English I Honors Syllabus - First Nine Weeks
Mrs. Williams
http://teacherweb.com/TN/EastLiteratureMagnet/MrsWilliams/
English I Honors is a course based upon the Tennessee Department of Education
standards for language, communication, writing, research, logic,
informational text, media, and literature. Our work will adhere to these
standards so that all students can be confident and competent in these
areas. Throughout the year, students will read a variety of materials,
practice writing in different styles and for many purposes, and improve aural
and oral communication skills to meet these goals. Freshmen take an End-of-
Course test in English I in May. The course also is geared to prepare for
this assessment.
Following is an overview of my expectations for English I Honors this year.
Each week, students should expect to
• Read independently and be read aloud to (articles, short stories,
novels, plays, essays)
• Write informally (journals, essays, “freewrites,” stories, etc.)
• Discuss ideas and concepts as a class and in smaller groups
• Demonstrate reading comprehension and test-taking strategies on short
quizzes
At least biweekly, students should expect to
• Study and demonstrate understanding of grammatical concepts and
vocabulary
At least once within the nine weeks, students should expect to
• Read, respond, and be assessed in formal (tests, projects) and
informal (class discussion, journaling, study guides) ways to a work of
literature
• Write a formal essay
Proposed schedule for the first nine weeks:
Week 1 (August 17-21)
1. Introductions to the class
2. Summer reading class discussions
3. Begin study of literary terms (character, conflict, theme)
Week 2 (August 24-28)
1. Begin reading quizzes and comprehension strategies (main idea)
2. Library orientation
3. Plot
Week 3 (August 31-September 4)
1. Greek morphemes lesson 1
2. Short stories/literary elements
“The Most Dangerous Game,” “Marigolds”
3. Writing process
Week 4 (September 8-11)
1. Short stories/literary elements
“The Necklace,” “The Gift of the Magi"
2. Irony and ambiguity, setting
3. Autobiographical narrative
Week 5 (September 14-18)
1. Short stories/literary elements
“The Osage Orange Tree,” "The Scarlet Ibis”
2. Autobiographical narrative continued
3. Point-of-view, narrator, tone
4. Purpose for reading
Week 6 (September 21-25)
1. Begin A Gathering of Old Men
2. Persuasive essay
3. Parts of speech review
4. Fact/opinion and reading for details
Week 7 (September 28-October 2)
1. Greek morphemes lesson 2
2. A Gathering of Old Men
Week 8 (October 5-9)
1. Bias/logic
2. Editing and capitalization
3. A Gathering of Old Men
4. Business letter
Week 9 (October 12-15)
1. A Gathering of Old Men (projects)
2. Cause and effect in reading
In Tennessee, English classes are expected to address eight "standards:"
language, communication, writing, research*, logic, informational text,
media, and literature. This nine weeks, students will be formally and
informally assessed on their grasp of the following concepts within these
standards:
* We won’t focus on research this nine weeks; it will be part of the course
after this quarter.
Language
1. Demonstrate a mastery of the definitions, usage, and functions of the
eight parts of speech.
2. Know and use correctly Standard English conventions for punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling.
3. Use print and electronic reference sources as aids in understanding all
aspects of words (e.g., spelling, part of speech, definition, cognates,
etymology, synonyms).
4. Use previously learned strategies to determine and clarify word meanings
(e.g., roots, affixes, textual context).
Communication
1. Follow multi-tasked or multi-dimensional instructions to perform a
specific role in a task, answer difficult questions, and solve challenging
problems.
2. Paraphrase accurately multiple, challenging ideas and information
presented orally by others.
3. Critique ideas and information presented orally by others.
4. Listen actively in group discussions by posing relevant questions and by
eliminating barriers to communication.
5. Arrange ideas logically and maintain a consistent focus.
6. Employ effective presentation skills, including good eye contact, careful
enunciation, appropriate rate and volume, and relaxed body language.
7. Participate productively in self-directed work teams for a particular
purpose (e.g., to interpret literature, solve a problem, make a decision)
Writing
1. Write in a variety of modes (e.g., summary, explanation, description,
persuasion, informational, literary analysis, creative expression).
2. Create increasingly complex work-related texts (e.g., instructions,
directions, letters, bios, memos, e-mails, proposals, project plans, work
orders, reports)
3. Develop topics that address unfamiliar concepts removed from the
student’s personal experiences and require in-depth analysis.
4. Use a variety of strategies when appropriate (e.g., comparisons,
anecdotes, detailed descriptions) to provide facts, details, reasons, and
examples that support and support the thesis.
5. Develop ideas as appropriate to audience and respond to readers’
potential questions and counterarguments.
6. Include relevant, specific, and compelling details. 7. Employ varied and
appropriate organizational structures that support the topic. 8. Use
transitional words and phrases to signal organizational patterns and to
indicate relationships among ideas.
9. Use precise language, considering audience and purpose (e.g., technical
writing, creative expression).
10. When sources are used or referenced (e.g., in research, informational
essays, literary essays), adhere to the following:
-Acknowledge source material and create a reliable bibliography in a standard
format.
-Cite sources using a standard format (MLA, APA) with a high degree of
accuracy.
11. Revise to craft a tone, mood, and style that convey the writer’s
attitude and are appropriate to audience.
