<p>Honor English 12 Syllabus (Science and Eastern Hemisphere Literature) 2006-07 Mr. David E. Lyons [email protected]</p><p>Title of Course: "Keen Observations of the Science of Humanity: An Experiment in Futility and Faith”</p><p>Units of study (science-centered critical writing, reading, viewing, listening, and thinking)</p><p>I. Understanding readings in experimental science Elements of scientific method, of hypothesis, paraphrasing, interpreting, writing accurate summaries and orally presenting responses to scientific readings II. Planning and writing reports on experiments Planning experiments to minimize personal factors, control for extraneous factors, include precise measurements and observations, and accurately test a hypothesis, writing lab reports and conclusions that reflect scientific planning and draw conclusions from experiments or case studies III. Understanding writing styles and research methods Self-evaluation of writing process, of writing, recognition of differing writing processes and of importance of revision, effective writing techniques, peer review, outside evaluation, of own work, correct citations for scientific writing, accurate writing of experiments, drawing conclusions for a body of scientific knowledge and original experiments IV. Oral presentations in science Protocol for form and use of body language, evaluation based on support presented for conclusion or hypothesis, organization, use of multi-media to enhance, take notes on peers’ presentations, review notes and test responses to lectures</p><p>Complementary literature, by unit of study: </p><p>I. "Imposing Order: External Factors in Developing the Ethical Self" Ashrawi’s “From the Diary of an Almost-Four-Year-Old,” Megred's "The Akedah," Spenser's Prothalamion, Padhi’s “Small Matters,” Hedayat's "Solitude" from The Blind Owl, Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country, Camus’ The Stranger, Okri's The Famished Road, Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Akhamatova’s “Heart’s Memory of Sun” & “The Guest,” Amichai’s “Inside the Apple” & “Diameter of a Bomb,” Eliot’s Choruses from “The Rock,” Darwish’s “Or” & “The Prison Cell,”al-Fayiz’ “A Sailor’s Memoirs,” Yeats’ “Ribh considers Christian Love insufficient,”& Rifka’s “from Diary of a Woodcutter” II. "Repelling Order: Internal Factors in Living with the Ethical Self" Milton's "from Paradise Lost," Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Donne's "The Flea" and "The Canonization," Orwell's Marrakech, Malamud's The Fixer, Tuqan’s “Behind Bars,” Mahfouz' Echoes of an Autobiography, Conrad's Heart of Darkness, poems by Holocaust survivors, passages from Tanakh and The Qur’an, Yeats’ “Adam’s Curse,” Mahmud’s “Wind’s Foam,” Kim’s “The Birth of a Stone,” & Beckett's Waiting for Godot</p><p>III. "Refining Order: Reflecting on how the Ethical Self Imposes" Wordsworth's "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey," Pope's from An Essay on Criticism, Divakaruni's Sister of My Heart, Huong's Paradise of the Blind, Roy's "from The God of Small Things," Joyce's The Dead, Milton's “On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity,” "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso,” Maron's "from Flight of Ashes," al-Bayati’s “Why Are We in Exile the Refugees Ask,” & Shakespeare's The Tempest IV. "Re-finding Order: Evolving into a Benevolent Self” Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilych, Donne's Meditations, Blake's The Couch of Death, Wordsworth's "Ode: Intimations on Immortality," Tagore's "Crossing," Takami's "At the Boundary of Life and Death," Tueni’s “In the Lebanese Mountains,” Suhair Majaj’s “I Remember My Father’s Hands,” Tueni’s “Jisr el-Qadi,” Handal’s “Bethlehem,” & passages from The Talmud and The Bhagavad-Gita * The current laws allow for the inclusion of passages from major world religions' texts. Their inclusion recognizes an understanding on the part of the instructor and the students that their significance is based only on the literary and cultural value of these texts in the context of a literature course. Please call the instructor if you have further questions (819-2425 or [email protected]).</p><p>Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs) from the State of Michigan (correlated with science): 1. CE 1.3 (communication looking at style, tone, audience, purpose): ASW correctly: analyze writing; identify biases; apply appropriate syntax, tone, diction, point of view and supporting detail to writing and to analyze the organization of written materials; apply principles of literary analysis to differing genre. 2. CE 4.2 (language variety reflects experience): ASW demonstrate critical reading skills focused on scientific text by identification of the hypothesis, paraphrasing of essential scientific language, recognition of the scientific method presented in the text, outlining the organization of the text, and accurate interpretation of the finding presented in the text. 3. CE 1.1 (writing is recursive process) :ASW through peer and collaborative writing included in this course learn to self-analyze their writing in order to see writing as a recursive process, write and revise effectively, to encourage other students to write appropriately, and to collaborate on writing tasks. 