Introduction

This course focuses on British and Western Literature and requires the student to write in a variety of modes, especially those requiring analysis, exposition, and persuasion.  The course continues the ELA department’s Vertical Teaming approach, which prepares Paxon SAS students for success in both the AP Language and Composition and the AP Literature and Composition courses during their junior and senior years.

 

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Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

·       Analyze and interpret samples of good writing;

·       Identify and explain an author’s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques;

·       Apply effective strategies and techniques in their own writing;

·       Create and sustain arguments based on readings, research, and/or personal experience;

·       Demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard written English as well as stylistic maturity of their own writings;

·       Write in a variety of genres and contexts, both formal and informal, employing appropriate conventions;

·       Produce expository, analytical and argumentative compositions that introduce a complex central idea and develop it with appropriate specific evidence, cogent explanations, and clear transitions;

·       Move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful attention to inquiry and research, drafting, citing sources, revising, editing, and evaluation.

·       The standards listed above are taken from the AP English Language and Composition Course Description (the “Acorn” book).  Since students at this grade level are evaluated via the Florida Department of Education’s FCAT testing device, emphasis will be placed on making sure that students master the Sunshine State Standards for Reading/Language Arts Grades 9/10 as listed on the DOE website:  http://www.floridastandards.org/Standards/FLStandardSearch.aspx. 

 

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Required Course Texts                                                                                                                                                                                            

Students are issued a copy of Glencoe McGraw-Hill’s Literature: The Reader’s Choice British Literature.  During the 4^th quarter, students must read a novel that is not available in the county-issued textbook:  Lord of the Flies by William Golding.  Students must acquire their own individual copies of the novel.  If a student cannot obtain a copy of the novel due to personal/family issues, the student must inform me at least three weeks prior to the due date so that I have enough time to obtain a copy of the novel for the student.  A student may borrow a copy of the novel from the school library or from a Jacksonville public library if necessary, but the student is responsible for any late charges or penalties that he or she may accrue.  Students must bring the required course text to class every day.                       

 

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Required Materials

You are solely responsible for being prepared for class (paper, pen, book).  You may not disrupt class by asking a peer or your teacher for supplies.  If you are caught asking someone else for supplies, you will receive a zero for that day’s assignment(s).  Accidents happen, but persistent negligence will not be tolerated.  Students will need the following: a collegiate dictionary and a thesaurus (at home), regular access to a word processor and the internet, dark black or blue ink pens for all written assignments, reams of paper, a sturdy 3-ring binder with dividers in which to keep class materials, good time management skills, and the required course text which must be brought to class every day.   Because we live in an era in which access to the internet is no longer a luxury, each student should be able to access my classroom website in order to obtain handouts, assignments, deadlines, notices, and other information pertinent to his or her success in this course.  Any student who does not have access to the internet at home must consider one or more of the following options:

·       Use the computers in the school library before school, after school, or during lunch time;

·       Call a friend who has internet access and get the required information from him or her;

·       Bring your own paper if you plan to print any materials from my classroom computers prior to 8:15 on any school day that I can be found in my classroom.  Students MAY NOT print from the classroom PC’s without my supervision.

 

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Student Expectations, Progress toward Standards, Safety Nets, and Grade Recovery

            In this course, a student’s quarterly grade will be determined primarily by his or her success in the following types of assignments:  essays (30% of quarter grade), tests (30% of quarter grade), class work and homework (20% of quarter grade), quarter/semester exam (20% of quarter grade).  Class work/ homework assignments are designed to help students learn the skills and concepts required to master the course objectives.  Such assignments, by their design, will be graded more leniently.  Students will receive full credit (100%) for following teacher’s directions and attempting all requirements to the best of their abilities.  Students will receive ½ credit (50%) or no credit (0%) based on the teacher’s evaluation of the students’ efforts.  All class work and homework assignments must be made up in a timely manner in accordance with DCPS policy in the event of a student’s absence from class.  

Per DCPS, the attendance policy states the following:

 

In order to earn a passing quarter grade in a course, a student who misses more than four (4) classes, not including school-related absences, will be required to pass a comprehensive quarter exam or project, in addition to having an overall passing grade for the quarter. A student must be in class for at least half the period to be considered present.

