COURSE SYLLABUS FORMAT



COURSE SYLLABUS

American Literature

English 3A/B College Preparatory English

Jennifer M. Dolan

PHONE: 937-2051, ext. 2225

E-mail address: jdolan@righetti.us (website is linked to righetti.us website/RHS Home Page)

COURSE MATERIALS:

Texts: Prentice Hall/The American Experience, various articles, novels, plays, short stories and media texts.

Videos/DVDs: Adaptations of American Literature; exemplars in each of the literary periods; and documentaries utilizing rhetorical strategies.

Field Trips: NA/TBD

Materials required: Dedicated binder and journal notebooks exclusively for English course. Need access to a variety of reading materials. **Expect some internet access to be necessary throughout the semester. Use of electronic tablet encouraged in classroom activities and note-taking exercises

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed to introduce students to the Timeline of American Literature, including all of the major periods, authors, historical influences, and characteristics of those periods. It will provide cultural literacy necessary for literate student engagement in all areas of curriculum and education. A comprehensive list of California State Standards in English Language Arts (by grade-level) can be found at the California Department of Education website (linked to my RHS website, as well). The curriculum follows an integrated, chronological study of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening proficiencies required by the CCSS (Common Core State Standards for grades 11-12).

Students will be required to participate in class discussions, cooperative group presentations, a silent- sustained reading program, vocabulary development, articulating opinions about literature/art/film/politics and taking on-demand assessments in reading, writing, speaking and listening. The level of participation and skill for this course is to prepare a student for the demands of 12th grade English courses and entry-level college coursework. **Earning a grade of “D” in this course will add 5 credits to transcript; however, this grade DOES NOT reflect proficiency in grade-level standards.

Extra Help:

Classroom teacher will be available most days at lunch hour to give extra help or guidance, answer questions, and discuss or provide make up work to students. Please be sure to let me know ahead of time if/when you plan to come in. There may also be appointments made if you need to see me outside of class, during period 6-7 or (rarely) after school is out. Tutoring will continue to be available in the library after school and questions or concerns may also be addressed in e-mail. All students are capable of doing well in this course. If you are struggling with something, please contact me as soon as possible.

***If you are committed to increasing your own skills in reading and writing, spend 15-30 minutes per day practicing flashcards of vocabulary terms, reading informational texts, and practicing your writing skills. NO DRILLS take the place of regular, focused reading – the more you read and engage with high level text – the better you will become in reading, writing, speaking and vocabulary. Just like sports, if you want to become better, the more time and effort you put into PRACTICE, the more that hard work PAYS OFF in higher skills (and grades).

GRADING POLICY:

**Grades are based on points (weighted by category). Each assignment is assigned a point value. Dividing the points possible by the points earned will reveal a percentage score.

90-100%=A 80-89%=B 70-79%=C 60-69%=D Below 59%=F

Approximate Breakdown/Weighting System:

|Preparation/participation/completed work |45% |

|Major papers/Presentation/Projects/Assessments *Includes in-class writing |50% |

|Comprehensive Final Exam |5% |

*Late work is not accepted, except in the case of excused absence. Make up work needs to be completed at the earliest possible time. Work being turned in from an excused absence may not be accepted if the work is turned in more than 2 days after the due date. All arrangements should be made in writing (by e-mail) for documentation purposes to prevent errors or miscommunications.

**There will be some extra credit opportunities throughout the semester; however, extra credit is not accepted late, even in the case of an excused absence. Extra credit is not “required” and is, therefore accepted at the teacher’s discretion.

***Grades are accessible through the Parent and Student Portal at all times; however, be aware that large projects, tests, or writing assignments may take significant time to grade as the teacher may need to read and/or respond to student writing with feedback to each individual.

CHEATING POLICY:

Please refer to the RHS Student/Parent Handbook at righetti.us regarding the rules of Academic Honesty at Righetti High School and the major discipline policy regarding cheating. Plagiarism is considered cheating. Don’t put yourself (or me) in that position. may be utilized to submit and scan for plagiarism in formal writing assignments.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

**Students (individually) have ultimate responsibility for their own achievement (or lack thereof) in this course. Your attendance, active participation, preparation, and study determine your success or failure (not only with regards to your grade) but with regards to your own personal growth and achievement. Don’t expect to miss class, work on homework for other classes, or otherwise disengage, and be upset for not earning an “A” in the course. To do well, plan to come to class prepared, keep up on reading and homework, check website regularly, and attend this class on time every day.

**Most Classroom and HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE UPDATED ON A WEEKLY BASIS ON WEBSITE (listed above). Check Righetti.us regularly to check on changes or updates to course information or to access links or assignments reviewed in class.

CLASSROOM GUIDELINES/RULES:

*Respect me, yourself, other people and school property. You all know what this looks like.

SCHOOL RULES:

School Rules are listed in the Student/Parent Handbook at righetti.us.

Revised 08/2016

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