American Themes II, Syllabus for Second half of the Semester Edward R.

Murrow High School, Communication Arts Department Instructor: Oona Croese General e-mail: kcroese@schools.nyc.gov (718) 258-9283 X 2600
Online resources: - To see your daily grade, the daily AIM, and class calendar: engrade.com - To share information with classmates on facebook: Croese Class - To see final grade, marking period grades, or attendance: pupilpath.skedula.com GRADE BREAKDOWN* Grade from Mr. Cohen 50%

(remaining 50% of the semester will come from Ms. Croese and is broken down as follows): Attendance 5% Class Participation 5% Assignments (in-class, group work) 10% Formal Assessments (tests, projects) 25% (percentages are based on D.O.E. guidelines, approved by Principal Allen Barge, IA)

PARENTS, PLEASE NOTE: THE FIRST HALF OF THIS SEMESTER WAS TAUGHT BY MR. COHEN. 50% OF YOUR CHILDS FINAL GRADE WILL COME FROM HIM. 50% OF HIS/HER FINAL GRADE WILL COME FROM ME, MS. CROESE, AND BE DETERMINED ACCORDING TO THE GRADE BREAKDOWN (SEE BOX ABOVE). YOUR STUDENTS CURRENT GRADE FROM MR. COHEN IS WRITTEN IN THE BOX BELOW. IF YOU WISH TO CONTEST THE CURRENT GRADE, YOU MUST SPEAK TO MR. COHEN DIRECTLY IN RM. 260, OR AT (718) 253-7287 x 2600:

Students Name / Grade (Percentage) / Letter

Parent or Guardian Signature, Date

For the remainder of the semester of American Themes II, we will focus on NY State Regents exam preparations for English. A thorough analysis of the written portions including the concepts of the controlling idea, literary devices, the MEAL paragraph format, and the critical lens essay will all be covered. Students will be able to identify the characterization of at least two source materials covered in the semester, including, A Raisin in the Sun, Desirees Baby, and The Story of My Body. Students will also practice multiple-choice portions of the exam and how to construct these questions and determine the best answer. If time permits, students may study an additional source material, such as Go Ask Alice. Preparation for NY State Regents exam to include: Controlling idea paragraph Literary element paragraph Critical lens essay Stratagems for multiple choice questions

A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansbury A thorough analysis of characterization for the major characters of the play, using Henry Murrays Needs list determining human psychological needs.