12. Drawing on reader’s comments, revise papers to focus on the thesis,
develop ideas, address potential objections, employ effective transitions,
identify a clear beginning and ending, correct logic errors, and identify
areas for further development.
13. Practice writing to a prompt within a specified time.
Logic
1. Analyze text for stated or implied cause-effect relationships.
2. Identify the elements of deductive and inductive arguments.
3. Evaluate the relevance and quality of evidence given to support or oppose
an argument.
4. Identify established methods (e.g., scientific, historical) used to
distinguish between factual claims and opinions. 5. Distinguish between
evidence which is directly stated and evidence which is implied. 6. Identify
false statements and explain how they are used in certain kinds of persuasive
arguments. 7. Explain why common logical fallacies (e.g., the appeal to
fear, personal attack {ad hominem}, false dilemma, false analogy) do not
prove the point being argued.
7. Identify and analyze persuasive devices that are used in written and oral
communication (e.g., bandwagon, loaded words, testimonial, name-calling,
plain folks, snob appeal, misuse of statistics). 9. Identify and analyze
similarities and differences in evidence, premises, and conclusions between
two or more arguments on the same topic. 10. Evaluate the function of verbal
techniques such as ambiguity and paradox in constructing an argument.
Informational Text
1. Identify the main ideas in informational and technical texts.
2. Identify and distinguish the essential and non-essential details that
support the main idea of informational texts. 3. Recognize clear, subtle, or
implied relationships among ideas in informational and technical texts.
4. Draw appropriate inferences and conclusions in informational and
technical texts. 5. Summarize in a concise and well-organized way the main
ideas and supporting details in informational and technical texts.
6. Evaluate informational and technical texts for clarity, coherence and
appropriateness of graphics.
7. Follow extended multi-tasked or multi-dimensional instructions in
informational and technical texts to perform specific tasks, answer
questions, or solve problems.
Media
1. Recognize the effects of sound, visual images, and language on audience.
2. Analyze and apply visual and sound techniques and design elements (e.g.,
special effects, camera angles, lighting and music in television and film;
layout, pictures, and typeface in newspaper, magazines, and print
advertisements; layout, navigation, links, and interactive features on Web
sites).
3. Demonstrate awareness of the transactional nature of media by considering
audience in preparing productions.
4. Use visual images, text, graphics, music and/or sound effects that relate
to and support clear, explicit messages.
Literature
1. Analyze the setting, plot, theme, characterization, and narration of
classic and contemporary short stories and novels.
2. Demonstrate understanding of non-linear plot progressions.
3. Analyze how plot elements (e.g., exposition, rising action, climax,
falling action, resolution/denouement) function and advance action.
4. Analyze the role and function of characters (major/minor, protagonists
and antagonists) and determine ways in which the author reveals those
characters (e.g., what the author tells us, what the other characters say
about him or her, what the character does, what the character says, what the
character thinks).
5. Analyze the moral dilemmas in works of literature, as revealed by
characters’ motivation and behavior.
6. Identify ways that the plot shapes the character and presentation of
moral dilemmas in texts.
7. Identify how setting and changes in setting can affect the literary
elements (e.g., plot, character, theme, tone) in texts.
8. Analyze the narration and point of view in increasingly complex texts in
which the narrator and point of view shift with multiple characters acting as
narrators.
9. Explain the impact of the author’s choice of a particular point of view
(e.g., first person, third person, third-person limited, third-person
omniscient).
10. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the development of the theme(s) of a
literary text.
11. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the development of similar or
contrasting themes across two or more literary texts of varying complexity.
12. Analyze literary texts to identify the author’s attitudes, viewpoints,
and beliefs and to compare these to the larger historical context of the
texts.
Grading
I grade using a point system. Assignments, tests, papers, etc. each will be
allotted a specific number of points according to their significance in the
course. Students and parents will have access to Gradespeed to keep track of
their current average. Details about passwords and accessing the site will
be provided ASAP. Students will have opportunities for extra credit, paper
revisions, and binder grades, which can help boost nine-week grades. I am
glad to work with any students who would like extra help: please let me know,
and we can determine a convenient time to work together.
I take cheating very seriously; if students cheat on a test either by giving
or receiving information, they will receive a zero. Plagiarism carries an
equivalent penalty.
Guidelines for Turning in Assignments
• On assigned due dates, be prepared to turn in your work at the
beginning of class. Late assignments receive 10% less credit per day they
are overdue.
• Use a full heading - name, class period, and date
Homework
Homework will be assigned as needed. This work may include reading,
completing written exercises, writing essays, studying for tests, or working
on long-term assignments.
Tests, Papers, Projects, and Major Assignments
All tests will have advance warning, though quizzes may not. Papers,
projects, and other major assignments (at least 50 points) must be turned in
on the specified date for full credit.
Make-up Policy
Each STUDENT is responsible for completing all work missed during any absence
from class. Upon return to class after an absence, students are to look at
the weekly calendar on the board, pick up all class handouts from the
appropriate tray, and copy any notes from a classmate. Students are
responsible for making arrangements to complete make-up work according to the
time frame established by the teacher. A student’s absence must be excused
to receive full credit; for each day it is late, the assignment loses 10%
credit. If a student leaves school early or knows in advance he or she will
be absent on a due date or test day, the assignment must be handed in or the
test taken before departure for full credit.