English 12A Honors Syllabus

Fall 2007

Ms. Finarelli      Email

Ms. Kennedy      Email

 

Course Objective: This is an important year for you, as you begin more rigorously preparing for life after high school, and making good decisions in your life will require that you consider the perspectives of others, as well as how and why they choose to express them. The overarching theme of this course is "Voices," and as such we will be exploring a variety of voices, both individual and collective, and how they blend and clash within a culture. 

 

English Department Objective: We will emphasize "Fostering Inquiry," refining your skills in critical reading, writing, questioning and speaking, and implementing these tools to become lifelong learners.  Studying a variety of texts, you will explore and appreciate language and literature as catalysts for deep thought and emotion.

Summer Reading – Summer Reading will be assessed in an exam format within the first two weeks of the school year.  Students are expected to have completed the Summer Reading assignments before returning to school for the fall semester

 

Unit I: Voices of Self – Exploring ideas of both individual identity and one’s identity within the context of the group.

 

            Students will:

q    Examine the way voice is defined by a variety of environmental factors

q    Think about their own voices and the voices of the authors they encounter

q    Answer the question: Who am I?

 

Anchor Texts:

            Selected poems, essays, and narratives

            Their Eyes Were Watching God

            Writer’s INC

 

Common Tasks:

1.      Compose a creative piece presenting one of your many voices.

2.      Write an autobiographical essay suitable for submission with your college applications.

3.      Set up your 12^th grade portfolio.

 

Unit II: Voices of Others – Examining whether there is one definitive voice: is the contest to drown out the voice of the unwelcome and marginalized “Other” and create one voice, or to hold a variety of voices in tension?

 

            Students will:

q    Value the integrity of various cultures and societies and recognize their contributions to language and literature

q    Analyze the techniques of different writers in conveying the choices one has in responding to difference

q    Answer the question: What does it mean to be the “Other”?

 

Anchor Texts:

            Beowulf

            Grendel

 

Common Tasks:

1.      Write a short story that has as its theme the outsider encountering mainstream society or mainstream society responding to the outsider.

2.      After a close reading of selected scenes from a studied work, write an ECR in which you explain how these scenes either reflect or imply a particular theme.

 

Unit III: Voices in Context – Exploring the blended voices of a culture as they speak from common experiences or vastly differing perspectives.

 

            Students will:

q    Analyze a text within the scope of its historical and cultural context

q    Build a rich contextual understanding of the culture of both the author and his/her characters

q    Answer the question: How do the voices of a culture differ within the culture?

 

Anchor Texts:

                        In the Time of the Butterflies

                        American Mosaic: Multicultural Readings in Context

 

            Common Tasks:

1.      Complete a research project investigating a topic relevant to the historical, social, and cultural context of a novel.

2.      Generate a creative piece in which you place a major character from a studied work and place him/her in a different place or time, focusing on his/her voice and cultural context.

 

Grading Policy:

           

q       All grading will be done on a points-based system, with approximately 600 points possible each marking period.  Homework (graded for completion) will account for approximately 10% of the marking period grade.

q       I will determine points based on a variety of assessment methods, including but not limited to quizzes, tests, homework assignments, and creative projects.

q       In the event of an absence, students will be given the same number of days absent to make up an assignment before it is considered late.

q       I will issue progress reports halfway through each marking period.

q       Marking period grades will be rounded to the nearest whole number, i.e. 89.5%=A.

q       I will establish clear due dates and deadlines for all projects and essays.  Work submitted after the due date but before the deadline will be penalized one letter grade.

 

 

Reteaching and Reassessing Policy:

 

A minimum of one assignment per marking period will be eligible for reassessment, as determined and announced in advance by the 12^th grade English team.  However, in order to be eligible for reassessment, the student must show evidence of an attempt to relearn the material before taking the reassessment.  Examples of evidence include, but are not limited to:

 

q       Coming to me for extra help

q       Attending TAP sessions

q       Completing practice assignments

q       Making corrections on the original assessment

 

Reassessments must be completed within one week of the date the original assessment was returned.  If a student chooses to complete a reassessment, his/her grade on that reassessment is final, even if lower than the grade on the original assessment.

 

Edline:

 

All computer-generated handouts, assignments, and calendars will be posted routinely on Edline.  It is an expectation for this course that you will regularly check Edline for assignment updates, due dates, deadlines, and supplemental resources that relate to the coursework. Grades will be posted regularly to Edline, so it is my expectation that you will use this resource to stay informed regarding your progress in the class.

 

Supplies (TO BE BROUGHT TO CLASS EVERY DAY):

q       Notebook

q       Composition book

q       Pens & Pencils