Syllabus for English 12

Instructor: Carol Ann Bevan

2009-2010

Purpose:

To provide instruction that will enable students to develop the structural and creative skills to plan and generate effective, coherent and unified writing; to enable each senior to refine his/her writing voice; to foster a love and appreciation of literature;

to enable seniors to respond to literature personally and critically; to provide meaningful experiences with media and technology; to provide seniors opportunities to use language in a variety of oral contexts, to frequently engage students in the research process, to sharpen their critical thinking and analysis skills, and to deepen an understanding of the relationship between the history, art, music, philosophy, and literature.

SSR – Sustained Silent Reading

Attempting to prepare our students for the college experience and acknowledging the enhancement to one’s life that literature affords, the seniors will be participating in a Sustained Silent Reading period every Friday. It is essential that all students realize that this period is only for sustained reading. A seminar will follow the completion of each book. Students may be required to purchase one or more of these titles.

Grendel

The Divine Comedy

The Jungle

Fast Food Nation

                                    

Course requirements:

homework                                          research paper(s)

class work                                            tests

essays                                                   quizzes

seminars and class discussions oral presentations

semester exams                                   projects

focused free writes                             

 

 

Texts:

Holt Elements of Literature

Colleges That Change Lives

The Lively Art of Writing

 

A sampling of the literature we will encounter:

The epic:

Beowulf

The Epic of Gilgamesh

 

Drama:

Macbeth

Waiting for Godot

Everyman

Dr. Faustus

 

The short story:

“Araby”

“The Rocking Horse Winner”

“The First Year of my Life”

“The Lady in the Looking Glass, A Reflection”

“The Moment before the Gun went off”

“A Shocking Incident”

“The Metamorphosis”

“The Lagoon”

“The Rocking Horse Winner”

“The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World’

“The very old man with Enormous Wings”

 

Non fiction

The Declaration of Independence

from “A Vindication of the Rights of Women”

“Shooting an Elephant”

“The Rights we Enjoy, the Duties we Owe”

“Birds on the Western Front”

“Defending Non Violent Resistance”

 

 

Poetry, by author:

Chaucer

Spenser

Sidney

Marlowe

Shakespeare

Petrarch

Neruda

Donne

Johnson

Marvell

Herrick

Suckling

Lovelace

Blake

Wordsworth

Coleridge

Lord Byron

Shelley

Keats

Tennyson

Yeats

Eliot

Sassoon

Owen

 

Satire:

A Modest Proposal

 

The Senior Research Project

This documented paper will be based on a personal question each senior needs to answer. The research process should reveal answers to the question. A synopsis of the research project will be presented the last nine weeks. Research time at Sherrod and/or our library will be required. MLA style is required.

  

Writing:

The seniors will be asked to take ownership of their writing voices, their language patterns, and their mechanics. Seniors are required to track mechanical and grammatical errors, so that these can be addressed and resolved in preparation for freshman English. Many resources are available in our room that will assist the seniors with these issues.

 

The generation of a thoughtful thesis that can capture one’s point of view and function as the controlling idea of the entire piece, topic sentences that are logical divisions of the thesis and that shape the direction and organization of the paper, text that supports the thesis, coherence, unity, introductory and concluding strategies, and paragraph hooks will be emphasized.

 

Materials:

A one inch three ring notebook

Pens and paper - ink is required… any color that is very visible is acceptable

A highlighter

The Lively Art of Writing  (students should have this text from last year)

 

Classroom guidelines:

All school and English department policies are to be followed. All seniors are to contribute to the creation and maintenance of a productive, creative, affirming, and positive classroom climate.

Ø      Be on time for class and in a seat before the bell rings

Ø      Be fully present in class.

Ø      Listen to everyone and be willing to examine the perspective of all members of the learning community. This can only happen if everyone acknowledges the dignity and worth of every person in the class, including the teacher and any author we will encounter.

Ø      Use “I” statements to articulate opinions or interpretations in class

Ø      English class is the time for English. Other homework, notes to friends, unrelated reading materials, electronic game machines, and napping must be avoided. These activities will impact your potential success in English.

 

Grades:

All students will be given an assignment sheet. Due dates, descriptions of assignments, and a place for grades is provided. Seniors need to keep this sheet current. Individual averages can be calculated at any time during the grading period if this is done. Parents, please use this sheet to monitor your child’s progress in English.

 

Rubrics will also be used to clarify expectations. Grades on tests, quizzes, essays, seminars, reading journals, novel critiques, presentations, projects, outside readings,  homework, projects,  and presentations.

 

In addition to the course requirements above, students will receive two participation grades each nine weeks grading period, one at the midterm and one at the end of the term. This is an extremely important component of this class because this work is intended to prepare students for the course work as outlined in the syllabus. Failure to complete or expend effort on daily participation assignments will impact other work required in the class. Two components are included in the participation grade.

1 All daily class work and/or homework is included in the participation grade. This includes, but is not limited to class notes, vocabulary and grammar assignments and activities, The Holt Reader, The Lively Art of Writing, assignments from textbooks, research, assigned readings. Random checks should be anticipated.

2 Being on time, seated when the bell rings, and being prepared for class with all materials is included in the participation grade. Texts, notebook, pens, and any required assignments are part of this grade.

 

A make-up notebook will be available in the room on the round table in the front of our room. If a student is out, h/s is to check the notebook for missing assignments. A log will be in the notebook, with assignments listed and if possible (size constraints), relevant materials.

 

Additional guidelines:

All out of class essays must be typed.

Disks will not be accepted.

Any assignment may be typed.

Ink is required on written work. Any color is fine as long as it is highly legible. 
Assignments written in pencil can be redone in ink and turned in for late credit the following day.  This also applies for assignments that are to be typed.

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Thank you. I’m anticipating an engaging, productive year.