Course Syllabus

 

         

Course Description:                                                                                               

English I Honors follows the North Carolina Course of Study. Students will engage in meaningful communication for expressive, expository, argumentative and literary purposes. Students will participate in conversations about and written analysis of literary genres, elements, and traditions to form a firm literary foundation for higher level courses.

Using the textbook, Holt McDougal Elements of Literature (2012) and supplementary materials, students will be able to explore various genres of literature written by various authors and will be able to enhance their grammar and writing skills. The study of literary genres---short stories, poetry, drama, and non-fiction---will coincide with the review and introduction of writing techniques.

Supplies Required:                                                                                                                             

 To achieve these goals, students must bring the following to class every day unless otherwise instructed:                                                                                     

• A 5-SUBJECT NOTEBOOK with pockets in dividers 

Notebook divide in the following order of sections: 1. Grammar/Vocabulary, 2. Poetry/ Romeo & Juliet, 3. Argument, 4. Actions & Reactions/ Research, 5. Greek Mythology/ Odyssey

• Post-it notes (for personal use)
• Black or blue pens (pencils are acceptable) for personal use
• Highlighters (for personal use)

Teachers Expectations and Keys to Success:                                                                                 

Students will be responsible for all assignments (unless otherwise specified by the teacher). Any questions can be cleared up with a conference or a quick chat either before school, during lunch, or after school. If a student performs to the best of his or her ability, then he or she will be successful in my class.         

The core novels/plays are: Of Mice and Men, Romeo and Juliet, and Odyssey and assorted poems, excerpts and selections befitting the curriculum of study. The district will provide school copies. Students are responsible for the school copies, and there will be consequences if the students lose or damage a novel in any way.

Grading Policy/ Assessment:           

10%---Daybook Checks, Homework, Class Work                                                                    

20%---Quizzes                                                                  

     30%---Tests                                                                                                                  

40%---Papers  and Projects          

• Students will have the opportunity to rewrite papers; you will have TWO DAYS (unless otherwise specified by the teacher) to turn in rewrites in addition to other assigned work to add at least ten-fifteen points to the current grade. Again, this is optional.
• Make-Ups: In my room before or after school---must be scheduled in advance.
• Absences: You will have TWO DAYS to turn in assignments only if absent on the day the assignment was given. YOU are responsible for obtaining and turning in make-up work on YOUR OWN TIME unless otherwise specified by the teacher (located in make-up folder).

--- NOTE: if a test/paper/project was assigned in advance, meaning you already knew about it BEFORE the day of your absence or were absent on the due date, the test/paper/project is due THE DAY YOU RETURN except for EXTREME CASES. This applies to everyone.                          

• Cheating: DON’T DO IT!!! I have a zero-tolerance policy, and I will write you up for every offense. Be forewarned!!! This includes copying another student’s work or plagiarizing from another source!!!

Late-Work Policy:                                                                                                                                     I allow adequate time to complete assignments. TURN WORK IN ON TIME. You will receive one late work pass each six weeks. This gives you ONE additional day to turn in an assignment. Use it wisely!

Classroom Procedures, Rules, and Consequences:                                                                      

1. Be respectful---I will always allow to express yourself to the fullest, within reason, without interruptions. Therefore, do not talk while someone else is talking, that includes another student and, most importantly, ME. Refrain from derogatory and otherwise unnecessary comments or gestures (cursing, put-downs, etc.) about ANYONE in the class.                                                       

  2. Be prepared---When you come into class, ON TIME, you need to SIT DOWN, HAVE MATERIALS READY to begin class. If you lack something, please make an effort to acquire it before asking me.                                                                                                            

 3. Be focused---RAISE HANDS to be recognized unless otherwise instructed. Ask questions after the lesson has been explained. Do the work that is asked of you and set short-term goals for yourselves.                                                                                                                                      

 4. Be aware---PAY ATTENTION to what is going on in class at all times (no sleeping or heads down). There is a time for work and a time for play; make sure you know the difference. If you need clarification, ask me. I will either explain it to you or ask a student to do so. You are now at an age where certain things are expected of you.                                                                         

 5. Be positive---I have certain expectations of high school students. One of those is A POSITIVE ATTITUDE because a good attitude will foster proper behavior. Negative attitudes have various consequences.

***ALL POLICIES IN THE STUDENT HANDBOOK WILL BE FOLLOWED ALONG WITH PENALITIES (INCLUDING NO FOOD/DRINK; NO VISIBLE OR AUDIBLE CELL PHONES; PROPER CLOTHING)

Available Tutoring and Conference Times:                                                                                  

My tutoring times are during Cougar Time on Tuesdays and Thursdays or before and after school. You need to let me know in advance if you are staying and meet me in my room by 3:45 for after school appointments.

Scope and Sequence by Weeks:                                                                                              

This is a tentative overview of the material to be covered, and any additional material and/or changes will be up to the teacher’s discretion. Some sections will overlap from one time period in history to the next as is noted below. This listing may include but is not limited to the following:

Unit 1: Poetry (3 weeks):

Students will learn poetic form, poetic elements, sound devices, imagery, figurative language, make inferences. Students will be able to identify various forms of poetry, such as sonnets, odes, ballads, dramatic monologues, and elegies. 

