Sei sulla pagina 1di 3

NOVATO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Course Syllabus

San Marin High School School Mrs. Denise Smith Teacher

Expository Reading and Writing Course dsmith@nusd.org OR englishsmith.weebly.com Contact Information

Personal Note / Welcome Welcome to senior year. It is my job to prepare you for the transition from high school to college. Teaching is my second career, and I have been teaching senior English for ten years. I have taught Twentieth Century Literature, British and Modern Literature and the Expository Reading and Writing Course. I majored in English Literature at Mills College with a concentration in Afro-Carribean Literature and received my teaching credential and Master's degree from Dominican University. Course Goals (from course outline) The goal of the ERWC is to prepare college-bound seniors for the literacy demands of higher education. Through a sequence of fourteen rigorous instructional modules, students in this rhetoric-based course will develop advanced proficiencies in expository, analytical, and argumentative reading and writing. The curriculum is based on the California State Standards for 12th grade. For access to the full text of the standards, go to http://www.nusd.org/CurriculumInstruction/currmain.html. Course Objectives (from course outline) Students will be expected to increase their awareness of the rhetorical strategies employed by authors, and to apply those strategies in their own writing. They will read closely to examine the relationship between an author's argument or theme and his or her audience and purpose, to analyze the impact of structural and rhetorical strategies, and to examine the social, political, and philisophical assumptions that underlie the text. By the end of the course students will be expected to use this process independently when reading unfamilliar texts and writing in response to them. Texts (from course outline) Course texts include contemporary essays, newspaper and magazine articles, editorials, reports, biographies, memos, assorted public document, and other non-fiction texts. The course materials also include modules on two full-length works (one novel: The Left Hand of Darkness and one work of non-fiction: Into the Wild).

Progress Reporting (from Board Policy) Grades shall be reported at the end of each progress reporting period for all students. Progress reports will be mailed home and/or accessible to parents online approximately every five/six weeks. Whenever a student falls below a C- after the second Progress Report for either semester, the teacher shall arrange a conference with the students parent/guardian and/or send a written report. (Board Policy 5121) Classroom Policies (Required) Grading Essays are worth 100 points Spring Final Research paper is worth 500 plus points Classwork ranges from 5 - 100 points Class discussions and participation are critical so it will be 20% of your grade. Behavior Respect yourself, your classmates, and all school property. This includes, but is not limited to, opinions and ideas that may differ from yours. Negativity will not be tolerated. Above all, I expect you to take responsibility for yourself and your actions. Homework Reading and the writing of essays and research projects. Classroom Tardies Being tardy is rude and disruptive to the class as a whole and will not be tolerated. You will incur the loss of daily participation points and/or incur other consequences such as a ten minute detention or a letter of apology. Supplemental Materials / Media (See Board Policy 6161.11) We will be watching all or parts of the following movies: Super Size Me, Crash, 9/11 and Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9/11, A Conversation with Koko, Food, Inc. Into the Wild, and Bowling for Columbine. Please see attached permission slip. Class Information (Optional) Keys to Success Come to class prepared. Bring your books, pencils, pens, and binder paper. Come prepared to learn and share your opinions, ideas, thoughts, and ruminations. Be in your seat and prepared when the bell rings. Participate in class discussions. Always contribute whether you think you are right or wrong, or whether others might not agree with you.

Notebooks / Binders / Journals A three ring binder is absolutely necessary for this class! There will be many handouts and copies of the units which should be kept together and organized. An independent reading book is required as well. Assignment Format All papers must be 12 font, Times Roman, regular margins, double-spaced and turned in with the rough drafts. Papers turned in without rough drafts will lose points! Papers will be due by 4pm on the day they are assigned unless otherwise noted. Please see "Requirements for writing papers" located on my website. Projects / Special Assignments The Spring Final is a Research project: A cummulative project will be assigned in February and due in May. Failure to comply with all parts of the research paper could jeapordiaze your graduation. Curriculum Map / Class Calendar Seniors are exempt from STAR testing. Other Content of Teachers Choosing This class requires a lot of reading and at least one writing assignment every week. If your paper is not at least a C you will be required to rewrite it until it is. Be aware that if you fall behind it will be difficult and sometimes impossible to catch up. It is critical that you stay on top of your assignments. Because of the nature of this course alternate assignments are not available and I do not give extra credit assignments.

Potrebbero piacerti anche