English II Pre-AP Course Syllabus and Expectations A human being is not attaining his full heights until he is educated. ---Horace Mann Instructor Information Mrs. Gwendolyn Jacobs Office Hours: M-F 7:30am-8am or by appointment Room: 935 Plan/Supervision: Room 935 or Office Course Overview: This course, which meets the English II graduation requirements, is open to all students who desire a literary and linguistic challenge. Pre-AP English II is designed to prepare students for the AP Language and AP Literature courses-college level courses-thus the AP designation on a transcript rather than H (Honors) or CP (College Prep). AP courses will provide you with the intellectual challenges and workload consistent with a typical under graduate university English Composition/literature course. As such, the Pre-AP English II course is a significant step up from Pre-AP English I, a step closer to the demands of junior and senior AP English. Students should expect to manage reading schedules and work completed outside of class. In addition, students are expected to employ good mechanics in writing and to progress in vocabulary development. Usage of MLA style handbook for research papers is required (Program Planning Guide, Olathe School District). Goal: To read closely, to write analytically, and to think critically in the 21 st Century. Course Texts: Pre-AP English students are strongly encouraged to acquire their own copies of course texts, specifically the editions recommend by Mrs. Jacobs. Possible Textbooks: Collections Grade 10, Ed. 2015. by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Major Readings: The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck-Summer Assignment Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini Macbeth, William Shakespeare The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens In addition to these longer works, our class will read and analyze short stories, essays, and poetry throughout the year. You will read one or two books for outside reading projects as well. (One will be a selection from British writers).
Supplies: Student Planning Agenda (ONHS) Loose-leaf notebook paper Three-ring binder dedicated to Pre-AP English II---Due for 5 points on August 23rd Set of 3 Tabs----Due for 5 Points on August 23rd Writing utensils (pencils, pens-blue or black) Highlighters-three colors any three colors Requirements on Papers and Expectations Papers: Students will write several essays covering the expository writing, expressive writing, persuasive writing and research writing. Students will keep a working portfolio of all the prewriting, drafting, editing and critiquing activities. The Process: Prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Preparation of Papers: Type or word-process all rough drafts and all final versions of essays that are written out of class. Use good quality WHITE typing paper, with black ink. Neatly typed in MLA Format. Each paper will require ALL preliminary work and ALL drafts on the day of final submission. Turnitin.com In effort to cut down on cheating and paper consumption, we ll be using TurnItIn.com on a regular basis. Your class ID and password are below. Please register as soon as possible. If you have a username from last year, feel free to use it again. 1 st Hour: 12804053 2 nd Hour: 12804054 3 rd Hour: 12804055 4 th Hour: 12804056 7 th Hour: 12804057 Class password: jayhawk -Make sure you submit your paper to the correct period. Incorrect submissions will not be graded. Our first submission will be the Dialectical Journals from The Grapes of Wrath. Due August 19 th by Midnight. Expectations: Students are expected to come to class on time and be prepared for learning with all required materials. Your Pre-AP English II binder is required every day. Students are expected to learn and follow all classroom procedures and standards. HONESTY, RESPECT, and RESPONSIBILITY Hallway Passes: Students are expected to remain in the classroom during the entire period. Trips to the bathroom and snack machines should occur during the six-minute passing period. Exceptions may be made on an individual basis. You must have your student planner in order to leave the room. Consequences may apply for excessive classroom departures.
