2011-12 Syllabus: WDS1 English

 

  

Teacher: Shaun Kehowski

Courses: 3 & 4

Email: skehowski@cmsec.org

 

The goals in the English classroom are:

 

1.  To understand the elements and structure of different genres of literature while learning the necessary reading skills and strategies, literary concepts and vocabulary that will enable students to comprehend diverse reading materials.

 

2. To gain an understanding of the writing process, practice using it, and to begin incorporating it into all daily classroom activities.  The student will begin creating and maintaining a writing portfolio, which will become a tool for charting progress focusing on various aspects of writing.

 

3. To gain confidence with writing, to appreciate and increase knowledge of literature, and to become better prepared to pass the MCAS.

 

4. To improve the understanding of oral and written language vocabulary, and the structure of language.  

 

 

Composition:

 

There will be three kinds of writing assignments: extended compositions, short open-response questions, and informal reflective writing. Writing is the key component in the English classroom, and will be practiced in some form on most days throughout the school year.

 

Language:

     Text: Basic English. 2000 Globe Fearon, Inc.

            

A few weeks of the school year will be dedicated to reviewing the eight parts of speech, sentence and paragraph structure, and punctuation found in the English Language. 

 

Literature:

    Texts: Holt Elements of Literature (courses 3 & 4) 2009 Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc

 

Throughout the school year students will be actively engaged in a variety of reading across the genres of Fiction (short stories/novel), Nonfiction (biography/autobiography/essay), Drama, and Poetry.

 

Media:

 

We live in a technology-driven society, and the Virtual English Classroom can be accessed at wds1english.tripod.com. There you will find every selected piece of literature, document, writing prompt, assigned task, and important news presented daily in the classroom.

 

The grade will be based on five (5) parts: Test, Quiz, Folders, Performance, and Homework.

 

Based on 100% equaling (=) A+

Test                            =         40%

Quiz                            =         30%

Folders                       =         10%

Performance                        =         10%

                                    Homework                =         10%           

                                    Total                           =         100%

 

Tests:

There will be tests on classroom notes and selected pieces of literature, and a quarter final at the end of each marking period. Completed final drafts of every extended composition will also be graded as a test.

 

Quizzes:

For every selected piece of literature, students will complete open-book quizzes highlighting the key literary concepts discussed in the classroom, as well as other quizzes presented in various learning styles.

 

Folders:

Students will complete a daily informal writing assignment in response to a selected prompt. Every completed entry will be graded as 100%; every missing response will be graded as 0%.

 

Performance:

Each day the student is given a grade that reflects their performance in the classroom ranging from 3 to 0.  The grade is based on teacher observations, and it reflects the three A’s: Attendance, Attitude, and Academic Achievement.

 

Homework:

There will be homework most days, some in the written form, and some consisting of studying.  Short-answer homework assignments will be graded as 100% or 0%.  The homework must be on time, and the student must at least attain minimal effort to receive 100%.  Anything else will receive 0%. Homework open-response writing assignments will be graded using a 2-point rubric: 2= above average effort, 1= average effort, 0= poor effort.  Part of the homework assignment is the responsibility to bring the homework back and when it is due.  No early or late homework assignments will be accepted.  When the homework assignment is to study for a quiz or test, the student will receive a homework grade that equals their test or quiz score. For instance if a student gets 100% on a quiz, they will receive a 100 for their homework grade. If a student receives 40%, reflecting poor studying which is the homework assignment, the student will receive a 40 for their homework grade.