Welcome
Welcome to our class page for 2014-2015. This page is specifically used for Senior English at Beacon, which surveys British Literature. On this site, you will find all of our unit plans, daily lesson plans, and assignments. Find our unit and then our week to see what we're up to in class and what our daily assignments are! If you have any questions, email [email protected]
Course syllabus & Description
English 12: British Literature (Semester 1 & 2)
Course Description:
This year-long course will approach understanding the development of British Literature from Shakespeare to present time. In particular, the course will pay particular attention to the way authors experiment with new forms that reflect changes within their larger social and political context. We will, however, seek to find the universal truths and recurring themes that these works of literature pursue despite their different and evolving forms. We will explore these ideas through fiction, poetry, and drama to gain a broad perspective on canonical British Literature. Throughout the semester, students will analyze form and style in several different genres, while experimenting with these forms themselves through a number of creative writing projects.
Classroom Policies, Expectations, and Materials:
The expectations in American Literature reflect Beacon’s standards as well as those of our Social Contract, which we will decide upon as a class. Most importantly, our class will be a space of inclusivity and respect, as we work together as a community full of unique individuals. Students will be allowed to revise any graded assignments (that were turned in on time) and resubmit them for a higher grade. Students need to have a composition notebook dedicated just for this class, a folder to hold all handouts and graded assignments, a Gmail account, a twitter account, as well as writing utensils.
Essential Skills:
Throughout the semester, students will practice and ultimately become proficient in engaging in thoughtful & analytical discussions, following the rules of civil discourse. Through close-reading, thorough discussion preparation, discussion, self-assessment, and reflections, students will be to:
Participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions that promote deep analysis of the topic by building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively (developed from SL.12.1 & S.L.12.4, Common Core Standards).
Grading System:
45% Major Assessments (i.e., papers, projects, formal presentations, & tests)
35% In-Class Requirements (i.e., group work, individual work, discussions, quizzes, &
mini presentations)
20% Homework
Grade Breakdown is as follows:
40% Quarter 3
40% Quarter 4
20% Exam 2
Late work policy/tardiness:
Students are responsible for completing homework on time. Late Homework will be accepted one day after its due-date for 50% credit. Homework that is late more than one day will never be accepted unless a student has an excused absence. In that case, a student must make up the work in as many days as he/she was absent. A paper or project loses 10% for each day it is late, and, if a student is absent on a day of a test, he/she must have an excused absence in order to be given a make-up test.
Technology & Contact information
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Use of Electronic Information Resources
Technology is a vehicle to access the most current and extensive sources of information which will prepare students for 21st Century careers. As such, school Internet access is a privilege for educational purposes only and will be revoked if any of the following conditions occur:
Students will not access or create offensive, profane, or pornographic files, plagiarize works or violate copyrights or trademarks, damage, alter, or modify hardware or software or attempt to bypass computer security, nor will they engage in behaviors that constitute cyber bullying.
I am aware of this electronic use policy and I will exercise sound judgment when using classroom technology and accessing the Internet. Furthermore, I understand that intentional misuse of technology/Internet access will result in disciplinary action against me.
Course Description:
This year-long course will approach understanding the development of British Literature from Shakespeare to present time. In particular, the course will pay particular attention to the way authors experiment with new forms that reflect changes within their larger social and political context. We will, however, seek to find the universal truths and recurring themes that these works of literature pursue despite their different and evolving forms. We will explore these ideas through fiction, poetry, and drama to gain a broad perspective on canonical British Literature. Throughout the semester, students will analyze form and style in several different genres, while experimenting with these forms themselves through a number of creative writing projects.
- How do words define us?
- How does form reflect content?
- How does art reflect the context in which it was produced?
- What makes an experience or a truth “universal?”
Classroom Policies, Expectations, and Materials:
The expectations in American Literature reflect Beacon’s standards as well as those of our Social Contract, which we will decide upon as a class. Most importantly, our class will be a space of inclusivity and respect, as we work together as a community full of unique individuals. Students will be allowed to revise any graded assignments (that were turned in on time) and resubmit them for a higher grade. Students need to have a composition notebook dedicated just for this class, a folder to hold all handouts and graded assignments, a Gmail account, a twitter account, as well as writing utensils.
Essential Skills:
Throughout the semester, students will practice and ultimately become proficient in engaging in thoughtful & analytical discussions, following the rules of civil discourse. Through close-reading, thorough discussion preparation, discussion, self-assessment, and reflections, students will be to:
- Close read a variety of texts with particular attention to artistic choices such as style and form.
- Formulate discussion questions independently.
- Make inferences that extend beyond literal interpretations and connections within, between, and beyond texts.
- Build off of one another’s comments towards abstract and holistic interpretations.
- Self-assess their own performance in a variety of different discussion formats.
- Participate in and facilitate a student-led discussion that follows the guidelines of civil discourse.
Participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions that promote deep analysis of the topic by building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively (developed from SL.12.1 & S.L.12.4, Common Core Standards).
Grading System:
45% Major Assessments (i.e., papers, projects, formal presentations, & tests)
35% In-Class Requirements (i.e., group work, individual work, discussions, quizzes, &
mini presentations)
20% Homework
Grade Breakdown is as follows:
40% Quarter 3
40% Quarter 4
20% Exam 2
Late work policy/tardiness:
Students are responsible for completing homework on time. Late Homework will be accepted one day after its due-date for 50% credit. Homework that is late more than one day will never be accepted unless a student has an excused absence. In that case, a student must make up the work in as many days as he/she was absent. A paper or project loses 10% for each day it is late, and, if a student is absent on a day of a test, he/she must have an excused absence in order to be given a make-up test.
Technology & Contact information
- Weebly: All assignments, lesson plans, and course materials will be posted on my website: http://rwillner.weebly.com under the course “American Literature.” Students who are absent are responsible for reviewing the day’s powerpoint to see what they missed in class and what work they can make up.
- Twitter: You can follow me on twitter at #mswillnermadeit. I will tweet about major assignments and general class updates, but we will also use Twitter as a classroom tool for interactive discussions. Students will be expected to create a Twitter account (if they do not already have one) and follow me. If this is a problem for any student, please write me a note, and we’ll make other arrangements.
- Gmail & Googledocs: All of my documents will be created via Google Docs to facilitate sharing and access. Students will be expected to create a gmail account if they do not already have one so that they can collaborate on documents with one another, store their documents securely without the use of a flashdrive, and receive thorough and prompt feedback on their work. Again, if this is a problem for any student, please write me and a note, and we’ll make other arrangements.
- Vine, Weebly, Wideo, Soundclound: Throughout the year, we will explore different online programs to facilitate our study of English. This will include making videos, podcasts, websites, etc.
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Use of Electronic Information Resources
Technology is a vehicle to access the most current and extensive sources of information which will prepare students for 21st Century careers. As such, school Internet access is a privilege for educational purposes only and will be revoked if any of the following conditions occur:
Students will not access or create offensive, profane, or pornographic files, plagiarize works or violate copyrights or trademarks, damage, alter, or modify hardware or software or attempt to bypass computer security, nor will they engage in behaviors that constitute cyber bullying.
I am aware of this electronic use policy and I will exercise sound judgment when using classroom technology and accessing the Internet. Furthermore, I understand that intentional misuse of technology/Internet access will result in disciplinary action against me.