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English Language Arts III

2012-2013

Albany Leadership High School

Mission Statement

The Albany Leadership Charter High School for Girls prepares young women to graduate from high school with the academic and leadership skills necessary to succeed in college and the career of their choosing.

Instructor: Ms. Chrisheena Hill

Email: chill@

Phone: 716-514-2028 cell (call/text)

Class website: chillsela.

Office hours:

MWF: Periods 1 and 6

Tues. /Thurs. Periods 3 and 6

Afterschool by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION

English 11 is a course that is designed to help students improve established skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and language so they may excel on the New York State English Regents exam and in the college or career of their choosing. This requires that students be dedicated learners who are ready to become smart, independent, and strong young women. Throughout the course, we will be moving at a quick pace and will be completing in-depth and challenging work. The course will provide a solid basis for future academic work and encourage students to become lifelong learners. Throughout this course, students will become acquainted with various types of literature, including novels, short stories, essays, drama, and poetry. In addition to reading, analyzing, and evaluating literature, students will practice and develop writing skills through the use of essays, journals, creative writing, speech writing, research papers, and other literary responses. While working to develop writing skills, emphasis will be placed on proper grammar, writing structure and composition, vocabulary, and spelling skills. As students become effective writers, they will demonstrate their ability in a variety of forms and for different audiences and purposes. Students will continually use critical thinking and technology to communicate ideas of writers, as well as ideas of their own. This course will build on knowledge learned in previous grades and prepare students for future English courses. The course integrates the New York State common core standards with the use of rigorous and informational texts.

ALH POLICIES

All students taking English 11 are responsible for reading and following the Albany Leadership school wide policies posted in the Parent Guardian Handbook and on our school website () in the following areas: (a) accommodations for students who have disabilities, (b) academic and culture, (c) discipline and procedures, (d) academic integrity.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Baldwin, James. If Beale Street Could Talk. New York: Vintage Books, 1974.

Danticat, Edwidge. Breath, Eyes, and Memory. New York: Vintage Books, 1998.

Dorris, Michael. A Yellow Raft In Blue Water. New York: Picador, 1987.

Gaines, Earnest. A Lesson Before Dying. Random House. New York. 1994.

Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage Books, 1994.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. HarperCollins Publishers. New York. 2006.

Jacobs, Harriet A. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Stilwell, KS, 2005.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. London: Penguin Classics, 2003.

Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Plume Books, 1994.

Naylor, Gloria. The Women of Brewster Place. New York. Penguin Books, 1980.

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books, 1994.

Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. New York: Signet, 1974.

Wilson, August. The Piano Lesson. New York: Plume, 1990.

Yezierska, Anzia. Breadgivers. Persea, 2003.

Additional readings/articles will be available through hand-outs.

TOPICS, READINGS, AND ASSIGNMENTS

Introduction to class:

9/5-9/7 Summer Reading

❖ Review of syllabus

❖ SRI assessment

❖ Review summer reading assignment

❖ Essay on summer reading assigned

❖ Summer reading project due Friday (9/14)

❖ Introduction to Colonial Unit

9/12-10/05 Colonial Unit: The Crucible By: Arthur Miller

( Essential Questions:

❖ How does a collective fear affect the group or individuals?

❖ Is hypocrisy a natural human flaw?

❖ Why and how do religion, politics, and persecution interact?

❖ Is personal integrity more important than survival?

❖ Does a governing body have the right to dictate morality?

10/09-11/02 Native American Experience Unit: A Yellow Raft in Blue Water By: Michael Doris

( Essential Questions:

❖ How are the problems of one generation passed on to the next?

❖ What is the relationship between truth and perspective?

❖ How much of our self-identity is of our own making?

❖ What role does religion play in creating a world view?

❖ Is it possible to have multiple identities and honor both?

11/05-11/21 Romanticism Unit: Various authors and poets

*Some include: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman

( Essential Questions

How did the artists and writers of the romantic movement also reflect and influence changes in this era?

What are the essential characteristics of romanticism?

How does our literary past help to define our identity as modern Americans?

11/26-12/21 Civil War Unit: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Slave Narrative) By: Harriet Jacobs

( Essential Questions

How does our literary past help to define our identity as modern Americans?

What does it mean to sacrifice?

What does it mean to be “free”?

*The Gettysburg Address

1/3-2/15 Immigrant Experience Unit: Breath, Eyes, Memory By: Edwidge Danticat

Breadgivers By: Anzia Yezierska

( Essential Questions

How do the ideas of loyalty and betrayal determine the strength of one’s character?

How does contemplation of consequence impact decision-making?

What does it mean to be an American?

How do we negotiate between two cultural worlds?

*Breath, Eyes, Memory (1/3-1/25)

*Breadgivers (1/28-2/15)

2/25-5/3 The American Dream Unit: See below for texts

( Essential Questions

Does the American Dream look the same for everyone?

What holds value in the American Dream?

