English 11AP: Language and Composition Course Syllabus for 2017­18

Teacher: Mr. Jeffrey Bunting, M.T. Room Number: 248 Contact Information: jeffrey.bunting@apsva.us

Yorktown High School 5200 Yorktown Blvd. Arlington, VA 22207 (703) 228­5400

Course Overview:

In this course you will continue to develop as a skilled “reader of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts” and as a “skilled writer who composes for a variety of purposes.” Through a study of rhetoric you will become “aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way genre conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing.” This course is modeled after a first­year college­level course, the goal of which is to allow students to write “effectively and confidently [. . . ] across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives” (CollegeBoard). While we will read some fictional literature, the emphasis will be on close readings of non­fiction works. Our readings will serve as models for our writings.

Frequent writing assignments—from informal journal responses to expository, analytical, and argumentative essays, personal narratives, and an argumentative research­based paper synthesizing various sources—will serve as a way of thinking about our reading and making connections between literature and our own experiences. Students will write at least two assessed essays/writing assignments per quarter. We will approach writing as a process, emphasizing the importance of invention, drafting, peer editing, and revision.

Through our reading and writing, we will improve our vocabularies, evaluate and use research materials, analyze visual images and media messages, and review and become comfortable using the Modern Language Associations citation guidelines.

An additional goal of this course is to provide you with a deeper understanding of approximately 400 years of American literature and literary criticism. To this end we will consider several enduring questions: What universal truths about the human experience are expressed in American literature? Conversely, what is unique to American literature that is not found in other countries’ literatures? What is the American Dream? What conflicts are inherent in the American Dream? How does literature of the past live in the present? Course Outlook

This course is organized thematically, although an attempt is also made to help students understand the chronological development of American literature. This outlook is subject to change based on the availability of materials and students’ needs. Overarching the questions listed above is one essential question that guides our studies throughout the year: What makes texts meaningful? First Quarter: Hopeful Visions, Haunting Legacies We will begin the year by studying what rhetoric is and is not and how an understanding of rhetoric helps us to become close readers. After an introduction to close reading and annotation we will embark on our exploration of rhetoric in American literature. We will pay particular attention to the influence of Puritanism, the Revolutionary period, and Romanticism in our literary history. How do America’s

intensely spiritual roots shape American idealism and the American Dream? What does liberty mean to different writers and how do they express this belief in their writings? What are the darker consequences of American idealism and the American Dream? We will begin to work with the analytical essay, one of the three essays on the AP exam. We will also begin learning about argumentation and how writers/speakers persuade readers/listeners. Shorter texts: Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Anne Bradstreet’s “Upon the Burning of Our House,” Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Second Virginia Convention,” Thomas Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence,” Frederick Douglass’ “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro,” Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “The Declaration of Sentiments,” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil,” Langston Hughes’ “Salvation,” Henry David Thoreau’s Walden (excerpts), Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self­Reliance” (excerpt). Longer texts: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. As students read the novel, they will keep a dialectical journal. Students will write a rhetorical analysis about Capote’s two depictions of the Clutters’ orchard. A socratic seminar will be held about the novel, and students will develop the questions and answers in advance of the seminar, using their journals as a starting point. Second Quarter: Money, Class, and Consumerism We will consider contradictions in the American Dream­­what happens when the American Dream collides with the harsh realities of poverty, corruption, and disillusionment—when idealism collides with reality. We will solidify our analytical and argumentative writing skills while we learn how to evaluate, cite, and synthesize sources in a research­based argumentative essay. We will be applying rhetorical analysis to media messages from our daily lives. Shorter texts : Martin Luther King’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail,” Dave Barry’s “Lost in the Kitchen,” Walt Whitman’s “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,” Lars Eighner’s “On Dumpster Diving.” Longer Texts : Into the Wild by John Krakaur and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Third Quarter: Shifting Perspectives, Persistent Ghosts In our reading, we will examine the powerful—and often highly contested—memories that shape both individual lives and national identity. We will continue to build upon the writing skills emphasized during the first two quarters. As students read Beloved , they will consider point of view and purpose. Throughout the quarter students will produce an issues­based researched argumentative essay following MLA guidelines. Shorter texts: E.B. White’s “Once More to the Lake,” James Baldwin’s “Notes of a Native Son” and “Stranger in the Village” Longer texts: Beloved by Toni Morrison and The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

