Brooklyn Technical High School



Brooklyn Technical High School English Department

Mr. Williams

Course Contract

The following is a list of assignments that each student in this course is responsible for completing for the purpose of successfully passing this required class. This document will also include the weight (in percentage) of each assignment. Deadlines and dates for exams and projects will be given during a class session. It is recommended that students keep track of their grades in each area of evaluation. Figuring out your final grade is simply a matter of arithmetic. Multiply your actual grade and the weighted percentage of each assignment. Then add the different products. The sum is your grade point average. Remember that the second and third marking period grades of each term are accumulative.

Exams

Each exam is worth 15% of your grade. One two-day exam will be administered each marking period. Exams will cover spelling, vocabulary, grammar, short answer questions about class content, reading comprehension, and an essay. The following are the test dates for this term:

October 7-8, 2008, November 12-13, 2008, January 21-23, 2009,

March 9-10, 2009, April 27-28, 2009, June 11-15, 2009

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Projects

Each project is worth 20% of your grade. One project will be assigned each marking period. The following is a list of this term’s projects and their respective deadlines: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Homework

Homework will be assigned during each week. All of those written assignments must be handed in on Friday. Students must leave their sets of weekly homework on the teacher’s desk upon entering the classroom on that Friday. Make-up homework will be accepted with a penalty of five points per day. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the homework is submitted on Friday, even if it means sending it via email to the teacher or to a friend who can submit it to the teacher. Each collective set of homework will be graded on a scale of 1-20. To determine a student’s homework grade, at least five sets will be collected each marking period. The five grades will be added. The sum will be your homework grade. Your homework grade is worth 10% of your overall grade.

Quizzes

Quizzes will be administered every week. Those quizzes will be given on Fridays, unless otherwise informed. If a student misses a quiz, he/she must schedule a time to take a make-up. Quizzes will either cover spelling, vocabulary, grammar, class content, or reading comprehension. Quizzes will be graded on a scale of 0-20. Each marking period, five quizzes will be given, giving students a chance to earn 100 total points. The total quiz grade is worth 15% of your grade.

The “Writing Process” Essays

For the purpose of practicing the writing process, a four-draft essay assignment will be given each marking period. Each Friday students will be instructed to write a draft of the essay. The completed essay must be handed in on the following school day. The essay must be placed on the teacher’s desk as soon as the student enters the classroom. Essays that are not submitted on time will not be accepted. The advice about being responsible in regards to homework applies to the essay assignments as well. Each draft will be graded on a scale of 1-25. Essays will be evaluated based on the following criteria: opening, purpose, style, structure, supporting evidence, grammar, transitions, and closing. To determine a student’s grade, a maximum of four drafts of the essay will be collected each marking period. Each student’s goal, by the fourth draft, is to earn a score of 25. If a student earns a score of 25 prior to writing a fourth draft, then the student will not have to write anymore drafts during that marking period. Otherwise, the four draft grades will be added. The sum will be your essay grade. Your four-draft essay grade is worth 15% of your overall grade.

Class Work

Timed Essays: For the purpose of developing effective writing skills, under the pressure of time, students will write several timed essays in class. Students will then use peer and teacher feedback to revise the draft. The draft will be evaluated using the same rubric for all essays written in the class. This portion of your class work grade is worth 10% of your overall grade.

Attendance/Participation: Attendance will have an impact on your overall grade. Unexcused absences and latenesses may have a negative effect on your performance on class assignments. A student might miss a quiz, not gather key information in preparation for a class assignment, exam, etc, or not be able to submit required work as a result of being absent without an excuse or arriving late to class. As a result, your overall grade point average may be lower than desired or expected. Punctuality and attendance are key to your academic success. Also, each student’s level of class participation/preparation will be evaluated. The evaluation will measure the quality and quantity of each student’s participation in classroom discussions. This portion of your class work grade is worth 5% of your overall grade. Refer to the attached rubric to see how class participation will be evaluated.

Diagnostic Exercises: For the purpose of preparing for standardized testing, students will learn how to analyze reading selections and improve their ability to master reading comprehension/rhetorical analysis exercises. This portion of your class work grade is worth 10% of your grade.

Course Outline

Marking Period 1:

Essential Question: What are the rhetorical devices that writers use to covey their point of view and tone?

Texts: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth.

Cohen, Samuel. 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology, New York.

Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Shea, Renee. The Language of Composition. New York.

Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Marking Period 2:

Essential Question: How do writers use rhetorical devices to convey ideas and establish positions?

Texts: Chaucer, Geoffrey. Canterbury Tales.

Cohen, Samuel. 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology, New York.

Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Shea, Renee. The Language of Composition. New York.

Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Marking Period 3:

Essential Question: Why does language have to be aesthetically pleasing to be effective?

Texts: McNamara, John. (Translation) Beowulf.

Cohen, Samuel. 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology, New York.

Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Shea, Renee. The Language of Composition. New York.

Bedford/St. Martin’s.

I, ________________________________________________________ understand and agree to the terms of this course.

Signature _______________________________________ Date _____________

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download