Download English 4 Syllabus 2016/17

ENGLISH 4 Course Syllabus, 2016-2017 School Year
Instructor:
Telephone:
Email:
Room:
Eric Bush
425-385-7166
[email protected]
C206
Course Description
Your SpringBoard journey ends in Grade 12 when you study literary theory
and move beyond reader response to apply multiple perspectives to complex
texts. You will encounter Baldwin’s “Stranger in The Village,” Orwell's
My girlfriend (now my wife) and me, senior year
“Shooting an Elephant,” Shakespeare’s Othello, and Shaw’s Pygmalion.
Throughout the level, you will learn and apply the theories of Archetypal, Marxist, Feminist, Historical, Cultural, and
Reader Response Criticism. Rigorous reading and writing tasks synthesize your learning throughout this course. Research
and film texts go hand in hand in your study of Shakespeare. You will research and analyze the ways in which historical
contexts have influenced performances of Othello and compare multiple film versions of the drama.
Students will be able to:
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Demonstrate an awareness of the strategies used to communicate for a variety of audiences, contexts,
cultures, and perspectives.
Demonstrate the ability to comprehend and evaluate writing, speaking, and multi-media.
Research and incorporate evidence of different types from multiple sources in order to support the purpose
of their communication.
Without significant scaffolding and prompting, demonstrate the ability to direct their own learning.
The Everett School District adopted the Springboard English Curriculum that is aligned with the Common Core State
Standards (CCSS). Each student will be provided a text. Students will register for the course online through SpringBoard
and will have online access to all materials and resources provided by SpringBoard.
Unit Skills Taught and Assessed This Year:
Springboard Unit 1: Perception is Everything
Embedded Assessment 1: Creating an Argumentative
Photo Essay
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Know and apply the conventions of photo essay
format and design.
Create a thesis statement that identifies a
perspective or position on an issue.
Analyze both print and non-print texts from a
theoretical perspective.
Design a layout that presents a clear sequence of
ideas that visually advance a perspective.
Understand the function, use, and effects of
cinematic and stylistic techniques.
Apply the elements of argumentation to analyze
argument and create arguments.
Embedded Assessment 2: Writing a Reflective Essay
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Analyze and emulate the style of a published author.
Develop an expository text to incorporate the thematic concept
of “the stranger in the village.”
Apply the organizational structure of a reflective essay.
Draft a reflective text with clear controlling ideas and
illustrative details.
Make stylistic appropriate choices (e.g., tone, diction, detail,
syntax).
Uses a variety of strategies to revise and refine writing to
present technically sound texts.
Springboard Unit 2: The Collective Perspective
Embedded Assessment 1: Illuminating Pygmalion
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Write a script that conveys a critical perspective.
Understand the genre conventions of a play
script.
Understand and apply key themes and
components of critical theories.
Use stages of the writing process.
Use guiding questions associated with a variety of
literary criticisms.
Apply a sophisticated understanding of the
drama.
Understand and apply elements of plot,
characterization, dialogue, and subtext.
Reflect on group process of creating, presenting
and making meaning from text.
Embedded Assessment 2: Applying a Critical Perspective
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Apply the Feminist critical perspective to an unfamiliar text.
Apply close reading strategies to a new text.
Use peer feedback to enhance written products.
Reflect a clear understanding of the connection between
summary, thesis, examples, and commentary.
Use appropriate grammar, conventions, and organization.
Springboard Unit 3: Evolving Perspectives
Embedded Assessment 1: Writing An Argument
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Develop a clearly defined thesis as the claim to be
argued.
Provide valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence to support the claim.
Include the elements of argumentation in the
organization of the essay.
Choose a critical perspective and argue for an
interpretation of Othello based on that critical
perspective.
Solicit and incorporate feedback for revision.
Use transitions for coherence.
Embedded Assessment 2: Staging An Interpretation
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Read and interpret the selected scene from Othello.
Select and apply a relevant critical perspective.
Collaborate in planning, rehearsing, and presenting the scene.
Create an actor’s, director’s, or dramaturge’s notebook and
perform the duties of these roles.
Reflect on process, including acting company’s collaboration
on scene analysis and interpretation during rehearsals.
Springboard Unit 4: Creating Perspectives
Embedded Assessment 1: Examining How an Issue Is
Presented in Media Texts
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Apply a critical lens to the meaning and
significance of a real world “event.”
Define an interpretive thesis.
Evaluate textual passages for use as evidence in
support of an interpretive claim.
Synthesize sources in support of an interpretive
argument.
Use organization to enhance the persuasiveness of
an argument.
Embedded Assessment 2: Creating a Documentary Media Text
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Manipulate the conventions of a media channel for rhetorical
effect.
Juxtapose/sequence elements of a visual text to enhance
meaning.
Collaborate to synthesize different critical perspectives into a
coherent investigation of a subject.
Create an annotated bibliography evaluating the critical
perspective of sources.
