Welcome to English III

1. Welcome to English III Mrs. Drake Room #400 Classroom website <mrsdrakesclassroom.pbworks.com> Email ddrake@charleston.k12.il.us cusd1draked@gaggle.net Voice Mail Mrs. Drake (217)639-5093

2. Course Description • This course includes a survey of American literature beginning with The Colonial period and ending with The Moderns. • At least two full-length novels and two American dramas will be taught in this course including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, The Crucible, and A Raisin in the Sun. • Two more American fiction/non-fiction books must be read outside of class to fulfill the requirements for this course. • The study of root words is required for this course. • Weekly PSAE timed reading/workkeys passages are also a requirement for this course. • Two expository “literary analysis” essays and two argumentative essays (at least one essay must include a research component and MLA documentation) must be formally evaluated for this course. At least one narrative essay shall be evaluated for this course as well. • Students are required to keep an online journal or blog for this course. • Along with the literature, root word, and composition study, the instruction of grammar usage and mechanics will be a daily part of this course.

3. Classroom Rules • High expectations are a must! • Good attendance is essential to success. • Abide by the “golden rule.” • Come to class on time. • Avoid disruptions. • Be prepared for class. • Do not ask to leave the classroom except for emergencies (you must have your planner). • Late work will not be accepted except under rare circumstances. • Deal with make-up work immediately. • No food or drink is allowed in the classroom. • No cell phones or ipods are permitted to be in use during class without permission. • Respect school property especially classroom equipment. • Wait for the teacher to dismiss the class and not the bell.

4. Consequences • A verbal warning is given when a classroom rule has been violated. This does not include tardy violations, insubordination, misbehavior for a sub, inappropriate use of classroom equipment, or gross misconduct. • Insubordination, misbehavior for a sub, and inappropriate use of classroom equipment will result in, at minimum, an automatic detention. A tardy violation receives an automatic 3 points. • If the warning is not heeded, 3 pts. are assigned for each subsequent infraction. • When the student has accumulated 9 classroom points, a point letter is sent home to parents. • The next subsequent infraction after the letter will be an assigned detention. • If the behavior continues beyond the detention, subsequent points are assigned. • If in the event that the student reaches 20 points, a conference with the parent/guardian is held to determine further disciplinary action. Depending on the nature of the infractions, this could mean anywhere from more assigned detentions, AER, or removal to study hall. • Point records accumulate during one semester and then begin anew second semester.

5. Make-Up Work • You will have one day for every day missed to make up your assignments. • Please come in to see me during tutorial as soon as you return to school from an absence. • Tests and quiz make-up dates must be scheduled immediately. • Check the make-up folder or the classroom website for assignments and handouts. The site’s address is <mrsdrakesclassroom.pbworks.com>. • Alternative assignments may be given for missed videos and group assignments. • If you are absent on an important essay or presentation due date, only a note from a parent/ guardian or doctor will excuse you from receiving late deduction points. • Papers and presentations not turned in on the assigned due date will receive one letter grade deduction for each day late. • If you miss school for any reason other than illness, you will need to make up your work before you leave in most cases.

6. Grading Grading Scale 100-90=A 89-80=B 79-70=C 69-60=D Below 60=F *Grades in this class are cumulative and are based on total points.

7. Grading Continued • The greatest percentage of your grade in this class will be taken from classwork & homework. You should expect to have homework almost every night. • Occasional unit quizzes and tests will also make up a considerable percentage of your grade. • Two formal essay assignment grades per semester will be included in your percentage for this course as well. • You will be expected to keep an online journal using gagglenet. • Class projects, if time permits, will be included in your final semester grade as well. • Class participation grades will be taken on a regular basis not to exceed 10% of your total semester grade.

8. More on Grading • Please do not ask me “Is this assignment for a grade?” • The answer is always “Yes” whether I collect it and assign an actual grade or not! • Every academic activity you do in this class is either receiving a formative or summative assessment. • So, this means, give your best effort on everything you do in this class!

9. Miscellaneous Policies and Procedures • Please bring your textbook, paper, English folder, pen, and pencil to class each day. • Spiral bound notebook paper is discouraged. • Please use pencil or black/blue ink on all assignments. • Unless instructed otherwise, please use complete sentences for all assignments. Remember to proofread, correcting all spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors. • Include an appropriate header with all assignments, including first and last name, course title, hour, date, assignment title, and page number. The assignment title should be centered at the top of the paper. All other info should be included in the upper right-hand corner of the assignment. • Please write neatly and legibly. For some, it may be better to type the assignments.

10. Miscellaneous Policies and Procedures Continued • All formal essay assignments should be typed, double-spaced, and include header (unless otherwise specified). No cover page or report folder should be included. • Some essays may be required to be submitted electronically such as Turnitin.com or Gagglenet. You will be required to keep track of your user name and passwords for these programs. • Please save all of your assignments and handouts throughout the semester. • We are piloting a new BYOT program this year! More info to follow on this!

11. Writing Evaluation • Most writing completed in this course is evaluated according to Illinois state standards based on Focus, Support/Elaboration, Organization, Conventions, and Integration/Style. Rubrics will be provided for all major writing assignments. • The MLA or Modern Language Association is the style used in all English classes at CHS for documenting sources. There are several online sources for MLA listed on the CHS Homepage link. • Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If a student is discovered plagiarizing in this course, a failing grade for the assignment shall be the result. • A computer program known as Turnitin.com may be used in this course to check for assignment’s originality.

12. Daily Grammar Practice • We will be completing daily oral language drills at the beginning of each period. • There will be regular quizzes over this material. • These grammar skills will be included on the semester exam. • The expectation from this program is that you will learn and retain more grammar knowledge to prepare you for the professional world. • The assignments from this program will count as part of your daily participation grade.

13. More Grammar Info • We are also going to continue a grammar computer program called englishgrammar101.com • We will go to the lab occasionally to complete the unit programs. • Pretests and posttests along with individual grammar lessons are provided. • Students will work at their own pace and set due dates to complete tests and lessons will be designated by the teacher. • Students will receive passwords to access the programs. Tests may not be taken at home, but practice lessons may if the student has internet access. • All students’ completed lessons, tests, and scores are sent directly the teacher’s inbox for review. So, no need to print copies of the assignments or scores.

14. Gaggle.net • Recently, our school began using an internet program called gaggle.net. • With this program all students are given an email account to be used for educational purposes. • Students may send and receive emails to teachers and peers. • Students may also submit assignments to teachers via the homework dropbox.

15. Gaggle.net • There are many other features that may be used with gaggle.net that will be discussed in class shortly. • If you do not have internet access at home, please let your teacher know so that an alternative method for submitting assignments may be provided. • We do have internet access available in the CHS media center also.

16. Get ready for a great year!