Course Syllabus
English I
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The standards are cumulative--students will continue to address earlier standards as needed while they attend to standards for their grade. In English I, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should read and write on a daily basis. This is a two semester course; upon successful completion of this course 1.0 credit will be awarded toward graduation.
TEACHER INFORM:Jennifer ClarkeB.A. English; Lamar University
TUTORIAL TIMES: M-W: 3:50-4:30/ Morning tutorials upon request
Other tutorial times may be arranged by request if needed
COURSE GOALS:
●To develop critical reading comprehension skills over a variety of genres
● To strengthen writing ability in a range of styles
● To understand and develop oral and written communication skills
● To enhance vocabulary and mastery of language
REQUIRED SUPPLIES:
●Pens, pencils, highlighters
●Notebook paper
●Three ring binder with pockets
●5 Dividers with Pockets
●3x5 Index Cards
●Two Composition Notebooks
*Students must come to class with supplies in order to complete the work each day. There are limited supplies available in the classroom. It is the student’s responsibility to be prepared for class. Failure to bring supplies will require student to attend tutorials (with supplies) to complete assignment missed in class. Failure to attend tutorials will result in a zero for the assignment.
TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS:
●Research- analyzing sources, synthesizing information
●Reading- outside novels, short stories, essays
●Essays- Creative, Research, Expository, Critical, Persuasive
●Journals/Response logs- Reflections
●Group Projects- team building, cooperative learning, group presentations
●Portfolios- synthesize and tie essays and projects for reflection purposes
GRADING POLICY: A minimum of two daily assignment grades will be recorded each week of the grading cycle and a minimum of two major grades (tests, major assignments, projects, etc.) will be recorded each grading cycle. Daily grades will comprise 60% of the report card grade and major assignments will comprise 40% of the report card grade. The three grading cycles will account for 85% of the semester grade and the semester final exam will account for 15% of the semester grade.
*Writing Assignments: Writing is a recursive process. As such, students will be given one week after receiving a grade on any essay/writing assignment to rewrite the assignment for additional points.
The West Orange-Stark High School grade conversion scale is as follows:
90-100A
80-89B
75-79C
70-74D
69 & BelowF
LATE ASSIGNMENTS: Assignments must be submitted in a timely manner as they are reflective of the work that is being completed at the time. Corrected work should be returned in a timely manner to give students feedback on the work completed. In order for work to be graded fairly and to be valid, it must be submitted before corrected assignments are returned to other students, thus it is imperative that the student completes work and submits it on the due date.
Assignments MUST be turned in on the day they are due. Late work is not generally accepted, if the assignment is not turned in on the due date, then the student will receive a zero for a grade. The teacher may elect to allow the student to turn in a limited number of assignments late for a percentage of the original credit to replace a zero which is earned for missing work; however this is strictly at the teacher’s discretion.
Late work, replacement credit will not be given the last week of a grading period, and will not be given in lieu of a zero. Any student who fails to turn in an assignment in timely, must make arrangements to attend tutorials.(*Extra credit will only be available to students who do not have zeros prior to the last week of the grading cycle.)
MAKE-UP WORK: If a student is absent from class and his/her absence is excused by district policy, he/she may then turn in the assignment on the day he/she returns to school without a penalty. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain, from their teacher, the assignments missed during their absence from class. It is also the student’s responsibility to make arrangements to attend tutorials for the information missed. For each day the student is absent, he/she will receive one day to turn in the missed assignment. Make up work not turned in on time is considered late. (See late work policy.)
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Academic dishonesty (including but not limited to plagiarism, cheating, etc.) is not acceptable. Cheating includes the copying of another student’s work – homework, class work, and/or test answers and claiming it to be one’s own work; talking during a test; accessing the internet during class/test without permission; use of any forbidden or electronic device such as study aids, cheat sheets, calculators, or cell phones without the express permission of the teacher may be considered cheating. Plagiarism is the use of another person’s original ideas or writing without giving credit to the true author. A student found to have engaged in academic dishonesty will receive a grade of “zero” for the assignment in question, as well as disciplinary penalties, according to the Student Code of Conduct.
TRUANCY: If a student is deemed to be truant from class, (Unexcused absence from the class) no make-up work will be allowed per the West Orange-Cove CISD policy.
TARDINESS: It is important that students arrive at class and are ready to begin class when the bell rings. Tardiness will be addressed in accordance with West Orange-Cove CISD Policy. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements to attend tutorials to get all information and assignments missed. Students are not to disrupt class and/or lessons in progress when they are tardy to class.
