Course Requirements 12 New Paltz full course requirements including homework and class participation rubrics
The first semester of this course will provide you with the opportunity to become a more effective writer and critical reader. Literature will focus on the quarter themes of Challenges and Reflections.
- To use literature to help make sense of the world
- To illustrate your own interpretation of a text
- To express your ideas and experiences through the spoken and written word
- To see yourself positively as a reader, writer, listener, thinker, and speaker
You will require the following for this class:
- A place to take notes, whether it to be a folder on a Chromebook or an actual notebook
Texts
We will read texts from the list provided below:
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman
The Body by Stephen King
Into the Wild by John Krakauer
Night by Elie Wiesel
Selected short stories, poems, and films
Assignments
All assignments should include your name, the date, and the class period in the heading. Final drafts of all essays must be typed with standard margins, in a clear 12pt font and submitted in Google Classroom and turnitin.com (when required).
Course Policies Student Responsibilities:
- Arrive on time and prepared for class each day.
- Participate daily.
- Take clear and organized notes each period.
- Take care of texts issued to you.
- Complete assignments in a timely fashion.
- Work effectively and respectfully with peer groups and teacher.
- Seek help from your teacher as soon as you realize help is needed.
- Follow the school rules.
- Take responsibility for all missed work due to absence or lateness.
- Keep cell phones out of sight for the duration of class unless otherwise directed.
Policies Concerning Absence:
- Any work previously assigned is due on the day you return. Any test previously assigned must be taken on the day of your return. These tests must be made up during a study period, lunch, or after school. Extenuating circumstances will be handled at the teacher’s discretion.
- You are responsible for making up the classwork and homework assigned during your absence. This work must be made up and submitted within two days after you return. It is YOUR responsibility to find out exactly what you have missed and to COMPLETE it without having to be reminded. When you are absent, call another member of your class to get your assignments or check Google Classroom.
- NO WORK OR TESTS MAY BE MADE UP IF THE ABSENCE IS A CUT. YOU WILL RECEIVE A GRADE OF ZERO ON THESE ASSIGNMENTS.
- Any absences for school-related reasons (music lessons, field trips, appointments with the nurse, guidance and/or another teacher) must be approved in advance.
Policies Concerning Late Work:
- Homework will NOT be accepted late. If it’s not in class, it’s a zero. Extenuating circumstances will be handled at the teacher’s discretion.
- Essays and other assignments must be handed in on or before the due date. If you are in school, but miss English on the date the assignment is due, you are still responsible for handing the assignment to your teacher on that day. If you are absent on the date the assignment is due, the assignment must be handed in on the day you return.
- Journals may be handed in late for up to one week, with a penalty of a point a day. After one week, journal assignments will no longer be accepted.
Penalties: 5 Points will be deducted for each day the assignment is late.
English Department Re-write policy: Any major written assignment may be re-written within a week of its return to you provided: The first draft was handed in on time You schedule a writing conference to discuss the revision with your teacher
Caution: Copied or plagiarized work will result in a zero for all parties concerned. Work that is completed for another class CANNOT, under any circumstances, be turned in for credit in this class. Any attempts to do so will be treated as plagiarism and will result in a zero. Talking or looking around during testing situations will result in a zero for all parties concerned.
Your quarterly grade will be based on:
- Class participation and homework 20%
- Writing assignments, tests, quizzes, and projects 80%
Assignments are weighted according to the amount of time allowed for each. Class Participation includes all items listed under Student Responsibilities.
Class Participation Grades
Participation grades will be given approximately every two weeks. Please see the Course Requirements sheet for the Class Participation Rubric.
Homework Grades
You will be graded on a scale from 1-3 for every homework assignment you complete. Please refer to this rubric. Keep in mind that your answers do not have to be correct to receive full credit; you are given homework credit based on the level of effort you put into the assignment. Homework should be completed independently and will be collected periodically to ensure integrity. When working with a friend, please keep this in mind; use your own words and ideas. Working with a partner or group doesn’t mean copying.
Any student caught plagiarizing will face disciplinary consequences, which may include suspension and/or denial from honor societies.
Every couple of weeks, homework grades will be tallied and entered into Power School based on the number of assignments that have been given. For example, if you received full credit on 10 assignments, you will receive a score of 30 out of 30.
Portfolio assignments that are given as homework grades will be scored and entered separately. Journal scores are given out of 10 points.
Please see the Course Requirements Sheet for the Homework Rubric.
Your final average in English for the year will be based on:
- 1st quarter English 12 average
- 2nd quarter English 12 average
- 3rd quarter English elective average (Culture & Literature or Senior Seminar)
- 4th quarter English elective average (Culture & Literature or Senior Seminar)
- Final Exam (Culture and Literature) or Presentation (Senior Seminar)