Ms.

Zucha- English I Pre-AP & Pre-AP Leadership Syllabus Clear Creek Independent School District Course Syllabus 2013-14 Clear Springs High School 501 Palomino Lane League City, Texas 77573 Course Title: English I Pre-AP, English I Pre-AP Leadership Teacher Name: Ms. Zucha Teacher Conference Time: Period 4 Contact Information: jzucha@ccisd.net This year will be challenging, but I promise you that with a little hard work you can and will be successful! I guarantee that you will learn more than you ever thought possible about literature, writing, human nature, philosophy, history, leadership, and of course, yourself. To achieve this goal, you must be prepared to work diligently and manage your time effectively. ENGLISH I PAP The Pre-AP English I class is designed to prepare students for success in the Advanced Placement English Language and Literature classrooms, for success on the AP exams, and for success in college level coursework. For more information on the Advanced Placement and Pre-Advanced Placement program, visit the College Boards website at: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html As defined by the CCISD website, PAP and AP curricula are written two grade levels above traditional curricula. Instruction is fast-paced and much of the work is done outside of class. Some of the many methods you will be learning are note taking, independent reading, research, self-motivation, pacing, small and large group discussion, presentation skills, project development, and organization. THERE ARE 5 MAJOR PURPOSES FOR THIS COURSE: 1. to improve your oral and written language skills 2. to improve your understanding of literature 3. to improve your chances of passing the AP exams 4. to improve your analytical and critical thinking skills all of which help you to become a lifelong learner and leader Right now, you need to make a commitment to the requirements of this class. Most of you will be involved in other advanced classes, as well as several extra activities. You must plan your activities and reading time carefully, if you wish to excel. The primary approach we will use to accomplish our objectives is the in-depth study of literature. You may not love everything we read, but I promise you that there is a reason for everything we study. The reasons may not be clear to you until the end of the year, so you will need to trust me. Through reading, studying, analyzing, discussing, and writing about the literary works chosen for this course, you will grow as a reader, a writer, and a critical thinker. In order to do so, though, you must be willing to approach the literature with an open mind.

CLASSROOM ROUTINES: The bell does not begin or end this class, I do. You should enter the room promptly, check for handouts on the long table by the door, find your seat, take out the materials you need for the days study, CHECK THE DIRECTIONS ON THE WHITEBOARD AND FOLLOW THEM. When the bell rings, you will be prepared and ready to begin. Class Rules: 1. 2. 3. 4. Be prompt. Be prepared. Be productive. Be polite.

Consequences for breaking these rules include teacher-student conferences, contact with parents, teacher detentions, school detentions, and referrals to the office. Every effort will be made to communicate closely with parents when there is a concern about a student. BYOD Rules & Expectations: I am happy to announce that this year students will be allowed and encouraged to bring their own devices to school in order to enrich their learning experience through exciting new technology, apps, forums, and websites that will extend the classroom beyond the school walls. The use of all devices in the classroom including smart phones will be up to my discretion, and it is imperative that you do not abuse this opportunity by disrespecting me, yourself, or your fellow classmates.
1. Take care of your own device. a. Dont lose it, abuse it, or let others misuse it. b. Keep an eye on it-so it doesnt disappear. c. Handle with care- a broken device doesnt help anyone. 2. Listen to your teacher- I make the final decision on how devices are utilized in my classroom. 3. Ringer off; no texting or social networking in class. 4. Leave device on desk in front of you when I am giving instruction, lecture, or need your attention for any reason. 5. Internet access is tracked and filtered-so be responsible in your use of school resources and network.

Consequences for breaking these rules include teacher-student conferences, contact with parents, teacher detentions, school detentions, and referrals to the office. All district policies regarding grading and late work will be followed. Please refer to the student handbook if you have any questions. Class grades will be available and updated weekly online. At the beginning of each week, I will post the course objectives and plans of the week for the class on the board. Students will record the assignments in their planners at that time.

Remind 101: Students will be encouraged to sign up for Ms. Zuchas class to get text updates on homework, reading assignments, and upcoming tests. This information will be given in class. MATERIALS: You must bring the necessary materials to class every day. You will need: Notebook paper black or blue ink pens 4 asst. colors highlighters English binder of Current works literature we studying* of are

# 2 pencils In addition to these items, you will be required to bring folders, post-it notes, map pencils, a thumb or flash drive, and other items for special assignments as the year progresses. *The English I PAP 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 (the organization responsible for Advanced Placement Exams). Obviously, students may not write in any texts belonging to the school, so we highly recommend students have their own copies of novels and plays to annotate and keep in preparation for the AP exams their junior and senior years. MAJOR WORKS: Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte Animal Farm, George Orwell Lord of the Flies, William Golding Homers Odyssey (excerpts from textbook) Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens Additional Shakespeare Play from a list of 25 for Mastery Project

In addition to the major works covered this year, we will read numerous poems, short stories, and nonfiction pieces. ENGLISH BINDERS: It is highly recommended that you have a SEPARATE 2 inch, 3 ring binder just for this class. We do not have a specialized textbook for this course, so you will be receiving numerous handouts that you must bring to class every day. In essence, your binder IS your text for this course. You will also be receiving instructional materials that you will continue to keep in your binder for the next two years as they will help you with AP testing skills.

