English III Course Syllabus
Mr. Farnen
Revised August 17, 2010
Planning periods: Semester 1 – 2A and 2B (9:50 – 11:15)
Semester 2 – 4A and 4B (1:15 – 2:40)
Availability: before classes 7:30 – 8:00, during plan, or by appointment
Phone: School – 742-3312
Home – 740-5000
Email: [email protected]
Teacher webpage: www.hiawathaschools.org; go to “Teacher Web Pages” under the “Faculty
and Staff” menu and select “James Farnen”; the syllabus, reading lists, and other items will be posted there regularly
My Personal Oath
I am not here to give you knowledge or the tools you need to be successful because I do not have them to give, but I will do everything in my power as your teacher to help you find them for yourselves.
Course Description and General Expectations
Welcome! The purpose of English III will be to fine-tune the skills in reading, writing, and critical thinking you’ve already learned and to take on new skills, strategies and concepts—i.e. to deepen your broad knowledge base. Our classroom readings will be in a range of genres and from a range of cultures and time periods. The focus of our assignments will be on enhancing and adding to your writing skills. We will write inside and outside of class often. The culmination of our efforts will be in a final research paper, and the skills and strategies required to write one effectively. The knowledge you come to about research will benefit you exponentially now and in the future.
Classroom Policies:
I believe that the desire to learn is a natural and important part of the human experience and that, to this end, it is one of my principal duties as a teacher to ensure that all students are provided the opportunity to learn to their fullest potential by instating and enforcing policies and procedures to manage my classroom so that no behavior is permitted that runs contrary to this aim. The four basic classroom policies that allow all students to benefit from the maximum opportunity for learning are that ALL students will…
1) Be Respectful
2) Be Responsible
3) Be Inquisitive
4) Be Involved
If everyone in the class will observe these simple rules then I know we will have an enjoyable and very productive year.
Classroom Daily Procedures:
- Be in your seat at the sounding of the bell signaling the start of class.
- Be working on the day’s Journal prompt (posted on the whiteboard) when the bell rings signaling the start of class.
- Write down the day’s Planner Stuff in your planner.
- Observe the Hands Up Mouths Shut rule when it is implemented (I will explain).
- Wait for Mr. Farnen to dismiss you at the end of class. Do not assume that the bell dismisses you.
Necessary Supplies:
- Pens (blue and black and red) and pencils
- Loose leaf paper
- Three-ring binder (one inch)
- Subject dividers (you will need 7 of them)
- A spiral notebook (this will be your journal for the year)
Grading/Make-Up Work/Late Work Policies
The grading scale implemented by Hiawatha High School is as follows:
|
A+ |
97 – 100 |
|
C+ |
77 – 79 |
|
A |
94 – 96 |
|
C |
74 – 76 |
|
A- |
90 – 93 |
|
C- |
70 – 73 |
|
B+ |
87 – 89 |
|
D+ |
67 – 69 |
|
B |
84 – 86 |
|
D |
64 – 66 |
|
B- |
80 – 83 |
|
D- |
60 – 63 |
|
|
|
|
F |
0 - 59 |
Your grades in this course will accumulate with points earned through daily assignments and daily participation, as well as major assignments such as essays, projects, presentations, tests, exams, quizzes, etc.
Make-up Work:
In the case of school related absence, it is your responsibility to turn in assignments and request class work prior to leaving for the activity. You will be expected to be prepared for class when you return from the activity.
In the case of other absences, it is your responsibility to request missed class work from me as soon as you return to classes. You will then have one additional class period to turn in the work. If work is not turned in by this point, the late work policy will apply. If an assignment was due on the day you missed class, that assignment should be turned in when you return to class.
Late work:
Failure to turn in a completed assignment by its due date will result in a 10% deduction per day of the grade earned. You will have a total of 5 consecutive school days—not class days—to turn in the daily homework. After 5 days you will not receive credit for the assignment. IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING AN ASSIGNMENT COME TO ME IMMEDIATELY! DO NOT WAIT!!!
If you are absent on the day of a test, the retake must be scheduled for before school within five days of the test date. Failure on the part of a student to schedule a retake time and date with me within the five days will result in a grade of zero for the test.
