Course Description and Expectations

Sophomore English (H): Course Description and Expectations

Mrs. Vice-Hisey, D and E blocks

Course Description:

Sophomore English is a year-long course that focuses on students’ development of reading and writing skills, and introduces students to important writers and recurring themes primarily in American literature.  Over the course of the year, students will compile a portfolio that demonstrates their growth as writers.  During the first semester, the primary focus will be on analytical and persuasive writing.  We begin each unit with shorter writing assignments to build skills in paragraph and thesis development, style, and close textual analysis.  We will then move on to longer, more sophisticated pieces, including a research paper.  Our study of literature will complement our work on writing skills.  We will compare how authors from various eras explore similar themes such as the search for identity, the individual versus society, and the American dream.  Students will also continue to develop skill and confidence as readers through an independent reading project as well as through our class discussions.

Key Goals:

  • Students will continue to develop skill and confidence with various types of writing assignments including literary analysis, persuasion, and personal narrative.
  • At the end of the year, students will compile a portfolio that demonstrates their growth as writers and their mastery of various writing skills.
  • Students will learn the skills necessary to write a research paper including locating and evaluating sources, taking notes, outlining, documenting sources, drafting, and revising.
  • Students will practice the skills necessary to prepare for the MCAS  exam.
  • Students will continue to develop skill and confidence as readers and will become familiar with some of the major authors, texts, and themes of the American Literary Tradition.
  • Students will be able to make connections and comparisons between literary works by different authors and from different eras, and they will be able to recognize recurring themes in literature.

Themes and essential questions:

  • The Search for Identity – Who am I?
  • The Individual vs. Society – Individuality vs. Conformity–Can you be an individual yet conform to social norms, expectations, and “rules”?  What’s more important? The society as a whole or the individual?
  • Dreams and Goals– What do we value? What kind of world do we want?

Reading List:

We will read several of the following titles:

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Walden (excerpts), “Self Reliance,” “Civil Disobedience,” “Nature”

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Shakespearean Play (right now, it’s Othello)

Various short stories & poems (authors include O’Connor, Tan, Bradbury, King, Vonnegut, Cather)

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King

Independent reading from a list of recommended books

 

Class Rules and Policies:

  • Cell phones, electronic communication devices, and computer policy:

Cell phones and other electronic communication devices must be turned off and stored during class.  In addition, computers are to be used for class purposes, not for social networking, gaming, or homework for other courses.  If a student uses a phone, computer, or other communication devices contrary to class rules, the student will be asked for the device and, once we are back in school full-time, may lose computer privileges. Cell phones will be returned to the student at the end of class after the first offense and if the phone continues to be an issue, it might have to be picked up in the office. I really just want you taking advantage of learning time!

  • Class behavior:

I expect everyone to treat each other with courtesy and respect.  Tolerance and cooperation are essential to supporting each other.  Insults, intimidation, sarcasm, harassment, and bullying do not belong in our classroom.  If I am absent, I expect everyone to cooperate with the substitute and be productive during my absence.

Cheating and plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment, including tests and exams. There is no reason to cheat in our class; anyone having difficulty completing work needs to talk to me in order to manage and solve the problem. Cheating includes using a summary of a literary work from sites such as Sparknotes, copying another’s homework, notes, or assessment answers, and presenting someone else’s writing or research as your own.   Plagiarism is deemed as using another’s ideas, words, or work as if they were your own.  It is a form of cheating and CCHS rules will be enforced (see CCHS handbook).

  • Care of class materials and classroom:

Students need to return any course materials in good condition at the end of the year.  If damaged or missing, a replacement cost is charged. I expect students to adhere to the school rules regarding food in our classroom and to leave the classroom and desks in good condition–just as they found them upon entering the room.

  • Attendance and Tardiness:

I expect students to attend class on time and on a regular basis.  Please read and follow the CCHS attendance policy outlined in the Handbook for Students and Parents. An unexcused absence from class can result in a detention, but see me if you have one so we can talk about it first.  If you are late, please place your pass on my desk.  Students are expected to use passes infrequently and for relatively short periods of time (5/7 minutes). If a student is out of class for an unreasonable amount of time, I may ask you to make this time up with me so I can make sure you are aware of the entire lesson. If a student needs to access a counselor during class time, he or she may leave class quietly without making a request for a pass and the counselor should send me an email for attendance purposes. In order to avoid any conflicts, I will not excuse an absence without an excuse received through the main office, counselor, nurse, or guidance counselor.

 

Extra help:

If you need extra help, please contact me, and we can set up a time to meet. This year, all of the teachers will have “office hours” before or after school; this is once each week for 30 minutes. My hours will usually be after school in room 334 on Wednesdays. Zoom extra help is not available this year at CC; we will need to meet in person.

 

Grade Scale:

97-100 A+ 93-96 A 90-92 A-

87-89   B+ 83-86 B 80-82 B-

77-79   C+ 73-76 C 70-72 C-

67-69   D+ 63-66 D 60-62 D- Below 60 F

Your grade average is determined on a total points basis. Given this, the weight in points of each assignment will increase from a lower end of points for homework, class participation, and quizzes (and I usually do not give quizzes :), to more points, usually 50, on an assignment dealing with skill development, such as an essay draft, to the largest number of points for polished essays, Socratic seminars, and tests.

Please remember that when looking at the grade and average in Aspen/X2, this can be deceptive because the average can significantly swing given the weight of the assignment.  This weighting can mean that at the end of the quarter, with an essay or a test, or both (!), a student’s grade average can change sometimes by a full grade.