Welcome to 9B English. I hope this semester is fun, enjoyable, challenging, thought provoking and educational for you. We will be concentrating on reading comprehension, writing literary and persuasive essays, and of course, the mechanics of writing - otherwise known as grammar. We will be using the following books:
Vocabulary for High School Students: Level C
HOLT HANDBOOK (grammar)
Elements of Literature: THE ODYSSEY and ROMEO and JULIET
NIGHT
You are expected to keep a notebook for my class. A separate three ring binder would be nice - one that you can put papers into (which I will thoughtfully hole-punch for you so that you can put them into your binder). EVERYTHING I GIVE YOU SHOULD BE PUT INTO YOUR NOTEBOOK! That means handouts I give you, your homework, your classwork, your tests, your essays - in short, everything you will do or have done in my class should go into your notebook. This acts as protection for both you and me. Sometimes teachers make mistakes (Yes, that does happen. Even with me.) If I forget to record a grade (and that does happen sometimes) then you have proof that you did the work. If you have thrown it away then........Okay, so keep ALL your work in your notebook. At the end of the semester I will check your notebook for organization and completeness. This is a major grade. (And keep it small and lightweight! Those backpacks get heavy!)
We will finish reading THE ODYSSEY this semester, and after we finish we will work on a five page research paper. You will choose one topic related to THE ODYSSEY; the topic may be about some aspect of THE ODYSSEY, or about Greek Culture or The Greek gods, etc. You will have about two weeks to work on the paper and we will spend time in the library so that you may do research. Don’t blow this off, it’s an important part of your grade!
After we finish the research paper, we will begin reading ROMEO and JULIET. You will keep a running reading log on ROMEO and JULIET, which will be collected and graded; five open book tests on the play, plus group acting activities (rewrites and performances of your scripts) and essays.
If there is time, we will read the autobiographical NIGHT by Eli Wiesel.
Now for the good news: I don’t give homework over the weekend. Now for the bad: I do give homework - lots of homework! But I do give you plenty of time to do it. If you are absent, then you are allowed to turn in the work the next day after your return. So if you are absent on Monday, you return on Tuesday, then you will turn in the work on Wednesday. The week’s work as well as the due dates will be written on the blog. The handouts will be in the baskets on top of the book case. It is up to you to check the blog and the baskets for any work you may have missed during your absence. Saying that you didn’t know about the work is not a valid excuse - it will be posted on the weblog, and the hand outs will be on the table.
If you have internet access you can log onto hollywoodhighschool.net, go to the teacher’s weblog and click on my name (Bridges - in case you’ve forgotten) and there you will be able to see an updated class agenda for the week. You may also check your grade on engrade.com. In order to do that, you must sign up for a student account, which is free.
Class participation is a must. The class is only going to be as good as we all make it. If you help make the class fun and interesting, yet you have a borderline grade, then that extra class participation grade may make the difference between a lower and a higher grade. So don’t fall asleep! Pinch yourself, say something smart and interesting, or ask a good question and your grade just might go up.
Finally, let’s make this a safe environment where everyone feels secure and valued. Let’s respect our differences and realize that it is these differences that make the world wonderful and brilliant.
The grading schedule is as follows:
90 - 100 = A
80 - 89 = B
70 - 79 = C
60 - 69 = D
59 - 0 = F
Tests are worth 30%
Essays are worth 30%
Homework is worth 30%
Class participation is worth 10%
Finally, if you are not happy with a grade on a test or an essay or even homework, then you may rewrite the essay or the test or the homework, incorporating the corrections on your work, staple your corrected work to the original version and turn it in for a higher grade. The corrected grade will be one grade higher than your original grade. If you made a "C/C", and you rewrite the essay, then the grade will be raised to a "B/B".
I am here to help you learn, to grow in appreciation of literature, to improve your reading, writing and grammar skills, and to pass with a good grade. I am here to help you. You can make this happen by working with me, and being respectful to everyone in the class, including yourself.
I have read this and understand the requirements of the class.
Student:___________________________________________________________
Parents:___________________________________________________________
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