Course Syllabus

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English II Syllabus (Printable Version)

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Cory McDowell

cory.mcdowell@ucps.k12.nc.us

Classroom Ext.: (704) 296-3088 || 7163

 

Welcome to English II!!

 

Course Overview

In this course, we will begin to study world literature through the examination of texts from the Americas (North, South, and Central), Africa, Asia, Western Europe, and the Middle East. Students will also be introduced to critical writing. As a class, we will examine (through close-reading) the elements of the literature. The goal of this course is to learn aspects of other cultures and languages through reading, writing, speaking, and of course, thinking.

Part of the core requirements for this class is writing. Our goal is to have you as college ready as possible. This includes: argumentative, narrative, expository, persuasive, literary analysis, and compare/contrast papers. As students here at CATA, you are expected to use outside sources and form a comprehensive research essay of at least 3-4 pages.


Materials

  1. A composition notebook for daily writing. This will serve as your daybook. You will put handouts (taped or stapled) and your writing in this book. Everything we do on a day-to-day basis.
  2. Loose leaf paper or notebook
  3. Some sort of folder or binder for papers/handouts
  4. Highlighters (blue, green, yellow, orange)
  5. Papermate Profile multi-color pens (you can get these anywhere that sells school supplies).
  6. Post-it Notes for annotations in books
  7. Pens and/or pencils
  8. Chromebook!!

**We have limited copies of text. Anyone who would be willing and able to purchase any of the books we read will be greatly appreciated.

Resources

Holt McDougal. Literature, Grade 10. (in-class text)

Learning Platform at Central Academy

Canvas: The majority of assignments will be submitted on our new "learning platform," Canvas. Assignments can be submitted a variety of ways including, uploading files, typing into text boxes, and sharing Google documents/presentations. 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.

Canvas Calendar will be where I post the pacing schedule for the class. Each day on the calendar is what students are supposed to have read for that day (i.e. If Fall of the House of Usher is on the calendar for September 3rd, it needs to be read for September 3rd's class. It is NOT homework for that night).  

EmpowerED

This provides parents with links to online resources and apps that students may access. EmpowerED

 

Procedures for Class

  1. Be respectful. To EVERYONE!
  2. Be prepared. Make sure you are ready when the bell rings. No one has time for shuffling, plugging in Chromebooks, etc.
  3. Be focused. I think this goes without saying. I WILL call on you to participate if I feel you’re not staying focused and on task.
  4. Be active. PARTICIPATE in discussions, helping your classmates, asking questions, etc.
  5. All graded materials NOT submitted through Canvas need to be put in the appropriate tray on the table.
  6. NO restroom breaks in the first or last 15 minutes of class.

 

Late Work

Late work will be accepted after an absence within two days after your absence as outlined in your Student Handbook and this course syllabus (under Grading). This means ONLY the work missed on the day of the absence NOT work for the day the student comes back. Readings will be posted in Canvas daily. If absent, make sure to check the readings for the returning day.

 

Attendance

Attendance is paramount to your success. If you miss a class, it is YOUR responsibility to make-up any work that you missed. As stated above and in your student handbook, you have TWO days to make up work after an absence.

Tardies:

Tardies will be recorded as unexcused unless an excuse can be verified by staff. Tardies will result in the following penalties:

All students must report to the office when tardy to first period and to class the rest of the day.  Teachers will mark students tardy who are late to 2nd period, 3rd period, and 4th period. If a student is tardy twice in third period on Cougar Time days (Once before class and once after lunch), then the teacher will  mark them tardy one time in Power School and write it up as a minor incident in Educator Handbook for the second tardy of the period.

1st/2nd Tardy:  Warning from an administrator in the front office (1st period) and the teacher in the classroom (all periods)

3rd Tardy:  Warning from an administrator in the front office (1st period) and the teacher in the classroom (all periods).  The teacher will contact the parent on the third tardy by phone.  

4th/5th Tardy:  Warning from an administrator in the front office (1st period) and the teacher in the classroom (all periods). The teacher will submit a discipline referral to the administration and 1 day ASD with administration.  The administration will contact the parent.  

6th/7th Tardy:  Warning from an administrator in the front office (1st period) and the teacher in the classroom (all periods).  The teacher will submit a discipline referral to the administration and 2 days ASD with administration.  The administration will contact the parent.  

8th Tardy: Warning from an administrator in the front office (1st period) and the teacher in the classroom (all periods).  The teacher will submit a discipline referral to the administration and 3 days ASD.  The administration will set up a parent conference, create a written plan, and possible additional consequences.

 

Tutoring

Mr. McDowell will offer tutoring on Mondays from 3:30 until 4:30. The classes are big. This will be the time students can see him outside of class for extra help and understanding, or even if a chance was missed to ask a question or get clarification in class. Feel free to stop by even just for 10 minutes.

Mr. McDowell, also, holds mandatory remediation/tutoring during Cougar Time when students are identified as needing extra help.

 

Grading

This course will be graded on the ten-point scale and will be broken down into four categories:

  1. Essays: 40%
  2. Tests: 30%
  3. Quizzes: 15%
  4. Projects: 10%
  5. Homework: 5%

 

Essays

Essays will be of various scope (expository, narrative, and argumentative) throughout the semester. Rubrics will be provided per essay. We will have several writing sessions, seminars, and peer-review opportunities along with the assignments. ALL essays will be submitted through Canvas and the originality checker.

Tests

Tests will be given twice a term (a total of 6 assessments). The tests will consist of questions (multiple choice, constructive response, and essay) based on the core standards for English II (see Canvas for core standards).

 

Quizzes

You will have various quizzes throughout the semester. Quizzes will mainly be reading and vocabulary quizzes. I will never give a quiz unannounced unless I feel that the work is not being done (i.e. half the class decides they don’t want to read when they’re supposed to).

Projects

Major projects will demonstrate your understanding of a major element or concept in the literature for that unit. They will be research-based and in-depth projects.

 

Grading Scale:

A  90 - 100

B  80 - 89

C  70 - 79

D  60 - 69

F   0 – 59

*Grades in PowerSchool marked as a “0” will not be allowed to be made up

**Grades in PowerSchool marked as a “1” will be allowed to be made up within the specified amount of time per the student handbook

 

Grading Composition: Course work will make up 75% of your final grade; the final exam will make-up 25% of your final grade based on your performance on the English II End-of-Course Exam.

 

Units (preliminary and subject to change)

*Each unit will include vocabulary, non-fiction pieces, poetry, written responses (creative and reading responses), and historical background; as well as, other assignments on a weekly/daily basis.

Unit I: Introduction to World Literature/Grammar/Writing/Short Stories (Various African and European selections)/Poetry

Introduction to Research and Research Paper/Milestones

4 weeks

 

Unit II: Literary Analysis - Night by Elie Wiesel/Wartime Poetry (World)

Project: Podcast

4 weeks

 

Unit III: Medea by Euripides (Greece)/Select poetry

Project: Trials

4 weeks

 

Unit IV: Literary Analysis - Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (African/”Response” to Conrad’s Heart of Darkness)/Criticism/Poetry

Research Paper Due

4 weeks

 

Unit V: Literary Analysis - Excerpts from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (France)/Revolutionary Documents

2 weeks

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due