ENGL IV

The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So
write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.
Neil Gaiman

2016-2017
Period 6: D-204
Period 7: D-204
Instructor: Raven Cole
E-mail: *EBR has not currently given me an email address. I will update this syllabus on our
Google Class as soon as I am given the email. In the meantime, you may contact me on the office
phone. (225 924-9406)
Office Hours for parent conferences: To schedule a parent conference, please contact me
through the office phone.
Tutoring: T, TH 6:40-7:00am. I am also available for SCHEDULED after school tutoring.
Course Information:
I.

This course is designed in two parts: The first semester will explore literary themes and
writing skills using British literature. The second semester will be dedicated to an
intensive research project called a Youth Participatory Action Research Project (YPAR.).
This course will also teach students the writing process through weekly workshops that
target specific reading and writing skills.
Student progress will be evaluated through a combination of formal and creative
writing assignments, written exams, and in-class activities. Attendance is mandatory,
and well-informed, engaged classroom discussion is vital to student success.
I have high expectations about work ethic and quality and I will be putting a strong
emphasis on personal responsibility. I intend to run this class as a college course.
Thus, there are strict policies for late work and for keeping up with your reading
assignments. Like college professors, I will not allow you to use excuses to avoid
work. However, I will be available whenever you need me to help with work if you
are struggling. You must learn to ask questions and advocate for yourself as a student
- even if it makes you nervous and uncomfortable. If I return an assignment and you
do not understand my comments, please come and speak to me, and we can go
through the work together.

II. Textbook:
Class Fee: $20
Pearsons Elements of Literature ; assorted texts and novels
III. Late Work
I have strict policies for late work and for keeping up with your reading assignments. Like
college professors, I will not allow you to use excuses to avoid work. However, I will be
available whenever you need me to help with work if you are struggling. You must learn to ask
questions and advocate for yourself as a student - even if it makes you nervous and

ENGL IV
uncomfortable. If I return an assignment and you do not understand my comments, please come
and speak to me, and we can go through the work together.
For each day an assignment is late, I will deduct a letter grade. If there are specific
problems that you are having outside of school that are making it difficult to turn work in
on time, please come speak to me directly before the due date. I am more than willing
to make concessions on due dates if you speak to me before the day its due. I WILL
NOT ACCEPT ANY ASSIGNMENT THAT IS MORE THAN FIVE DAYS LATE IF
YOU WERE NOT ILL AT THE TIME OF THE ASSIGNMENT.
Make-up work: You have one week from the last date of your absence to make-up any
missed work. If you are coming back after an extended absence, we can work together to
come up with an appropriate timeline for anything that you need to make up.
A NOTE ABOUT MAKE-UP/LATE WORK: With the volume of work that comes
across my desk, I must place precedence on the current work being done by the bulk of
the class. At times, it may take me a couple of weeks to get to your make-up/late work.
Just as I have been understanding in accepting these assignments from you, I expect that
you will be understanding of me in the amount of time that it may sometimes take for me
to grade what you have given me.
IV. Grading Procedures
Student grades will come from the following:
.
1. (10 %) Narrative Essay : This essay will require the students to write a narrative based on
a personal experience. 100 pts
2. (5 %) Summer Reading Assignment 50 pts.
3. (10 %) Literary Analysis Essays: Students will be required to write and revise multiple
literary analysis throughout the year based on both in class and cold readings. 100 pts.
4. (10%) Midterm Exam 100 pts
5. (20%) 6 pg. Issue/rhetorical Analysis Research Paper, 6 Source Annotated Bibliography,
and and Presentation: Students will choose a community issue, research said issue, create
a plan to implement to affect the issue, and write a 5 page paper about their research and
process. They will then present their research and analysis to the class in a 5 minute
presentation, and at the Critical Research Conference at LSU. 200 pts.
6. (20%) Reading and Writing Studio: Every Friday will be dedicated to reading and writing
workshops that will target specific aspects of the writing process. Students will create a
portfolio based on their use of this workshop time. 200 pts.
7. (20%) Participation: This class will rely heavily on student participation in class
discussions and writing. 200 pts.
8. (5 %) Additional assignments I will give based on the needs of the students. 50 pts.
Rubrics and expectations will be given for all assignments.
V. Academic Integrity
Lee Magnet High School offers a magnet curriculum that allows students to pursue academic and
performing arts courses of a high degree of excellence. That excellence rests on the foundation of
academic honesty necessary to foster high scholastic achievement. In order to insure that the
opportunity for excellence exists for every student, the following policy has been adopted by the

ENGL IV
faculty in regard to scholastic honesty. Cheating and Plagiarism will not be tolerated. First
offense: In-school suspension, second offense: suspension, third offense: magnet status
revoked/expulsion.
VI. Accommodations for students with disabilities
Accommodations for tests and quizzes will be provided per each students IEP or IAP. Students
with extended time may have to finish tests and/or quizzes during lunch or after school. The
affected student must schedule the time with the teacher prior to the test/quiz date. All
tests/quizzes must be completed the same day they are started.
VII. Tentative Course Schedule (Subject to change)
Dates

Topic

Important Dates/Texts/Assignments

August 10-12 Syllabus Discussion

Pre-Test and literary analysis
August 15-19
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Postponed
August 22-26 Pre-Test and literary analysis
Community Contracts

Summer Reading Assignments Due 8/25

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Postponed
August 29September 2

Introduction to Narrative
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Breaking Down the
Rubric/Pre Test Make Up

September 5September 9

Narrative Writing
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO:Narrative Writing
Workshop

Narrative Story Circles (Junebug Story Circles)

Introduce Narrative Essay (with rubric)
Survivor Narratives, LSU Oral History

Sept. 5 Labor Day (No school)

Communities after Disaster
Trauma Theory, Speak
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September
Narrative Writing/Memoir
Narrative Excerpts- Facing History
12-September
Narrative Poetry (SOAPSTone literary Analysis)
16
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Giving and Receiving Narrative Essay due Sept. 16
Feedback
September

Community Contract

Reader Response, Historical, SocioEconomic Lenses, New

ENGL IV
19-September
23
Paratext/ What do we read?

