IRONWOOD RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
English 10 – Pre-AP
Mr. Scrivner – Room A155
About Me: My name is Matthew Scrivner and I’m excited to be your English teacher this year! This is my twelfth year teaching, though not my first experience with the Amphitheater School District. I graduated from Amphi High School in 1994, and in 1998, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. I completed my student teaching in the Spring of 2004 at Mountain View High School and received my Secondary Teaching Certification from the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program at Pima Community College in May 2004.
My Teaching Philosophy:
This class isn’t about me, it’s about YOU – as we read literature and you begin to shape your analysis and writing skills, you will develop tools for expressing your ideas, your opinions, and your thoughts and feelings. However, this cannot be accomplished without your hard work. To that end, I set extremely high standards for excellence and do not doubt that each of you are capable of meeting those expectations. In spite and because of these high standards, you will also find that I am very open, flexible, and willing to adjust most anything about my class (within reason) in order to meet your needs. I hope that you’ll find my classroom a safe, positive, interactive environment. I look forward to getting to know each of you this year.
Contacting Me:
2475 W. Naranja Drive, Room A155.
Tucson, AZ 85742
Email:
Phone: (520) 407-4170
Students: I am always happy to speak with you and my classroom has an open door! I am usually available before and after school, as well as during Conference Period on block days. You may also reach me by email during extended absences and I can update you on what you may be missing.
Parents: I happy to speak with parents about any questions or concerns. Feel free to reach me by email or phone as noted above and I will be sure to get in contact with you.
Course Description:
This course includes intensive instruction in essay writing, literary analysis, persuasive writing, and timed writing. Students will read a wide variety of short stories, poems, plays and novels, and will develop public speaking, critical thinking and critical reading skills. Vocabulary development and test-taking skills are emphasized. This class carries a weighted grade.
Course Overview:
Grading Period / Literature / Writing / Gram. / Vocab / ProjectsFirst Quarter:
Aug 6 – Oct 9 / Independent Reading:
q Science Fiction
q Memoir/Biography
Short Readings:
q Harrison Bergeron & Vonnegut Essay
q Sound Of Thunder
q Waters of Babylon
q Other sci-fi shorts
(review of literary terms, intro to rhetorical devices) / Writing Assessment
Pre-Writing
Personal Narrative (Invention, audience, voice)
Timed Writing / Vocabulary Building / Practice
Editorials/Current Event
Second Quarter:
Oct 19 – Dec 17 / Les Miserables
(Literary Analysis) / Timed Writing
Literary Analysis Essay
MLA Format / Vocabulary Building / Practice
Editorials/Current Event
Reading Logs
Exam-taking skills
Semester Final Exam
Third Quarter:
Jan 4 – Mar 12 / Independent Reading:
q AP List Novel (must be Female Author)
Ancient Greece:
q Intro to Classical Rhetoric
q Oedipus Rex Background
q Antigone / Timed Writing
5-Paragraph & Beyond Review
Hell Week / Vocabulary Building / Practice
Editorials/Current Event
Fourth Quarter:
Mar 22 –
May 14 / Independent Reading:
q AP List Novel (must be WORLD author)
Julius Caesar
Intro to Satire
Much Ado / Timed Writing
Persuasive Writing / Vocabulary Building / Practice
Editorials/Current Event
Satire Do-It-Yourself
Course Objectives:
This course focuses on the specific performance objectives articulated by Arizona State Department of Education (available from me upon request or by visiting the Dept. of Education website at: http://www.ade.state.az.us/standards/language-arts/default.asp .) To achieve mastery of these standards, you will be offered a number of critical reading and writing strategies. Writing strategies include various writing exercises designed to address the writing process from prewriting to publication, as well as specific Writing Components, including content, organization, voice, word choice, fluency, and conventions. Reading strategies include the completion of pre-reading, during-reading, and after-reading activities designed to facilitate interaction with and understanding of difficult literary and informational texts. The course material will be presented in scaffolded instructional sequences specifically designed to achieve mastery of the Arizona Language Arts Content Standards. This mastery will help enable your success during standardized testing.
Assessment and Grading:
Percentage Letter Grade
90 – 100 = A
80 – 89 = B
70 – 79 = C
60 – 69 = D
59 and Below = F
*Rounding – Grades are calculated to a tenth of a percentage point (ex: 88.3%). Grades ≥ 0.5% and are rounded to the next percentage point. This means that an 89.5% becomes a 90% and therefore an A grade, but an 89.4% remains a B.
Reading Assignments = 25% of grade
Writing Assignments (Including Journal/Bellwork) = 30% of grade
Grammar / Vocab / Conventions = 15% of grade
Special Projects (Portfolios, Interviews, etc) = 15% of grade
Final Exam (End of first and second semester) = 15% of grade
Students with a current grade of 70% or below will be required to come to tutoring during conference period for additional support.
Reading will be assessed through:
1) Take-home critical reading logs for each reading assignment.
2) In class critical reading quizzes, reflections, and summary assignments.
3) Student and teacher-led discussion of readings.
Writing will be assessed through:
1) Journal writing, including text reflections, informal writing, and creative writing.
2) Peer workshops.
3) Revision assignments of take-home multi-draft essays.
4) In-class formal writing assignments/essays.
A Special Note about Writing Assessments:
To see true growth in writing skills, all students should write much more than is physically possible for any teacher to grade. Given that English classes at IRHS are very large, this places additional weight on the already heavy burden teachers feel when it comes to providing personalized feedback and assessing student work. Because of this, our English department has agreed that while students will write often and in many different modes for class, informal writing may be simply checked for completeness. Also, formal writing is often graded against rubrics, which provide specific feedback within them. If you wish to have more individual instruction on a piece of writing, you are encouraged to meet with me during conference periods. To encourage and accommodate such conferences, all writing assignments may be revised during the quarter in which they are assigned to improve both the product and the grade.