Fourth Quarter: Narrative, Values and Self During and after preparing in earnest for the AP exam, we will examine the purpose of storytelling in shaping an individual’s, and a society’s, values. Students will produce their own personal essay in the narrative mode. Shorter readings: Joan Didion’s “On Keeping a Notebook,”Annie Dillard’s “The Stunt Pilot.” Longer texts: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Textbooks and Novels:

Copies of novels and essays outlined in the “course outlook” will be provided to students. However, I encourage you to obtain your own copies of the longer texts in order to annotate them. When available, I will post audio versions of these books to Google Classroom. Other books we will pull from in this class include:

Cohen, Samuel. Ed. 50 Essays: A portable Anthology . Boston: St. Martin’s Press, 2004. Roskelly, Hephisibah and David A. Jolliffe. Everyday Use: Rhetoric at Work in Reading and

Writing. New York: Pearson, 2009. Shea, Renee H. et al. The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric . Boston:

Bedford/St. Martin, 2008.

Elements of Literature: 5th Course , published by Holt. We may pull our short­stories and essays from this collection of literature. You will not have a book to take home, so when readings must be completed at home, we will have to use online options (I will explain where to find those when the time comes).

Although this is not a requirement for the course, I also recommend that you obtain a writer’s

handbook, such as Rules for Writers, 8th Edition by Hacker and Sommers, that includes a section on Modern Language Association formatting. You can also take advantage of such books in the classroom, school library, and county library. This will be a writing tool you can use this year, next year, and for years beyond.

If you would like a book for reinforcement of test preparation outside of class for the AP exam, I

recommend obtaining a copy of McGraw Hill’s 5 Steps to a 5: English Language and Composition .

Your Responsibilities: Be respectful: Please respect differences in the classroom. It is important to recognize each

individual’s right to express themselves. You may not always agree with everyone, but please disagree respectfully. Give your full attention to those whose turn it is to speak. Assume good will from others, and know that there is more to everyone’s stories than you know. Remember, gentleness and kindness are a force, not a weaknesses. Dress appropriately. Use school­appropriate language.

Come to class on time and regularly: Your attendance is the most important variable in your success. You are part of a community of learners and are vital to our progress.

Put away electronic devices: Before the bell rings silence (not vibrate) or turn off electronic devices (i.e. cell phones) and put them away in a locker or backpack. Ear phones should also be out of sight. If I see electronic devices or earphones that are not part of the lesson I will ask you to put them away once. If the issue continues, they will be confiscated for the class period so that you can focus on learning.

Be prepared : Please check the daily agendas and homework in the “About” tab of Google Classroom. Also, use your agenda to write down the homework which is posted on the whiteboard. Bring

assigned readings every day. Please arrive prepared both mentally and physically to work. This means having all of the required supplies and having completed the homework.

Maintain your technology and your StudentVue and Google Classroom access: Bring your laptop daily charged. Maintain your password access to online accounts.

My Responsibilities:

I will treat you with respect and do my best to ensure that you feel safe, welcome, and supported in my classroom. If you don’t feel this way, please let me or another adult know.

I will be prepared with lessons designed to advance your learning to the best of my ability.

I will maintain a weekly agenda in the “About” tab of Google Classroom to provide an overview

of classwork and homework for each week. I will also daily update a whiteboard in the classroom with classwork and homework.

I will record completed and missing assignments in the online gradebook by Tuesdays.

I will provide feedback on assignments in a timely manner. Where appropriate, this feedback will be narrative. Supplies:

1. Laptop 2. A small three­ring binder JUST FOR THIS CLASS. How you organize this binder is up to you—this is a college level class. However, it is important that you keep all work throughout the year , as you will revisit it periodically in order to reflect on your learning. 3. Colored stick­it notes to be used as tabs in books for class discussions 4. Multiple colored highlighters 5. Loose­leaf paper 6. Blue or black pens. Assignments completed in any other colors will not be graded. 7. #2 Pencils Much appreciated by your classmates and me but not required: Box of tissues.

Grades and Academic Policy Standards­based assessment provides students and parents with detailed feedback that communicates their progress

toward a defined set of learning goals. Students are evaluated on what they know and can do instead of on the

amount of work they have done. This is consistent with the APS grading policy mandate that “student grades reflect

student achievement and not student behavior.”

LEARNING GOALS

The learning goals are adapted from the Virginia Standards of Learning and from College Board’s General

Objectives found in the “AP Language and Composition Course Description”. These learning goals define the

content and skills students must master by the end of the course and, therefore, drive both instruction and

assessment. For further information, please see the Virginia Department of Education website at

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/index.shtml and the “AP Language and Composition Course

Description” at http://tinyurl.com/y733pu74 .

