Course Syllabus

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English 9 ACP 2020-2021

Ms. Khan

Room 228

Email: khans@wellesleyps.org

Website: on canvas

We tweet: @MsKhanEnglish

Office Hours: By appointment

 

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Welcome to Advanced College Prep. English! In your first year of high school English, know that you will be both challenged and delighted. Be ready to delve into the world of reading, writing, thinking, discussing, debating, collaborating and growing as students and learners. Please remember that I am here to support you in every step of the way.

 

Semester I: WHS Freshman Writing Semester

 

The writing intensive semester develops the skills necessary to meet the rigors of high school writing. We begin with a basic review of parts of speech and effective word choice, and an analysis of Sandra Cisneros’ use of language in The House on Mango Street. We then tackle grammar and delve into a paragraphing unit, which culminates in an essay. Finally, our semester closes with an analysis of William Golding’s use of symbolism in The Lord of the Flies.

 

Unit I- Why Words Matter

  • Word choice
  • Parts of speech
  • Simile, metaphor, personification, synecdoche, hyperbole, synesthesia, etc.
  • Alliteration, assonance, consonance, etc.
  • Showing vs. Telling

 

Unit II- The House on Mango Street

  • Theme
  • Narrative style
  • Voice
  • Personal Vignette Writing

 

Unit III- Grammar & Usage

  • Sentence parts (subject, predicate, clauses, phrases)
  • Sentence types (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex)
  • Sentence purpose (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory)
  • Punctuation (comma rules, semicolon, colon, etc.)
  • Sentence errors (fragments, run-ons, comma splices)

 

Unit IV- The Kite Runner

  • Structure
  • Sequencing of ideas
  • Unity
  • Flow
  • Clarity of language
  • Implementing grammatical elements (participles, action verbs, etc.)
  • Putting paragraphs together to write papers
  • Elements of literature

 

Semester II: Introduction to Literary Genres

 

During this semester, we will learn how to read literature in the following genres: myth, short story, poetry, memoir, novel, graphic novel and drama. Your nightly reading will usually be 25 pages or written assignments of about 500 words will be assigned. Please expect random reading quizzes.

 

Unit V- Lord of the Flies

  • Searching for Justice
  • What constitutes right and wrong in a changing world?

 

Unit VII- A Raisin in the Sun

      - Cultural Identity

      - How do we understand “the other”?

 

Unit VII- Romeo and Juliet

  • Coming of age
  • Who and what determine who I am?

 

Materials

I encourage you to come prepared to class each day with a writing utensil, highlighter, paper and your text that we are reading. 

 

It is important that you remain organized though out this year. I will do binder checks throughout the year for a grade. On occasion, we will clean out and organize binders together to help you build these skills.

 

By Tuesday, September 4th, please prepare a binder with the following sections labeled:

  1. Writer’s Notebook
  2. Writing Semester Workbook – Part I
  3. The House on Mango Street
  4. The Kite Runner
  5. Essays
  6. Vocabulary
  7. Literature

 

Classroom Expectations

 

Each day, I expect you to embody these values laid out by the Wellesley Public Schools:

  • Academic Excellence
  • Commitment to Community
  • Respect for Human Differences
  • Cooperative and Caring Relationships

 

  1. Attend class regularly. If you know you will be absent, please let me know beforehand. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to check with a classmate regarding missed work, and then acquire the handouts you have missed. You are responsible for all work missed.
  2. Arrive on time. Please come to class on time. Three tardy arrivals will translate into a cut. If you are more than 10 minutes late for any given class, you will receive a cut. Be ready to begin when the bell rings. Any work due should be ready (stapled, etc.) to turn in at the bell.
  3. Be prepared. Do your homework so that you can speak thoughtfully about your ideas and questions and participate actively in class discussions. Sit up straight, look at the speaker and engage in what is going on through active listening and participation.
  4. Limit your visits to the bathroom and keep them short and infrequent. You may not use the bathroom within the first 15 and last 15 minutes of class. Every time you use the bathroom, I make note of it—if you have left class more than three times per quarter, we can chat.
  5. Cellphones. I have a zero tolerance policy for cellphones, so we will put away cellphones in our holder as soon as we get to class, which means I should not see you using your cellphone, even if it is to check time. IF I see it, I will take it away from you and return it to you at the end of class, on first offence, or at the end of the day on second offence. PLEASE do not ask me if you can “listen to music” while we are working/reading silently. Unless you have an official note allowing this, I will count this as an offence.
  6. Turning in Assignments: All assignments should be printed, stapled and ready to turn in at the beginning of class. Assignments not ready before class starts will be considered late. If you are on campus but absent from class (i.e. field trip, doctor’s appointment, meeting, etc.) you are still responsible to turn in work on the same day. It is your responsibility to find out what you missed while you were away, and connect with me to schedule the make-up work.
  7. Make-up work: In accordance with the WHS English Department, 100 point papers or projects will have a late penalty of 10 points assessed on the first late day and 5 points for every subsequent day. Weekends and drop days count as late time. For any assignment that is not an essay, I accept NO late work.
  8. Integrity: Cheating shows a lack of respect for self and for others. Taking short cuts—such as SparkNotes or asking a friend for a synopsis of reading—is cheating. Plagiarism is cheating. If you are unprepared for a quiz, or if you cannot meet the deadline for an assignment, accept your responsibility by being honest and accepting the consequences. Please see the “Academic Integrity” section of the Student Handbook, starting on page 70 for more information.
  9. Grades: Grades are updated regularly on PowerSchool for you to check, and for your parents to see. I encourage you to speak to me or email me about homework or grade-related questions before you ask your parents to intervene.

 

Grading:

Essays and Projects- 40%

Tests and Quizzes – 30%

Homework- 20%

Class Participation – 10%