GRADES: Methods of assessment will include, but are not limited to: major and minor compositions, timed writings, daily work, homework, quizzes, tests, projects, oral presentations, graded discussions, etc. Individual assignments will be weighted in accordance with the amount of time, number of educational objectives, and content per assignment. District policy mandates the following percentages for each grading period: 40% of grades will be Minor or daily grades (such as homework, quizzes, warm-ups, etc) 55% of grades will be Major grades (such as exams, major papers, timed writes, projects, etc)

5% of grades will be Reading (such as CRQs mandated and created by the district)

COMPOSITIONS AND EXAMS: Graded compositions and exams will be returned to you in class as soon as all classes have been graded so that you may note areas where improvement may be needed. However, both of these types of assignments will be collected and kept on file. Written compositions will not be returned for students to keep until the end of the year. Exams and quizzes will not leave the classroom in order to prevent the confidentiality of both student grades and the integrity of the assignment from being breached. If parents wish to see graded exams and compositions during the year, they may do so by scheduling an appointment. My conference time is third period. Parents may also email me at any time at school: jzucha@ccisd.net. Email is the best way to reach me for a conference or other concerns.

ASSIGNMENT GRADE CLARIFICATION PROTOCOL: 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 during which I will review the concepts and assessment of this assignment so you will better understand why you earned the grade you received. Be sure to make this request within two weeks of the day you receive the graded assignment. Not only it is important for you to understand each and every grade you receive, it is even more important for you not to repeat the same errors in subsequent assignments.

DATA ENTRY CLARIFICATION: I make every effort to make sure that grades are entered correctly, but sometimes errors occur. If you receive a graded assignment back in class and the grade does not match what appears online, please just simply write me a short note, including the title of the assignment and clerical discrepancy, and I will correct it as soon as possible.

ABSENCES: We 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 finding your assignments in the assignment folders or on e4 blackboard @ https://e4.ccisd.net, as well as any handouts you may have missed. You will find these in the file box on the front table. If you have missed a quiz, essay, or test, you will need to make an appointment to attend tutorials on Tuesday or Thursday after school. You will have one week from the day you were absent to complete your make-up work. If you do not complete make-up work within this time, you will receive a zero. All major exams are announced well in advance. If you are absent the day before an exam, you will still take the exam on the designated day.

LATE WORK: I will follow the district policy on accepting late work. If work is 1-3 days late, 25% will be deducted. After the third day, no credit will be given.

HOMEWORK: All of our reading is done outside of class. The majority of your homework will consist of reading, reviewing class notes, 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. Falling behind in your reading is the second leading cause of failing for this course. The first major cause is being absent and never making up your work.

FORMATTING FOR MAJOR PAPERS: All typed papers must be submitted in the following format: 12 point font Times New Roman font Double spaced One inch margins One space between title and opening paragraph No spaces between paragraphs Header with name, class period, and page number in top right corner

Do NOT wait until the last minute to print your papers. Printers break or run out of ink and I will not accept this as an excuse for late papers. EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITES: You have the option each 9 weeks of selecting one of the designated readings. In order to gain up to two points on your 9 weeks average, you will read the work, complete a reading record in class on the designated day(s), and attend a graded discussion during tutorials on the designated day. 1st 9 wks CHOOSE ONE: Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys OR Watership Down, Richard Adams 2nd 9 wks CHOOSE ONE: Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe, OR A Passage to India, E.M. Forrester 3rd 9 wks CHOOSE ONE: A Dolls House, Henrik Ibsen, OR As You Like It, Shakespeare 4th 9 wks CHOOSE ONE: Our Town, Thornton Wilder OR Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett

LEADERSHIP DIFFERENTIATION: Pre-AP English I Leadership is differentiated by focusing our study on the ideas and qualities of leadership in the literature we read and through techniques geared to engage gifted and talented children.

MY PROMISE: I promise that if you come to class prepared and with a positive attitude that we will have a great year. We will laugh and we will learn. I promise that I will never give you busy work. Every assignment will be meaningful and I will ensure that you understand why we are doing each assignment. I promise to help you as long as you are willing to help yourself. I am looking forward to working with you this year! OPEN YOUR MINDS AND HELP US ALL HAVE A GREAT YEAR THIS YEAR!