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Course Syllabus

  • Course Description

    English 11 AP(tm) Language and Composition is a college-level course designed to guide students in becoming critical readers of various prose genres covering a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts. Through deep analysis of fiction, non-fiction, and graphical materials, students will develop a fine understanding of the power and use of rhetoric in the world around them. Through writing about structure, construction, and rhetorical devices used in readings, students will begin to walk the path of becoming confident writers.

    Additional items covered will include: grammar; vocabulary; the rhetorical canons, rhetorical terms/rhetorical devices, rhetorical analysis of texts using classical and modern rhetorical approaches (Aristotle, Burke, etc.); satire and logical fallacies.

    Cheating Policy

    • Cheating is defined as “any dishonest actions used to benefit the individual(s) involved.” This includes violating test conditions, which is defined as “any act that can violate the integrity of the test scene.” Cheating will result in an immediate disciplinary action, an automatic F on the assignment involved, and parental contact. Turnitin.com files with a significant percentage non-quoted information borrowed from others works will be considered plagiarized.
    • Plagiarism is considered cheating. Plagiarism is defined as “the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own.” When writing a paper and you borrow an idea, be it in quote form or paraphrase, give the source credit and you are not plagiarizing.
    • Study guides (Sparknotes, Cliffnotes, Shmoop.com, Cheat-notes, Dishonesty-notes etc.) are not acceptable. Such sources take away from the student-learning experience: the discovery of knowledge. Do no use them on any assignments.

    Expectations

    • Respect others; respect yourself.
    • Do not speak when the teacher is speaking.
    • Be in class on time (District Tardy policy is strictly enforced).
    • Bring all necessary materials to class as you will not be allowed to go get them.
    • Assignments are to be completed on time.
    • No food or drinks are allowed in class during class time (water is acceptable). 
    • Electronic devices are to be off unless specifically allowed, and earbuds are to be out of sight.

    Cellphone Procedure

    • Cellphones are not to be seen or heard in my class.
    • They are not to be on your desk, lap, or in any other place.

    Assignments

    • LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED! There is NO MAKE-UP WORK unless you have an excused absence.

    If you are absent, it is UP TO YOU to find out what you have missed. Work is then due the next day. Tests must be made up upon return. Any test not made up after three days will become a zero.

    • When a large project, report, or essay is assigned, the PROJECT IS DUE ON THE DUE DATE, EVEN IF YOU ARE ABSENT, unless you have a signed doctor’s note explaining your condition. The assignment must be placed in my mailbox by the end of the school day on that due date. To do this, give the assignment to front office personnel and ask them to place the work in my mailbox with the time and date you gave it to them written at the top of the page. If you know you will be absent ahead of time, turn in the project earlier, NOT later.
    • IF you know you will miss an assignment because of another activity (field trip etc), you must turn the assignment in early. Otherwise, such assignments will not be accepted late.
    • All formal assignments are to be typed. We will use Turnitin.com.

    Test Prep

    • During the year, ideas and concepts covered in class will be put into practice. This will include practice for both portions of the English 11 Language and Composition exam. The exam will be offered in May. Although it is not a requirement to take the exam, students are encouraged to do so. Those receiving a 3 or higher on the exam can earn college credit.
    • Students planning on taking the English 11 Language and Composition exam are encouraged to take advantage of any extra practice sessions offered during second semester. In addition, they might wish to develop a network of similarly-minded students via a study group. The exam is very difficult and addition preparation is suggested.

    Grades and Feedback

                 Grading 

                 A 90 — 100% 

                 B 80 — 89.9% 

                 C 70 — 79.9%  

                 D 60 — 69.9% 

                 F 59% or Below 

              Grading Categories 

    •    Essays and Papers—40% 
    •    Tests and Quizzes—30% 
    •    Homework—15%  
    •    Classwork—15% 

    Response time: I will do my best to answer student and parent emails within 24 hours and to evaluate activities and assignments within 7 days.