported by textual evidence
- power and impact of language
- influence of history, culture, and setting on language
- personal critical and aesthetic response
writing for varied purposes
- developing and supporting argumentative claims
- crafting coherent, supported informative/expository texts
- responding to literature for personal and analytical purposes
- writing narratives to develop real or imagined events
- writing to sources using text- based evidence and reasoning
- writing to sources using text- based evidence and reasoning
effective listening, speaking, and viewing strategies with emphasis on the use of evidence to support or refute a claim in multimedia presentations, class discussions, and extended text discussions
collaboration amongst peers

Instructional Practices:

Teaching from well-written, grade-level instructional materials enhances students’ content area knowledge and also strengthens their ability to comprehend longer, complex reading passages on any topic for any purpose. Using the following instructional practices also helps student learning.

Reading assignments from longer text passages, as well as shorter ones when text is extremely complex.
Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.
Asking high-level, text-specific questions and requiring high-level, complex tasks and assignments.
Requiring students to support answers with evidence from the text.
Providing extensive text-based research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).

Course Description:

This AICE course gives learners the opportunity to study the English language and its use in contemporary communication. It aims to encourage a critical and informed response to texts in a range of forms, styles, and contexts, and it also aims to promote skills of communication, reading, research, and analysis. Students will develop an ability to read and analyze material, gaining further knowledge and understanding of various English language features and issues, and will learn to write clearly, accurately, creatively, and effectively for different purposes and audiences.

Course Division:

A variety of major literary works will be covered in this course. This WILL include selections from several genres, including poetry, short stories, speeches, editorials, dramas, and advertisements, as well as non-fiction articles and essays.

Timed Writings:

Students will spend a significant amount of time responding (in formal essay format) to an assortment of Cambridge Language style passages/writing prompts. The purpose of these timed writings is to prepare the students for the AICE English Language exam (taken at the end of the school year) as well as for writing at the college level.

Intended Outcomes:

The mission of the Cambridge program is to cultivate students who are “confident in working with information and ideas –their own and those of others; responsible for themselves, responsive to and respectful of others; reflective as learners, developing their ability to learn; innovative and equipped for new and future challenges; engaged intellectually and socially ready to make a difference.”

Assessment Objectives:

“Candidates” are assessed on their ability to:

AO1 — read with understanding and analyze texts in a variety of forms

AO2 — demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the English language and its use in a variety of contexts

AO3 — write clearly, accurately, creatively, and effectively for different purposes and audiences, specifically using different forms

*There will be two “Papers” required for the final assessment of this course:

Paper 1 –Passages

Paper 2 –Writing

Literary Terms:

In addition to the outlined course work, students will also be required to learn units of literary terms every two to three weeks. Students will be quizzed on these terms as well. There will be multiple separate units of literary terms. It will be the responsibility of each student to study these literary terms (including the accompanying examples) in preparation for the quizzes.

Performance Monitoring Tests

Beginning with the 2022–23 school year, Florida’s statewide, standardized assessments in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, aligned with the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.).

The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST)

Students will participate in three times per year.

Reporting: Reading Categories

Reading Prose and Poetry (literary elements, theme, perspective and point of view, poetry, etc.

Reading Informational Text (Structure, Central Idea, Purpose and Perspective, Argument, etc.)

Reading Across Genres and Vocabulary (Interpreting Figurative Language, Comparative Reading, Understanding Rhetoric, Morphology, Content and Connotation, etc.)

Reporting: Writing Categories

Communicating through Writing (argumentative writing, expository writing, conventions, researching and using information)

Vocabulary (academic vocabulary)

Reading informational text (structure, central idea, author’s purpose and perspective)

Reading Across Genres paraphrase, summarize, understanding rhetoric)

ELA Expectations (cite evidence, read and comprehend proficiently, make inferences, ue appropriate format, use appropriate tone and voice)

Most assessments are computer-based. The following list describes the various item types that may be encountered on the tests.

Information provided by the Florida DOE.

• Technology Enhanced Item Types

o Selectable Hot Text—Excerpted sentences from the text are presented in this item type. When the student hovers over certain words, phrases, or sentences, the options highlight. This indicates that the text is selectable (“hot”). The student can then click on an option to select it. These items may be used independently or as part of a two-part item. In a two-part item, Part A might ask the student to make an analysis or an inference, and Part B might require the student to use the text to support the answer in Part A. In other cases, the two parts might be independent. For accommodated paper-based assessments, a “selectable” hot text item is modified so that it can be scanned and scored electronically. In this version, the student fills in a bubble to indicate a selection.

o Multiselect—The student is directed to select a specific number of correct answers from among the options provided. These items are different from multiple-choice items, which allow the student to select only one correct answer. These items appear in the online and accommodated paper-based assessments.

o Evidence-Based Selected Response (EBSR) —In this two-part item, the student is directed to select the correct answers for Part A and Part B. Typically, Part A is multiple-choice, whereas Part B may be either multiple-choice, multiselect, or selectable hot text. Part A often asks the student to make an analysis or an inference, and Part B requires the student to use the text to support the answer in Part A. These items appear in the online and accommodated paper-based assessments.

o Table Match—This item type presents options in columns and rows. Options may include words, phrases, sentences, quotations, line/paragraph/passage numbers, or images. The student is directed to click a box that matches a correct option from a column with a correct option from a row. Typically, there is only one correct option per row or column, though the number of correct answers may vary. These items appear in the online and accommodated paper-based assessments. For accommodated paper-based assessments, the item is modified so that it can be scanned and scored electronically. The student fills in a bubble to indicate the correct selection.

o Multimedia—Technology-enhanced content may include multimedia elements such as images, charts, graphics, timelines, etc. Multimedia elements may appear within passages (stimuli) or test items. Any of the item types described above may be used to assess the multimedia content. For accommodated paper-based assessments, multimedia content may be modified or replaced by paper-based items or stimuli that assess the same reporting category.

