Download Honors Syllabus - Penn-Delco School District

Honors English Syllabus
Mrs. Mauri Fava /[email protected] / 610-497-6300x3106
We manipulate language for a multitude of purposes every day, and we are, in turn, continually influenced by the
written and spoken word. The purpose of this course is to provide students with the literacy tools they will need to
navigate the world around them and to communicate with others effectively.
Course Materials: English notebook, writing utensils, English folder, assignment book (required for leaving the classroom
to see nurse, etc.), Reading Counts book, completed homework.
Penn Delco Teacher Web Page: syllabus, homework grid, starter sentences and study guides, notebook entries, project
rubrics and handouts, instructional Powerpoints.
Grading Policy: This course will be graded on a percentage system. Grading categories, as well as specific types of
assessments within them, are listed below.
 10% homework: homework and class work that is checked for completion
 40% formative assessment: homework and class work graded for correctness, quizzes, exit tickets, minor
projects
 50% summative assessment: tests, major writing assignments and projects
Grading Scale:
98-100 (A+)
93-97 (A)
90-92 (A-)
88-89 (B+)
83-87 (B)
80-82 (B-)
78-79 (C+)
73-77 (C)
70-72 (C-)
68-69 (D+)
63-67 (D)
60-62 (D-)
0-59 (F)
Homework: Students have English homework every week night; it will be announced in class and posted online on my
web page as well as on the class board. Homework may involve reading, writing, or a combination of both.
 Independent reading should be done EVERY night!
 Late writing assignments and projects will lose 10 points a day.
 Late homework (5 points or less) will not be accepted.
Absenteeism: Students are required to make up any missed work when absent from class. According to school policy,
students have the same number of days to make up the work as the number of days they were absent.
 Check the back board in class for all missed work.
 For extended absences, please contact me and we can create an arrangement that will work for both of us.
Extra Help: If you are experiencing difficulties with course material, have been absent, or want some feedback, please
schedule a time to meet with me. I am here to help you and can make myself available before and after school.
Expectations:
 Be Ready: Arrive on time with correct materials, be mentally prepared to work, regularly check web page and
grades.
 Be Respectful: Handle classroom materials and technology with care, treat others the way you want to be
treated, use appropriate language and tone of voice, include others, and cooperate during group work.
 Be Responsible: Follow directions for all activities, focus your attention on classroom activity, keep track of
homework and due dates, manage absences.
Consequences and Rewards:
 I will issue a warning for behaviors that interfere with learning. After one warning, a detention and parent
contact may follow. Persistent behaviors or excessive violations may result in office referral and timeout room.
 I like to reinforce positive behavior with tickets and a monthly reward for selected students.
Course Overview
Objectives:
Students will engage in a number of units throughout year to develop their ability to do the following:
 Critically analyze a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction.
 Write effectively in all modes including narrative, expository, and argumentative.
 Build confidence and competence in speech through discussion and presentation.
Writing:
 Narrative writing including suspense story.
 Argumentative writing including technology and ethics essay.
 Expository/ Research writing: topics vary each year.
 Text Dependent Analysis: responses to selected readings, both fiction and non-fiction.
Texts:
 Short stories including Sleator’s “The Elevator,” Poe’s “Tell Tale Heart,” Jacob’s “The Monkey’s Paw, and an
abridged version of Key’s “Flowers for Algernon.”
 Novels: S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and Sonnenblick’s Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie.
 Selected non-fiction texts on a variety of topics including biomedical ethics, advances in technology, and current
as well as historical events.
 Selected poetry will be interspersed throughout the year to reinforce literary concepts such as mood, tone,
theme, and imagery.
Grammar:
 Clauses and phrases
 Usage of comma, semi-colon, colon, dashes, quotation marks, parenthesis, and ellipses
 Pronoun usage: subject/object pronouns, pronoun antecedent agreement, and vague pronoun usage
 Subject verb agreement and verb tense agreement
 Misplaced modifiers
 Verbals
 Verbs: active and passive voice
Reading Counts:
 Each marking period, students will be required to read TWO Reading Counts books:
o Books must be a minimum of 25,000 WORDS IN LENGTH AND AT THE 5.5 READING LEVEL OR HIGHER.
o Students are responsible for verifying reading level and word count. They should confirm this
information with librarian or teacher before reading.

o Students will be required to pass a computerized Reading Counts quiz for each book with a
grade of 70% or higher. Each quiz will be a 30 point summative assessment.
o Reports for the completed quizzes will be pulled approximately one week before the end of
each marking period. Deadlines are posted on my web page.
o In addition, students will choose from among a list of 30 point summative assessment projects
to complete for each Read Counts book. The list is posted on my web page.
After students have done the required reading, they may read books below the required 5.5 level for
bonus points. More information is posted on my web page.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please sign to indicate you have read through the syllabus:
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Parent/Guardian
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Student