TIP: Use your planner to keep track of due dates for assignments and dates of tests.
Course Requirements and Grading Breakdown
- Daily Participation (approx. 15% of final grade) – Five participation points will be available each class period. These points will be easily earned as long as you:
- are in your seat by the warning bell
- come to class prepared with materials and assignments
- demonstrate attentiveness by asking questions and providing constructive commentary
- contribute constructively in class discussions and group work
- include the notes you take in the notes section of your portfolio (see below)
- complete each day’s journal assignment in class
- Portfolios (approx. 15% of final grade) – All students will keep a portfolio of their work and the papers they receive in class. The idea behind this is A) to help everybody stay organized since there are so many classes and so much paper to worry about in high school and B) to serve as the subject of your final writing assignment for the school year (details on that later). This means you are to DO ALL THE WORK AND PUT IT IN THE APPROPRIATE SECTION OF YOU PORTFOLIO and DO NOT LOSE YOUR PORTFOLIO OR YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE YOUR FINAL ASSIGNMENT!!!
Portfolios will be divided into the following sections:
-
- General classroom handouts (beginning with this syllabus)
- Journals
- In-class assignments/assignment handouts
- Essays, Projects and Presentations
- Research Paper
- Notes
- Journals (included in Participation grade) – Journaling will begin as soon as the warning bell rings signaling the beginning of class and will last 7 to 10 minutes. Journal prompts will be posted on the white board. If a particular prompt does not excite your imagination then feel free to free-write or write a prompt of your own. In either case, unless journaling has been cancelled for the day, you MUST spend the allotted time writing in your journal. PLEASE DO SO QUIETLY! Journals will be turned in once each quarter. Feel free to elaborate on a line of thought outside of class if you find that the ten minutes is not enough for you to complete your journal entry.
- In-class assignments (approx. 20% of final grade) – To be announced.
- Major Essays, Projects, and Presentations (approx. 30% of final grade) – To be announced.
- Research Paper (approx. 20% of final grade) – This section of your portfolio should include any handouts/prompts you receive concerning the research paper, any and all brainstorming activities, drafts, evaluations (both teacher and peer), references, and a copy of the final paper.
- Notes (included in Participation grade) – Far from being a cruelty, the notes you take are primarily for your benefit. Usually I will give you fair warning when an occasion in class calls for note-taking. You are also encouraged to use this section in your portfolios to take notes on the texts we read both inside and outside of class. There will be cases when these notes may be used during tests.
Discipline and Tardiness
Appropriate behavior is expected at all times in the classroom. Unacceptable behavior will be subject to disciplinary consequences.
1st offense – warning (verbal or nonverbal)
2nd offense – student-teacher discussion of behavior during or after class
3rd offense – phone call to parent/guardian; possible appt. b/w parent, teacher, and student
4th offense – student sent to office; detention or other disciplinary action assigned
Major infractions will result in student being sent to the principle immediately. Disciplinary action will follow.
You are expected to be in class on time, which means you are in your seat and ready to begin class when the bell rings. You will be counted tardy if you arrive after the bell without a pass from another teacher. You will need to be sure to bring all supplies to class, as going back to your locker to retrieve materials will result in a tardy. Your first tardy will be your only warning. The second tardy and all subsequent tardies will be recorded during attendance. Three tardies equal one unexcused absence, no exceptions.
Guidelines for coursework: (paper headings, etc.)
Be sure to follow these guidelines for all typewritten assignments. Failure to do so may result in deduction of points from the final grade of the assignment.
- One-inch margins on all sides. (File/Page Setup/Margins)
- Double space the entire document. (Format/Paragraph/Line Spacing)
- Use Times New Roman 12 point font
- Center the title. Please do not underline, italicize, make bold, or increase the font size.
- Use and appropriate heading.
EXAMPLE:
Jane Smith
English I
Mr. Farnen
August 17, 2010
My Paper Title
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Student:
I verify that I have read, understood, and will abide by all parts of Mr. Farnen’s course syllabus.
Print:___________________________ Sign:________________________________
Parent:
I have read and understand the course syllabus for Mr. Farnen’s English course.
Print:__________________________ Sign:_________________________________
Preferred method of contact (circle one and provide information):
Email:_______________________________Phone:__________________________________