FOOD AND DRINK: Food and drinks are not allowed in class/common areas. Food items will be confiscated and thrown away.
ID POLICY: Students are required to wear their IDs to class and have them visibly displayed every day. Failure to wear IDs properly will result in implementing school-wide procedures for such violations.
HALL PASSES: No student will be allowed to leave the classroom without a pass. Passes will not be issued to conduct personal business, meet with teachers, or retrieve items from lockers. Students should use the bathroom during class changes. There is no hallway movement or leaving class during the first or last ten minutes of class. Students may not leave the class during attendance, lesson, or class discussion/reading time. Students may leave during independent work time only.
600 HALL RULES:
- Cell phones and earbuds must be put away once you enter your classroom. (Visible cellphones and earbuds will be taken up.)
- No standing in the hallways. Get to your classroom and begin your bellringer. (Do not block traffic in the halls and doorways.)
- Be seated and have journal and pen/pencil ready when the bell rings. (Sharpen pencil prior to bell.)
- Stay in desks until bell rings to dismiss you. (No crowding at the doorways.)
- Follow your teacher’s classroom rules and procedures.
Classroom Rules
- Have all materials prepared and ready to work when the tardy bell rings.
- Take care of all personal business before or after class.
- Stay in seat at all times.
- All trash must be placed in the trashcan. Nothing airborne at any time.
- Come to class with materials each day.
- Be respectful of other people’s property and space.
- Keep your personal materials (i.e. phone, make-up, toys, etc.) put away at all times during class.
- Do not engage in disruptive behavior.
- Be prepared to work at all times.
- Clean up your area before you exit the room.
English ILesson Syllabus:
Cycle 1:Grammar, Sentence Structure, Sentence Variety
Vocabulary, Etymology
Reading Strategies, Plot
Short Stories, Literary Non-Fiction
*AP Mythology Project
Cycle 2:Argumentation (Persuasion)
Media Literacy
Informational Text
Poetry, Poetic Forms
Figurative Language
*AP Poetry Portfolio
Cycle 3:Creative Writing-Sonnets
Drama
*AP Romeo and Juliet Projects
Cycle 4:Summary and Critique
Inferencing
Historical Context
Audience and Tone
Revision and Editing
*AP How To Projects
Cycle 5:STAAR Preparation
Research Paper
*AP Professional Presentation
Cycle 6:Novel Study
*AP Character Study
Reader and Writer Workshop
Studies have shown that students who read have higher achievement. Reading is important across the academic spectrum. It builds many skills that help in all courses across the curriculum. We will be participating in Reading and Writing workshops throughout the year. Students will read regularly to build fluency and comprehension and will write regularly to build academic and communication skills.
The English department has a vast selection of books available to students in our book room. We will choose a genre for a set amount of time as determined by each teacher, and students will select a book in that genre, of their own choice, to read regularly.
The books available to students span a wide range of reading levels, topics, and content. In order to assure that parents have notice of the books available, please visit the woccisd.net website and visit mywebpage. In addition to general information about this course, there will be a list of all available books, so that you may look into the books and their content in order to help your student make choices of books that you support and with which you feel comfortable.
Writing workshops will take place every other week, and students will be expected to work through the entire writing process: brainstorming, pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, revision (2), publication, during these weeks. Students who are absent will be expected to come during tutorials to take care of the time missed during class and get all work up to date to continue with the workshop in class and not fall behind.
*Vocabulary will be ongoing. Students must have notecards to work on vocabulary throughout each week as the words will be assigned at the beginning of a unit.
Course Syllabus
Parent/Guardian Acknowledgement
[English I]
I, ______(student’s name), have read and understood the syllabus for English Iclasses at West Orange-Stark High School.
I, ______(parent’s name) have read and understand the syllabus for English I classes at West Orange-Stark High School. I also acknowledge that I have the opportunity to review the content available for reader’s workshop at any time by visiting the school’s website.
I further understand that Mrs. Clarke can be reached via email at or by calling the school at (409) 882-5570.
The faculty of West Orange-Stark High School strongly urges students to attend tutorials anytime that their class average drops below a 75%.
Date: ______
Student’s Name (please print): ______
Student’s Signature: ______
Parent’s Signature: ______
Parent’s Email Address:______
Parent’s Phone Number: ______