3­TIERED SCALE

A three­tiered scale is used to assess the student’s progress towards mastery of the learning goals. The teacher will enter a score for each learning goal at the end of each quarter based on evidence from the student portfolio and professional judgment.

Proficienct The student demonstrates proficiency of the learning goal, consistently and without help.

Developing

Proficiency

The student demonstrates effort and progress toward the learning goal; may successfully complete tasks related to the learning goal with help from the teacher or peers.

Insufficient

Evidence

The student has not presented evidence of progress toward the learning goal, or evidence is not sufficient to assess the student’s knowledge and skills.

TRACKING PROGRESS & FEEDBACK

Weekly, teachers will update the grade book with a record of completed and missing assignments , visible to parents and students through ParentVUE/StudentVUE . Quarterly, t eachers will update their grade book with standards­based scores for each learning goal. For a detailed record of student progress, students will keep a Learning Log to record their progress on assignments via self­reflection and feedback from the teacher and peers. The Learning Log will be accessible to the student, teacher, and parents through Google Classroom. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

The teacher uses formative assessments in the form of assignments to collect ongoing evidence of students’ progress toward the learning goals. Assignments can be formal (tests, projects, essays, presentations, journals), informal (observations, conferences), and/or student­generated (students present their own way to demonstrate mastery of a learning goal). Formative assessment is a conversation between teacher and student about learning, and assignments are simply opportunities for students to practice skills and receive feedback. Because they are considered practice, formative assessments may not receive “scores” on the 3­point scale – instead, they will receive narrative feedback. PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

At the end of each quarter, the student will create a portfolio of work to demonstrate progress on each of the course learning goals. The portfolio may include evidence from tests, essays, assignments, revisions, and even artifacts you generate outside the my guidance. Together, the student and teacher will determine a quarter grade based on the evidence presented in the portfolio, student reflection, and teacher professional judgment. Quarter Grading criteria are as follows:

A

Frequently exhibits new, insightful, and/or creative ways to learn and show learning. Demonstrates “proficiency” for most targeted learning goals by the end of the quarter . Provides evidence of “developing proficiency” for remaining learning goals by the end of the quarter. Provides evidence of “proficiency” for all learning goals by the end of the year . Shows consistent evidence of growth, turning weaknesses to strengths.

B

Sometimes exhibits novel/insightful/creative ways to learn and show learning. Demonstrates “developing proficiency” for most targeted learning goals by the end of the quarter . Provides evidence of “proficiency” for most learning goals by the end of the year and is “developing

proficiency” for the others. Shows some evidence of growth, with certain weaknesses remaining unaddressed.

C

Exhibits average ways to learn and show learning. Demonstrates “developing proficiency” for half of the targeted learning goals by the end of the quarter. Provides evidence of “proficiency” for half of the learning goals by the end of the year . Shows a few instances of growth, with several weaknesses remaining unaddressed.

Incomplete

Demonstrates “developing proficiency” for fewer than half of the targeted learning goals by the end of the

quarter.

Provides evidence of “proficiency” for fewer than half of the learning goals by the end of the year . Shows little or no growth.

Provides too little evidence of learning to make a determination of knowledge and skills.

PROGRESS REPORTS Quarter grades are determined through a portfolio conference between student and teacher. If a student receives a

grade of “Incomplete,” a parent­teacher conference is required. The teacher, parent, and student will devise an

improvement plan. If the student does not complete the improvement plan within two weeks, the quarter grade will

be changed to an “E.”

Interim progress will not be reported as a letter grade because students and teachers will not have sufficient time to

hold a portfolio conference mid­quarter. Instead, a “grade” of NG (no grade) will be reported. For more detailed

information on student progress mid­quarter, parents should refer to the student’s Learning Log on Google

Classroom and the list of completed and missing assignments in the grade book. If a student has not made sufficient

progress at this point in the quarter, the teacher will request a parent conference.

