English 11

Fairfield Ludlowe High School - Fairfield Warde High School

Ms. Kate Dawson

Room: 202

Mskatedawson@weebly.com
kdawson@fairfieldschools.org

Periods: 2+4 Day 1/3

Description:
English11isdesignedforstudentswhoarereflectivereaders,writers,andthinkers.Thecourseemphasizes
developingindividualinterpretationsofsophisticatedliterarytextsinincreasinglyautonomousways,
analyzingboththeideasinliterature,andthecraftofcreatingliterature.Communicationandcollaboration
areintegralcomponentsofthecourse.

Furthermore,studentswillparticipateinadevelopmentalsequenceofwritingassignmentsinorderto
interprettextsandtheirownexperiences.Focuswillbegiventodevelopingastrongpersonalwritingvoice
inexpositorywriting.

Expectations:
Studentswillbecomeincreasinglyresponsiblefortheirownlearningastheygeneratequestionsabouttexts,
collaborateinordertoextend,challenge,andbroadentheirthinking,andbecomeactivereadersbymaking
connections,makinginferences,notingconfusions,andrevisinginitialideasaboutatext.

Studentswillbeexpectedtoexaminefigurativelanguage,metaphoricalthinking,andphilosophicalmeaning
intexts.Independentandabstractthinking,atanacceleratedpace,isessential.

Studentswillalsoexpand
theirexperiencewiththesisbasedwritingbydemonstratinginductive,deductive,andnarrativethinkingin
theirexpositorywriting.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Connectliteraturetooneanotherandlargersocialandphilosophicalquestions/concerns
Developandbroadenthemodesofwriting
Recognizeandappreciatethewritingprocess
Challengeperceptionsandunderstandingsthroughreading,writing,discussingandcollaboratingwithpeers
Takeacriticalstancewhilereadingtexts
Developpersonalvoiceandstyleinwriting
Readawidevarietyofliterarytextstoexplorevariousoverarchingandstudentgeneratedquestions
Incorporateappropriategrammar,spelling,usage,andpunctuation
Continuetodevelopinferencebasedandcriticalthinkingskills

UNITS OF STUDY
Some of the titles we may read this year include: (either as a whole class novel or in readers
workshop)
Selected poetry and Short Stories

man

Aprimarypurposeofourunitsistoinstillinstudentsaloveofreading.ManyofmycolleaguesandIhavefound,sadly,that
atthispointintheirlearningcareersstudentshavelosttheirpassion(assumingtheyoncehadit)forreading.Researchpoints
heavilytothefactthatstudentchoice,wherestudentsareabletoselecttheirowntext,canbeapartofsolvingthisproblem.
Thus,inattempttoinspire,onceagain(orperhapsforthefirsttime),studentsloveofreading,wearealigningouryearwith
suchresearch.WewilldoacombinationofwholeclasstextsandReadersWorkshopchoicetexts.

COURSE POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS

GRADING

Summative Assessments:

90%
Papers, tests, projects, writing assignments, quizzes

Formative Assessments:

10%
Journals, reader response, annotations, graphic organizers,
notes, some quizzes

Behavioral Characteristics:

0%
Overall daily on-task behavior, on-time submissions of work,
ability to raise the level of class discussion, overall
contributions to our classroom community.

Summative Assessment is assessment of learning and provides information to make judgments about student
achievement at the end of a period of instruction and for determining an achievement grade. Summative
assessment addresses the question, Have the students achieved the intended outcomes? These assessments
measure learning at the end of a period of instruction after students have had a chance to practice learning.
Formative Assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to
adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students achievement of intended instructional outcomes. This
assessment for learning provides information about student progress and direction for improvement and / or
adjustment to a program for individual students or whole class. Formative assessment addresses the question,
Are the students learning the intended outcomes?
Behavioral characteristics include things like homework completion, participation, attitude, completeness of
notebooks, preparedness for class and the like. * From the district document on grading guidelines.

