English III: American Literature & Composition

English III: American Literature & Composition Classroom Expectations 2013 -2014 Mrs. Dusto Mrs. Kate Dusto Phone: 719-234-8119 Email: [email protected] Office Hours in room 205:  Before school by 7:00 every day  After school by appointment

Assignments, class calendars, and other information can be found on Mrs. Dusto’s Wiki: http://kdustoenglish.wikispaces.com

Course Description English III is a comprehensive course that expands on the skills necessary to analyze and evaluate literature. The students will identify and analyze author's intent for utilizing literature elements, devices, and tone. The course includes a variety of longer compositions including deeper revisions for style, tone, subtlety and transitions. The conventions of English are applied to increase the sophistication of sentence fluency. Proficient skills in the mechanics of the language are necessary in classes. Content vocabulary is significantly increased. The students will also experience impromptu speaking, speeches and presentations, advanced discussions, and read-alouds. Classroom Expectations & Policies 1. Be respectful toward others through your words and actions.  Insults are unacceptable.  Academic dishonesty is not tolerated. According to the student handbook, this “includes but is not limited to cheating on a test, plagiarism or unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work.” 2. Take responsibility for your learning.  Come to class prepared to learn—that means you have materials and an open mind.  Attend class on time every day. 3. Follow the rules of the class and Liberty High School.  This includes dress code, attendance, and other behavior expectations outlined in the student handbook. School policies for student absence, truancy, tardiness, and behavior will be enforced in this class. Grading Total points earned by the student are divided by points possible and a grade is awarded based on overall percentage of each section.  Curriculum Categories: o Reading for All Purposes 20% o Writing & Composition 35% . Essays can be revised and resubmitted for a new grade. o Research & Reasoning 10% o Oral Expression & Listening 10% o Grammar & Vocabulary 15% . Grammar and vocab quizzes can be retaken for new grades.  Participation & Preparation Category: English III: American Literature & Composition Classroom Expectations 2013 -2014 Mrs. Dusto o Participation 10%

Most of your assignments will receive two grades in IC: one in its corresponding curriculum category and one in the participation category. The curriculum grade will reflect your ability to perform the skills in the assigned task. The participation grade will reflect ability to turn assignments in on time. If you fail to turn in an assignment, you will have a 0 in both categories. If you turn it in late, you will receive full credit (based on your performance) in the curriculum category and partial credit in the participation category. The purpose of this system is to ensure that the curriculum categories accurately reflect your skills and knowledge; the participation category, therefore, reflects your time management and organizational skills. Missing & Make-Up Work  Homework is due at the beginning of class unless otherwise stated.  Electronic assignments due on Turnitin.com are due by 11:59 PM on the stated deadline. o Technology is not an excuse for failure to submit assignments to Turnitin. Computers with internet access are always available before and after school. If you have trouble with Turnitin, email me a copy of your paper.  Late and/or make-up work MUST be turned in to the Late Work Log.  Late work loses 20% the first day and 50% thereafter (in the participation category). Late/make-up assignments are not accepted after the end of the unit.  Technology is not an excuse for failure to submit assignments to Turnitin. Computers with internet access are always available before and after school as well as during EXCL in the LMC. If you have trouble with Turnitin, email me a copy of your paper.  Assignments that are turned in and do not meet stated expectations (improper grammar or MLA formatting) may lose points and/or will not be graded until they are corrected.  Make-up work will be treated according to the policies outlines in the LHS student handbook. o If you have an excused absence, you have two days for each absent day to make up work for full credit. o If you have an unexcused absence, you cannot turn in assignments for full credit. Any missing work will be graded according to the late work policies listed above.  Students with extenuating circumstances will be handled on a case-by-case basis.  If you miss class, you are expected to check the class website and/or meet with me during EXCL to review homework and other information. Tardies  You are considered tardy if you are not in your seat when the bell rings. You are expected to have your notebook out and to be working on the warm-up.  Tardies will be treated according to the policies outlined in the LHS student handbook: o 1st – teacher warning to student English III: American Literature & Composition Classroom Expectations 2013 -2014 Mrs. Dusto o 2nd – teacher warning to student and parent contact o 3rd – parent contact and EXCL detention with classroom teacher o 4th – teacher referral – consequences assigned by the Dean o 5th – teacher referral – consequences assigned by the Dean o 6+ – teacher referral – consequences assigned by the Dean Materials You must bring to class:  POSITIVE ATTITUDE  The text we are currently reading (either the textbook, a school-issued novel, or a handout)  A binder to organize notes and handouts Classroom Policies 1. Discussions are an integral part of an English class. You will be expected to participate in discussions by asking and posing relevant questions. This will contribute to your participation grade. 2. You are expected to be in your seat when the bell rings and to begin working on the warm-up prompt immediately. 3. Any assignment turned in after it has been collected—whether by five minutes or five days—is considered late. See “Missing and Make-up Work” policies for more information. 4. Cell phones, iPods, and other electronic devices need to be put away during class. They will be confiscated if they become a distraction. 5. Snacks and drinks are allowed during class as long as they do not become a disruption. If you do not clean up after yourself, this privilege will be revoked. 6. The bell does not end class; class ends when I dismiss you. Packing up and zoning out before I have dismissed the class is disrespectful. 7. Formal papers must be typed and must follow proper MLA formatting. 8. All work for other classes must be put away during class.

