Advanced English 4
“ ‘Tis the good reader that makes the good book.” Emerson
English IV Advanced Syllabus
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This year long course is offered as final preparation for college-bound students. In this course, various selections of world literature will be closely read and analyzed. Students will learn to connect writing pieces into the historical and social contexts in which they were written. Formal and informal writing will occur so that students may gain authority and learn to take risks in writing. Also, various activities will be conducted in order to directly prepare students for the collegiate world.
This course will “engage students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing” (AP Program Course Description, 2001).
MAJOR COMPONENTS OF COURSE
Literature
The study of literature could include…
- British literature (excerpts from Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales, short stories, poems)
- Shakespeare
- Novel studies (whenever possible, books will be loaned; if lost or damaged, student is responsible)
- Analysis of theme, cultural differences, and author’s style
Career Planning/College and Workplace Preparation
Could include…
- Guest speakers
- Writing activities
- Oral presentations
- Internet research
Writing
Writing activities will include…
- Formal pieces that will emphasize the writing process and will be collected for assessment
- Informal pieces that will not be collected for formal assessment. May be journal entries or other creative outlets.
- Timed written responses in correlation to novel studies and in accordance to Advanced Placement test standards
- Expository, personal narrative, persuasive, and research papers.
Grammar and usage will be stressed during writing units particularly. Final products will be expected to show proficiency in these areas and be formatted in MLA format.
MATERIALS NEEDED
- Writing instruments (duh)
- One-inch binder & Folder (exclusive to this class)
- Single subject notebook—Composition style (exclusive)
- Jump Drive (recommended)
GRADING (Grades may be accessed online. Please utilize this!)
Students’ grades will be determined by a combination of daily work, writing assignments, tests, quizzes, and participation. The grading scale for this class adheres to the grading scale for the entire school.
ACADEMIC HONESTY: When you complete an assignment, your ideas are being graded. If you use another person’s work or ideas, you must give credit where credit is due, usually by using MLA style documentation. If you use others’ ideas without giving credit, it is considered cheating or plagiarism. This will result in a zero and possible other disciplinary measures.
THREE ‘TYPES’ OF HOMEWORK:
- Check grades—these assignments are worth fewer points and will not be collected; they will only be checked for completion at the beginning of the class period.
- Homework grades—these assignments are collected and checked for mastery. They will earn the grades A (exceeds expectations), B (meets expectations), or Not Yet. If a NY is earned, the student will either have to redo the assignment or complete a similar one. No late work will be accepted, unless extenuating circumstances have been discussed prior to due date.
- Long-Term—these assignments are those which we have been working on for a considerable amount of time and usually have had Check Grades leading up to due date. These are worth the most points. LTA will NOT be accepted late, but are eligible for use with the Responsibility Rewards. If extenuating circumstances exist, they must be discussed with me in advance.
NOTE: “Technical malfunctions” will NEVER be an excuse for late work. Be responsible.
PARTICIPATION/RESPONSIBILITY: Every semester, each student begins with 50 class Part/Resp points. These points are not earned; they are only lost.
WAYS TO LOSE POINTS:
· Tardies
· Sleeping
· Non-cooperation with study buddies
· Unexcused absences
· Excessive swinging door requests or use of rental materials
WAYS TO REGAIN POINTS:
· Quality class discussion contributions
· Correcting established patterns of behavior
· Study buddy cooperation
· Facebook posts
· Exhibiting Character Counts! characteristics
· Employment opportunities
TYPES OF ABSENCES:
ARRANGED ABSENCE: You know ahead of time you are going to be gone, whether it be for a family responsibility, a doctor’s appointment, or taking your senior pictures. If you know ahead of time, I should too (and that means more than the day of).
Your Responsibility: 1. Let me know. 2. If work is due, get it to me BEFORE you are gone or else it may affect your grade. 3. If a test or quiz is scheduled, we will try to have you take it before. 4. I will give you any homework and you will have the same due date as the rest of the class.
I reserve the right to have your grade reflect your irresponsibility.
EXCUSED ABSENCES: If you have an excused absence, you may make up your take-home work. Unless you make prior arrangements, you have time equal to your absence to make up the work you missed. You should check with your study buddy for any homework given or notes taken. Your study buddy should have everything. If he/she doesn’t, THEN see me.
UNEXCUSED ABSENCES: If your absence is unexcused, the handbook details that you may make up the work; however, all work from that day and/or due that day will be considered late and points will be deducted accordingly. Also, some classroom situations may not be made up and will result in an automatic zero for your absence.
TARDIES: If you are not in the classroom when class begins, you are tardy. Tardies will affect your Part/Resp Grade. Chronic (more than four per semester) tardies may result in a discipline referral.
NOTE: You will be receiving three Hallway Passes a quarter to be used as you see fit.
HANDBOOK REMINDERS:
FOOD/DRINK: No food or drink is allowed (unless provided by me). However, water is as long as it is kept in a closeable container. Please be careful! I will tell you to throw it away, new or otherwise.
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT: All electronic equipment pieces (cell phones, iPods, PSPs, etc) are a distraction to the learning environment and are NOT permitted. I will follow handbook guidelines by confiscating them, turning them into the office, etc. Be smart.
PURSES: You know the policy. I will need be holding anything up to your purse to judge the size, but if it is obviously too large, I will tell you to put it in your locker, and you will be counted tardy if you are late. If it becomes a recurring offense, I will take discipline measures. Purses should be left on the floor during instructional periods.
BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS: All of these revolve around the idea of RESPECT. If everyone in this class is respectful of each other’s person and property, we should never have a discipline issue. Some ideas that I feel need mentioned:
1. You can behave as you choose as long as your choices do not infringe upon the rights of others or cause problems for anyone else, including your fellow students, teachers, and administrators.
2. I expect you to participate until formally dismissed. I consider it impolite and disrespectful when students gather their belongings during the final minutes of class activities, which may continue right up until the bell rings. I will NOT allow you out of the room for personal reasons unless a Hallway Pass is used. (Physical illness is about the only exception–you are warned.)
3. This is an educational environment; therefore, I do not accept the use of profane or offensive language in the classroom (and I find such language use in the hallways discourteous and inappropriate, as well).
Behavioral consequences will follow if I believe there is a problem. These include, but are not limited to, individual conferences with the student, phone calls home, conferences with the parent/guardian, temporary removal of student from classroom, rearrangement of seats, and (as a last resort) removal of student to administrator’s office. However, my greatest wish is to keep all students in class; how else can learning occur?