English 11 Honors

Course Syllabus Mrs. McCoy ∙ Room 406 ∙ 330.823.1300 [email protected] ∙ http://www.marlingtonlocal.org/MrsMcCoy1.aspx

Overview: Honors English 11 is designed to prepare students for college level English courses in composition and literature by stressing higher level thinking skills. A wide variety of writing assignments, ranging from the formal research paper to the creative essay, encourage students to better organize and develop their writing as well as think imaginatively. Complimenting their exploration of writing, students will engage in a survey of American literature. Required readings include novels, non-fiction plays, short stories and poetry. Regular discussions of the reading assignments offer students an opportunity to develop their skills in oral communication, analytical thinking and group interaction.

Curricular Requirements: The curriculum will prepare students for college through a thorough study of the Common Core State Standards; however, our focus for the course will be on the following standards: RL/I.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RL/I.11-12.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account/analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. RL/I.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative, connotative and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.) And analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

W.11-12.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Course Materials: Textbook: Literature: The American experience. Prentice Hall. Additional Works:

Semester I: “The Earth on the Turtle’s Back” “The Grizzlies Walked Upright” “The Navajo Origin Legend” “The Iroquois Constitution” “Journal of Columbus” “Of Plymouth Plantation” Anne Bradford Poems Cotton Mather Sermons “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards “Declaration of Independence,” Thomas Jefferson Abigail Adams’ Letters to Her Husband “Speech in the Virginia Convention” by Patrick Henry “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine “An Hymn to the Evening,” Phillis Wheatley “To His Excellency General Washington,” Phillis Wheatley “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” Phillis Wheatley “The Trials of Phillis Wheatly,” Henry Louis Gates, Jr. “The Fall of the House of Usher” “The Devil and Tom Walker” Emerson- “Nature”, “Self-Reliance”, and “Concord” Thoreau- “Walden” and “Civil Disobedience” Moby Dick excerpt “The Minister’s Black Veil” Mark Twain- “Celebrated Jumping Frog” Dickinson poems- “A Bird came down the Walk,” Emily Dickinson “This is my letter to the World,” Emily Dickinson “Because I could not stop for Death,” Emily Dickinson Whitman Poems “I Hear America Singing,” Walt Whitman “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d,” Walt Whitman

Semester 2: The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, F. Scott Fitzgerald The Sound and the Fury excerpt, William Faulkner The Crucible, Arthur Miller Selected Literature Circle Text Various historical speeches including: “Declaration of War on Japan”, Lyndon B. Johnson’s Speech on Vietnam, Bobby Kennedy’s speech on Martin Luther King Jr.’s Assassination

*Other canonical and modern texts, essays, and the like may be read throughout the year or chosen for the research project, if approved. Other Materials:  You will need a 3-ring notebook  Index cards  Notebook  Pencil or pen  At least four different colors of high lighters (to be used when annotating)  Loose leaf paper  MacBook Bring your current reading materials, notebook/paper, MacBook, and pen or pencil to class each day.

Grading: Assignments and Homework: All assignments must be turned in on or before the due date. All assignments can be turned in past the due date with a 50% grade reduction. If the assignment is turned in late, but on the same day, it is a 25% grade reduction.

Make-Up Work: All assignments will be in the class folder for the appropriate day you were absent. You must check the assignments when you return to class after an absence and make any necessary arrangements to take quizzes, tests, etc.

Scale/Weighting: The class, as well as the rest of the school, will be going to an 80/20 policy this year. That means all formative assessments (tests, quizzes, compositions, projects, larger homework assignments) will be weighted 80% and the remainder of the assignments (small homework assignments, pop quizzes, etc.) will be weighted at 20% of the grade. This is a school wide policy change this year.

A 92-100% 4.500 B+ 89-91% 3.850

B 86-88% 3.500

B- 83-85% 3.225

C+ 80-82% 2.925

C 77-79% 2.500

C- 74-76% 2.225

D+ 71-73% 1.425

D 68-71% 1.000 D- 65-67% 0.875

F below 65% 0.000

Parent/Student Summary Important Information  Assigned readings are important—as are assigned homework and studying. I expect your best effort on everything you do, and I understand that some material is very difficult. It is up to my discretion to allow you to retake a quiz/test, or other various assignments that are not up to your, or my, standards.

Cell Phone Policy My classroom has a no cell phone policy. You have access to a MacBook now so there is no need for a phone in class. Parents, please expect your child to be in class during the school day. If you text your child, please do not expect an immediate reply. If I see, or hear, a phone, it will be placed in my possession for the remainder of the day. If I take your phone more than once, your parent or guardian will be contacted and detention will be give. There may be times where I will allow cell phone use, but this is ultimately up to me. You may not listen to music with your phone or with an MP3 player as well.

Rules  Be respectful. I respect you, and will show you respect, therefore, I expect the same in return. You must also respect your peers. You do not have to be their best friend, but you do have to respect them. In life, we may have to work with people we don’t like, so we must learn to overcome that.

 If you have to go to the bathroom, either go before the bell or wait until after class starts. I only ask this because I usually give pertinent information right when class starts.

Plagiarism This simply is not tolerated at all. All college-bound students must realize the seriousness of this problem. Therefore, in this course, the consequence for plagiarism is a ZERO on the assignment. Parents and administrators will be notified immediately if this ever happens, and I may request a conference with the student and his or her parents or guardians, as well as a guidance counselor. ______

Parent/Guardian Signature: ______Date: ______

Parent/Guardian Phone Number (best number to reach you): ______

Parent/Guardian E-Mail Address:______

Student Signature: ______Date: ______