English 11: 2013-14

Syllabus

Mr. Peter Hurley

King William High School

Room 204

(preferred method)

804-769-3434 (please leave a message with Mrs. Spicer)

Course Overview: Students in English 11 willfocus on literature, writing, vocabulary development, grammar, and research. Students will use oral and written communication skills effectively and enhance their appreciation for both classic and contemporary American literature. They will develop a firm understanding of the writing process, producing well-organized, supported essays. Students will learn to be aware of the media messages that surround them every day and how these messages affect them and society. Research instruction will focus heavily on avoiding plagiarism and accurately crediting sources, working toward a research product during the year. Students will take the End of Course Writing SOL in early March and the End of Course Reading SOL in May. This is the second year the new SOL tests will use the 2010 standards, and ALL tests will be on-line. EOC tests will be rigorous!

Required Materials: For this course each student will need all of the following:

  1. a 3-ring binder devoted solely to English 11
  2. college-ruled, loose-leaf notebook paper
  3. a spiral-bound or composition notebook devoted solely to English 11
  4. 3-ring binder dividers (minimum of 6)
  5. blue or black ink pens

Textbook: Holt McDougal: Literature--American Literature (Grade 11)

*** Note: Students are responsible for bringing their textbook to class every dayuntil the end of the year; therefore, you should purchase a non-adhesive cover to protect it from any damage.

Notebook: Students will be expected to maintain an organized notebook. While I will not be checking this notebook, I will have regular open-note quizzes and tests. These quizzes and tests are designed to reward those students who have an organized notebook. If you do not maintain an organized notebook, you will not be successful on these tests and quizzes. Your notebook should be organized with the following sections: Journals, Literature, Vocabulary, Grammar, Writing, and SOL prep.

  • Note:The journals should be completed on loose-leaf paper and placed in the journal section. These journals will be collected and graded once per 9-weeks. This will count as a test grade.

Course Questions focusing on new SOLs:

  1. Why is it important to be able to make informative and persuasive presentations? (SOL 11.1)
  2. How do the various forms of media influence beliefs and behavior? (SOL 11.2)
  3. How does knowledge of word origins, derivations, and figurative language extend vocabulary development? (SOL 11.3)
  4. How have different cultures and historical events influenced American literature? (SOL 11.4)
  5. How can literary works influence the values or conditions of the society in which the works were written? (SOL 11.4)
  6. Why is it important to be able to generalize ideas, make predictions, and follow directions in real world reading situations? (SOL 11.5)
  7. Why is it important to be able to write in a variety of forms ad for various audiences? (SOL 11.6)
  8. Why is it important to self-edit writing and vary syntax and paragraph structures for a variety of purposes and audiences? (SOL 11.7)
  9. Why is it important to accurately evaluate sources of information and determine reliability? (SOL 11.8)
  10. What meaningful consequences can result from plagiarism, and how can they be avoided? (SOL 11.8)

Lastly, I will do everything in my power to make sure you are successful in this course, the English SOLs, future courses at KWHS and/or college, and the career of your choice. However, my efforts will be useless without the same commitment from you! You must take it upon yourself to ensure your own success: do your homework, see me when you have questions, ask for help if you need it, and study!

Course Outline: Below is a general outline of the course and its major units of study. This outline is subject to change.

Grammar:

  1. ongoing throughout the year
  2. practice with multiple choice items based on SOL questions
  3. break-out lessons on errors found in essays

Writing (journals and essays):

  1. daily journals
  2. essays every few weeks (emphasis on persuasive writing)
  3. **EOC writing prompts will be persuasive**

First Quarter

  1. Unit 1: Beginnings to 1750
  2. Baseline Reading/Writing Assessment
  3. Native American myths
  4. The Colonial Period including Puritanism
  5. The Crucible
  6. Unit 2: 1750-1800
  7. Revolutionary Period
  8. Media Literacy
  9. Nine-week Benchmark

Second Quarter

  1. Unit 2: 1750-1800
  2. The Revolutionary Period (continued from 1st nine weeks)
  3. Media Literacy (continued)
  4. Unit 3: 1800-1870
  5. Early National Period
  6. Early American Romantics
  7. Introduction of MLA/APA formats/ avoiding plagiarism/crediting sources
  8. Semester Exams/18-week Benchmark included

Third Quarter

  1. Units 4-5: 1850-1914
  2. American Romantic Literature
  3. Introduction to Transcendentalism
  4. Poetry (include Emily Dickinson)
  5. Realism to Naturalism
  6. Informational and Functional materials
  7. EOC Writing SOL in early March (intense review and preparation)
  8. 27-week Benchmark

Fourth Quarter

  1. Units 4-5: 1850-1914
  2. Unit 6 1946-Present
  3. Contemporary Literature
  4. Fiction and Non-fiction stories
  5. EOC Reading SOL in mid-May (intense review and preparation)

Expectations/Rules/Policies: At the high-school level, there is a tremendous amount of material to cover during the course of the year. Disruptions to the learning process will not be tolerated. Meeting the expectations below is expected without exception.

  1. The teacher will not accept personal conversations while he or another student is talking.
  2. No student should ever denigrate or insult another person, or their ideas, in the classroom.
  3. Attendance and punctuality are crucial for one's success. King William High School policies concerning tardiness and attendance will be strictly enforced; therefore, after two tardies, the student will receive a detention, and all subsequent tardies will result in an office referral.
  4. The bell does not dismiss students from class—the teacher does. Do not begin packing up until given permission. Under no circumstances should a student get out of his or her seat without permission.
  5. No student will commit an integrity violation by cheating or plagiarizing. Students who commit an integrity violation (including but not limited to copying homework, cheating on quizzes or tests, and plagiarizing essays or reports) will be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the Honor Code for King William High School.
  6. All test grades, including major essays, projects and traditional tests, must include and honor pledge printed on the assignments, signed and dated. The pledge is as follows:

"I have neither given nor received help on this assignment and verify that this work is my own. I understand the consequences of plagiarism and integrity violations at King William High School."

(Student’s signature and the date)

  1. The student's agenda is the only pass used. Do not lose your agenda. Do not borrow another student’s agenda. Do not lend your own agenda out.
  2. Eating and drinking (other than water) are forbidden in the classroom. Excessive reminders will result in a detention.
  3. Late work will not be accepted from a student who is present in class.
  4. Each student, after an absence, is responsible for arranging a time to make up his or her own work. Make-up work must be completed within the timeframe outlined in the student code of conduct and may not exceed five consecutive school days.
  5. If you do not submit your work on time or make up your work in the time allotted, you will not succeed in this course, failing English 9.
  6. In summation, all of these expectations can be summarized into three ideas: be on time, be prepared, and be respectful of yourself and those around you at all times.

Grades: Progress reports will be distributed every four weeks, with report cards being distributed every nine weeks. Grades will be calculated using the following weights.

Preparation/Participation 10%

Homework 10%

Classwork 10%

Essays 30%

Tests/Projects 40%

  • Note: The semester exam will count as 20% of your semester grade, with your first and second quarter grades counting as 40% each.
  • Grades are calculated in percentages and then placed on an A to F scale for the report card. The following scale is used in accordance with King William High School policy.

A 93%-100%

B 85%-92%

C 77%-84%

D 70%-76%

F 0%-69%

**The teacher reserves the right to make changes in the interest of maximizing student achievement.**

After reading through this syllabus with your parent or guardian, sign and remove this portion to submit to Mr. Hurley.

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I have read the syllabus for the course listed above, and I understand and will comply with its contents.

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I have read this syllabus and will expect my son/daughter to comply with its contents.

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