2016-2017

Syllabus: English 3

Teacher information Name:Mr. Edwin Crooks

Phone: 832-249-4833 (with voicemail)

Email:

Room: D183

Conference: 7th period (1:30 PM – 2:25 PM)

Description of CourseEach grading term presents a unique theme, which explores various literatures from American authors, spanning from pre-colonial period to modern time. Grammar and writing skills stem from the skills strongly present in the sample writing studied with that term, meaning that they may overlap throughout the year.

Objectives

UNIT THEME / READING FOCUS / WRITING FOCUS
1st Six Weeks / Defining the American Dream: Native Americans to Colonialism / Native American myths; Colonial literature and documents; Drama:The Crucibleby ArthurMiller / Autobiography writing; character analysis
2nd Six Weeks / An Emerging Nation: American Revolution-Romantiscism / The American Renaissance: idealism and humanism in literature [persuasive and literary nonfiction, poetry, and fiction] / Creating a media presentation ofauthor & literature encyclopedia
3rd Six Weeks / Redefining Freedom: Civil War - Industrialism / Abolitionism, transcendentalism, and expansionism in literature [Emerson, Thoreau, Twain, Crane, Dickinson, Douglass] / Analytical essays: theme across texts
4th Six Weeks / Redefining the American Dream: Modernism / Imagist & realism in literature, Harlem Renaissance [Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Hughes, Hurston] / Literary response, character & thematic analysis
5th Six Weeks / Prosperity and Protest: Late Modernism - Postmodernism / Drama: A Raisin in the Sunby Lorraine Hansberry / Compare and contrast: literary versus media, research evaluation
6th Six Weeks / The 21st Century American Dream: Postmodernism - Contemporary / Cultural studies: First Part Last by Angela Johnson; Literary Nonfiction – I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai; Drama – Novio Boy by Gary Soto / Literary response: Cornell notes; play writing

Grading procedures Major grade 60% [3-4 per grading term]

  • Projects [requiring 3 or more days]
  • Critical Analysis (student-centered work)
  • Writing Assignments/Essays
  • Tests
  • Comprehensive exam on Edgenuity
  • Group work [requiring 3 or more days]

Minor grade 40%[10-12 per grading term]

  • Group work [requiring 2 or less days]
  • Daily activities [workbooks, vocabulary, note-taking]
  • Mini-projects [requiring 2 or less days]
  • Class participation & discussions
  • Writing activities [graphic, revision, editing
  • Homework (when assigned)
  • Edgenuity exercises
  • Quizzes

Reteach and retesting All assignments can be resubmitted for a passing grade. If a student fails an assignment more than two times, the teacher will conference with the student to determine the content(s) that should be targeted to achieve mastery. Afterwards, another activity with similar skills will be assigned to replace the previous.

Grade repair All students (failing and passing) have the opportunity to redo or correct assignments. Alternate assignments are also offered when a second time failing of the assignment occurs. An online supplemental course will also provide activities and lessons for struggling students for content mastery. Students are responsible for all work missed due to absences to be submitted prior to grade reports marked after every 3 weeks.

Tutoring No before or after school time is allotted for tutoring, but with administrative permission, some arrangements for extra time in core course can be borrowed from the student’s non-core courses. That extra time can be designated for a core course.

Test days and exemptionsTests and quizzes, save for online lessons, are scheduled at the end of a weekly unit which is typically Fridays. End of course exams are scheduled at the end of the semester [1st semester in December before Winter break & 2nd semester in June before Summer break]. No exemptions are permitted.

Required & suggested supplies Writing utensils [pens – black or blue; pencils]; wide rule notebook paper; composition or spiral tablet (optional)

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