*A Streetcar Named Desire By: Tennessee Williams (2/25-3/15)

*John Steinbeck Book Club (3/18-3/28) *Independent Reading with Project

-Students will select a text written by author and complete an independent project.

*A Raisin in the Sun By: Lorraine Hansberry (3/18- 4/5)

5/6-5/24 African American Authors Unit: The Bluest Eye By: Toni Morrison

-You will be required to read one additional text from the required readings list on the second page of the syllabus.

( Essential Questions

What advancements have women made in society?

In what ways have women been gaining more recognition for their literary achievements?

How are the female characters treated in these texts?  Would this be tolerated today?

5/28-6/11 Regents Review

**Required MLA research project: In May you will be required to submit a “Hot topic” of interest that you will research. A handout will be provided at a later date that will outline requirements.

COURSE FORMAT AND ASSIGNMENTS

* All written assignments should conform to MLA format, be doubled spaced with standard margins, printed in 12 point Times New Roman.

*All formal assignments and major projects must be types unless otherwise directed by instructor.

All requirements are to be completed on time. Students who do not complete assignments on time will receive a lower grade. Please notify instructor immediately of any emergencies that will result in an absence or late arrival.

PROJECT/ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION:

Reflective Journals:

An important aspect of the English classroom is reflection. Students need to take time to process the work they’ve done or the text they’ve just read. In order to truly understand the meaning and concepts being presented, students need to take time to sit, reflect, and write. To encourage this, each student will be required to bring a marble notebook to class. We will keep these in class unless a student specifically wishes to take the journal home in which she can write her feelings and thoughts towards class work and any personal experiences that relate to the content. These will be counted as a quiz grade and will be collected multiple times throughout the marking period to ensure that students are reading and reflecting.

In addition to daily journal/ reflective assignments you will be required to complete the following:

Directions and Rubrics

F.I.V.E.S. Questions and Answers= 25 points total Use the Rubric specific to the F.I.V.E.S.

You are required to write and share 3 complete F.I.V.E.S assignments based on the weekly readings and classroom materials per week. It acts as a Spring Board to our class discussion and will hopefully be useful for writing assignments.

Each F.I.V.E.S. is worth 25 points. Be sure to write full/deep questions and give complete answers. This is a college preparatory strategy and will help you become more active and efficient readers. Being able to think, question and answer comprehension questions as we read is essential to true learning. To learn how to create questions before, during and after our reading is what equates into total comprehensive understanding/ knowledge/ application/evaluation. It creates curiosity and the need to want to discover more.

*All questions show critical thinking levels. We want to write questions that ASK for real understanding vs. simple memorization*

The F.I.V.E.S. stands for the following key elements of successful reading and writing.

•F: Fact question: literal, and the answer can be found directly within the text

•I: Inferential question: higher level thinking skill; this answer cannot be found directly within the text, instead the text only supports the answer.

•V: Vocabulary question: the necessary background in language that gives the reader the foundational understanding and concepts to answer questions that show comprehensive reading.

•E: Experience question: the reader’s reflecting on her own personal connections and experiences with information that relates to the topic. The answer has… “YOU” in it.

*S: Summary question: is a brief sequential request for reflection that pulls together the key

ideas/information from a selection of reading. The answer will provide a “map” with sequenced information to tell the most important information.

Question Starters:

• What ideas justify…?

• How can you make a distinction between...?

• What is the relationship between…?

• What conclusions can you draw…?

• What motive is there...?

• What do you think…?

• Why do you think…?

• What is the theme…?

• Why do you agree with the actions/ outcomes…?

• How would you prove/ disprove…?

• What choice would you have made…?

• What details would you use to support the view…?

• What would happen if…?

• How can you elaborate on the reason…?

*This will take practice. I am here to support you. Using the excuse that you didn’t know how to complete this or that you didn’t have any questions will not excuse you from the assignment. Please see me if you need help.

FIVES Questions/Answers Rubric

5 Points- Outstanding =A

Questions are relevant, well defined, and accurately representative of the reading. They have addressed completely the areas of Fact, Inference, Vocabulary, Experience and Summary in an articulate, creative manner that leads the reader to the major points of the reading and the supporting details. The questions support higher level thinking responses and provoke connections to self, text and world. The answers are very complete, correct, and supported by text and experiences.

4 Points- Above Average =B

Questions are generally relevant, well defined, and accurately representative of the reading. They have addressed the basics the areas of Fact, Inference, Vocabulary, Experience and Summary in an adequate manner that leads the reader to the most major points of the reading and the supporting details. The questions generally support higher level thinking responses and provoke connections to self, text and world. The answers are adequately complete, correct, and supported by text and experiences.

3 Points- Sufficient =C

Questions are somewhat relevant, well defined, and accurately representative of the reading. They have roughly addressed the basics in the areas of Fact, Inference, Vocabulary, Experience and Summary in an inconsistent manner that leads the reader to the some major points of the reading and the supporting details. The questions somewhat support higher level thinking responses and provoke connections to self, text and world. The answers are somewhat complete, correct, and supported by text and experiences.