 

Any of my students who miss more than four (4) classes during any quarter will take an attendance policy makeup exam on the morning of that quarter’s planning day from 7-10:00 AM.  The exam will cover concepts and skills taught up to that particular point in the school year.  In order to be eligible to take the exam, the student must first have a passing grade (60% or better).  If any student misses my class due to school-related absences, the student must provide documentation (a note or list of attendees signed by the teacher) to me in a timely manner.  The student must pass the exam to maintain his or her quarter average.  If the student fails the exam, the student’s quarter grade will be reduced by one letter grade.  IN THE CASE OF A MISSED TEST OR ESSAY DUE TO ABSENCE, the student must be prepared to make up the missed assignment on the day he or she returns to class.  Under special circumstances, I may schedule the makeup for a help day session (each Tuesday from 3:30-4:30).  Failure to complete the makeup test or essay in a timely manner will result in the student receiving a grade of zero for the assignment.

            Safety nets designed for this course include, but are not excluded to, the revising of essays (the revision process includes class sessions of peer evaluations, self evaluations, modeling, and teacher commentary), the repeated practice of necessary skills and concepts through in-class and homework assignments, “completion grades” that allow the student to earn relatively “easy grades” while learning how to acquire and use the skills and concepts required of this course, and available one-on-one tutoring during teacher’s designated help days.           

School Board policy requires that I offer you the opportunity for “grade recovery.”  In order for you to have the chance to recover your grade, you must have completed all of the required assignments and tests in a timely and satisfactory manner and have attended help day sessions during the quarter in which you desire grade recovery. If you meet those two requirements, I will require that you resubmit any written assignment for which you received a grade less than a “C.”  Upon successful completion of those written assignments, you will then take a grade recovery exam to be administered on a help day session.  The date on which the AP grade recovery exam will be administered will be determined based on my availability.  Failure to take the AP exam on the date administered will automatically disqualify you from the grade recovery process.  Participation in the grade recovery process does not guarantee a grade change.  If all requirements are successfully completed and you pass the grade recovery exam, an “F” or a “D” may be changed to a higher grade based on the level of mastery evidenced by the student’s score on the grade recovery exam.  No other previous tests may be retaken for the purposes of the grade recovery process because the comprehensive grade recovery exam will suffice as a substitute for any and all previously administered tests. 

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Student Integrity and Decorum 

             All students are here to learn and make adequate progress toward meeting the course standards.  Therefore, students are expected to be active participants in the learning process and uphold the academic integrity policy.  Students are also expected to maintain an acceptable level of behavior.  Since disruptive behavior is a disservice to the learning process, those students engaging in such behavior will be dealt with according to teacher, school, and county policies.   While there will be ample opportunities for students to collaborate on some assignments, each student must be aware that he or she is required to submit original work free from plagiarism.  Any assignment deemed to be plagiarized will receive a zero and will jeopardize the student’s eligibility for grade recovery.  Furthermore, the student will be referred to Student Services for refusal to adhere to the Honor Code.  No electronic devices may be used during class.  More and more, electronic devices can be used for cheating.  Appropriate action will be taken if electronic devices are used; such action may include assigning a grade of zero, giving the device to the dean, and/or writing a referral.

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Miscellaneous Class Policies and Procedures

Ÿ  Punctuality is essential.  Late work is unacceptable; absences can be detrimental.

Ÿ  All homework must be typed. If a student experiences unavoidable technical glitches, a handwritten homework assignment will be accepted if accompanied by a note of explanation from a parent/guardian.

Ÿ  Under no circumstance will I accept work written in pencil.  Such work will receive a grade of zero and may not be resubmitted for a grade.

Ÿ  You are solely responsible for being prepared for class (paper, pen, book).  You may not disrupt class by asking a peer or your teacher for supplies.  If you are caught asking someone else for supplies, you will receive a zero for that day’s assignment(s).  Accidents happen, but persistent negligence will not be tolerated.

Ÿ  Late assignments will receive a failing grade: 50% per day late.  The late penalty begins immediately upon the day and period the assignment is not submitted.  Each day of school is counted toward the penalty; therefore, a student who waits until the next meeting date of class has already accrued a 100% penalty since it will have been two school days since the original due date of the assignment.  A student who is legitimately absent on the due date of an assignment is not penalized.  He or she must submit the assignment upon the return to my class with an acceptable note of explanation written at the top of the page.  At the top of all make-up work (tests included), the student must write a note informing the teacher why the work is being submitted on a date later than the assignment was originally due.  Failure to provide the note will result in a 5-point grade penalty.

