English III: American Literature

Instructors: Ms. Bray & Ms. Knowles

msbrayenglish.weebly.com

I. Instructor Information
Email: erin_bray@ddsd40.org, eva_knowles@ddsd40.org
Phone: 503-261-8300 (X8369)
Classroom: 156
Department: English Language Arts
Website: msbrayenglish.weebly.com
Communication: Parents and students should feel free to call or email
about any school related concerns. Students can email if theyve been
absent for multiple days and want to keep up with reading assignments.
You can check the website for information on missed days, to replace a
lost handout or be entertained. In addition, students and/or parents can
schedule appointments before school, during lunch or after school.

English class provides

me space to think.
-anonymous English student

II.

Purpose, Goal and Objectives

General Academic Goal: This class is designed so that you will develop your critical thinking skills, deepen your

ability to support your ideas using textual evidence and practice expressing yourself effectively and creatively in
writing and in speaking. In addition, this class should broaden your understanding of American Literature both
historically and thematically. We will be exploring in an overarching way what it means to be an American for
many different writers from many different backgrounds. This class will prepare you to pass your Smarter Balanced
Assessment at the end of this year.
Thematic Goal: The American Experience and The American Dream

This year we well be exploring many different American perspectives and specifically addressing how individual
perspectives fit into our country as a whole. We will be looking at a wide array of perspectives from our founding
fathers to radical feminists, from city dwellers to Southern farmers, from the Beat Generation to realist writers. We
will attempt to leave no perspective unconsidered. In looking at different themes that arise in the American
experience we will be analyzing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, films, songs, photos, paintings and oratories (and
probably anything else that we come across).

III. Course Guidelines

Required Materials:
Current Text
Section in a Binder or Folder
Pencils; blue, purple, or black pens; black felt-tip pen (something to write with!)
A journal dedicated to English for warm-ups, notes and vocabulary
Ear phones

Attendance:
This is extremely important to success in all your classes.
If you have a pre-arranged absence, consult your teachers to make up tests or assignments BEFORE you leave.
Tardiness:
This is disruptive to the class, as time is incredibly limited.
If you arrive to class more than 10 minutes late, it is no longer counted as a tardy; it is counted as a full absence.
If you have an excused tardy, give your pass to the teacher at an appropriate time. Do not disrupt the class. Be sure you
check in with the teacher at an appropriate time to make sure that the class didnt turn in homework.
If work is collected before you arrive to class (with an unexcused absence), you can only receive late credit.
I follow the schools tardy policy stringently. Your third tardy is a detention and every tardy after that is also a
detention. If you have a persistent tardy problem you will receive a referral and your parents will be notified.
Absent Work:
If you have an excused absence, assignments are due within 1 class period of your return. After this time, no credit
will be given. On the assignment, write Absent Work next to your name. Tests will be made up the day you return,
outside of class time (before or after school, or during lunch, as arranged by your teacher). If you miss a deadline that
you had prior knowledge of, you are expected to have the assignment ready to hand in upon return.
Unexcused absences will result in no credit for work assigned or due.
Late Work:
You will receive three (3) late passes per semester, which may be used to turn in things one class period late. These
passes are only for homework assignmentsno presentations, quizzes, etc. You are responsible for keeping track of
your passes. After you use these up, you will receive a zero for any late assignments.
Plagiarism and Cheating:
Its easier for students to do this today with the Internet.
We will be using turnitin.com throughout the semester. Turnitin.com has the ability to compare your work to work on
the internet. It also compares your work to other student work submitted to turnitin.com.
Plagiarism or cheating will result in a zero on the assignment to ALL parties involved in the process; a parent/teacher
conference; and, consequences according to school rules.
Plagiarizing includes copying from the Internet without citation and copying from your friend. Dont do it!
If you plagiarize on an assignment, you will receive a zero on it with no opportunity to re-do the assignment. You will
also receive a major referral and your parents will be notified. The second time you are caught plagiarizing, you will
fail the class.
If you cheat, I will most likely catch you.
Conduct:

P articipation
Arrive on time and bring required materials. Be ready and able to discuss.
R espect
Be respectful to people and things. Practice tolerance of ideas you may not agree with.
I ntegrity
Do your own work. Quote others work properly.
D iversity
Be open to authors and classmates experiences, opinions, and ideas.
E xcellence
Edit. Revise. Publish. Advocate for yourself and your classmates.
Organization:
Keep track of your past assignments in case you believe that a grade was improperly entered into the grade book. If
you cant show proof that the grade was entered incorrectly, the grade will stand.

Grading:
Participation (30% of your overall grade)
Your willingness to participate in this classroom is of the utmost importance to me. Participating includes completing assigned
readings/homework, approaching class discussions thoughtfully and engaging yourself as an active member of our classroom
community.
Papers, Projects and Presentations (30% of your overall grade)
Papers, projects and presentations are my preferred method of evaluation. Creating something is not easy; it involves higher
level thinking skills, which enable you to synthesize the things weve talked about in class into something that is completely
your own. Because you will have extended periods of time to work on these sorts of things, I expect them to be well done and
on time. I will accept paper re-writes for one week after you receive your paper back. I expect that you will do significant
work on your paper if you expect me to read it again (re-writes are not guaranteed a better grade).
Tests, Quizzes and homework (30% of your overall grade)
Tests and quizzes will be used intermittently throughout the course. Doing your homework consistently will be important to
success. Being prepared for tests and quizzes will impact but not determine your grade.
Final Exam (10% of your overall grade)
This exam will assess skills and themes from the semester.

-------------------------------------------please detach------------------------------------------------------------Please sign to indicate that you have read the course syllabus for Ms. Brays English III Class, understood it and
agree to the class policies. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me or call me at school.

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