Curriculum Overview Overarching Essential Questions:  American Literature: What does it mean to be an American? How do we define the American journey, hero, and dream? How do the American journey, hero, and dream reflect a unique American identity or experience? How is that identity or experience represented in and reinforced by American literature, including poetry, speeches, diaries, stories, novels, and visual texts?  Writing: How are different modes of writing appropriate for different purposes? How can a writer effectively structure an argument and use appeals to persuade an audience?

Fall Semester:  UNIT 1: Foundations of American Literature English III: American Literature & Composition Classroom Expectations 2013 -2014 Mrs. Dusto o Essential Questions: How is the American identity and experience represented in literature from the Native American, Age of Faith, and Age of Reason periods? o Reading: “House Made of Dawn;” Anne Bradstreet; Jonathan Edwards; Thomas Paine; Patrick Henry; contemporary connection pieces, including “The Last Powwow,” excerpt from The Way to Rainy Mountain, and excerpt from The Wordy Shipmates o Grammar: Review and sentence quizzes 1-3 o Research: Review MLA format; writing mode webquest; in-text citation and Works Cited practice o Vocab: Lists 1-2 o Formal Writing: Personal narrative (oral tradition); Puritan compare/contrast; Argument & rhetorical appeals pamphlet  UNIT 2: A Uniquely American Voice o Essential Questions: How is the American identity and experience represented in literature from the Romantic period, including Dark Romanticism and Transcendentalism? o Reading: Ralph Waldo Emerson; Henry David Thoreau; William Cullen Bryant; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; Washington Irving o Grammar: Sentence quizzes 4-5 o Research: MLA format; quote integration; in-text citations; Works Cited o Vocab: List 3 o Formal Writing: Definition & exemplification of abstract idea; description of picture  UNIT 3: The Romantic Novel o Essential Questions: How does the dual historical context of The Scarlet Letter (written during the Dark Romantic period but set during the Age of Faith) influence the novel’s form, style, and point of view? How do Hawthorne’s decisions about developing the plot and characterization demonstrate a chain of cause-and-effect? o Reading: Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter; contemporary connection texts o Grammar: Sentence quizzes 6-8 o Research: Works Cited, quote integration o Vocab: List 4 o Formal Writing: Character cause-and-effect analysis  MINI-UNIT 4: The Transition into Realism o Essential Questions: How is the American identity and experience represented in literature from the Realistic period? How did Whitman and Dickinson influence poetry? o Reading: Walt Whitman; Emily Dickinson; Kate Chopin o Grammar: Sentence quizzes 9-10 o Research: MLA format; quote integration; in-text citations; Works Cited o Vocab: List 5 o Formal Writing: Final essay passage analysis