Criticism analysis

8 Critical Lenses Intro

Sept. 20 End of 1 Six Weeks
Sept. 21 Early Dismissal
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READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Organization

September
8 Critical Lenses
26-September
30
English Renaissance
Literary Analysis

Gender, Race, Psychological, Spiritual analysis

Macbeth- Shakespeare

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Ideas and Content
October 3October 7

English Renaissance
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Voice

Oct. 7 Teacher PD (No students)

Macbeth-Shakespeare

October 10October 14

Romantic Period
Reading and Writing Studio:
Annotation

Oct 10 Fall Break

William Wordsworth and Lyric Poetry

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Frankenstein

October 17October 21

Romantic Period
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Frankenstein

October 24October 28

Romantic Period

Frankenstein
A Vindication of the Rights of Women

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
October 31November 4

Romantic Period

Nov. 4 End of 2 Six Weeks

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice

Literary Analysis Due

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nd

Frankenstein

November 7- Victorian Period

November 11
READING AND WRITING

Nov. 8 Election Day (No school)

Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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ENGL IV
STUDIO: Student Choice

Dickens

November 14- Modern/Post Modern Period

November 18
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Yeats- When You are Old

Virginia Woolf- The Lady in the Looking Glass
Dylan Thomas- Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night

November 21- The Legends of London

November 25
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Neil Gaiman- Neverwhere

November 28- The Legends of London

December 2
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

China Mieville- King Rat

Pied Piper of Hamelin
Neverwhere

December 5December 9

The Legends of London

READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Neverwhere

December 12- The Legends of London

December 16
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Dec. 16 Early Dismissal

Neil Gaiman- Neverwhere

December 19- Introduce CYPAR Project

December 23 Research Methods Camp
Form groups

Dec 19 20 Early Dismissal

Dec. 20 End of 3 Six Weeks
Voyant- Tools/Google NGram Assignment

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READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice

January 5-6

Rhetorical Analysis Writing

Workshop
Community Issues Story
Circles
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Research Proposal Due

Pedagogy of the Oppressed- Paulo Freire

January 9-13

Identifying Community Issues

Critical Praxis Theory

Organizing: People, Power, Change- Marshall Ganz

Socratic Seminars

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: in text citation
January 16-20 Ethical Research
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Jan. 16 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Long Division- Keise Laymon
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http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis/

ENGL IV

January 23-27 Critical Trauma Theory and

Critical Literary Theory
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice
January 30February 3

Primary Sources of the Past

used in the Present

Introduce/ Sign Up for American Voices Project

Speak by Laurie Holse Anderson Excerpts
Trauma & Recovery- Judith Herman
The Body in Pain- Elaine Scarry

Documenting the American South: http://docsouth.unc.edu/

Race in Charlotte Schools
Southern Women Trailblazers

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
February 6-10 Primary Sources

Louisiana Digital Library

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
February 1317

Secondary Sources

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READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
February 2024

Feb. 15 Early Dismissal

Feb. 15 End of 4 Six Weeks
ntroduce/ Sign Up for American Voices Project

Giving and Receiving Feedback

Workshop

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Writing Analytically excerpt

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
February 27March 3

Issue Analysis Planning

READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Feb. 27 Mar. 1 Mardi Gras

Textual Analysis Assignment Due
World Voices Literary Analysis Due
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March 6March 10

World Voices Presentations

READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Mar. 10 Early Dismissal

World Voices Presentations

March 13-17

World Voices Presentations

World Voices Presentations

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READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
March 20-24

Research Week
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

March 27-31

Active Research
READING AND WRITING

Rough Drafts Due

ENGL IV
STUDIO: Student Choice
April 3-7

The Writing Basics Workshop

READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Apr. 4 End of 5 Six Weeks

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Individual/Group Conferences

April 10-14

CPAR Conference and

Reflections
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

CPAR Conference @ LSU-April 13

April 17-21

Conflicts at Home and Abroad

Comparing Literary Works:
World War 1 Poetry

Reflection on CPAR Conference Due

Rupert Brooke, Seigfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen

READING AND WRITING

STUDIO: Student Choice
April 24-28

Conflicts at Home and Abroad

Comparing Literary Works:
World War II Poetry
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice

Nadine Gordimer, V.S. Naipaul, Eavan Boland

May 1-5

Conflicts at Home and Abroad:

The Post Modern and Beyond

Samuel Beckett, Stevie Smith

Writing Portfolio and Reflections Due

Reflections
READING AND WRITING
STUDIO: Student Choice
May 8-12

May 8 Last Day for Seniors

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Reflection
May 15-19

May 22 - 26