English 3 Course Description

Students in English III analyze United States literature as it reflects social perspectives and historical significance by continuing to use language for expressive, expository, argumentative, and literary purposes. The emphasis in English III is on literary analysis of American literature through reading, writing, speaking, listening, and using media.

In addition, students will relate the experiences of others to their own, they will research the diversity of American experience, and examine relationships between past and present. Furthermore students will build increasing sophistication in defining issues and using arguments effectively, and, finally, create written products and oral presentations that maintain standard conventions of written and oral language.

We will be reading, poems, plays, short stories, and novels by American authors.  Two of the major works we will be reading are The Crucible by Arthur Miller and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. There will two more major works to be named later.    

Class Rules and Procedures

1. Be prepared and on-time for class everyday; prepared mean homework is completed before class begins and on-time means early. If you have technical problems, join the class as soon as you are able and complete the technical issues form in Canvas. You do not need to send an email or comment in the chat, just complete the technical issue form in Canvas.    
2. Be respectful of the teacher and do not interrupt teaching or learning. Please hold questions until the end of lecture or modeling. During discussion, especially online discussion, one person speaks at a time, and be sure to listen actively.  Do not try to multitask during class, especially when the teacher is speaking. 
3. Be respectful of your classmates. Everyone’s opinion and voice is valuable to the class. Listen actively while someone else is talking. Furthermore, rude behavior directed toward the teacher or other students will receive immediate and severe consequences. Remember, you may be at home but you are also in class, so all school and class rules and consequences apply.
4. Listen actively and follow instructions.  Assignments are designed to be challenging and purposeful; therefore, it is necessary for each student to pay attention to achieve success for themselves and for the class as a whole. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you email me with questions regarding an assignment and the answer is in the directions, you will lose points for not reading and following directions.  

Absentee/Missed Work Policy

If you are absent, you are responsible for obtaining missed assignments and making-up missed work.  When you are absent, first check with a classmate to find out about missed assignments.  Then, verify with me the date(s) and assignment(s) missed and the dates due. You will be given five class days from the date you were absent to turn in missed work. Late work will be accepted 24 hours after the assignment is due and will be counted off 50%.  No late work will be accepted after 24 hours. Do not wait until the last minute to turn in assignments and then claim computer problems. You will lose 50% of the grade.

Grading

Grades will be earned according to the established grading scale of Rocky River High School:

A: 100-90 (Superior Mastery)

B: 89-80 (Above Average)

C: 79-70 (Average)

D: 69-60 (Below Average)

F: 59 and Below (Not Passing)

Student performance will be assessed through Tests, Papers, Projects, Quizzes, daily grades, and homework. These assignments are grouped into three categories to determine grades based on the following percentages:

• Tests and Papers: 40%
• Projects and Quizzes: 40%
• Participation and Homework: 20%