Course Syllabus

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Course Description:                                                                                               

English I 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 in order 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:                                                                                                                             

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

• 3-ring binder with dividers and lined loose-leaf paper

Binder divided in the following seven sections:  1) Unit 1: "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves," 2) Unit 2: Romeo & Juliet, 3) Unit 3: Edgar Allan Poe & Emily Dickinson, 4) Unit 4: Lord of the Flies, 5) Unit 5: Research & Argument, 6) Unit 6: Odyssey & Exam Review, 7) Weekly Vocabulary & Multiple-Choice Passage

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

Parent & Student Resources: 

EmpowerED Family Portal: Provides parents with links to online resources and apps that students can access.

• Canvas (Learning Platform at Central Academy): Class Modules, assignments, and materials can be accessed through our online learning platform. Students not having used Canvas before should alert the teacher and they will be shown how to submit assignments on Canvas. Individual assignments will indicate which method of submission on Canvas is expected. If students need a refresher or have questions, they can access the Canvas Student Guide for specific instructions. It is the student's responsibility to ensure assignments are submitted on time and to contact the instructor if there is a problem. The Canvas Learning Platform logs every student log-in on Canvas which provides teachers with a list of when students log-in to Canvas using their user ID.
• Canvas is used to grade assignments as well, however, the grades in Canvas, while accurate to that assignment, are NOT the teacher's gradebook. The teacher's gradebook includes categories of assignments that may be weighted differently and may include grades for assignments that did not use the Canvas Learning Platform. Therefore, students and parents should always check their child's true average on the Parent Portal on PowerSchool. 

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.        

Grading Policy/ Assessment:           

10%--Homework and Class Work  20%--Quizzes 30%--Tests & Projects  40%--Papers

• 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 makeup 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. If you have an excused absence, you have TWO DAYS turn in the work. Late-work with the chance for submission will be entered into the Gradebook as a 1, once the make-up window passes the grade will become a 0, with no chance of makeup.

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 are lacking 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 PENALTIES (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:                                            

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: “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” by Karen Russell

Students read and analyze Karen Russell’s short story “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves,” focusing on how Russell’s structural choices develop complex characters and central ideas.

• Quick Writes
• Close Reading & Annotations
• Mid-Unit Assessment: Multi-paragraph Formal Response
• Style Analysis
• End-of-Unit Assessment: Multi-paragraph Formal Response

UNIT 2:  William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Students will learn the characteristics of Shakespearean tragedy and the language of Shakespeare. Students read and analyze the development and interaction of complex characters and multiple central ideas.  

• Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet
• Comparing Shakespearean Drama in Movie
• Quick Writes
• Analyzing Structural Choice
• Tracking Central Ideas
• Mid-Unit Assessment: Multi-paragraph Formal Response
• Grammar: adverbial clauses; using colons and semicolons correctly; using restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses; commas with nonrestrictive phrases
• Socratic Seminar
• Summative Assessment: Multi-paragraph, Formal Response

UNIT 3: Edgar Allan Poe’s “Tell-Tale Heart” & Emily Dickinson’s poem, “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain”

Students analyze how authors develop and refine central ideas as they read two texts that consider the central idea of madness and obsession: Poe’s short story and Dickinson’s poem.

Students analyze how authors develop and refine central ideas as they read two texts that consider the central idea of madness and obsession: Poe’s short story and Dickinson’s poem.

• Quick Writes
• Integrating Quotes
• Evidence Collection
• Mid-Unit Assessment: Multi-paragraph Formal Response
• Phrases & Metaphors
• End-of-Unit Assessment: Multi-paragraph Formal Response

UNIT 4: William Golding’s Lord of the Flies

Students will analyze character and plot development of the novel to connect the deeper thematic meanings to the big idea of how society influences and shapes individuals.

• Analyzing Visual Images
• Informational Texts
• Quick Writes
• Allegorical and Symbolic Elements
• Mid-Unit Assessment: Multi-paragraph Formal Response
• Analyzing author’s purpose
• End-of-Unit Assessment: Test

UNIT 5: Research & Argument Students will explore a problem-based question. The instructional focus of this unit is on analyzing and writing evidence-based arguments with specific attention to argumentative perspective, claims, evidence, and reasoning.

• Part 1: Understanding the nature of an issue
  • Read & analyze text to develop an initial understanding of the issue.
  • Develop text-dependent questions and develop them to deepen their analysis.
  • Develop and write an evidence-based claim about the nature of the issue.
• Part 2: Analyzing Arguments:
  • Delineate arguments
  • Analyze and compare perspectives in argumentative texts
  • Write short essay analyzing an argument
• Part 3: Evaluating Argument and Developing a Position
  • Evaluate arguments using objective criteria and develop own perspective of the issue
  • Conduct further research to help develop and support their position
  • Identify and write about argument that opposes their position
• Part 4: Organizing an Evidence-Based Argument
  • Determine evidence to support own premises
  • Review and revise plans for writing with peers
• Part 5: Developing and Strengthening Writing Through a Collaborative, Question-based Process
  • Learn and practice a collaborative, question-based approach to developing and improving writing, using criteria from the unit and guiding questions to begin the drafting and revision process.

UNIT 6: Homer’s Odyssey

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                                                                                                                                           

The 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.