nstructor:  Mrs. Render

E-mail:  larender@lw210.org

Phone:  815-464-4442

Website:   http://TeacherWeb.com/IL/Lincoln-WayEastHighSchool/MrsRender/

English IV College Prep 2009-2010

British Literature

Classroom Procedures and Expectations

General Course Objectives:

By the end of the course, students enrolled in English IV College Prep

1.     will be able to read and understand a wide variety of British literature, recognizing the elements that make a well-written piece of literature. 

2.     will have developed their own system of note-hand and will be much more effective in the process of taking notes.

3.     will have mastered all word definitions and selected related words found in Sadler-Oxford Level G vocabulary book.

4.     will work cooperatively in small groups, will learn to use their knowledge in cooperative interaction with other students, and will help to insure that all group members master the assigned material.

5.     will demonstrate the ability to construct a well-developed, organized, and documented essay.

6.     will demonstrate the ability to develop writings based on teacher directed objectives for the purpose of class discussion and/or assessment.

7.     will demonstrate the ability to conduct thorough research using critical literary analysis articles.

8.     will demonstrate skills of verbal communication when addressing large groups.

Required Materials:

Bring all of the required materials from the following list each day to class.  Passes to lockers will not be issued.

¨       Blue/black pen AND pencil

¨       Loose leaf paper

¨       Binder/Folder

¨      Highlighter

¨      Index Cards

¨      Textbook or current novel

¨      Homework

¨      Academic Planner (provided by the District)

Students will also be required to purchase the following texts that will be read throughout the school year.                          

¨      Beowulf, Seamus Heaney Translation

¨      Hamlet, William Shakespeare

¨      Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

¨      Lord of the Flies, William Golding

¨      The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon

¨      Contemporary student choice

Absences/Make up Work:

          In order for each student to receive the best quality of education it is imperative that all students come to school everyday.  In the event of an illness or absence the student must meet with the instructor immediately upon returning to school to receive the make up work.  This meeting must be done before or after school – NOT DURING CLASS TIME.  It is the STUDENT’S responsibility to obtain assignments and make up work within the timeframe established by the Attendance Office.  Each student will have the number of days absent + 1 to complete the work missed.  If a student is absent from school the day of a test or quiz that student must be prepared to take the assigned exam upon returning to school.  Also, if a student misses school the review day before a test that student is also expected to take the test on the day that he or she returns to class.

Late Work/Missing Assignments:

          Since this is a honors class designed to prepare each student for their future college endeavors, I do not accept late work.  It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of assignments and turn them in on time.  Each day I will display the homework for the week on the board and on my website, so make sure you check the list daily and write it in your planner.

Academic Dishonesty:

Plagiarism is cheating that consists of using the work of others without adequate acknowledgment.  

            Any idea, fact, or language borrowed from a source must be documented formally or informally

Plagiarism takes a number of forms, including, but not limited to the following:

1.  copying any assignment, quiz, test (or part thereof) from another 

student or enabling someone to do so from you;

2.  copying or paraphrasing passages, sentences, phrases, words, data, 

statistics, and visual aids without proper acknowledgment;

3.  using someone else's ideas without giving credit to that person;

4.  obtaining and submitting an assignment or paper prepared by someone 

other than you;

5.  submitting assignments which are the products of collaboration done 

without authorization.

Please remember that cheating on any assignment, quiz, test, or paper will result in a zero for a first offense, failure of the course on the second offense, and failure of the course for the semester on the third offense.

Grades:

Assignments will be graded using thefollowing grading scale:

A+            98-100                   B+            87-89             C+            77-79                     D+            67-69          F          0-59

A             93-97                     B              83-86             C              73-76                       D             63-66

A-            90-92                     B-            80-82              C-            70-72                      D-            60-62

Classroom Rules:

All school rules as listed in the 2009-2010

 Lincoln-Way East High School Parent/Student Handbook will be enforced.

Here are few of these rules that I find worth mentioning:

1. Any form of bigotry, name-calling, or swearing will not be tolerated in class.  This will yield an immediate discipline referral and a phone call home.
2. Be respectful to all classmates, teachers, guest speakers, etc., and treat others as you would like to be treated.
3. No text messaging is allowed in class!  In order to cut down on the temptation to text, all bags, purses, and backpacks will remain on the floor during the class period.
4. Be in your assigned seat when the bell rings or you will be marked tardy, and stay in your seat until the bell rings at the end of the class period – absolutely no lining up at the door!
5. Bring all necessary materials to class everyday.
6. NO Cliff Notes in class