English II Honors: Syllabus

 

 

Unit 1: Hard-Won Liberty

 Anchor Texts

• Various informational and literary texts

• Independent Novel Study, Lord of the Flies, William Golding

 

 Unit 2: Absolute Power

 Anchor Texts

• Macbeth, William Shakespeare

• Various informational and literary texts
• Independent Novel Study, student choice

 

 Unit 3: Responses to Change

 Anchor Texts

• Various informational and literary texts

• Independent Novel Study, The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka

 

 Unit 4: How We See Things

 Anchor Texts

• Various informational and literary texts
• Independent Novel Study, student choice

 

 

Course Description: The English II course is a theme-based course that emphasizes the student’s analytical and critical responses to texts while meeting the standards for writing, using information resources, speaking, and listening set forth in the Louisiana State Standards from LDOE.

 

Evaluation: Your grade will be based on the following criteria, as well as other assignments that are given at my discretion:

 

 

Communication: If you have a question about a grade or an assignment, you may send me a message via email to ask about the grade. Your message must be written in an academic tone and formatted as appropriately with a subject, greeting, body, and salutation. My email address is [email protected]. Text @dupuyleng2H the number 81010 to receive class reminders.

 

Independent Reading:  Accelerated Reader will count for 5% of your semester grade. You must read a book that is within your level. You must achieve your specified number of points, and you must maintain an 85% average on all quizzes as is mandated by the school. Every week, you will have 15-20 minutes designated to silent reading. During this time, you must have your AR book, you must be reading, and you must not be talking or creating any classroom disturbance. You may not work on an assignment for another class. If you forget your book, or come to class without a book, I will assign you a book to read. You will not be allowed to leave the class to go to the library unless you take an AR test at the beginning of class. 

 

Course Expectations: Students will be held to a high standard of rigor and personal maturity. My class has a tradition of academic excellence and personal achievement that I look forward to carrying into this year. If you or your student has any questions or concerns related to assignments or rigor, please feel free to contact me. I am always happy to work with students and guardians to maximize our success. 

 

Assignments: Assignments are posted weekly on my OnCourse website under the agendas tab. It is the student’s responsibility to keep up with assignments, assessments, and daily agendas. 

 

Makeup Work:  If you are absent, it is YOUR responsibility to collect your makeup work. Essentially, you will have one class day for every day absent to complete the work. This includes ALL assignments, including major assignments. Assignments will be entered as a 0 in the gradebook until they are made up. If an assignment in the quizzes or homework categories is not made up in the time frame as explained above, it will not receive more than half credit. If an assignment in the tests/large essays or informal writing/projects categories is not made up in the appropriate time frame as explained above, the grade will decrease 10% each day. AR is a district-wide initiative and therefore cannot be completed past the deadline. Please collect notes or bellringers missed from a classmate.

 

Cheating: Cheating is any act of turning in work that is not your own, giving or receiving answers on a test or quiz, plagiarizing in a written or oral report, or any other form of academic dishonesty, such as taking an AR test over a book that you have not read. Any student who is caught cheating will receive a 0 on the assignment and will not be allowed to make it up for credit. They may also be subject to disciplinary action. Students are responsible for knowing whether or not their work is an act of plagiarism. Unsure if you have plagiarized? Check here: Harvard Writing Center: What Constitutes Plagiarism?

 

Technology:  Students are expected to follow the school-wide cell phone policy in my class. Parents and guardians, please respect school policies and contact students via the office when students are in school. Much of the work assigned to students this year will be done on laptops. Students are expected to stay on-task and access only sites appropriate to the coursework. Continuous misuse of technology will be met with disciplinary action and/or academic penalties. 

 

Entering Class: In order to be considered on time for my class, you must be: 1. In your assigned seat with proper uniform, 2. Quiet, 3. Working on bell work with necessary supplies on your desk. Parental contact and/or disciplinary action will be taken if a student is not consistently following procedures. 

 

Support Systems for Students: Recognizing that not all students are prepared for all material taught at the same time, students will regularly be pulled for Hype Time intervention. Parent/guardian conferences must be scheduled through the guidance department. 

 

Materials: Please come to class with computers charged. Additionally, all students need to bring their HMH consumable textbook, an AR book, a binder or folder with loose leaf paper, and highlighters. Students should have a blue or black ink pen with which to write. Since we cannot write in school book copies, I suggest that students maintain a composition notebook for their annotations.

 

Curriculum: All texts used in this class can be found in the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt curriculum adopted by our school district, or the texts have been taught traditionally at West Feliciana High School. Students will be expected to master high level texts and classics with thought-provoking themes. If you or your student have any questions or concerns about the texts taught in this class, please contact me in writing.

 

** This syllabus is subject to change at any point in the year at teacher’s discretion**