Ÿ  Due to the availability of my class website, all assignments and tests missed due to absences will be posted.  Students are required to access the site to get any missed work.  Submit the assigned work upon your immediate return to class.  If computer troubles prevent you from getting the information from my website, you must call a classmate to get the information.  All absences require you to return to class with the necessary assignments ready to be submitted.  I strongly suggest that you take home all notebooks and texts related to this class because you may need them in case of an unexpected absence.  If I fail to post the necessary information on my website, you will be allowed to acquire the assignment instructions upon your return and submit the work to me for full credit during the next class period.

Ÿ  If the student misses a test or an essay due to an absence, the student will be required to take a makeup test or write the essay on the first available help day session. IN THE CASE OF A MISSED TEST OR ESSAY DUE TO ABSENCE, the student has until the next available help day session (each Tuesday from 3:30-4:30) to complete the missed work.  Failure to complete the makeup test or essay in a timely manner will result in the student receiving a grade of zero for the assignment. At the top of all make-up work (tests included), the student must write a note informing the teacher why the work is being submitted on a date later than the assignment was originally due.  Failure to provide the note will result in a 5-point grade penalty.

Ÿ  If a student misses school for an extended period of time due to illness, I will work with him/her in order to alleviate the burden brought on by the extenuating circumstances.  A parent/teacher conference, in person or by telephone, must be initiated prior to, or shortly after, the student’s return to school.  I can be reached at 693-7583 ext. 189.

·       Unless you provide a doctor’s note, I restrict access to the hall pass for emergencies only.  A student may use the hall pass three times per quarter.  The student may not use the pass to retrieve items from a locker.  Any student who is out of the room for an inordinate amount of time may receive a referral for skipping class.

Ÿ  Cliffs Notes and other analytical aides are no substitute for reading the literature.  Do not bring them to class.  I will confiscate such materials.

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Composition Format

Ÿ  Homework assignments must be typed. They must be double-spaced with standard 1” margins and have a 12-point Times New Roman font. At the top left of the first page, use the MLA format for headings: on four separate lines in the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course and period, and the date.  All successive pages must have your last name and page number at the top right.

Ÿ  Two valuable bits of advice: keep a copy of each assignment and always have a rough draft of some type. Many tears have been shed over computers that have crashed, wiping out days worth of work. Prepare for potential problems.

Ÿ  All in-class essays, including timed writings, must be legibly written on one side of the page in dark black or blue ink with the appropriate MLA heading at top left of the front page.  If I can’t read your writing, I can’t properly evaluate it.  You may be asked to take the assignment home and type it for me.  If so, your grade will be reduced by 5-10% because I could not read it when it was originally submitted.

 

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TEACHER ACCESSIBILITY

 

Conference Periods

Ÿ  “A” DAY - 8:25-9:55 AM

 

Help Day Sessions/Makeup Tests/Makeup Essays

Ÿ  Tuesdays 2:45-3:45 by appointment only

 

Internet Accessibility

Find helpful information on our class website: http://teacherweb.com/FL/PaxonSchoolforAdvancedStudies/JonNerf/.

 

You may email me directly at nerfj@duvalschools.org. 

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 ENGLISH II HONORS

PARENTAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM

 

I have provided a comprehensive Policy and Syllabus handout for my course.  You and your child should read all parts of it together and discuss the policies therein.  If you have any questions about my policies, please call guidance to set up a Parent-Teacher conference.  We can meet face-to-face or via telephone.  You may forego the guidance office and email me directly at nerfj@duvalschools.org.

 

After each of the major divisions on my Policy and Syllabus handout, I have inserted a place for you, the parent, to initial.  Your initials provide to me your acknowledgement that you have read my handout and understand my expectations and requirements.

 

Furthermore, I require your permission for your child to read, study and discuss the 4^th quarter literature required of this course:  William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.  If you are unfamiliar with the work, you might want to go to an Internet site, such as Amazon.com, that provides summary information about such works of literature.  Complete the form below and indicate whether or not your child has permission to read William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. 

 

 

I, ________________________________________ , the parent/guardian of

                        Print parent’s/guardian’s name

 

 

________________________________________ ,             

Print student’s name

 

(Circle or highlight one of the bulleted items below)

 

• AGREE to allow my child to read the works of literature on the syllabus.

 

• HAVE RESERVATIONS about William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Please note my concerns, which I have written and attached to this form.

 

________________________________________                          _______________________

Parent’s/Guardian’s Signature                                                            Date

 

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Student’s Signature                                                                        Class Period