Welcome to English 11:
What Will Your Verse Be?
What Will Your Verse Be?
Course Outline
Welcome to the online version of our English course. This year, our units of literary study will focus around central themes including the American Dream, the Power of Persuasion, the Pursuit of Happiness and an American Journey. From these central themes, we can begin to investigate not only how literary works address the many forms of finding personal and public decisions, but also how our own choices, and the choices of those around us, can shade our view of what we hope to achieve.
Through out our year,we will examine four quarter-long units that will take us through our year-long theme of the American Dream, as we read works ranging from F.Scott Fitzgerld's The Great Gatsby to Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner in conjunction with our readings of poetry and nonfiction from the grade 11 College Board Springboard series. Along the way, we will prepare for the Common Core English Regents (TUESDAY, JUNE 2nd) as well as the PSATs (October) and SATs (May-June).
As we read our selections, we will also examine how these works and themes can be examined daily in our lives. Through supplemental readings from newspapers, magazines and other nonfiction sources, we will use close-reading techniques to examine how author's examine the many elements of the American culture and the American dream.
Finally, we will see how many other themes, including personal choices, honor and dishonor, betrayal and loyalty, and race and difference can all be found within these same works. While exploring these themes, we will work to understand the many writing strategies authors and poets use to inform their readers, including rhetorical techniques like anaphora, allusion, irony and rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) as well as literary elements like symbolism, motif, imagery, setting, and characterization.
On these pages you will find everything you need for a successful year in our course. As you can see, this page contains our course outline and requirements, our course essentials page (for important writing links) and Regents/SAT links and reminders. Additionally, you can also access our blog from this page and submit online homework assignments. As the year progresses, I will post assignments to this site and ask you to build pages as well.
Necessary Course Supplies
In order to begin, each student will need a few start-up materials. The following is a short list of necessary objects that students must bring for class:
- One three-ring binder
- Access to Google Drive
- Highlighters
- Post-it notes
- Loose-leaf paper
- Pens and pencils
- Although we provide some SAT preparation materials, I strongly suggest that students purchase a NEW SAT preparation book from College Board, Kaplan, or Princeton Review. I also recommend that students enroll in some type of SAT preparation course to prepare for the exam.
Class work and Participation (10%)
Students must be on-time for class, prepared with daily materials, and ready to participate in class discussions and activities. Tardiness and lack of preparation will result in a loss of three points from the class work grade; cutting will result in a loss of five points from the classwork grade each quarter. In addition, students who are consistently absent from class for over 28 days will be subject to a loss of course credit.
Homework (15%)
Homework will be given regularly and checked. Failure to submit homework will result in a loss of points from the homework grade. Late assignments (those left in a locker, eaten by the dog, or stolen by the tooth fairy) will not be accepted for full credit.
Quizzes (35%)
Frequent quizzes, both announced and unannounced, will be given on assigned readings, articles, and SAT materials. If homework is not completed (assigned readings and notes), students will often perform poorly on quizzes.
Formal Assessments (40%)
Class projects, essays, and research papers will be given each quarter. Late, messy, or incomplete work will not be accepted.
Note on Absence
If you are absent, it is YOUR responsibility to obtain the assignment and complete it for your return to class. Quizzes and tests will not be waived due to absence. If you need any assistance during your absence, please email me at [email protected].
Extra Help
English 11 is a demanding course, but I am here to help you. I will provide extra help during free periods (student lunch). Please see me if you need to make additional or alternative arrangements.
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