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English II Honors

Course Description

Instructor Information: 
Instructor: Erin Bunce
Email: [email protected]
Conference Times: Monday – Thursdays, 1:35pm – 2:45pm or before/after school with appointment 

Class Information:
Grade Placement: 10th Grade
Credit: 1
Room #: High School, #211
Course homepage: http://canvas.instructure.com

 

Course Description: English II Honors

The purpose of the Honors program is to enable students to read complex texts with understanding and to write prose that is rich enough and complex enough for mature readers. The Pre-AP English Language and Composition course is designed to help students become skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and to become skilled writers who can compose for a variety of purposes. By their writing and reading in this course, students should become aware of the interactions among a writer's purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effective writing.

Course Overview:

Spring Semester:

Unit 1: Traveling Through World Literature  
Unit 2: Analyzing Poetry and Drama 
Unit 3: Analyzing Informational Text

Fall Semester: 

Unit 4: Purposeful Persuasion
Unit 5: Connecting Genres as well as College & Career Connections
Unit 6: Marshaling Evidence (research unit)

Required Materials:

Students will be required to purchase / borrow the following books to read this year:

  • (Fall Semester) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (this was a required summer reading assignment)
  • (Spring Semester) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The books can be purchased at Half Price Bookstore, BookPeople, Barnes & Noble or online via amazon.com, bn.com and etc. You can also borrow a copy of the book from a local library.
If you cannot purchase a book for whatever reason, please do contact me at [email protected] and I will be more than willing to help your child find a copy of the book.

Additional supplies that your child may need are::

(1) this is required) Composition note book
(2) sets of 3X5 index cards
(1) this is required) packet of highlighters that includes the following colors:

  • yellow, orange, green, blue and pink
(1) package of pencils

(1) packet of markers; preferably thin markers
(2) dry erase markers; preferably different colors
(1) (this is required) packet of post – it notes (students may want to use a variety of sizes)

** In order to become active readers, students will be expected to annotate their reading assignments. Students may do so by using post-it notes. If students prefer to write on the actual texts (such as novels), they will be expected to purchase their own novels.

 

Class Expectations and Performance Standards:

Classroom Expectations:

All students will be expected to follow school rules. In addition to that, it is important that students:

  1. Come to class on time and prepared with all materials.
  2. Turn in/completed all assignments on time.
    • Respect others, yourself and the classroom at all times.
    • Manners are a must and this applies to everyone.
    • Do not sign while I am signing or while another student is signing. It is terribly rude.
    • If you take something out, please put it back neatly where you found it.
    • This also means being honest.
  3.  Use of technology is limited to iPads ONLY. Phones, iPods and etc. must be placed out of sight at all times. Students must use the iPad when the instructor permits it.
  4. Ask to leave the room. If you need to go to the bathroom, this will only happen 15 minutes AFTER the start of class and BEFORE the end of class.

** Feel free to have water bottles in class. Healthy snacks are encouraged! Candy/junk food is not. **

Behavior Policy:

You are your own person. In other words, you will learn to take accountability for your own actions.

  • School rules and class rules must be followed.

  • Disruptive behavior will be addressed immediately with 1:1 conference because I believe everyone can improve. You will be given the chance to improve! ☺ I also may reassign seats in the classroom.

  • In the event that the disruptive behavior/s are ongoing, a C form may be completed and I will contact your parent/s and the assistant principal.

Grading Policy:

Tests: 30%

 

Quizzes: 20%

  • Some tests/quizzes will be announced in advanced, some will be pop quizzes.

  • Includes reading, writing and vocabulary tests/quizzes.

  • Also includes comprehension check (quiz format) if homework is to read an assigned set of pages/chapters

Projects: 25%

  • Examples include group research assignments, writing portfolios, literature portfolio, presentations and etc.

Classwork/Participation: 15%

  • Class discussion is a must. ☺

  • Writing and reading journals

  • Class activities

*Homework: 10%

  • Includes reading and writing assignments

  • Also includes comprehension check (quiz format) if homework is to read an assigned set of pages/chapters

  • It is the student’s responsibility to find out what the homework assignments are and when they are due.

* please note that some homework assignments will be part of quiz grades and projects.

Assignments/Homework Policy:

  • Reading and writing will be done on a daily basis, during class and after class. You will not be assigned a daily homework grade for reading; however, you may be assigned a class grade based on what you read at home.

  • Daily assignments: no late work accepted. This might include but is not limited to homework, classwork, practice sheets, questions, writing assignments, and vocabulary activities—any daily grade.

  • Major assignments that are due 4 plus class days after they are assigned: -20 % per 24 hours late. This might include but is not limited to projects, presentations, essay/research drafts and final drafts.

*** These major grades will be considered late even if the student is absent on the day the work is due. It is the responsibility of the student to turn the paper/ project in early or have someone deliver the workon the date due, or send it electronically on the date due by the beginning of the student’s class period. To avoid further penalty, rather than wait until the next class session, students should turn in major assignments as soon as possible.

Attendance & Absence Policy:

  • Students are expected to arrive to class on time. If you are tardy, you must present a pass.

  • If you do not have a pass,

    • First unexcused tardy: a warning will be given and the tardiness will be marked in PowerSchool.

    • After three unexcused late arrivals, a class C form will be completed 

    • For any unexcused tardy that is more than 15 minutes, a class C form will be completed and parents will be contacted.

  • If you are absent, you are to check Canvas to see if you can do any work that you may have missed from class. IF your tardiness/absence is unexcused, you will not be allowed to make up any work for credit.

  • You will be given a total of 2 school days per absence to complete the assignment. Assignments that are handed after the 2 day grace period will not be given any credit.

  • If you know you will be absent from class on the day an assignment is due, you must submit the assignment on the day you return (this applies to students who are in athletics or missed class due to academic based trip).

  • If you are absent on the day of a test or quiz, you must be prepared to take the quiz or the test on the day you return. Exceptions are made for extensive absences and must be discussed with the teacher.

Use of Technology in the Classroom:

Students are not allowed to use phones during class time. This also applies to other devices such as iPods, Kindle, Nook and other tablets. If a student’s parent or guardian needs to reach them in an emergency, they can contact the office at: 512-410-1019 (VP).

iPad Policy:

Since this is English course, students will be expected to use their assigned iPads to read assignments, participate in book discussions online, compose writing assignments/essays and etc. Students will not be provided a keyboard for class assignments, however, students can bring in their own. If students do bring in their own keyboard, they alone are responsible for it, not the teacher or the school.

A student can only use the iPad when the teacher says so.

If a student uses his/her iPad for a non-academic reason, the teacher has the right to confiscate the iPad from the student for the duration of class time.

** This syllabus is subject to change at any time. **