Welcome to English 12 Humanities Class!

Welcome to English 12 Humanities class!

Jennifer Wolf:Phone: 952-681-5146

Office Hours: 2:40-3:30 M-F (or by arrangement)MSU Co-Teacher: Zach Bell

City bus tokens are available in the Main Office if you need them.

Course Description

English 12 Humanities links students with the world by examining the role of the individual in society. The role of the individual is explored through such topics as art, current events, literature, philosophy, and more.

Through novels, short stories, poems, plays, and non-fiction selections, students are exposed to a variety of theories, attitudes and viewpoints as they develop their own definitions of what it means to be human.

Students will demonstrate the ability to write using proper grammar, language mechanics, and other conventions of standard written English for a variety of academic purposes. Students demonstrate mastery of these essential standards through three papers: an analytic essay, a culminating paper using the research process, and a personal narrative,

Students are expected to participate in class discussions using higher level thinking skills to express their views and make connections to the class content. True involvement with the humanities means involvement with one’s self. It means stretching and expanding one’s capacity for thought, sensitivity, and creativity. Perhaps the most important function of the humanities class is to lead human beings to ask questions, and to provide them with means for developing individual responses.

Guiding Question

What does it mean to be human?

Essential Questions

How does reading literature raise our awareness and give us clues about human nature?

How can we apply what we are reading to our lives in a meaningful way?

How does writing for a variety of purposes allow me to express my ideas and connect in meaningful ways with the world around me?

Essential Content Standards

The student will be able to:

(Reading/Literature)

Read and understand grade-appropriate English language text.

Actively engage in the reading process and read, understand, respond to,analyze, interpret, evaluate and appreciate a wide variety of fiction,poetic, and nonfiction texts.

Read, analyze and evaluate traditional, classical and contemporary British Literature and works of literary merit from civilizations and countries around the world.

(Writing)

Write clearly and coherently for a variety of audiences and purposes.

Plan, organize and compose narrative, expository, descriptive and research writing to address a specific audience and purpose.

(Research)

Develop a research plan.

Narrow the focus of a search by formulating a concise research question or thesis.

Evaluate and organize relevant information from a variety of sources, verifying the accuracy and usefulness of gathered information.

Understand plagiarism and its consequences, and identify ethical issues of research and documentation.

Cite sources of information using a standard method of documentation, such as a style sheet from the Modern Language Association (MLA)

Produce a research paper with detailed evidence to support a thesis.

Proofread the final copy, format correctly and prepare the document for publication or submission.

Major Texts for Trimester One (subject to change)

The House on Mango Street – Sandra CisnerosBattle of the Books Title-(TBD by student choice)

Fences – August WilsonShort stories, poems, film

Brave New World – Aldous HuxleyDeath of a Salesman – Arthur Miller

Attendance Policy: There is NO HOMEWORK in this class. Therefore, you will fall behind and have a difficult time catching up on what you missed if you are gone. Make the effort to be present and ready to learn every day!

Pass Policy: You must have a pass to leave the room, but the work we do here is extremely important, so the expectation is for you to schedule your time outside of the classroom wisely. You will rarely be allowed to leave class.

Electronics Policy: Electronic devices should be TURNED OFF and put away as soon as the bell rings. They WILL be confiscated if they are in sight atANY point during class time. They should not be on your desk, in your lap, sticking out of your purse or backpack, or dangling around your neck or ears. PLEASE DO NOT PLUG YOUR PHONE IN ANYWHERE IN THE CLASSROOM! You will be told when it is time to use your Chromebook. Otherwise, you should not have it out.

Grading Scale:

100-94% A89-87% B+79-77% C+69-67% D+59-0% F

93-90% A-86-84% B76-74% C66-64% D

83-80% B-73-70% C-63-60% D-

Overall:

20% - Quizzes, in-class work, and homework

80% - Tests, final papers, essays, projects, and final exam

Retakes:

Students will have summative assessment retake opportunities available in order to better demonstrate their level of proficiency in a particular area of study. The assessment tool used on the retake may be a different assessment than the original. Students will have the opportunity to retake/revise summative assessments under these conditions:

All formative work must be completed.
This retake/revision cannot be done during class time.
Timeline for the completion of the retake/revision needs to be within one week of getting the original score.
Students who have all formative work completed before the original summative assessment are eligible for an A (100%) on the retake/revision. Students who do not have all formative work completed before the original summative assessment are eligible for a B- (80%) on the retake/revision.
Trimester final exams are ineligible for retake.
Retakes/revisions of formative assessments will not be available.

English Department plagiarism policy:

According to dictionary.com, the definition of plagiarism is:
anactorinstanceofusingorcloselyimitatingthelanguageand thoughtsofanotherauthorwithoutauthorizationandthe representationofthatauthor'sworkasone'sown,asbynotcrediting theoriginalauthor:
apieceofwritingorotherworkreflectingsuchunauthorizeduseor imitation
Examples of plagiarism include: copying and pasting from the internet without giving credit; copying your sister/brother/friend/neighbor/classmate’s work and submitting it as your own; having someone else do your work for you and submitting it as your own;

The consequence of plagiarism is a ZERO on the assessment with no exceptions or opportunities to resubmit. The major papers (above) are final assignments, per school rule, finals cannot be retaken.