W

hatever your academic and career objectives may be, you will
need to have the ability to effectively communicate your ideas.
While at KIS, whatever grade level you happen to be at, it is the goal of your
English department to further develop your skills to effectively communicate. This obviously involves not only writing, but also reading, listening,
and speaking. Communication skills will be the centerpiece of your English
class.
In addition, however, we will pursue learning for the sake of learning as
well. What makes for quality literature? Why do some pieces of literature
stand the test of time, thus entering the canon commonly referred to as
classics?
Grade 10 British Literature is a British literature survey course beginning in
the first semester with the first known piece of British literature, the AngloSaxon epic Beowulf, then touching on the tales of King Arthur, and then
progressing through medieval times with Chaucers The Canterbury Tales,
which will take us through the 1st semester.
The Guiding themes for the 1st semester revolve around the themes of the
development and evolution of the English language, and the clash between
the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic streams of British literature.

1st Semester Essential Questions:

1.

2.
3.

Course Final Grade

How does language change?

How did the English language evolve from its origins to the
present day?

75%

How do Celtic and Anglo-Saxon themes combine to create a

British identity and literary history?

15%

Formative
Grades

20 %

Summative
Grades

80%

Final Exam

Independent Reading Guidelines

t is the goal of all English teachers to see each of you gain a love for reading which will last a lifetime.
There is nothing like reading to open new worlds, inspire the imagination, and instruct us all in matters
of life.
To this end, each of you will be required to bring to class a book, fiction or non-fiction, which you will read
silently each period during the opening minutes of class. You should also have your book with you
throughout the day, for those moments when you are waiting for a ride, or sitting on a bus, or waiting for
an appointment. A very useful habit to get in to is to read before falling asleep each night. It is a great way
to transition to sleep, far superior to watching television or working on your computer.
When you have finished a book, you will need to make an appointment with me to talk about the book
that you have read. This may be done in class, if classroom activities permit, or you may make an appointment during contact time, lunchtime, or before or after school. We will keep track of the books you have
read on your reading log. Independent reading grades are summative, and are counted as follows:
For an A (100):
For a B (85):
For a C (75)
For a D (65)

500 pages per trimester

400 pages per trimester
300 pages per trimester
150 pages per trimester

In addition, for an A you must choose your books from the approved Classic Literature reading list.
There will be 2 points deducted from the above summative grade for every day that you do not have your
book in class. If I am not convinced that you have read a book during our conference, you will not receive
credit. It is your job to convince me! You may not report on more than one book during any two week period. You may not use books for this purpose which you have read before, or are required to read for other
classes or hagwans. I may not approve books which are well below your reading level, or which are the basis for current popular movies. Finally, your books must be hard copies, not digital.
Please consider carefully the book that you will read. It should be a subject and genre that you enjoy, and
that is mildly challenging. We will visit the library to help you find a book, but keep in mind that you will
only be able to renew the book once, and only if no one else has placed a request for the book, so you
should plan on finishing it in 4 weeks or less. You may want to consider finding a book in a bookstore, or
ordering it from an online bookstore.
Reading period due dates are the following:
Trimester I: Nov. 11, 2013
Trimester II: Feb. 24, 2014
Trimester III: May 26, 2014

http://kis.libguides.com/highschool

English Notebook
You will need to keep a digital notebook in which you take notes on all topics, in particular during discussions of literary works. Lecture notes will also be kept in the notebook. We will have periodic journal entries, which should also be well labelled and included in the notebook. The notebook is to be turned in
when asked for. Prior notice will not be given. The reason for this is that the formative grade is for the daily
taking of notes, NOT how much you can copy in to your notebook the night before it is due!

We will be studying the following units

over the course of the year (may vary):

Summer Reading Lit Circles

Pre-History, Historical Context, Celts

Language Development and the Story of English

The Heroic Quest: Beowulf and Anglo Saxon

England

In Search of Arthur

Canterbury Tales

William Shakespeares Macbeth

Romantic Poetry

Victorian Novella: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll

and Mr. Hyde, and Portrait of Dorian Gray
Dystopian Novels: Orwells 1984

Please come prepared to class every

day with the following:
Your Independent Reading book
Blue or Black pen
Ruled (lined) paper
Laptop and Charger
Texts/Novels as needed

All assignments will be due at the beginning of the period unless otherwise indicated.
Late summative assignments will receive an automatic grade
reduction of 15% per day.
Homework and other formative assessments cannot receive
more than 50% of their original value.
All policies outlined in the KIS Parent/Student Handbook
regarding academic honesty will be strictly followed. Violations of academic honesty will result in a 0 on the assign-
ment or exam.

A positive and respectful attitude

CONTACT TIME, RIGHT