• Grammar: singular and plural possessives; dashes; punctuation
• Close Reading: Strategies for Analyzing Poetry
• Informational texts
• "My Papa's Waltz" Theodore Roethke
• "Elegy for the Giant Tortoise" Margaret Atwood
• "Today" Billy Collins
• "Ode to My Socks" Pablo Neruda
• "egg horror poem" Laurel Winter
• "O What is That Sound" W.H. Auden
• "The Seven Ages of Man" William Shakespeare
• "The Road Not Taken"
• "egg horror poem" 
• Summative Assessment: Shakespearean Sonnet Rap Battle
• Cumulative Skills Assessment: analyzing poetry, form, word choice, sound devices, figurative language, imagery

Unit 2: Shakespearean Drama: Romeo & Juliet (4 weeks)

Students will learn the characteristics of Shakespearean tragedy and the language of Shakespeare.  

• Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
• Selected essays & sonnets
• Informational texts
• Comparing Shakespearean Drama in Movie
• Analyzing a Critical Review 
• Grammar: adverbial clauses; using colons and semicolons correctly; using restrictive and non-restrictive clauses; commas with nonrestrictive phrases
• Socratic Seminar
• Summative Assessment: Student-selected final project
• Cumulative Skills Assessment: soliloquy, aside, allusion, blank verse, oxymoron, tragedy, dramatic irony and character motivation

Unit 3: Argumentation (4 weeks):

Students will learn the elements of argument, persuasive techniques, and rhetorical devices. Students will learn to use reference materials and technology, evaluate sources, conduct research, synthesize multiple sources, and integrate information.

• "I Have a Dream" Dr. Martin Luther King
• "Testimony Before the Senate" Michael J. Fox
• How Private is Your Private Life?" Andrea Rock
• "The Privacy Debate: One Size Doesn't Fit All" Arthur M. Ahalt
• Grammar: punctuating titles, integrating quotations; capitalization; complex sentences; parallelism; gerunds
• Summative Assessment: 2-3 page Research Paper with annotated bibliographies
• Cumulative Skills Assessment: elements of argument and persuasive techniques 

Unit 4: Actions and Reactions & Research (4 weeks ):

Of Mice and Men and Selected Short Stories

Students will learn the narrative structure and identify elements of plot stages, conflict, sequence and time, flashback and foreshadowing, point of view, character traits and motivation, setting and characters, setting, and conflict, imagery, and mood. Students will learn to incorporate these elements into their own personal narratives while adhering to grammar and writing mechanics. 

• Close Reading Strategies: Annotating and Double-entryJournals
• Socratic Seminar
• Grammar Review: parts of speech, punctuating dialogue, compound sentences; using transitions; adjective and adverbial phrases; participles; quotation marks
• Informational texts
• Quizzes
• “The Most Dangerous Game”
• “The Necklace”
• “The Cask of Amontadillo”
• Summative Assessment: Personal Narrative with Grammar in Context: punctuating dialogue and compound sentences
• Cumulative Skills Assessment: plot structure, conflict, making inferences, characterization, point of view, setting, mood and imagery

Unit 5: Greek Mythology and Epic Poetry (3 weeks)

Students will learn the characteristics of the epic, the language of Homer, the traits of an epic hero, archetypal characters, imagery, figurative language, plot, setting, and theme

• Homer’s The Odyssey
• Selected excerpts & essays on Greek Mythology
• Grammar: consistent verb tense; run-on sentences; compound-complex sentences; incorporating quotations; participial phrases
• Summative Assessments: Homeric Tapestry Group Projects
• Cumulative Skills Assessment: epic, setting, theme, epic hero

 

Miscellaneous

Close Reading Strategies                                                                                                                                    This course focuses on developing the literacy skills necessary for reading, understanding, and analyzing a variety of texts. Students learn strategies for effectively annotating texts.

Discussion (Listening and Speaking)                                                                              

Discussions are a key component of the course. Students participate in Think-Pair-Share and Socratic Seminar discussions throughout the course. Students learn to develop their listening and speaking skills and to make relevant contributions to these conversations. During these activities, students are provided with a variety of texts, such as film, speeches, letters, essays, and research. Students learn to identify the assertions made in the texts and to take positions, ask questions, and share ideas. This process includes refuting ideas of others, accepting the ideas of others, and meaningfully engaging in conversations that lead them to be better listeners, speakers, and writers. Discussions are student or teacher led. Divergent thinking and multiple viewpoints are encouraged.

Narrative, Expository, and Descriptive Writing                                                       

  Opportunities to write in the argumentative mode are balanced with assignments that require students to use narrative, expository and descriptive writing. Most of the writing takes place on-demand, in-class timed setting; however, some writing assignments are completed as homework. Major essay assignments require students to use the writing process and to show evidence of this process through prewriting and drafts. Following all major writings, students are required to reflect, revise, and refine their work.