Spring Semester:  UNIT 5: The Realistic Novel English III: American Literature & Composition Classroom Expectations 2013 -2014 Mrs. Dusto o Essential Questions: How did the realistic novel influence American literature? How did Stephen Crane create a new “kind” of courage? How did Twain write an American epic? o Reading: Jack London; Ambrose Bierce; Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage; Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; contemporary connection texts o Grammar: Sentence quizzes 11-13 o Research: MLA format; quote integration; in-text citations; Works Cited o Vocab: Lists 6-7 o Formal Writing: In-class literary analysis  UNIT 6: The Purpose and Value of American Literature o Essential Questions: How did the realistic novel influence American literature? How did Stephen Crane create a new “kind” of courage? o Reading: Jack London; Ambrose Bierce; Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage; contemporary connection texts o Grammar: Sentence quizzes 14-15 o Research: MLA format; quote integration; in-text citations; Works Cited; research process; evaluating sources; supporting your argument o Vocab: List 8 o Formal Writing: Documented argument  UNIT 7: Modernism o Essential Questions: How is the American identity and experience represented in literature from the Modern period? How did poetic movements of modernism influence American art and culture? o Reading: Ernest Hemingway; Edith Wharton; Willa Cather; T.S. Eliot; Ezra Pound; Robert Frost; Langston Hughes; F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby o Grammar: Sentence quizzes 16-18 o Research: MLA format; quote integration; in-text citations; Works Cited; research process; evaluating sources; supporting your argument o Vocab: List 9 o Formal Writing: Close reading analysis passages  UNIT 8: Coming Full Circle in the Contemporary Period o Essential Questions: How is the American identity and experience represented in literature from the Contemporary period? o Reading: Arthur Miller, The Crucible; contemporary connection texts o Grammar: Sentence quizzes 19-20 o Research: MLA format; quote integration; in-text citations; Works Cited o Vocab: List 10 o Formal Writing: Choose a character from The Crucible and analyze his/her development by describing how he/she changes (physically, mentally/psychologically, and/or emotionally/spiritually), and explain how the character participates in the larger idea of an American Journey that runs throughout all periods in American literature. Communication & Responsibilities Communication among students, teachers, and parents is essential to academic success. I encourage all students to be proactive in their learning. This means that you need to talk to English III: American Literature & Composition Classroom Expectations 2013 -2014 Mrs. Dusto me if you have questions or concerns about my class. I am always available to help you, but I can’t help you if I don’t know you need help. As part of the Liberty community, I am committed to encouraging a communication model that will facilitate higher levels of student achievement. The outline below demonstrates how we can all work together to help all students.

Parent/Guardian Student Teacher Responsibilities Responsibilities Responsibilities Ask to see your student’s planner. Take ultimate responsibility for your Update grades weekly on the Parent learning. Portal of Infinite Campus. Grades are Ask to see homework. Hearing “I don’t pulled the first day of the week for have any” more than two consecutive Acknowledge that your most important job eligibility. nights is a red flag. in high school is your coursework. Jobs, athletics and activities are important, but it Recognize that intervention regarding Communicate with teachers regularly. is the quality of your coursework that attendance and performance best Establish the best means of determines long-term success in life. helps get students back on track. communication with teachers. When you receive a call or e-mail, please respond to Get and stay organized. Use a planner and a Work with counselors when concerns confirm receipt. notebook(s). arise.

Ask to see assignments and tests and Communicate with your teachers and your Inform parents when a student is offer help with time management. parents. They are resources to help you be failing the course. successful. Support your student’s success by Be available outside of class to help checking the Infinite Campus Parent Use EXCL; it is an excellent time to get extra students, especially during EXCL. Portal to determine how your student is help. doing in classes. Make 504, SSC, and IEP meetings a Be honest if you are struggling, and ask for priority in your schedules. Support your student’s success by help. EVERYBODY struggles from time to attending Parent-Teacher Conferences time. Encourage an honest, best effort from and Back-To-School Night. students. Get involved in at least one activity or sport. Encourage your student to get adequate Return communication within two sleep, proper nutrition, and plenty of Get plenty of rest, eat a balanced diet, and business days from contact by physical activity. engage in regular physical activity. parent/guardian.

Teacher Note to Parent/Guardian

Please review the full course expectations posted on my website with your student: http://kdustoenglish.wikispaces.com/. Then, complete the agreement below and send back to school with your student.

Mrs. Kate Dusto English III: American Literature & Composition Classroom Expectations 2013 -2014 Mrs. Dusto Phone: 719-234-8119 Email: [email protected] Office Hours in room 202:  Before school by 7:00 every day  EXCL (9:25 – 10:10 a.m.) every day but Tuesday  After school by appointment during the fall or until 3:15 PM during winter/spring

I will respond to you within 48 business hours, but please note that email is usually the fastest way to get a response from me.

Tear here and keep contact information for future reference.

Liberty High School English III: American Literature & Composition Course Expectations Mrs. Dusto Student and Parent/Guardian Agreement

PLEASE READ, SIGN, AND RETURN BY ______We have read and understood the classroom policies and all requirements listed. We further understand that failure to complete class assignments or abide by the class rules can result in loss of points toward final grade or loss of credit for the class.

______Student Signature & Date Printed Name

______Parent or Guardian Signature & Date Printed Name

Parent Contact Information: What is the best way to get in contact with you?

_____ Phone Number: ______Email Email address: ______