Springboard Unit 5: Multiple Perspectives
Embedded Assessment 1: Presenting a Literary Work Through Multiple Critical Perspectives
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Summarize the text to provide necessary background knowledge for an audience who has not read this text.
Apply the format of a graphic novel.
Analyze the text through a critical perspective.
Present multiple critical perspectives in a single visual or performance-based product.
Monitor the audience’s response and adjust the presentation as appropriate.
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Perspectives (lenses) and Literary Theories Used This Year:
The following list of literary criticisms is not intended to
be an exhaustive representation of these complex
theoretical perspectives, but rather a brief introduction.
You may want students to do further research on one or
more of these literary theories.
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Archetypal Criticism: Archetypes are universal
symbols—images, characters, motifs, or patterns that
recur in the myths, dreams, oral traditions, songs,
literature, and other texts of peoples widely separated by
time and place. Archetypal criticism deals with the
similarities of these patterns in the literature of widely
diverse cultures. For example, most cultures have stories
that present the hero’s journey. Common assumptions
include the following:
o Certain images recur in texts from diverse
cultures that share a common interpretation—
water, sun, colors, the tree, settings such as the
garden, the desert.
o Certain characters recur—the hero, the trickster,
the great mother, the wise old man, the prodigal
son.
o Certain motifs and patterns recur—creation
stories, the quest, voyage to the underworld,
journey, and initiation.
Historical Criticism: While acknowledging the
importance of the literary text, the Historical approach
recognizes the significance of historical information in
interpreting literature. This perspective assumes that texts
both influence and are influenced by the times in which
they were created. For example, an interpretation
of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe may be enhanced
by an understanding of the effects of colonialism in
present-day African life. Common assumptions include:
o A text cannot be separated from its historical
context, which is a web of social, cultural,
personal, and political factors.
o An understanding of a text is enhanced by the
study of beliefs and artifacts such as diaries,
films, paintings, and letters in existence when the
text was created.
Feminist Criticism: Feminist interpretation focuses on
relationships between genders. It examines the patterns of
thought, behavior, values, enfranchisement, and power in
relations between and within the sexes. A feminist
reading of Their Eyes Were Watching God, for example,
may examine the novel as an example of a heroine’s
journey. Common assumptions include:
o A pervasively patriarchal society conveys the
notion of male dominance through the images of
women in its texts.
o Many literary texts lack complex female figures
and deem the female reader as an outsider or
require her to assume male values in terms of
perception, feelings, and actions.
o Issues of gender and sexuality are central to
artistic expression.
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Fictional portrayals of female characters often
reflect and create stereotypical social and
political attitudes toward women.
o Texts authored by women may have different
viewpoints than texts authored by men.
Marxist Criticism: Marxist criticism asserts that
economics provides the foundation for all social, political,
and ideological reality. The presence of economic
inequalities in a power structure drives history and
influences differences in religion, race, ethnicity, and
gender. For example, status in the community of Their
Eyes Were Watching God can be examined from an
economic point of view. Common assumptions include:
o All aspects of humanity are based on the struggle
for economic power.
o The basic struggle in human society is between
the haves and the have-nots.
Reader Response Criticism: Reader Response criticism
focuses on a reader’s active engagement with a piece of
print or non-print text. The reader’s response to any text is
shaded by the reader’s own experiences, social ethics,
moral values, and general views of the world. For
example, the response to To Kill a Mockingbird may
depend on the reader’s sense of outrage on behalf of
someone unjustly accused of a crime. Common
assumptions include:
o When encountering a text, the reader not only
seeks the meaning that inherently lies within the
text, but also creates meaning from a personal
interaction with the text.
o It is important to the discussion of the text to
take into account the reader as well as the
reading situation.
o Different readers formulate different acceptable
interpretations because a text allows for a range
of acceptable interpretations for which textual
support is available.
Cultural Criticism: Cultural criticism examines how
differing religious beliefs, ethnicities, class
identifications, political beliefs, and individual viewpoints
affect how texts are created and interpreted. What it
means to be a part of—or excluded from—a specific
group contributes to and impacts our understanding of
texts in relation to culture. For example, in Things Fall
Apart, the way the missionaries treat the natives suggests
they see the native culture as inferior. Some common
assumptions in the use of cultural criticism are:
o Ethnicity, religious beliefs, social class, and so
on are crucial components in formulating
plausible interpretations of text.
o While the emphasis is on diversity of approach
and subject matter, cultural criticism is not the
only means of understanding ourselves and our
art.
o An examination or exploration of the
relationship between dominant cultures and the
dominated is essential.
Attendance/Tardies:
Attendance per Jackson High School policy: please be aware that any absence negatively affects a student’s progress. Absences are not only
detrimental to learning because work made up outside of class is not as effective as the actual classroom experience, but many classroom experiences
cannot be replicated, such as class discussions and performances. Students are responsible to obtain any lecture notes and work which was missed
while absent. If it is an extended absence, a week or so, it would be beneficial for students to conference with the teacher and set some goals for
completion of the large quantity of missed learning.