Grammar / Vocabulary / Conventions will be assessed through:
1) In-class assignments and take-home exercises.
2) Quizzes and tests.
3) These elements will also be assessed as a part of the writing assessment.
Special Projects / Other Assignments will be assessed through:
Clear grading rubrics that identify the specific skills and levels of mastery will be applied to each assignment.
Required Course Materials:
1. A three-ring binder to keep all work. You are required to keep a copy of all your work and should bring the binder to each class meeting. Binders may be collected at the end of each semester and are a major portion of your final grade each quarter.
2. A spiral/loose leaf notebook that will be used for journal writing. Journals will be collected regularly.
3. Loose Leaf paper, college rule.
4. Black/Blue Ink pen is preferred (Please no pink, orange or yellow ink because I am an old guy and have bad eye sight ). Pencils are acceptable if the writing is legible (I can’t grade what I can’t read!)
5. Required course texts available in the bookstore:
The Language of Literature, Fourth Course (Purple cover) (Contains Antigone and Julius Caesar)
Copies of Much Ado About Nothing will be provided in class.
Optional Course Materials:
1. I always recommend students have a copy of a collegiate dictionary and thesaurus.
2. One of the most useful and lifelong strategies a student can develop that assists in understanding difficult texts is the ability to underline text, as well as write ideas, comments, and questions right in the margins of a book! Students are required by IRHS to keep the issued texts in good condition which would exclude the use of this strategy; the English Department would like to encourage the purchase of personal copies of the novels from a local used or new bookstore so that students can experience this strategy first hand.
Help:
I am available to help you during conference period on block days. Additionally, tutoring support is available through the National Honor Society in the Library, and all students will have the opportunity to set up individual conference meetings with me to devise strategies that will help them succeed.
(reprinted by permission from the author’s website)
GENERAL CLASS PROCEDURES
Class Rules:
1. No ZOMBIES
2. No ROBOTS
3. No SHEEP
4. ______
Class Policies:
1. WHINING = INTERPRETIVE DANCE
2. Absences – Check the assignment binder up front: I will always update it with any assignments and in-class activities you might have missed. You have one day from your return to class to hand in homework for full credit if you are absent. Beyond this time, please refer to the late work policy below. Quiz and test make-ups will be held during conference period Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You have one week to make-up any missed quizzes or tests.
3. Tardies – BE ON TIME or come with a pass. Tardy 1 & 2 = Warning. Tardy 3 = Phone Call home. Tardy 4 = Office Referral.
4. Late Work:
· COME TALK TO ME BEFOREHAND! (clarification: BEFOREHAND DOES NOT MEAN on the due date, nor at the beginning, middle, or end of class on the due date, nor during lunch on the due date, nor after school on the due date, but the day before!!!) I am a flexible teacher who understands your life doesn’t revolve around English class! IF YOU SPEAK TO ME ABOUT AN ASSIGNMENT BEFOREHAND, we may be able to work something out together and you can get full credit!
· If you don’t, I will still accept some late assignments up to three days past the due date with one letter grade off of the final grade for each day late – however, it must be accompanied by a note from you explaining why the assignment is late. Past that, no late work will be accepted. EXEMPTIONS: No Late Work will be accepted on any major assignment, even if you are absent on the due date. This includes the Research Project, In-Class Presentations, and Final Portfolios
· NOTICE: If you abuse this, you lose this! I reserve the right to terminate this policy and accept no late work at any time if it appears too many people (or the same few people) are taking advantage of the late work policy! Don’t be the person responsible for losing these privileges for your class period!
5. THE BELL DOES NOT DISMISS THE CLASS, I DISMISS THE CLASS.
6. Plagiarism / Cheating
a. Know that whether or not you realize it, your original thoughts are always more creative, intelligent, and interesting to me than someone else’s!
b. Cite your sources if you want to mention someone else’s ideas! It’s easy!
c. If you’re having trouble with an assignment, come and talk to me!
d. Plagiarism is theft, plain and simple. If you do it, you’ll get a phone call home, an office referral, and a zero for the assignment. L
e. Cooperative work is fine, copying is not. Copying from someone else = plagiarism.
f. No DIVIDE & CONQUER! Although the structure of the class will frequently provide opportunities for cooperation with your classmates, including group activities and projects, dividing half of an assignment with a partner and copying each other is a form of cheating.
7. Creativity Versus “Appropriateness”
While students are always encouraged to be creative and find a personal voice in their writing, the English Department has found it necessary (unfortunately) to set guidelines for appropriate content. The following subject matter is off limits, often illegal, and if found in a piece of work for class will result in a counseling and/or administrative referral:
· Profanity
· Sexual references and/or descriptions, real or imaginary
· Drug/Alcohol references, real or imaginary
· Slanderous references to other people
· References to suicide
· References to violence against one’s self or others.
Parting Thoughts:
I think communication is critical to your success in this class. I hope this syllabus will be the starting point for an ongoing dialog between students, parents, and me. Because of the importance of this process, you are required to take it home and review it with your parent or guardian by the date specified. Then detach it, sign it, and return it to me. Be sure to file the rest of it in your required portfolio!
[TEAR OFF/Print Out THIS PAGE AND RETURN IT!!!]
Parent/Guardian and Student Signatures:
After reading this syllabus, please detach this page, complete it, and return it to the
me no later than ______Monday, August 10______. Thank you!
We have reviewed this syllabus:
______
Student Name
______
Student Signature Date
______
Parent Name
______
Parent/Guardian Signature Date
Parent Phone / Email Address
(Please circle which you prefer if contact is needed and list information below):
______
(Parent phone/email)