Beechwood High School

English II Course Syllabus

2016-2017

Instructor: Michael Piergalski

Room Number: 409

Email:

Office hours: 7:00-8:00am

Course Description:

The course is designed to present a wide range of reading experiences with print and non-print materials that have literary, informational, persuasive, and practical purposes. The course also requires students to use the writing process and criteria for effective writing to demonstrate their abilities to write in a variety of forms and for multiple audiences and purposes. Students use writing-to-learn and writing-to-demonstrate-learning strategies to make sense of their reading and thinking experiences. Speaking, listening, and observing skills are used to communicate information for a variety of authentic purposes. In addition, students continue to integrate inquiry skills and technology to communicate ideas. The course adheres to Kentucky Core Academic Standards requirements. Students taking this course are required to take the Quality Core End of Course (EOC) exam for English 2.

Prerequisites: English I

Course Standards:

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading
  1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual
evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
  1. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details
and ideas.
  1. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
  2. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative
meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text
(e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as
well as in words.
8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as
the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the
approaches the authors take.
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing
  1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant
and sufficient evidence.
  1. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately
through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
  1. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details,
and well-structured event sequences.
  1. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each
source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
  1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
  1. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and
orally.
  1. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
  2. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the
organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
  1. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding
of presentations.
  1. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when
indicated or appropriate.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language
  1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective
choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
  1. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues,
analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for
reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in
gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension orexpression.

Course Content:

The following is a brief outline of the content of each quarter:

First Quarter (8/20-10/19): Culture through the Lens of Spiegelman and Salinger

Goals: Students will understand the following:

  • the grammar necessary to excel on the ACT assessment in September
  • the reading skills necessary to excel on the ACT assessment in September
  • the graphic novel genre
  • the analysis of voice in its primal elements: diction, syntax, and tone
  • how to transcend the 5-paragraph essay
  • how to identify and analyze the components of a visual text.

Readings:

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Maus Part I and Maus Part II by Art Spiegelman

Various excerpts from the Springboard textbook.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

In-class activities:

  • Vocabulary
  • Group/peer editing sessions
  • Elaborate analysis of readings
  • Close reading and annotation
  • Analysis of texts via social media
  • Completion of webquests for historical and cultural context

Writing Projects:

  • Analytic Essay: an essay focusing on the principle themes of the summer reading novel (Ender’s Game)
  • In-class Timed Essay
  • Maus Synthesis Essay: a student-driven prompt involving Spiegelman’s mini-work, “Prisoner on the Hell Planet”

Second Quarter (10/20-12/18)Coming of Age in Pre- and Post-WWII

Goals: Students will understand the following:

  • The five elements of argumentation (hook, claim, evidence/support, concessions & refutations, and call to action).
  • Examine the effects of WWII on two specific adolescents (Holden Caulfield and Gene Forrester from A Separate Peace)
  • how to create an effective thesis statement which obligates and controls.
  • how to diagram, with mastery, prepositional phrases, indirect objects, gerunds, gerund phrases, participles, participial phrases, infinitives, infinitive phrases
  • logical fallacies
  • the antihero archetype as it relates to TheCatcher in the Rye and A Separate Peace

Readings:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Various excerpts from the Springboard textbook.

In-class activities:

  • Vocabulary
  • Group/peer editing sessions
  • Elaborate analysis of readings
  • Music and film clips
  • Close reading and annotation
  • Analysis of texts via social media
  • Completion of webquests for historical and cultural context
  • Viewing and discussing works in other media (film)

Writing Activities

  • Synthesis Essay
  • In-Class Timed Essay
  • Comparative Essay

Third Quarter (1/4-3/7) Poetry as an Indicator of Culture and Dramatic (In)Justice

Goals: Students will understand the following:

  • how to properly annotate poetry using the STIRS system
  • complex and unfamiliar poetic techniques and devices
  • various poetic forms: the sonnet (Shakespearean and Petrarchan), the limerick, the villanelle, the sestina, and the pantuom.
  • how identity and culture impacts the audience’s reading of the poem
  • the difference between argumentation and persuasion
  • the Aristotelian appeals – ethos, logos, and pathos
  • the author – audience – occasion triad
  • dramatic techniques (monologue, soliloquoy, morality play, etc.)
  • how to annotate their own texts

Readings:

Selected Poems:

“Contemplating Growing a Beard” and “If You’re Gonna Go, Keith”Murray Lachlan Young

“What Teachers Make”Taylor Mali

“Hands”Sarah Kay

“Beethoven” Shane Koyczan

“Knock Knock”Daniel Beaty

“Scratch and Dent Dreams”Eric Darby

“To His Coy Mistress”Andrew Marvell

“To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time”Robert Herrick

“Daddy” and“Mad Girl’s Love Song” Sylvia Plath

“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” Dylan Thomas

“Ozymandias” Percy Bysshe Shelley

“Sonnet with Vengeance” and “Crazy Horse Boulevard” Sherman Alexie

“Sonnet 18”, “Sonnet 130”, and “Sonnet 29” William Shakespeare

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

Various excerpts from Springboard text

In-class activities:

  • Vocabulary
  • Group/peer editing sessions
  • Elaborate analysis of readings
  • Close reading and annotation
  • Analysis of texts via social media
  • Completion of webquests for historical and cultural context
  • Create An Inspector Calls Prezi
  • Present Prezi in class

Writing Activities

  • Evaluative Essay (poetry)
  • Creative Writing (poetry)
  • Persuasive Essay
  • An Inspector Calls Prezi Assignment

Fourth Quarter (3/8-5/27) The Documentary Film as a Cultural Artifact

Goals: Students will understand the following:

  • how cultural bias pervades the documentary film genre
  • basic concepts of film study as they relate to documentaries
  • how a filmmaker’s agenda influences his/her choices
  • how to utilize critical viewpoints to inform one’s analysis of a film
  • all grammar concepts which may appear on the End of Course Assessment
  • how to perform a close reading under testing conditions and demonstrate proof of comprehension for the End of Course Assessment

Readings:

Various excerpts from the Springboard textbook.

The King of Kong by Seth Gordon

Man on Wire by James Marsh

Independent novel (student’s choice)

In-class activities:

  • Vocabulary
  • View and discuss
  • Elaborate analysis of readings
  • Close reading and annotation
  • Analysis of texts via social media
  • Completion of webquests for historical and cultural context
  • Viewing and discussing works in other media (film)

Writing Activities

  • Documentary Film Review & Analysis
  • In-Class Timed Essay
  • Synthesis Essay

English Resources:

  • EasyBib:
  • Purdue Online Writing Lab:
  • Beechwood Library Reference:

Course Materials:

Texts:

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (summer reading; students purchase/obtained from library)

Maus Part I and Maus Part II by Art Spiegelman (provided by the school)

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (provided by the school)

A Separate Peace by John Knowles (provided by the school)

Life of Pi by Yan Martell (provided by the school)

Dead Poets Society film (provided by the school)

The King of Kong film by Seth Gordon (provided by the school)

Man on Wire film by James Marsh (provided by the school)

Springboard textbook (provided by the school)

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley (purchased for the student via course fees)

*Please contact me if you have misgivings about your student reading any of the above texts, and I can locate an alternate text for your student*

General Supplies:

  • Pens/pencils/writing utensils
  • 3-ring binder w/dividers
  • USB stick

Course Policies:

  • As the course content is cumulative, students should avoid unexcused absences. When a student is absent, he or she must check the class website to make up the work (tests, quizzes, in-class assignments, homework) missed.
  • All makeup work is due the next day to not be counted as late. For example, if a student is absent Monday and arrives at school Tuesday, the work is due Wednesday.
  • Late Work: homework 1 day late will be penalized 25%. Work 2 days late will be penalized 50%. I will not accept work submitted more than 2 days late.
  • Plagiarized work will receive a zero without a chance to make up any points. In addition, parents/guardians and the administration will be notified.
  • If a student is caught cheating, copying, or allowing someone to cheat or copy, the student will receive a zero on the assignment.
  • All tardiness will be reported to the administration as per school policy.

