Course+Syllabus

Ms. Jami Wray								     		         Room 206 Junior English	           Prep:   Prep: A1 (rm 211), B1 (rm 206) Course Syllabus: 2014-2015	wrayj@loswego.k12.or.us

Introduction

Welcome to Junior English and your third year of high school! In this class you will be asked to participate in a multitude of activities, assuming a very active role in your learning. Rather than stand at the front of the classroom and infuse you with my knowledge, I intend to lead you to make your own discoveries. We will be exploring works of literature together as you develop and utilize various approaches to literary understanding. Classroom activities will vary; we will engage in in-class reading, discussion, group activities and projects, journal writing, role plays, and of course tests and formal writing. The amount of reading you do outside of class will vary; however, homework is certainly a considerable part of your responsibilities as a student in Junior English.

Course Description

What does it mean to be American? This is a question we will explore over the course of this coming year. Through a study of literature from the seventeenth century through the twenty-first century, Junior English focuses on a range of voices in the American experience. This course traces the development of various literary movements, including Puritanism, Rationalism, Romanticism, Transcendentalism, Realism, and Modernism, as represented in novels, essays, poetry, short stories, and drama. Student writing in Junior English emphasizes the narrative and expository mode, including journals, personal writing, and essays. A research paper evolving from the literature studied is a major project this year.

Units of Study (and core texts/authors; subject to change)

First Semester: Colonial Literature/Puritanism: The Crucible, Anne Bradstreet, Jonathan Edwards Rationalism: Benjamin Franklin, J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, Olaudah Equiano Romanticism: Washington Irving, Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne Transcendentalism: Into the Wild, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson Begin Independent Reading novel, Research Paper

Second Semester: Realism: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Frederick Douglass, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickenson, Kate Chopin Finish Research Paper Modernism: The Great Gatsby, T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen Post-Modernism: The Catcher in the Rye, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Jack Kerouac Contemporary Voices: The Tortilla Curtain or The House on Mango Street, Rita Dove, Tim O’Brien, Barbara Kingsolver, Sherman Alexie Attendance

Regular attendance is critical for your success in this class. Those who struggle are often those who are frequently absent. Each day builds upon the previous, and the collaborative nature of the course (discussions, in-class group work, etc.) means that absences have a significant impact.

Office Hours

I am available during my prep periods – A1 and B1 – as well as before and after school. I am usually at school by 6:30 and stay until at least 3:30 in the afternoon. Your success depends on open communication between you and me; if you foresee difficulty with deadlines, are struggling with a concept or materials, or just need some guidance, come see me. I am here to help you achieve your goals and realize your fullest potential.

Grading Policies

Your primary motivation in this class should be the desire to learn and grow intellectually; however, I recognize that we exist in a larger system that utilizes extrinsic means (grades) to reward success. Therefore, the following system – which I have found to be both fair and manageable – is in place:

Interactive Notebooks (20%) A vast majority of our daily written work and much of our written work at home will be completed in Interactive Notebooks, which give you the opportunity to reflect, extend, gather, summarize, and otherwise process the content of the course.

Formative Assessments (15%) Shorter assignments such as class worksheets, vocabulary sentences, quizzes, and daily homework go into this category and are used to build skills that will help students succeed on summative assessments.

Summative Assessments (30%) Longer assignments such as essays, projects, and unit tests fit in this category and are used to show student growth and mastery of standards.

Semester Final Exams (20%) Final exams are given during finals week in January and June.

Participation and Attendance (15%) This is a discussion-based class, and you will receive a periodic (usually weekly or bi-weekly) grade that reflects participation in class discussion and in-class work. you must participate in class discussions to receive full credit. A variety of discussion formats will allow students who are not as comfortable with large group discussion to participate as well. The participation grade drops with absences, whether excused or unexcused. It is also lowered if you come to class unprepared, e.g., no paper, no book.

Materials

You need to provide (and bring with you each day) the following materials specifically for this class:

A three-ringed binder (1”-1 ½”), with four divided sections (one for each quarter), for Interactive Notebooks Notebook paper (loose leaf or clean-tear notebook; no spirals, please) Another binder or folder for class handouts, homework, etc. (a section in your B-day binder is fine) Pens, pencils, highlighters Planner – electronic, paper, or other format Post-It tabs to mark pages

Classroom Rules and Expectations

1. Be here and be on time. This means you need to be in the room when the tardy bell rings. I take tardies seriously, and apply the following consequences: 1-3 tardies: Verbal Warning 4 tardies: Referral and Call Home

2. Come to class prepared. This not only means you should have pen, paper, books, homework and journal, but also means you need to come ready and willing to participate. (See participation grade, above.)

3. No late homework. I will not take any late homework assignments for credit. Assignments are due AT THE START OF CLASS, so come prepared. If you have an excused absence, you will have as many days as you were absent, plus one, to make up the work. It is your responsibility to come to me to get work and to make up tests and quizzes on your own time. If you were unexcused, you may not make up any missed work, and this includes tests and quizzes. Major Assignments: If you are absent, a major assignment is still due the day of your absence, as due dates are provided well in advance. Major assignments (essays, projects, etc) will be accepted up to one week late, at the penalty of one letter grade per class day late.

4. No food or drink. Please keep food out of the classroom, as it is disruptive and messy.

5. Respect yourself and others. This should go without saying, but must be addressed. This classroom (and anywhere, for that matter) is no place for disparaging remarks, cruelty, teasing, or disrespect in any form. Furthermore, all students have the right to express themselves. Feel free to disagree, but show respect for other opinions/points of view. How boring class would be if we all agreed! Only in a respectful environment, however, can we share opinions and enjoy challenging, interesting discussions. Above all, be nice. So many problems can be avoided if this simple dictum is followed. I will be nice to you, and I expect the same from you, both towards me and your classmates.

In addition to Classroom Expectations, all school rules and regulations will be enforced. Please read and understand the LOHS Student/Parent Handbook.