A student is considered late if not in his/her seat when the bell rings. After five minutes, students will be considered absent per Everett School
District policy. Multiple tardies will result in an after-school or lunch detention. Failure to show up for detentions will result in an administration
referral.
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Classroom Behavior:
It is very important to create a classroom climate that promotes a positive learning environment. This climate is accomplished by each student’s
strict attention to the Jackson High School handbook as well as my expectations and beliefs:
Respect – mutual respect is my first and foremost expectation. I respect
you as students, and as people with diverse opinions, learning styles, and
backgrounds. I expect the same. Therefore, any negative or disrespectful
comments, especially about race, class, sexual orientation, etc., will not
be tolerated under any circumstance. A safe and positive learning
atmosphere will make this year enjoyable, exciting, and successful.
Communicate – I expect each student to take charge of his/her learning.
When questions arise regarding a student’s learning, it is expected I will
bring this to the student’s attention, or the student will bring this to my
attention, and together we will work to seek resolution/understanding.
Parent/teacher communication will occur after this if necessary.
Email – Emailing is a powerful tool for this class since many
assignments will be turned in this way. I also will answer emails as soon
as possible, usually the same day.
Attitude –A good attitude and sense of humor are the keys to success
both academically and otherwise. Along with respect, a positive attitude
will make the class enjoyable and you successful.
Preparedness – Please do not come to class unprepared. Print out all due
assignments ahead of time; you will never be able to print out saved
homework or assignments during class. Come to learn every day; be
prepared mentally and physically. I do not assign homework for
homework’s sake. If you receive a homework assignment, it is because it
will be instrumental for your success with the topic at hand.
Phone – I will respond to a phone call or voicemail message in a timely
manner, but please know it may not be within 24 hours, due to other
classroom and building needs and/or requirements.
Jackson Handbook Rules – Jackson High School rules as detailed in the
student handbook regarding dress code, harassment, bullying, absences
etc. will be enforced.
Assessments:
Assignments will be posted in the classroom on a weekly basis. All homework must be turned in at the beginning of the period on the given due date
to receive credit. In the case of an emergency, extensions may be granted if you see me before the first bell on the day the assignment is due. New
due dates will be set on an individual basis.
Grades will consist of the following:
 Summative work (tests, quizzes, essays, seminars, final test or project, presentations, etc.) = 60%
 Formative work (activities, vocabulary, homework) = 40%
A Note on Writing:
Writing is a process, not a product. Great writing is never truly completed; it is only abandoned. This year will provide a multitude of thoughtprovoking writing and reading opportunities to explore culture and community while simultaneously developing necessary skills. Many tasks
completed in this class will be a step in the writing process.
I use a GPA/letter grading system and will determine final grades based on the standard A/B/C/D/F grading scale.
100-93%
92-90%
89-87%
A
AB+
86-83% B
82-80% B79-77% C+
76-73% C
72-70% C69-67% D+
66-60% D
59-0% F
Work not completed = I (Incomplete)
“A” grades are indicative of quality, exemplary work that exceeds standards, and usually are never based on quantity.
I am diligent about maintaining the integrity of individual student work. Individuals work hard completing assignments and projects. To protect that
work, I seriously adhere to the JHS Student Handbook and section 504-25-310 of the State of Washington Administrative Code, “…Cheating
includes, but is not limited to, communicating improperly with others, especially other students, during tests or the preparation of assignments for
classes….” When group work is allowed, it will be specifically stated in the assignment directions. Additionally, very few students are aware of the
concept of complicity. Please review the JHS student handbook: “A student is guilty of complicity in academic dishonesty if he or she intentionally
or knowingly helps or attempts to help another or others to commit an act of academic dishonesty of any of the types defined above….”
Expectations of Students:
1. Desire to learn – You are here because you want to be here and
because you want to learn. Humans are naturally curious and
inquisitive. If you are not so motivated, the year will be less
fruitful than it could/should.
2. Consistent effort – I know school can be very difficult at times, but
I expect you to give 100%. Quality learning requires focus and
constant, steady effort.
3. Active participation – Students are expected to give to the class to
make the learning experience a better one for everybody. Either
individually or in a team, you must take part.
4. Open communication – You are expected to be open to feedback
from your teacher and from other students. On an equal level of
importance, however, you are expected to provide feedback as
well. If you have a question or complaint, you must be willing to
share it in a timely manner. Take control of your learning and
make sure your needs are being met.
5. Sense of humor – I hope that our classroom environment will be
one where we all will be at ease. We should be able to laugh at
ourselves and enjoy the time we have together to learn. Have fun!
6. We work together toward common goals – As implied in number
1, your education is not something which is being done to you. I
am here to facilitate your learning rather than to force you to
learn.
7. Results are always better than excuses – There may be many good
reasons why something wasn't done or wasn't done well. Those
reasons usually do not matter in the end. Find a way in spite of
them.
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