Behavior

  • Successful students will attend class regularly and on time and will demonstrate skills indicative of quality workers by bringing required materials, completing homework assignments, participating in class discussions, and respecting the opinions of others.
  • Students will follow the BHS code of conduct, and I have a zero tolerance policy concerning cruelty, harassment, excessive teasing, discrimination, violence, and intimidation. Foul language, derogatory remarks, and disrespect towards classmates, teachers, and staff have no place in this course or in the school

Cell Phones

Students are permitted to bring cell phones to school; however, they are to be kept Off/Silent during the day and stored out of site (locker, purse, backpack). If a student is caught using a cell phone, the cell phone will be collected, turned over to an administrator, and the student will face disciplinary actions in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.Parents are asked to comply with school cell phone/texting policies and NOT text their children between the hours of 8:00-3:00. If a parent needs to send a message to a student during the school day, please contact the front office at (859) 331-1220, extension 2, and we will see that your child receives the message. Students using cell phones during the school day, even when communicating with parents, will be disciplined according to the school’s discipline code.

We now have a Bring Your Own Device Policy that allows for classroom instructional use at the direction of the teacher.Cell phones are excellent education tools which can be used for interactive discussions, locating key bits of information, and reading e-texts. I will give students specific instructions to use their phones in this manner.Students are not to use their phones unless I explicitly grant permission.Also, we will be using Prezi, an interactive presentation software. By signing this, you give your permission for your child to use Prezi.

Grading Policy/Assessment

  • The grading scale conforms to Beechwood’s standard policy: A+ (100-99), A (98-94), A-(93-92), B+(91-90), B (89-86), B-(5-84), C+(83-82), C (81-78), C-(77-76), D+(75-74), D (73-71), D-(70-69)
  • In the gradebook, all graded work will fall into five different categories, each with a specific weight:
  • Tests (30%)
  • Writing (20%)
  • Quizzes (20%)
  • Homework: (5%)
  • Reading: (15%)
  • Speaking & Listening (10%)
  • Final Grade Calculation:
  • Quarter 1: 20%
  • Quarter 2: 20%
  • Semester 1 Exam: 10%
  • Quarter 3: 20%
  • Quarter 4: 20%
  • End of Course Assessment: 10%
  • One to two small extra credit assignments will be given each quarter.
  • Assessments during the course will be given in a variety of modes: essays, multiple choice, short answer, multimedia presentations, and responses to literature.

Course Procedures:

All typed essays/papers must conform to the following standards:

  • 12-point, Times New Roman font
  • Double-spaced
  • Stapled
  • MLA Format (with in-text citations and a Works Cited page)
  • The paper must be printed and stapled before class begins. If this is not the case, the assignment will be counted as late (-25%).

Personal Statement:

It is crucial that you memorize how to log into your student email early on in this course. I email you assignments and tasks, and communicate many items through email. Most email providers (like Gmail or Yahoo!) do not work within Beechwood’s proxy server. You must remember your password and login password early on in the year and routinely check your email inbox.

Contact Information:

Email:

Website:

Phone: 859-331-1220 Ext: 6409

Office Hours: 7:00am - 8:00am

Planning Period: 8:05 - 9:10

Please sign the following sheet and return to me by 8/25/2015. It is a required document for student files.

Thank you,

Mike Piergalski

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We, the parent/guardian(s) and the student, have fully read, understood, and agree to the above expectations put forth in the syllabus. Additionally, by signing this, I give my student permission to use Prezi, an online presentation technology, over the course of the year. If you have any questions regarding Prezi, please contact me.

______

Student name (printed)Student signatureDate

Student email:______

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Parent/guardian name (printed)Parent/guardian signatureDate

Parent/guardian email: ______

Parent/guardian contact number: ______