film & literature
Course Info

film & lit. Grading

Work assigned in CP Eng 12 will be assigned to a category. Your work in the categories listed below will determine your course grade.  The categories below will be weighted by the listed percentages.

Category Name                                                                 Percent Weighted

Formative Assessments          40%
(includes quizzes and classwork)

Summative Assessments                                     60%
(includes major tests, projects, and essays)

Summative Assessment Retake Policy

1. Students may only retake each summative assessment one time.

2. Students must retake the summative assessment within two schedule cycles from the day the original summative assessment was handed back to the student.

3. Students must make arrangements with the teacher as to when and where they will retake the summative assessment.  Students are required to take initiative for their learning process.

4. Mid-term and final exams are not available for retakes

NOTE:
Some writing assignments such as research papers that follow the writing process or that have segmented due dates are not available for retakes. 

Late Work

Most work will be accepted late with a penalty.  Work that will not be accepted late will be noted as such in class. 

• Assignments turned in within one week of the due date will be penalized one letter grade. 

• Work that is more than one calendar week past the deadline will receive half credit.  

• Work that is more than two calendar weeks past the deadline will receive no credit.

discipline

The expected behavior in my classroom is simple: respect yourself, respect your peers, and respect your teacher. I believe that respect is a two-way street. You should come to class ready to learn and ready to participate in daily activities. Make the most of your time here at school. Be positive, try your best, and own it! 

I do not tolerate bullying, explicit language, disrespect, or insubordination. Depending on the severity of the situation either a warning will be given for inappropriate behavior, a written referral to the principal, a call home, or a misconduct report. Failure to heed any warnings will result in one or more of the consequences mentioned in the previous statement.

Cell phone policy

Phones should be put away during class unless instructed by the teacher. The use of phones during instruction time will result in a warning at first, then the student will be written up. Phones should always be on silent.

absences

Almost everything we do in class will be on Google Classroom. If you are absent make sure to check there first. If you know you will be absent for an extended period of time, then please meet with me during my office hours prior to your leave. You are responsible for all makeup work.

about the class 

COURSE BASICS

This class teaches students how to appreciate, analyze and interpret theme, character, story structure, and narrative technique through the medium of film. That’s a fancy way of saying “we won’t just be eating popcorn and watching a bunch of movies.” So if you signed up for “an easy elective” – this is the part to warn you that you’re in the wrong class. Will we be watching movies? Most definitely. But that’s just the half of it. In this course, you will:

READ

Read screenplays

Analyze shots

Research film history

Study and critique directors

WRITE

Retool and rework existing scripts

Compose story treatments

Pitch ideas in a group setting

Revise and improve dialogue

CREATE

Compose action sequences

Draft your own screenplays

Learn filmmaking techniques

Film your own original works

So buckle up – it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Roads? Where we’re going… we don’t need roads.

I look forward to our year together! 

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.

Maya Angelou