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• English Language & Composition• Judson High School • Course Information: 2010-2011• Mrs. Alexander• English II• XX Period Conference• Room XXX• School Phone # 210-945-1100 salexander• Tutoring - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:10-8:45•

The English Language and Composition course is designed to help students become skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and to become skilled writers who can compose for a variety of purposes. By their writing and reading in this course, students should become aware of the interactions among a writer's purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effective writing.

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Course Goals* • The goals of an course in English Language

and Composition are diverse because the college composition course is one of the most varied in the curriculum. The course often allows students to write in several forms—narrative, exploratory, expository, argumentative—on many different subjects from personal experiences to public policies, from imaginative literature to popular culture. But the overarching purpose in most first-year writing courses is to enable students to write effectively and confidently in their college courses across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives.

Upon completing the English Language and composition course, students should be able to:analyze and interpret samples of good writing,

identifying and explaining an author’s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques;

apply effective strategies and techniques in their own writing;

create and sustain arguments based on readings, research, and/or personal experience;

demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard written English as well as stylistic maturity in their own writings; Ex

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demonstrate understanding of the conventions of citing primary and secondary source material;

write for a variety of purposes; produce expository, analytical, and

argumentative compositions that introduce a complex central idea and develop it with appropriate evidence drawn from primary and/or secondary source material, cogent explanations, and clear transitions;

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move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful attention to inquiry and research, drafting, revising, editing, and review;

write thoughtfully about their own process of composition;

revise a work to make it suitable for a different audience;

analyze image as text; andevaluate and incorporate reference

documents into researched papers.

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Required Texts

1 ½ inch 3 ring binder with 8 dividers Black and/or dark blue ink pens and

pencils Index cards (5x8) and highlighters College ruled notebook paper1 subject notebook spiral w/holes

(70 pgs—college ruled)

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Types of Assignments • Reading- outside novels, short stories, essays • Essays- Narrative/Descriptive, Argument,

Expository• In class- Journals, Reviews, Synthesis • Group Projects- Judson ISD e-learning 360, team

building, cooperative learning, group presentations

• Standardized Test Practice- writing, quizzes, etc.• Portfolios- Maintain a Portfolio throughout the

year.

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Category Percentage Types of Assignments

Major 35%

Daily 50%

Exam 15%

Attendance Policy

It is important to attend class and participate in class discussions and activities. You are allowed ten absences before credit may be denied to you for this course. If you reach more than ten absences, you must contact the attendance office to determine you status on absences and how they affect your education.

Tardy Policy I teach my class from bell to bell. Tardiness is a

sign of disrespect to me. We will adhere to Judson High School Tardy Policy.

• 1st Tardy = verbal warning• 2nd Tardy = parent contact• 3rd tardy = detention• 4th tardy = office referral

I AM NOT INCLINED TO ACCEPT LATE WORK.

However, I do understand that emergency situations may prevent a student from turning in an assignment on time. In these emergency situations, a student may submit a daily assignment no more than 2 days late. An assignment turned in one day late may not receive credit higher than a 80. An assignment turned in two days late may not receive credit higher than a 70. On the third day, the assignment will no longer be accepted. For major assignments, students have ample time to complete and late work will be accepted only in emergency cases. If there are extenuating circumstances, the student must speak to me privately and I will discuss with him/her on a one to one basis.

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MISSED ASSIGNMENTS ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!

If you have an excused absence that keeps you from either turning in an assignment or receiving instructions for an assignment, it is your duty to talk to me, look at the class website, or ask a peer about the assignment when as soon as you return.

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MAKE UP WORK

is designated for students who have excused absences. If you are absent and it is excused, you must speak to me about any make up work the day you return. You will have only as many days as you were out to submit the assigned work. I am available during tutoring hours to discuss assignments missed. Please see me privately to discuss your assignments. Otherwise, there will be no opportunity to make up assignments not turned in on time.

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Plagiarism/Cheating Plagiarism and/or cheating will not be tolerated.

There are severe consequences for those involved with academic dishonesty.

Resources Mrs. Alexander’s website will be the most

important resource for you this school year. Go to the Judson High School web site and select staff and locate my name and click webpage. Here you will find handouts, reminders on assignments, and websites that may help you throughout the school year.

Outside Reading Assignments As part of the AP curriculum, you are required to read several novels

outside of class. We will use these novels, both fiction and non-fiction pieces, to expand our discussion of literary elements and rhetorical devices in the classroom. You will also be held accountable for reading these novels through an objective and/or short answer exam.

It is your responsibility to keep up with outside reading assignments as they are given. If you manage your time well, you will have ample opportunity to complete the reading. You may also be required to write an essay over the assigned reading. It is important that you read the novel and not rely on video adaptations or any type of cliffs/spark notes. Although you may use these notes as a supplement, they should not be a substitute for reading the actual text!

Assessments for outside reading may consist of either multiple choice questions + an essay or just essay questions.

Specific dates for book tests/essays will be announced in class and posted on our class website.

Each student is responsible for keeping up with his/her English notebook and bringing it to class every day. The notebook is an organizational tool that can help you stay on task and up to date with assignments. In order to effectively use your notebook as a study guide for the AP exam, you will have to maintain it and keep all notes and practices we complete in class.

You will be earning a grade for how organized and up to date you keep your notebook. It is important that your notebook make it to class with you, as the grading may be done periodically and randomly.

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I will check your notebook to make sure you have all the journals, daily exercises, notes, and information in the proper section. Make sure to ask if you do not know where something goes.

Requirements

• 1 ½ inch binder (must be at least 1 ½ inch to receive credit!)

• 8 dividers

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Order of Binder:1. Create a Personalized Cover page:

NameMrs. Alexander English IIClass Period

2. Course Information Packet (this packet)

3. Dividers in these sections…Notes: all notes, and information that will assist you in being successful

your writing.Reading: All notes and activities pertaining to your outside reading.Test Practice: all practices for the exams, including state assessment

practice.Test Results: All test handed back and corrected to use on future

assessments.Language: all activities pertaining to grammar and language use.Journals: 70 pg (college ruled) notebook spiral and any reading journal

entriesVocabulary: all vocabulary activitiesMiscellaneous: any information that does not pertain to another

section

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