2 Points – Below Average =D

Questions are generally not, well defined, and accurately representative of the reading. They have rarely addressed the basics the areas of Fact, Inference, Vocabulary, Experience and Summary and generally do not lead the reader to the major points of the reading and the supporting details. The questions lack support higher level thinking responses and provoke connections to self, text and world. The answers are generally incomplete, or incorrect, and lack support by text and experiences.

1 Point- Insufficient =F

Incomplete and/or un-expectable in all categories.

Independent Reading:

Every student will be required to engage in reading novels outside of class and to complete projects based on these novels. Students will begin the school year by reading one novel of their choice per month. As the year progresses, students will be expected to increase to two novels a month. These can be novels on almost any subject and in any genre. Students should be picking novels that are appropriate for their reading level, so I will be checking to make sure that the length and difficulty are challenging enough. You are required to complete 4 F.I.V.E.S assignments per independent reading novel.

Portfolios:

Throughout the year, students will be contributing writing pieces to their own writing portfolios. Each marking period, students will submit at least two writing pieces to their writing portfolios. This portfolio is a chance for students to gather work they are proud of and that shows growth. The goal of this portfolio is to have students look through their writing over the course of the year and determine their strengths and weaknesses as writers, and to build upon each. Students will be required to reflect on their work using the “reflection questionnaire” given by instructor. They will be able to see their skills from day one to the last day of school and see how far they’ve come as excellent writers. It is my hope that they will carry this portfolio with them throughout the rest of their high school careers. Younger classmates will have a chance to contribute one piece of writing per year, and by the time they graduate they will have a portfolio with four separate writing pieces that show the abilities of each student and their growth.

Flex time

Mondays, from 3:25-4:00, students will be able to come to English classrooms after school to receive extra help in anything related to the course. However, this is also a time that students who are falling behind in class must stay after school in order to receive extra help. The conditions that will determine whether or not a student must stay after are as follows:

Student did not hand in homework.

Student was asked to leave class due to disrespectful/disruptive behavior.

Student missed a class because she was more than 10 minutes late.

*Parents will be contacted if a student needs to stay for flex time.

*Although Mondays, is a designated ELA Flex day, I will be available most days after school for assistance.

GRADES

Student grades will be calculated using the ALH school-wide grading scale. The course grade will be earned through assignments, participation, reflection and collaboration with colleagues.

Teacher Created Assessments-35%

Teacher created assessments will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Essays

• F.I.V.E.S assignments

• Vocabulary quizzes

• Reading quizzes

• Unit exams

• Unit/ Final Projects

Teacher Created Classwork-20%

• Journals

• Small group projects (text analysis, writing assignments, presentations)

• Handouts worksheets specific to current unit

• Small writing assignments (Quotation explication, reflections, writing prompts)

Benchmark Assessments- 25%

• School- wide assessment that all 11th grade students will take approximately every 5-6 weeks.

Do now/ Exit Tickets- 10%

• Short assignments that introduce, close the lesson, or checks for students thoughts and understanding on a given topic.

Homework- 10%

• Any assignment that was to be completed outside of class time to supplement daily instruction.

Grades: Incompletes will not be given in this class. However, in extenuating circumstances you will have the opportunity to complete course requirements at the discretion of instructor. Student must meet with instructor to determine agreement.

GRADING SCALE

A (90-100)

B (89-80)

C (79-70)

F (Below 70)

Note:

Any absences (personal, ill, removal from class) must be rescheduled with teacher. It is the responsibility of student to follow up with teacher to complete work, get class notes and or make up any remaining work for the day.

Please use the following heading for all papers:

Name: _________________________ Date:___________

Teacher/Period: _____ “One leader changes everything.”

Note:

You may read this syllabus and panic at the amount of work that is required for this class. Our goal is that you pass this class, the Regents exam, and are more prepared for college. You are eleventh graders and time will move quickly. I am here to support you. Don’t wait until the last minute to admit you need support. This class will move quickly and you will be responsible for your learning. If you are absent or not in class for any reason, it is your responsibility to make sure you make up the work. I will not chase you because your college professors will not either. However, I will help you in any way I can to ensure you are successful. It is mandatory that you complete required readings. You will not pass this class if you do not read the assigned materials. You will have reading every night. This reading may include class texts or your independent reading novels. You will be given an opportunity to take the Comprehensive Regents Exam in January. If you pass, you will not be required to take the exam in June. I am so excited about our year together and I know we can work together to ensure you are successful.

Please have your parent or guardian complete the information below and return to me by September 7, 2012.

Student Name: ____________________________________________________

Grade: _________

Parent Name: _____________________________________________________

Best phone number to be reached: ____________________________________

Email address: ____________________________________________________

Any additional comments or questions:

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Please sign below stating that you have seen and read this syllabus

______________________________________________________________________

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