Freshman Studies English 2014-2015

Course Syllabus

Duncan Coble om 142

Heather om 215

I. Course Content

Freshman StudiesEnglish is a year-long English I class designed to ease high school transition and improve skills necessary for academic achievement and personal success, while endeavoring to raise cultural awareness and academic rigor. This course will examine three major concepts in English studies: literature, writing, and communication. By focusing on these three areas, students will be rigorously preparing for 9th grade English exit exams. This course of study will also prepare students for the increased difficulties of the high school curriculum as well as building a strong foundation for continuing students’ education. Students will also use those three major concepts to exploretopics and projects in concert with the Personal Finance/ Banking Finance portion of the course.

II. Course Objectives

Literature: Freshman Studies English is an in-depth exploration of world literature, which will use close reading of complex non-fiction, poetry and prose texts to prepare students for the rigor and demands of subsequent high school Honors/ AP track classes and beyond. Discovering thematic similarities among a spectrum of diversity, students will learn about themselves and the world they inhabit.

Writing: Students will improve their writing skills through constant practice, grammar development, and group workshops. Students will apply these skills in multidisciplinary writing assignments, including creative responses, detailed research, and comparative analysis of a variety of topics.

Communication: While communication and writing are often synonymous, students will explore visual, oral, and other communication strategies that better present their knowledge, understanding, and opinions. Students will evaluate mass media, analyze loaded phrasing, and judge persuasive arguments.

End of Course Testing: FreshmanAcademy will rigorously prepare students for the End of Course exam. The EOC is a state requirement and also counts as 25 percent of the final grade. By preparing for the state exam, students will easily exceed expectations and achieve higher standards.Students will also develop a foundation for success on the upcoming newly formatted essay-based PARCC assessment.

III. Required Supplies

Students are expected to always bring their supplies to class. To facilitate this, students will need the following:

  • Loose leaf paper
  • Pencils
  • 2 Pens (Black and Red)
  • 1 ½ inch, 3 ring binder
  • 5 tabbed dividers
  • Markers/Crayons
  • Highlighter
  • 100 3x5 notecards
  • 70 page spiral notebook
  • Facial tissue (for class use)
  • Hand sanitizer (for class use)
  • Text, assignments

IV. Course Calendar

This calendar is extremely provisional and subject to change. All dates are approximate.

Week / Literature Unit
1 / Resume Writing
2 / Literary Terms
3 / Literary Terms / Non-Fiction Terms
4 / Non-Fiction Terms
5 / Arguments and Methods
6 / Arguments and Methods
7 / Arguments and Methods
8 / Writing / The Pearl
9 / Writing / The Pearl
End of 1st Nine Weeks
10 / Writing / The Pearl
11 / Writing / The Pearl
12 / Myths / The Odyssey
13 / The Odyssey
14 / The Odyssey
15 / The Odyssey
16 / The Odyssey
17 / The Odyssey
18 / The Odyssey
End of 2nd Nine Weeks
19 / Animal Farm
20 / Animal Farm
21 / Animal Farm
22 / Poetry
23 / Poetry
24 / Romeo and Juliet
25 / Romeo and Juliet
26 / Romeo and Juliet
27 / Romeo and Juliet
End of 3rd Nine Weeks
28 / Freakonomics
29 / Freakonomics
30 / Freakonomics
31 / Tale of Two Cities
32 / Tale of Two Cities
33 / Tale of Two Cities
34 / Media Analysis
35 / Media Analysis
36 / Final Project Presentation

V. Course Grades

Final grades will be the assessed by dividing the number of points the student has earned by the grand total number of points possible. The points per assignment will vary with the importance of the assignment. Tests and projects will be worth more points, homework less, etc. Tardies, lack of participation, and disruptive behavior will lose participation points. The End of Course exam will count as 20 percent of your final course grade.

VI. Course Projects

For each unit, there will be corresponding projects. Limited class time will be offered, but students are expected to complete most projects on their own time. There will be major projects forThe Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet,and most novel units. Details on all projects will be announced in class. We will work on culminating projects for both Ms. Powell and Mr. Coble as well.

VII. Course Films

Students will occasionally watch films which address the current subject of study. All films will be previously viewed and subscribe to the county guidelines. For any film over the MPAA rating of PG, a notice will be sent home.

VII. Course Success

Freshman Studies is a team comprised of parents, students, and a dedicated faculty. Students and teachers alike will constantly evaluate themselves. Through determination, hard work, and perseverance, students will achieve a better foundation for success in high school and beyond.

Syllabus Acknowledgement

I have fully read and understand this syllabus and the accompanying Academic Honesty policy. I further understand the rigors and responsibilities that taking an advanced A/B Honors course entails. If I have any questions, I can contact Mr. Coblein the English Help Center during lunch, after school, or through email (). These course objectives, expectations, and requirements are my responsibility to fulfill.

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StudentDate

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ParentDate

This form needs to be returned no later than the first Friday of the first full week of school to Mr. Coble.