Course Syllabus and Policies English 10 Mr.

Pennisi Fall 2013

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. Theres no way around these two things that Im aware of, no shortcut. Stephen King, On Writing I have often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me. I knew right there, in prison, that reading had changed forever the course of my life. As I see it today, the ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive. Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X

English 10 is a pivotal course for many students. Rigor and relevance are emphasized, with the end result being students who are better readers, writers, and thinkers. The course begins with a concentration on reading strategies that will enable students to read and think critically about a text; these skills are imperative for students to function in the world beyond high school. A rigorous English 10 course covers texts from a number of time periods and cultures and by a broad range of writers. Because the courses reading list is extensive, it focuses on introducing students to interpretive strategies that they can then use to develop a deep understanding of any texts they read. The course introduces students to Greek and Latin roots, suffixes, and prefixes; provides them with strategies for annotating significant ideas; coaches them to use context clues to understand difficult passages; and explores theories of literary criticism. Such strategies help students develop a repertoire of reading strategies, the makeup of literacy. Moreover, because a rigorous English 10 course relies upon a scaffolding of knowledge and skills, the further students are in the course, the more sophisticated their interpretations will be. Therefore, what strategies students deploy in an initial investigation of an editorial in the Opelika/Auburn News, for example, depends upon when in the semester the reading takes place. There will be significant growth. Essential questions will form the basis of our reading exploration, and answers to these questions become more complex later in the semester. Writing of various types and complexities form the foundation of the class, and the rhetorical strategies explored while reading will be applied to writing. Much of the writing will prepare students for academic writing in later courses, for college admission essays, or for real-world applications.

Course Overview In English 10, students will read short stories, novels, autobiographies and other types of nonfiction, articles, poems, and plays. The works come from a broad range of time periods and cultures. In addition to reading, students will be writing expository, narrative, and persuasive essays as well as stories and poems. We will not, of course, neglect grammar study and vocabulary development; the basic skills are vital to students success.

Course Content 1. Reading Personal Reading Reading Strategies Knowledge of Literary Forms Authors Voice and Method Persuasive Language and Logic Literary Criticism Words and Their History Specific works include Of Mice and Men, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, and The Lovely Bones. There will be two self-selected novels (one each semester). We will study a seemingly endless assortment of poems, with concentrated study on the poems of Lucille Clifton and Langston Hughes. An anthology, Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience, will be kept in the classroom. 2. Writing Writing Process Modes of Writing for Different Purposes and Audiences Organization, Unity, and Coherence Sentence-Level Constructions Conventions of Usage Conventions of Punctuation 3. Research The major product will be The Expert Project, an ongoing research-based assignment that will be built upon during English 11 and English 12. 4. Listening, Viewing, and Speaking Comprehension and Analysis Application 5. Study Skills and Test Taking (with major emphasis on the English 10 End-of-Course Test)

Course Materials Needed Daily Pen or pencil Class notebook: a three-ring binder with dividers Notebook paper Grading Grading will conform to the English Department standard for grade 10, which is a points-based system. Students will know the point value and category when an assignment is given. There are no weighted grades. Rules and Policies Students are aware of my classroom discipline policies. I dont foresee any p roblems this year that cant be resolved by following the AHS Student Handbook. Extra Help and Support I am always available if you or your child needs me. My planning period is third block every day; this is a good time for parent conferences, although Im also available before and after school. The best way to reach me is via email at jpennisi@auburnschools.org. For students, I stay after school every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for makeup work and extra help. I give the students a detailed schedule every other Monday that lists all class work and homework assignments; this is also available on the Pennisi English 10 Moodle page. Please feel free to offer any suggestions or comments to me. I am constantly growing as a professional and welcome your input.

Cordially,

John Pennisi

Classroom Policies English 10 Pennisi

English 10 is a term course in grammar, writing, speech, and literature. All rules and policies of Auburn High School as published in the AHS Student Handbook are observed in this class. In addition, the following classroom policies will be observed.

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Grades are based on a points system. In general, major tests are worth 100-200 points, essays are worth 50-100 points, homework and class work are worth 5-50 points, and projects are worth 50-100 points. There are no weighted categories. Penalties for late work on MAJOR assignments (more than 50 points) are 20% per day. No late work is accepted on shorter assignments. Please read what the Student Handbook says about absences. You cannot make up any work due to an unexcused absence, and you will receive zeros. For excused absences, see me before or after class for your missed assignments. Remember that all assignments are on the weekly schedule, and the weekly schedule is also posted on the web site. You have one week to turn in any makeup work (unless you ask for and are granted an extension. Please also pay attention to your unexcused absences. English 10 awards a half-credit each nine weeks. This means that you fail on your sixth unexcused absence each nine weeks!

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You should leave the room for bathroom emergencies only. You must ask permission and sign out when leaving the room. You will have two (perhaps three) P-Passes to be used for leaving the room. Note that if you dont use all of your P -Passes, they can be redeemed for extra credit in December. The use of cell phones is never permitted. All cell phones should remain off and entirely out of sight. If I see a cell phone, I send it to the office for parent pickup; I dont issue warnings. Please dont charge your cell phones in the classrooms because this is a violation of the policy. The use of MP3 players is occasionally allowed. When this is the case, I will make an announcement. Until that time, all MP3 players should remain off and entirely out of sight. Please dont charge your electronic devices in the classroom because this is a violation of the policy. You are expected to respect your peers. We will follow all rules as published in the AHS Student Handbook.

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