Pre-AP English II

2014-2015Syllabus

Mrs. Barry

Mrs. Farquhar

Course Description

The Pre-AP course is designed to prepare students to excel in the Advanced Placement English courses in their junior and senior years. Therefore, students will learn to carefully and critically read and analyze both literature and non-fiction prose. Analysis will include such subjects as author’s structure and style, arguments and themes, along with social and historical relevance of literary texts. Both archetypal and rhetorical analysis will be heavily stressed. Students will also be immersed in the study of composition in order to write more effectively.

There will also be a heavy emphasis on archetypes in literature, along with intensive study and projects dealing with novel studies, poetry, and rhetoric. Students will also be required to complete a research project during the year.

Supplies

  • 1/2” 3-ring binder withdividers
  • notebook paper
  • 3x5 index cards
  • blue or black ink pen
  • red grading pen
  • pencils
  • kleenex
  • highlighters

Expectations

  • Be on time. Be prepared. Be respectful. Be responsible for your own learning.
  • Written work should be headed in this manner: (top left corner)

Your Name

Teacher's Name

Pre-AP English II - 1 (your class period)

29August 2014 (no punctuation, no abbreviations)

  • Follow the rules in the MISD Student Handbook.
  • Your daily attendance is extremely important. When you must be absent, remember that make-up work is your responsibility. Check the assignment calendar and speak with your teacher about missed work. Schedule tutorials with your teacher.
  • Students are expected to keep a record of their grades and to check the teacher webpage or Edmodo for handouts and assignments. The webpage and a link to Edmodo can be accessed at .

Grading System

The grading in the Pre-AP course will follow the new district guideline. Assignments will be broken into three categories: practice, application, and evaluation. The practice and application categories will each count 25% while the evaluation category will count 50%.

Late Work

The teacher is not required to accept late work more than one day after the due date. With a thirty point deduction of the late paper.

Summer Reading

Students will read Animal Farm by George Orwell and The One and Future King: “The Sword and the Stone” by T.H. White during the summer. As an introduction to the Pre-AP English II course, students will be shown how to critically annotate and analyze a passage in order to write an essay that reflects an understanding of the rhetorical and literary strategies the author incorporates to achieve his purpose.

Essay Writing

The course requires students to write narrative, expository, and argumentative essays. All essays—except timed writings written in class—should be typed and follow MLA guidelines.

Timed Writings

Timed writings will be assigned periodically in order to prepare students to write analytically about a literary or prose text. These essays will bescored using the 1 to 9 AP rubric and will coincide with the topic of study.

WordWright

Each six weeks students will take multiple-choice tests to build and assess skills in analyzing literary elements and rhetoricof prose and poetry passages. Four of these tests will come from the WordWright national competition (formerly WordMaster). High scorers from each grade level will be recognized following each contest.

Research Project

Students will use primary and secondary sources to write a research paper. The project will include all phases of research paper preparation using the guidelines set by the MLA. The final product will include a typed paper, outline, and works cited. Topics will be discussed and chosen at a later date.

Composition and Grammar

The study of composition will be a driving force in the Pre-AP classroom. The desire of both instructors is to enable students to become comfortable with the writing process while at the same time achieving increasing levels of style and sophistication in their compositions. Grammar instruction will be given on an as needed basis in order to facilitate the goals of the class. Other strategies that will be employed to enhance the writing process are writing conferences, peer editing, quick writes, and vocabulary study.

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