On all progress reports, teachers will report on student work habits (i.e. use of class time, effort, respect,

responsibility, etc) using the following symbols:

+ ­ Surpasses Expectations

# ­ Meets Expectations

^ ­ Approaching Expectations

N ­ Needs Improvement

NO FINAL EXAM In lieu of a final exam, students will have a conference with the teacher to present a final portfolio, discuss progress

in their learning, and determine a course grade. This final assessment of the learning goals will be entered in 4 th

quarter, not as a separate final exam grading period. DETERMINING THE COURSE GRADE APS policy states that “the final grade is required to be calculated using the quality points and not percentages, letter

grades, number or point systems.” The final course grade is not the average of each quarter, but is reflective of the

student’s levels of proficiency at the end of the year (4 th quarter), since a standards­based learning seeks to reward

growth over time. Nevertheless, if the average of the quality point quarter grades would result in a higher course

grade, the higher grade shall be given.

Letter Grade Quality Points

A 4.0

B+ 3.5

B 3.0

C+ 2.5

C 2.0

D+ 1.5

D 1.0

E 0.0

Late Work When you do not turn assignments in, you miss an opportunity to practice the learning standards

and to show progress and proficiency. Assignments will be accepted through the end of the current unit,

or in the case of absences. Late assignments will not be accepted past the end of the unit; however,

exceptions will be made if the students has arranged with the teacher earlier. Written Work Format

All written work, unless otherwise specified by the teacher, must be word­processed using Times

New Roman font, size 12, double­spaced. Students are required to use the correct MLA [Modern

Language Association] format. You must always cite outside sources in MLA format when you use them. Absences: If you are absent, you are responsible for

Checking Google Classroom to see classwork and homework.

Obtaining from either the website and/or the “Absence Folder” in the classroom any copies of

handouts given in class.

Making up any class and homework.

On the day you return, seeing me to schedule a time to make up assignments.

Remembering and managing this. I will not remind you or seek you out.

A Word About Testing:

A major focus in this class is familiarizing ourselves with and preparing for the AP Language and

Composition Exam. Throughout the year you will be exposed to released versions of this exam. Your

daily activities for this class are preparation for this test, but you should also plan on doing extra

preparations outside of class.

In addition to the AP test, sometime in the year we will be taking the End of Course English:

Writing SOL Test , and at another point in June the End of Course English: Reading SOL Test . In

preparation for these exams we may take a practice test.

Academic Integrity: My hope is that this issue never arises in our class. However, it does need to be

addressed. The standards assessed on plagiarized work or work that is otherwise academically dishonest

will result in a score of 1, since you have not presented evidence of success. Additionally, you will be

referred to your dean and a guardian will be contacted. Academic dishonesty is often a two­person

process: the person who copies something and the person who gives something to be copied. This

includes talking during a quiz or test. You are not considered independently proficient at a standard if you

are getting outside help, and the score for the standards would reflect this. Furthermore, academic dishonesty has a broader definition than simply copying passages of

someone else’s work. You should not copy another’s work (whole or in part); cut and paste from a few

sources, bridging gaps with your own words; copy and then change some of the words or the order of

words; copy someone’s idea and claim it as your own; fail to give credit to the sources of information

(proper citation—remember, even if you quote it, but you fail to cite it, it is plagiarism); or mislead about

the sources of your information. In this class you are expected to quote, summarize, and paraphrase the

words and thoughts of others in your writing; after all, this makes your writing stronger. Just make sure

that you properly cite (MLA format) when you do so. To avoid the temptation to plagiarize or copy,

please see me in advance of deadlines with questions you have about an assignment or for any help. You are very capable of doing the work for this class on your own and in an honest way! Remember, in the few instances where academic dishonesty occurs, students very rarely set out to be deceitful; instead, they cut corners which caused them to be dishonest.

Assignments will be run through the “Turnitin.com,” which helps the student confirm that they have properly cited and quoted the words and ideas of others.

Google Classroom Codes: Go to classroom.google.com, click the plus sign at the top right to “join a class,” and use the following code for your class: P2 ­ bilmre P3 ­ 7cok8s P4 ­ gj1qmd P6 ­ hjxduie P 8 ­ 434wjqu

Extra Help: I am available by appointment to help you during 1st period, patriot periods, and most days after school until 3:30. Please do not hesitate to email me or speak to me about receiving extra help. I may ask you to visit the Writing Center if you are able to before coming to me for help. The Writing Center is a student­led tutoring center that is held in the library from 3:05 to 4:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There, students can get feedback and tutoring on writing for any course. An English teacher is always present as well.

Please note that this syllabus may change per student needs. Any changes will be announced in class and updated in the electronic version of the syllabus.

_English 11AP Bunting_____________________________________________________________

Thank you for signing below and returning this sheet. Keep the rest of the syllabus for your reference.

Syllabus Signature Sheet

I have read the expectations and guidelines of this syllabus.

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