Tardy Policy: Students will be considered on time when they are sitting in their seats, prepared to learn. Tardies will be handled according to the Olathe North policy listed in the student handbook (any time after the bell to ten minutes late is tardy, and you go to the tardy table; after ten minutes, you are counted absent-unexcused.) Make-Up Policy When a student is aware of an upcoming absence, she or he is encouraged to consult the teacher and complete the work before returning to class. Due dates for make-up work will be handled according to the Olathe North policy (you have two days to make up work for every day missed). You must staple a pink Make-Up Work Form to each assignment when you turn it in. If you are absent due to an extracurricular activity, then you are responsible for receiving any work assigned that day and for turning in any work due that day. ALL WORK/ASSIGNMENTS CAN BE FOUND IN EDMODO! Please Join Mrs. Jacobs s Edmodo Class: Join Edmodo: w9q7kv Late Work: The purpose for assignments in the classroom is student learning. Therefore, students are expected to turn in ALL work. If the work comes in after the deadline, students will be automatically assessed a 30% grade reduction from the overall score. Late assignments will only be accepted until two weeks after the due date or one week before the end of the quarter, in which the assignment occurred, whichever deadline comes first. You must staple a pink Make-up Work Form to each assignment when you turn it in. Plagiarism: Misrepresenting another writer s work as your own is a serious offense and can result in failure in the assignment and the course. If you are found guilty of this offense, even in the most innocent way, you will receive a zero for the assignment and a student/teacher/parent conference. I will follow the district s policy on plagiarism. Be sure you read your handbook and the MLA definition of plagiarism: What Makes Plagiarism a Serious Offense? Plagiarists are seen not only as dishonest but also as incompetent, incapable of doing research and expressing original thoughts. When professional writers are exposed as plagiarists, they are likely to lose their jobs and are certain to suffer public embarrassment, diminished prestige, and loss of future credibility. The same is true of other professionals who write in connection with their jobs, even when they are not writing for publication. The charge of plagiarism is serious because it calls into question everything about the writer s work: if this piece of writing is misrepresented as being original, how can a reader trust any work by the writer? One instance of plagiarism can cast a shadow across an entire career. Schools consider plagiarism a grave matter for the same reason. If a student fails to give credit for the work of others in one project, how can a teacher trust any of the student s work? Plagiarism undermines the relationship between teachers and students, turning teachers into detectives instead of mentors, fostering suspicion instead of trust, and making it difficult for learning to take place. Students who plagiarize deprive themselves of the knowledge they would have gained if they had done their own writing. Plagiarism also can undermine public trust in educational institutions, if students are routinely allowed to pass courses and receive diplomas without doing the required work. ---"The MLA Style Center." Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty. Web. 17 Aug. 2016.
Cell Phone Usage: All students are subject to Olathe North s policy regarding cell phones and electronic devices in class. Charging cell phones does cost 5 points This is my helpful reminder that all students should come to class fully charged and ready to go! Also, each class will begin with 15 points of extra credit for agreeing to follow said policy. When an infraction does occur, one point will be taken from the class total extra credit points. NO one student will cause the class to lose more than two points in any given quarter. 30% Practice Grading 70% Demonstated Knowledge Demonstrated Knowledge: These assignments will consist of tests, final essays, and long-term projects. These assignments demonstrate learning. When a student turns in an assignment late under this category, they will receive 30% off the assignment in this category. Students will also have the opportunity to rewrite select essays and fix long term projects. Practice: These assignments will consist of homework, quizzes (reading quizzes will NOT be up for retakes), and in-class practice to prepare for demonstrated knowledge performance tasks. Homework is essential to learning the content for the Demonstrated Knowledge portion of the grade; however, NOT everything will be for points and will reflect a Not For Grading in the grade book. Semester Grade/Running Total: Because we are doing a form of mastery learning/grading, grades will be a running total for the entire semester. This is due to the fact that many of the demonstrated knowledge performance tasks will be in the second quarter. A running grade allows you to see where you stand in the class and is the most accurate way to measure you knowledge of the course material. Major Assignments (not limited to the following) Literary Analysis Paper/Poetry Analysis Paper Timed Writings Rhetorical Analysis Paper Argument/Synthesis Paper Oral Presentations/Socratic Seminars/Trial Notebook (an on-going assignment)/activities/ Grammar and Vocabulary Units
Please sign and return the below form. Failure to sign and return this form does not negate any responsibility or consequences for any infraction of the policies listed within the syllabus. I (print name) have read and understand the procedures and guidelines in my English II Pre-AP class syllabus. I understand I am responsible for all material contained in my syllabus whether it is in my possession or not when an infraction is incurred or not. Signature/ Date I (printed parent/guardian name) have read and understood the procedures and guidelines presented in my child s English class syllabus. I understand that my child is responsible for all material contained in his/her syllabus whether it is in his/her possession when an infraction is incurred or not. Signature/Date Return this page only, signed, to receive 10 points in class by Friday, August 26 th.