4. CE 1.4 (research tools in inquiry and reflection): ASW demonstrate critical writing skills by accurately reflecting research finding and experimental processes, organizing written work with a clear focus and logical order, supporting the thesis of written papers with sufficient details supported by research or experimentation, expressing logical conclusions within scientific writing. 5. CE 1.5 (multi-media presentations): ASW demonstrate oral presentation skills by accurate use of scientific vocabulary, adequate scientific support of the finding presented, and logical order of presentations, clear conclusions, and attention to the needs of the audience. For oral presentations students will also employ technology or posters to illustrate the focus of the presentations. They will demonstrate understanding of oral lectures in science.</p><p>Evaluation: The students are assessed in four areas, averaged together to arrive at the final grade: 25% Participation, including novel reductions, class discussions, in-class activities, and collaborative / cooperative learning teams 25% Summaries/abstracts/ lab reports and narrative- reflective writing, including science articles portfolio and self/group evaluations 25% Multi-media Presentations 25% Projects / major papers All assignments are assessed using a rubric, a generic one follows. 10, 9 =A These well-organized, fluent and insightful papers, projects, or presentations show specific and apt analysis of the prompt, with carefully chosen, anchored references to enhance the focused response. These exhibit a command of the conventions of written and spoken English language. 8=B These papers, projects, or presentations show apt analysis of the prompt with thoughtful references that attempt to enhance the focused response. These reveal lesser command of the conventions of spoken and written English language, with lesser insight into the human condition. 7=C These papers, projects, or presentations answer the prompt vaguely with limited references to support main idea. These reveal a basic command of the spoken and written English language and vague insight into the human condition. 6= D These essays, projects, and presentations generally do not fulfill the guidelines of the assignment guide. In the GRAPCEP program at Creston High School, the English teachers will accept no late work or partially completed work turned in on the due date for a grade, but will accept it for credit within two weeks of its due date. Since the students must complete every assignment to earn a passing grade, none fails who turns in every assignment. Furthermore, when work is due, the students need to hand it in on time on the due date if they are present, tardy, or absent, excused, school-related, waiver- excused, or unexcused. When the students are absent for a school-related activity, the work is due before they leave. When unexcused or suspended, work counts for credit. When excused, students have as many days as absent to turn in daily work, but pre- assigned projects and essays are due even so.</p><p>Attendance: The State of Michigan requires that positive attendance be reported on students' official transcripts. Understanding then that all prospective college admissions and employers will be privy to this information, it is imperative that the students attend class daily. Moreover, research indicates a strong correlation between attendance and achievement. Because college-bound literature and writing courses are properly designed interdependently, each student's daily participation is necessary.</p><p>Tardiness: The students need to be sitting in their assigned seats when the bell rings. Otherwise, they are marked unexcused tardy. Should tardiness become an unwelcome habit, the teacher will confer with student, then parents / guardians for plan of action.</p><p>Discipline: The following axiom applies: "All that I do adds value to this classroom." By this, all students are respectful of, cooperative with, and attentive to the needs of the class as a whole and of individual students. When students choose behaviors antithetical to the axiom, the teacher generally confers with them privately in the hall. With repeated offenses, the teacher contacts the parents or guardians via telephone, e-mail or letter to determine plan of action. </p><p>Extra credit: When all work is complete, the students may earn up to 20 extra credit points per marking period by completing a combination of journals (8 1/2" x 11", double- spaced) on any personal topic and / or newspaper articles about Creston. Since in the modified block schedule the teacher will not see the students daily, even so, all work turned in the day before it is due earns an "early point" added to the score of the work. If this requires the students to bring work to the instructor on the day they do not see him, they must assume that responsibility.</p>