MATERIALS

1. 3-ring binder used solely for English class

2. Tab Dividers (You will need separate sections labeled by unit)
2. Post it notes (for annotating text)
3. Highlighter
4. Flashdrive/USB drive
5. Composition Book (will be used for your writers notebook)

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS

1) Handinallworkontime!Late&missingassignmentswillseverelyimpactyourgrade.
2) Studentsareexpectedtodotheirownworkandthinking.Plagiarismwillbeaddressed
accordingtoschoolpolicy.
3) Workmissedduetoabsencemustbemadeupinatimelymanner.Itisthestudents
responsibilitytogathermissedassignmentsandclasswork/notes.SeeEdlineoremailyour
teacher.
4) Beontime:alllateentrieswillberecordedastardy.
5) Studentsmustattendwritingconferencesthroughouttheyear.Thesescheduledconferences
aregradedforattendanceandpreparedness.
6) AllFairfieldLudloweHighSchoolruleswillbeenforcedinthisclass.Respectisnumberone!
7) Readingquizzeswillbegivensporadicallythroughouttheyearnotallquizzesareannounced.
8) Bringyournotebook,book,pen/pencil,andhomeworktoclassdailyyouwillnotgetcreditfor
workthatyouleftinyourlockerwhenclassbegins,youmustbeprepared!

EXTRA HELP

Extra help is always available. Students should take the initiative to schedule conferences before,
during, and after school. If you need academic accommodations, preferential seating, or having
difficulty with any aspect of the learning environment, please make an appointment to discuss the
best learning environment for your needs.
Additional Course Information
StandardsBasedGrading:

Allwritingassignmentsinthisclasswillbegradedusingastandardsrubric.Thestandardsarethe10areasof
expositorywritingonwhichallgrade10studentswillfocusonthisyearinEnglishwriting(seeattached).

Thereare4achievementareasontherubric:
(4)ExceedsGoal(3)MeetsGoal(2)ApproachingGoal(1)SignificantlyBelowGoal

WhyStandardsBasedGrading?

1. Providesstudentswithclearexpectationsastowhattheyneedtoknow(contentbased).
2. Allowsstudentstoevaluatetheirownlearning.
3. Allowsforinstructiontochangetomeettheneedsofeachstudent.
4. Differentiation:
Allowsforstudentstoshowmasteryofaskillbeforemovingontothenexttopic.
Studentswhoprovesuccessinmeetingagoalcanbeenrichedandchallengedfurther

5. Onlyacademicachievementshouldbeusedtoevaluategoalachievement(behavior,tardiness,HW
completion,cheatingetc,areseparateentities.nonacademicresponseneeded)
6. Standardsbasedsystemsallowsstudentstomoveaheadintheirlearning,basedonindividualneedrather
thancontinuingtobetaughtwhattheyalreadyknow.Standardsbasedsystemsrequirethatlearningstarts
wherethestudentisratherthanwhereheorsheshouldbe,basedonanageorgradelevel.(TakenfromStandard
BasedGradingWhatsinitforStudents(internetarticlebyTimFox)

PaperFormatting:AllformalpaperswillbewritteninMLAformat,12pointTimesNewRomanfont,double
spaced,leftjustified,1margins(unlessotherwisedirected).Feelfreetocheckout:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/printable/557/forfurtherassistance. Forheadings,seetheexamplebelow.

Header:FirstInitialLastNamePage#

FirstandLastName
Dawson
ENG11/Period
Date

OriginalTitlefortheAssignment:SubtitletoSpecifyAssignment
Note:Allotherpagesoftheassignment/papershouldbenumberedwiththestudentsFirstInitialandLast
Nameandpagenumbersshouldalsobeincludedintheheaderaswellasi.e.K.Dawson2.

**An Important Note about Infinite Campus and Grades:**

Like last spring, IC is still new for teachers, parents, students, and administrators.
The most useful way that you can utilize IC is to keep track of your missing
assignments and to keep track of your attendance. A very important point to
remember is that different assignments (i.e. major summative assignments/essays)
weigh more than others, and therefore will
your overall grade
when entered. Please ask questions right away if you are unsure about a grade, b
ut
please know that until all summative assessments are entered for the marking
period, then your final grade is not 100% accurate.

I look forward to an exciting year full of growth and new learning with each
and every one of you! I promise to keep pushing you and challenging you
(even when you think you cant possible stretch yourself any further) and I
promise you will become a stronger reader, writer, and thinker than you are
right now. In return, I ask that you come to class each day with an open mind
and with an eagerness to learn and grow.

Please sign below, along with a parent, indicating that you have read and are clear on all the
course and student expectations.

Studentsprintedname______________________________________________________

Studentssignature

X_____________________________________________________

Parentsprintedname________________________________________________________

Parentssignature

X_____________________________________________________