Mrs. Harrison’s Pre-AP English IIClassroom ExpectationsRoom 860 – Tutorials M, T, TH, F 7-7:20 a.m., Wed., 8-9 a.m. After school every day (except Fridays) from 2:25-3:00 p.m. Email me at kharrison@dpisd.com Goals Welcome! Our primary goal will be to help you develop the reading and writing skills needed be successful in college and in your future careers. The measures we will use to gage our success will be your ability to excel on the AP English exams, the ELA TAKS Exit Exam, and the SAT and ACT college entrance exams. To be successful in this course, you will be expected to use higher-level thinking skills and do more individual projects, research, and devote more time outside of class to learn skills and complete assignments. Since most of you will be involved in other advanced classes and extracurricular activities, you will have to plan your time wisely if you expect to be successful in my class. The primary approach we will use to accomplish our objectives is the study of literature. Everything we read may not be your first choice, but I assure you that there is a reason for everything we study. Unfortunately, the reasons may not be clear to you until the end of the course, so you will have to trust me. Keep this quotation in mind as we begin our study:
-Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch Inaugural Lecture at Cambridge, 1913
Daily RoutinesAs you enter the class, check the long table next to the entrance of the room for any handouts, take your seat and consult the chalkboard for your list of instructions for the day’s activities. When the bell rings, you will be quiet and ready for me to begin. Because this is a class in which we read and write almost every day, it is disruptive when students leave the room during class. For that reason, bathroom stops and other errands should be taken care of BEFORE coming to class. All assignments MUST include the following: Your Name, Class Period, and Today’s Date. Supplies
In addition to these material, you will be required to bring additional folders, post-it notes, poster boards, map pencils, index cards and other items for special assignments as the year progresses.Because a lack of materials interferes with your learning and those that you try to borrow from, failure to bring your materials will be documented and appropriate disciplinary action will follow. **English II Pre-AP curriculum focuses heavily on close reading strategies. Making notes in the margin, highlighting portions of the text, and color-coding for certain patterns of analysis are all suggested and encouraged by the College Board. Obviously, students may NOT write in any texts belonging to the school, so we highly recommend that students purchase their own copies of novels and plays to annotate and keep in preparation for the AP exams their junior and senior years. Here is this year’s reading list. (Note: Although I do not anticipate making any changes,some modification may be necessary in the event of unforeseen circumstances.) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane 1984 by George Orwell Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Orpheus Descending by Tennessee Williams ReadingIn addition to the assigned reading, you will be expected to read one novel outside of class every six weeks. You will be tested on this reading. English Binders Organization You will need a SEPARATE 2-inch, 3-ring binder just for this class. Because this is a Pre-AP class, and we do not have a specialized textbook for this course, you will be receive a large number of handouts that you must bring to class every day. In this notebook, you will have:
From time-to-time, I will check your binder to be sure you have all of the materials in them. If you do not have your binder or the materials that should be in it, you will receive a "0" for that day. Compositions and ExamsGraded compositions and exams will be returned to you in class so that you may make notes of areas where improvement is needed. However, they will then be collected and kept on file. Exams and quizzes will never leave the classroom in order to prevent the confidentiality of both the student grades and the integrity of the assignment from being breached. Our Pre-AP pace and curriculum are so intensive that a class review of every quiz and exam is not possible, nor necessary for most students, so class time will not be available for those activities. If you wish to review your exam, you may come to tutorials within one week of the assignment to do so. If parents wish to see graded compositions or exams during the year, they may do so by scheduling an appointment. My conference time is 1st period each day. Parents may also email me at any time at school at kharrison@dpisd.org. Email is the best way to reach me for conferences or other concerns. Assignment Grade Clarification Procedure If you are unclear about a grade you have received on a returned assignment, you should first carefully reread the requirements of the assignment, then read my written comments and rubric, and then listen in class to a global discussion of areas to improve when I return the assignments to the class. If you are still unclear about the grade you received,you may make an appointment after class to attend a tutorial at which time I will review the concepts and assessment of this assignment so you will better understand why you earned the grade you did. Make-up WorkWe will be using an independent make-up work system in this class. You will not interrupt class for assignments you have missed because you will take care of your business BEFORE CLASS BEGINS. When you return from an absence, you will:
Just as I am responsible for teaching this class every day, you are responsible for completing your work every day, whether you are present in class or not. You will have one week from the day you were absent to complete your make-up work. IT IS NOT MY REPSONBILITY TO REMIND YOU ABOUT THIS. Make-up exams will be given during tutorials, M, T, TH, F, 7 – 7:20 a.m., Wed., 8-9 a.m. and after school every day from 2:25-3:00 p.m. While make-up exams will evaluate the same material and skills covered on regularly scheduled exams, their format will be different for obvious reasons. You will have one week from the day you return to take the make-up exam. It is your responsibility to keep track of your own absences and make-up work. If you are absent only one day before an exam, you will still take the exam on the designated day with the class. If you fail to make up an exam, you will receive a “0.” Excessive AbsencesDue to the very accelerated coursework, the extensive class discussion and notes, and large amount of writing in Pre-AP English, excessive absences can dramatically impact your grades. Please strive to be here and to be prepared, every day. Re-takesAccording to DPISD policy re-takes of an exam may only be offered when a student makes a 69 or below on a major assignment or test. In order to be eligible to take a retest, you must first attend a tutorial, and also plan to take the retest within one week of the return of the assignment. The highest grade a student may earn on a retest is a 70. In addition, no more than 2 major assignments or tests may be retaken during the 6-weeks grading period. Long-term AssignmentsLong-term projects are due on the due date whether you are present or not and are subject to a reduction in the grade for EVERY DAY YOU FAIL TO TURN THEM IN ON TIME. If you are absent on a group presentation day, you will still be responsible for an alternate assignment and your group will present their portion of the assignment without you and will not be penalized. Printer and computer problems will not excuse you from the due date, or the penalty. No late daily work will be accepted. Grading Scale90-100 = A 80-89 = B 75-79 = C 70-74 = D Below 69 = F *Grades are determined by quizzes, tests and major papers, daily performance (participation, timed writing, reading), projects and semester exams. An additional grade point will be added to your grade in this class due to its rigor and depth. For example, a semester average of 90 will receive 5 grade points instead of the 4 that you would earn in Regular level English. ***** All semester grades of 70 or above receive the extra grade point. Vocabulary Tests A list will be given each week. You will have quizzes almost every week. HomeworkThe majority of homework will consist of reading and completing study guides. Your homework assignments will be preparing you for quizzes, class discussion, and timed writings. If you fail to do your homework, you will not be prepared for our classroom activities. You will have two major compositions and several projects that you also will complete at home. On rare nights, when you have no assigned homework for this class, you should read your independent reading book and review and study your notes and concepts taught in class that day. Reviewing daily, rather than the night before a major test, is a good idea. VideosDuring the year, we will select several of the following videos to enhance our study of Literature: The Grapes of Wrath (rated G) Places in the Heart (rated PG), Camelot (rated G), Braveheart (rated R, but it has been severely teacher edited for violence, language, and sexual situations …about 45 min. has been removed), Antigone (not rated), Our Town (rated G), A Tale of Two Cities (not rated), and Cyrano de Bergerac (rated PG). Parents and student may contact me at any time via email, kharrison@dpisd.com, or leave a message at 832-667-2860. I will return your call as soon as possible.
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