Any of the item types may be combined into a single item with multiple parts. The student will interact with different item types within a single item. Each part could be a different item type.

How can students stay "in the know" for this class? How often do I update assignments?

FYI...

Fortunately, all (or nearly all) of my assignments, either as GOOGLE FORMS or GOOGLE DOCS, are listed by date on the GOOGLE CLASSROOM, under CLASSWORK. I also post all (or nearly all) of my lessons as interactive, fully working GOOGLE SLIDES (each with materials, videos, etc.) on the GOOGLE CLASSROOM as well.

I check for the work in a REVIEW window on the GOOGLE CLASSROOM (multiple times in the day). This window gives me an instantaneous list of ALL submitted assignments. SO, when a student submits the work on the GOOGLE CLASSROOM, I, generally, can work on submitted assignments quickly and, then, put the grade in the SIS / GRADEBOOK.

NOTE: I also tend to email students regularly on the missed assignments, both from the assignment itself (from where it is posted on the GOOGLE CLASSROOM, under CLASSWORK) and via the SIS (i.e. Progress Reports, reminders, etc.). In other words, most should always KNOW what is due or missing or has a way to know.

In others words, I supply the resources and the support in any way that I can!

Will we be using KHAN ACADEMY? < Click here for more information >

There are ten grammar units and multiple SAT activities posted for you to complete through KHAN ACADEMY (tile in the portal). By using Khan Academy’s assignments, I hope to facilitate the acquisition of new grade-level skills, and empower you to move on to more challenging concepts. More information will be provided.

For now, these are the UNITS that you should complete.

Parts of speech: the noun
Parts of speech: the verb
Parts of speech: the pronoun
Parts of speech: the modifier
Parts of speech: the preposition and the conjunction
Punctuation: the comma and the apostrophe
Punctuation: the colon, semicolon, and more
Syntax: sentences and clauses
Syntax: conventions of standard English
Usage and Style

There are also nearly thirty SAT / Reading & Writing lessons to complete. More information will be provided.

Reading: Science

Writing: Argument

Writing: Informative

Reading: Social science

Reading: History

Writing: Narrative

Reading: Literature

Effective language use: Style and tone

Effective language use: Precision and concision

Grammar: Within-sentence punctuation

Effective language use: Syntax

Grammar: End-of-sentence punctuation

Grammar: Pronoun agreement

Grammar: Possessive nouns and pronouns

Grammar: Conventional expression

Grammar: Noun agreement

Grammar: Logical comparison

Grammar: Subordination and coordination

Grammar: Frequently confused words

Grammar: Pronoun clarity

Grammar: Subject-verb agreement

Grammar: Shifts in verb, tense, and mood

Grammar: Sentence boundaries

Grammar: Parallel structure

Grammar: Nonessential and parenthetical elements

Grammar: Possessive determiners

Grammar: Items in a series

Grammar: Modifier placement

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE

Please note, this may be altered or changed as needed or as required, without prior or additional notification.

SKILLS OF NOTE

CLOSE READING

MAIN IDEA AND THEMES

INTERACTION OF IDEAS

USE OF LANGUAGE

STRUCTURE

POINT OF VIEW

REASONING AND RHETORIC

COMPARATIVE READING

Introductions and So Much More

Text and Context

Audience

Purpose

Creativity

Form and Structure

Meaning and Style

Voice and Point-of-View

Analyzing of Texts

Exploring Text Types

Writing Conventions and Text Types

Personal Writing / Narratives

Writing to Review and Comment

Writing to Persuade and Advise

Writing to Argue and Discuss

Writing to Narrate and Describe

Reading Skills - Directed Response

Directed Response

Tone and Purpose

Comparison and Contrast

Comparing Form, Structure, and Language

Reading Skills - Text Analysis

Text Analysis

Structure of Responses

Writing Skills - Reflective Commentary and Short Responses

Structure

Commentary

Reflective Writing

Writing Skills - Extended Writing

Imaginative Writing

Descriptive Writing

Discursive Writing

Critical Response and Review

Check out this FAQ page to answer most of your concerns or questions.

PLEASE NOTE:

As part of the course, students will complete READING PLUS on the STUDENT PORTAL. Expect an Initial assessment as well as an End-of-Course assessment.

Students will log in to Reading Plus by accessing the Student Portal. Students attempting to log in via the Reading Plus website will receive a message that directs them to the Student Portal.

NOTE: While assessments typically take 40 minutes to complete, it can take more for some students.