Course Overview and Outline English I Pre-AP 2007-2008

Mr. Kyle Stevens [email protected] (214) 339-6561 ext. 329

Availability: I am available for conferences or tutoring on Monday and Friday mornings from 7:45 until about 8:25. I am available for questions before school most days. Additional tutoring times are possible for students who schedule appointments.

Course Expectations: Responsibility, respect and sensitivity are key concepts for success. The expectations are that students bring to class the necessary materials every day (all textbooks, agenda, iPod, etc.) That the student arrive on time and ready to learn. That the student has prepared and completed his or her assignments (including reading.) Additionally that the student always considers the implications of their actions or speech on others.

Edline: Students will find in-class and out-of-class assignments posted on Edline. Usually the assignments for the upcoming week will be available. Major grade due dates are also available on Edline. Additionally, any electronically created handout or SMART presentation will be available on Edline. It is the responsibility of the student to print off any handout misplaced or view the SMART presentation for any class missed.

Absence Policy: Any student missing class is expected to see me as soon as they return and make up any work in their own time. All lesson plans are posted on EDLINE. Students can make up quizzes and assignments during tutoring times. Any work not made up within one week of the student’s return to school will automatically become a 0 grade. If a student is absent from class due to suspension, work will receive a 0 and cannot be retaken.

Grading/Weighting: All grades will fall into one of two categories. DAILY work will consist of homework, class work, quizzes, warm-ups, and anything else we do on a day-to-day basis. Collectively, these will count for 40% of the quarter average. MAJOR assignments include tests, projects, essays, and presentations. This work will account for 60% of the quarter average. In each quarter, four to five major grades will be assigned, and approximately two minor grades per week will be taken.

The final semester grade stems from two quarter grades and two end of quarter exams. Each quarter will count for 40% of the semester grade. Each exam will count for 10% of the semester grade.

Textbooks/ Other Materials: The Language of Literature, McDougal Littell Grammar for Writing, fourth course, Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop, Level D, Sadlier-Oxford

Students should also keep all work and handouts in a three ring binder.

Homework Policy: The goal of the freshman late policy is to teach responsibility while understanding that situations can happen from time to time. During the first quarter the student may submit three assignments late, for full credit. To receive full credit the student must complete the assignment during tutoring hours. Late assignments cannot be submitted during the final two weeks of the quarter. During the second quarter the student may submit two assignments late, under the same stipulations. During the third quarter the student may submit one late assignment for full credit. Late work will not be accepted during the fourth quarter. Course Goals: English I (PreAP) covers the literary genres and their essential literary terms as well as a study of the works of such classical authors as Sophocles, Shakespeare, and Dickens. Various writing assignments will correlate with these works of literature, thus developing the skills of paragraph and composition construction. Grammar skills are assumed and development of vocabulary skills is ongoing. First Quarter Goals: Students will learn how to identify the use of literary term through the reading of short stories. Additionally, students will begin our study of grammar rules and increase vocabulary.

Date Topic Text Weekly Assignments Aug 24 Expectations, Procedures, Course None Register for Edline Outline. Why Literature? Print and sign course expectations and outline August Information Literacy. Edline, Blogs and Enders Game and Summer Reading 27 - 31 Wikis. second summer reading handouts due 28/29 Review of summer reading and text. Aug overview of Summer Reading Project Vocabulary Workshop Literary Terms Unit 1 Information Literacy Grammar: The Writing Process, Grammar for Writing evaluation chapter one. chapter one Vocabulary, Unit 1

Sept. 3-7 Present Summer Reading Projects The Language of Major Grade: 3 Sept.-- Elements of a Short Story: Literature Summer Reading Labor “American History”--Plot, Conflict “American History” 4/5 Sept Day Grammar: Writing Effective Paragraphs and Essays, chapter two; GFW chapter two Vocabulary Unit one Writing Effective Paragraphs and quiz Essays, chapter two. VW units 1and 2 Vocabulary, Units 1 – 2 Information Literacy Quiz Sept 10 – Elements of a Short Story: The Language of In-class writing 14 “The Most Dangerous Game”--Conflict, Literature Setting “The Most Dangerous Vocabulary Unit two Grammar: Writing About Literature; Game” quiz Parts of Speech: Nouns and Pronouns. Vocabulary, Units 2 – 3 GFW chapter 4 Peer evaluation

VW units 2 and 3 Sept 17 – Elements of a Short Story: Major The Language of Vocabulary Unit 21 Grade—In-Class essay Literature three quiz Elements of a Short Story: “Marigold” “Marigolds”--Setting, Symbolism Elements of a Short Grammar: Parts of Speech: Verbs, GFW chapter 4 Story: Major Grade Adjectives, Adverbs and Prepositions —In-Class essay Vocabulary, Unit 3 VW unit 3 20/21 Sept

Sept. 24 - Elements of a Short Story: The Language of Elements of a Short 28 “Through the Tunnel”--Symbolism, Literature Story visual project Irony, Theme “Through the Tunnel” Grammar: Parts of Speech: Vocabulary Mastery Conjunctions and Interjections, GFW chapter 4 Exam I Sentence Types 28 Sept/ 1 Oct Vocabulary Review 1-3, Vocabulary VW units 1-3 Mastery Exam I Oct. 1 – 5 Elements of a Short Story: “The Gift of The Language of In-class writing the Magi” and “To Build a Fire”--Irony Literature and Theme “The Gift of the Magi” Peer evaluation Grammar: Subject and Predicate, “To Build a Fire” Sentence Fragments, Finding the Begin Short Story Subject GFW chapter 5 Digital Project Vocabulary, Unit 4 VW unit 4 Oct. 8 – Elements of a Short Story: The Language of Vocabulary unit four 12 “The Cask of Amontillado”--Tone/ Literature quiz Point of View “The Cask of 8 Oct. - Short Story Digital Project due Amontillado” Short Story Digital No Grammar: Run-on Sentences, Direct Project due 11/12 School and Indirect Objects, Predicate GFW chapter 5 Oct Nominatives and Predicate Adjectives Vocabulary, Units 4 – 5 VW unit 4 and 5

Oct. 15 – Elements of a Short Story: The Language of In-class writing 19 “Daughter of Invention”--Character/ Literature Author's Perspective “Daughter of Invention” Vocabulary unit five Grammar: Prepositional Phrases quiz Vocabulary, Unit 5 GFW chapter 6 Optional Major Optional Major Grade due VW unit 5 Grade due 19/22 Oct

Oct 22 – Elements of a Short Story: The Language of First Quarter Exam 26 “Marine Corp Issues”--Flashback/ Literature review 25 Oct 1st Suspense “Marine Corp Issues” Quarter Grammar: Participles and Participial Mid-Semester Exam Ends Phrases, Gerunds and Gerund GFW chapter 6 Phrases Vocabulary, Unit 6 VW unit 6

Mid-Semester Exam

[END OF FIRST QUARTER]

Please note that the previous information is an approximate plan for the year. Readings, writing assignments, activities, and assessments are subject to change!