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English 2H
Mr. Warner
[email protected]
The purpose of this course is to facilitate you on your path to being ready to perform well on the AP language test as a junior and to do well on the AP lit test as a senior. Having said that I am much more excited about the journey than the end goal. To be able to do well on those tests you need to be able to look at literature and non-fiction analytically, but also with appreciation, and hopefully with love, but I won't hold out for that with all of you.
Here are some of the ways we will do this
Novels for the year
Things Fall Apart
The Grapes of Wrath
Lord of the Flies
Night/Maus
The Handmaid's Tale
Plays
Oedipus Rex
Merchant of Venice
All sorts of short stories and poems
Outside reading component
For this class you will be required to read an outside book per quarter. In the first week of each quarter you will be able to request from the list of books in the outside reading portion of this site, and I will do my best to fit everyone with their 1st or 2nd choice. You will meet with others reading the same book for the first fifteen minutes every Thursday.
Notebook
You will also be required to have a spiral notebook for the course. A simple one subject notebook will suffice. It will be used for notes taken at home and in class, and also for reflections upon said notes.
Rules and policies
Sorry, there are a few
1. Above all, be respectful to yourself, to each other, and to me.
2. If you are late you will receive a zero for the nights homework or for whatever work we are doing in the first few minutes of class. This applies if you are only a few seconds late to 54 and 1/2 minutes late.
3. You can go to the bathroom 3 times per semester. You must use the hall pass area of your agenda. If you need to go before we have agendas then I will record it and mark it down when they come in.
4. I will not accept late homework.
5. If you turn in a major project or essay late then the best you can get is a 50%. That is an F, for those of you who are more into letters than numbers.
6. Lateness includes the end of the day that something is due. If you do not have it ready to hand to me in class on the due date, or emailed to me ahead of time it is late.
7. You may eat snacks in here. I eat all day, and do not want to be a hypocrite. If you ever make a
mess or leave trash, however, your privilege is
revoked.
8. I love to encourage discussion and collaboration in my classes. To be clear, discussing symbolism with your partner to discern how it affects an author’s message is collaborating. Talking about the party you are going to on Friday while a handout about symbolism is on your desk is
not.
9. If you are caught cheating/plagiarizing an assignment your grade for that assignment will be a 0.
How do I get an A
Participation – 10%
I need to hear you discuss
to get a better picture of your mind.
Homework – 15%
This will mostly be in the form of reading at home, and subsequently proving you did so.
Essays – 27.5%
The big one. If you come out of high school English not being able to write and craft an argument then you
and your teachers have failed regardless of your
grades.
Projects - 20%
These are still assignments designed to provoke analytical thought, but do not fit the mold of a typical essay. While they are more than just gluing on pretty tissue paper, there is more room for creativity here than with essays.
Tests – 27.5%
You are here to get ready for the AP tests, hence we take tests. These will primarily be essay based, like the AP test and every English test you will take in college. Reading Quizzes will go under the homework category.
I am thrilled to be teaching Honors English this year. As a high school student this was likely the most formative class I took the whole four years, and since I began teaching I always wanted to return to this very class. My hope is that while you are pushed and
maybe even frustrated to analyze and write about literature in new ways you will also realize how applicable all these skills can be to other subjects and to life outside of school. If you have any questions feel free to email me at the address at the top of this syllabus, or contact me through school loop.
Here are some of the ways we will do this
Novels for the year
Things Fall Apart
The Grapes of Wrath
Lord of the Flies
Night/Maus
The Handmaid's Tale
Plays
Oedipus Rex
Merchant of Venice
All sorts of short stories and poems
Outside reading component
For this class you will be required to read an outside book per quarter. In the first week of each quarter you will be able to request from the list of books in the outside reading portion of this site, and I will do my best to fit everyone with their 1st or 2nd choice. You will meet with others reading the same book for the first fifteen minutes every Thursday.
Notebook
You will also be required to have a spiral notebook for the course. A simple one subject notebook will suffice. It will be used for notes taken at home and in class, and also for reflections upon said notes.
Rules and policies
Sorry, there are a few
1. Above all, be respectful to yourself, to each other, and to me.
2. If you are late you will receive a zero for the nights homework or for whatever work we are doing in the first few minutes of class. This applies if you are only a few seconds late to 54 and 1/2 minutes late.
3. You can go to the bathroom 3 times per semester. You must use the hall pass area of your agenda. If you need to go before we have agendas then I will record it and mark it down when they come in.
4. I will not accept late homework.
5. If you turn in a major project or essay late then the best you can get is a 50%. That is an F, for those of you who are more into letters than numbers.
6. Lateness includes the end of the day that something is due. If you do not have it ready to hand to me in class on the due date, or emailed to me ahead of time it is late.
7. You may eat snacks in here. I eat all day, and do not want to be a hypocrite. If you ever make a
mess or leave trash, however, your privilege is
revoked.
8. I love to encourage discussion and collaboration in my classes. To be clear, discussing symbolism with your partner to discern how it affects an author’s message is collaborating. Talking about the party you are going to on Friday while a handout about symbolism is on your desk is
not.
9. If you are caught cheating/plagiarizing an assignment your grade for that assignment will be a 0.
How do I get an A
Participation – 10%
I need to hear you discuss
to get a better picture of your mind.
Homework – 15%
This will mostly be in the form of reading at home, and subsequently proving you did so.
Essays – 27.5%
The big one. If you come out of high school English not being able to write and craft an argument then you
and your teachers have failed regardless of your
grades.
Projects - 20%
These are still assignments designed to provoke analytical thought, but do not fit the mold of a typical essay. While they are more than just gluing on pretty tissue paper, there is more room for creativity here than with essays.
Tests – 27.5%
You are here to get ready for the AP tests, hence we take tests. These will primarily be essay based, like the AP test and every English test you will take in college. Reading Quizzes will go under the homework category.
I am thrilled to be teaching Honors English this year. As a high school student this was likely the most formative class I took the whole four years, and since I began teaching I always wanted to return to this very class. My hope is that while you are pushed and
maybe even frustrated to analyze and write about literature in new ways you will also realize how applicable all these skills can be to other subjects and to life outside of school. If you have any questions feel free to email me at the address at the top of this syllabus, or contact me through school loop.