Pre - Honors English I - Mr. Doppe Room 201
Freshmen Students and Parents/Guardians: Welcome to Concord High School and to an exciting new school year. I am looking forward to working and learning with all of you.
The goals for this course are:
to master the ninth grade Key Standards (see attached)
to further equip students with the skills needed to be fluent and critical readers and writers, skills essential for success in high school and college
to introduce students to the use of the MLA style in writing literary analysis essays and research papers
In order to have a successful and productive year, I have the following expectations of students:
Come to class on time and all the time. The first time you are tardy to class you will make-up the time after class. For each subsequent tardy, students will make-up the time and be disciplined according to the school policy.
Be prepared to work and learn. If you consistently come to class unprepared this will have a negative effect on your grade. Have at all times:
o a blue or black pen
o your English binder
o notebook paper
o textbook or other related class materials
o an SSR book
Complete all assignments. All homework will be collected at the beginning of each class period. Any homework collected after that time will be marked as late and points will be deducted. No homework assignments will be accepted more than two class meetings after the due date. No exceptions!
Be respectful. This course will rely heavily on classroom discussion and therefore it is important that everyone feels safe at all times.
Be accountable. This means that every student must take responsibility for their decisions and behaviors. Certain decisions and behaviors, such as not doing your homework, will carry negative consequences. Having respect for yourself and all those around you should help you to make good choices.
Be self-motivated. I am here to help you, which includes monitoring your progress inside and outside of class, but ultimately you are responsible for your success. These three life skills will be essential throughout your life and this year I hope to foster these qualities in each of you.
Food and gum are not allowed in class. You may drink water in class as long as it is in a sealed container, no other drinks are allowed. Yet if this ever becomes a problem I have the right to immediately take this privilege away at my discretion.
For all other classroom policies, please refer to the school-wide behavioral expectations and disciplinary action since I will be strictly enforcing these.
In order to receive the grade you desire, you must do all your work, in a timely manner, and to the best of your ability. Remember that you earn your grade, I do not give it to you, and from past experience I know that students who turn in their work are the happiest with their grades. Those who dont turn in their work are usually disappointed. Here are some further guidelines:
Daily reading and journal/quick writes are mandatory and will count significantly toward the quarter grade. Students must bring an SSR book to class every day and be actively reading at home.
Classroom discussions and activities will be an important part of our experiences this year and your contributions will factor into your grade.
Some essays will receive a rubric score from 4-2/Rewrite. Essays in the 2/Rewrite category can be rewritten and resubmitted in an effort to increase the score, please see me before help before beginning a rewrite.
Each semester will require the completion of a major project and a semester final exam. The first semester project is an Autobiography; the second semester requirement is the Gold Cluster Integrated Project.
Your quarter grade will be based on all homework, outside reading (SSR), quizzes, essays, in-class activities, participation, and semester projects.
A Brief Overview of the Year
Quarter One:
Reading: The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros
Of Mice and Men (Outside Reading) John Steinbeck
Selections from the Prentice Hall anthology
Writing: Introduction to The Literary Analysis Essay
Quarter Two:
Reading: To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (O.R) Maya Angelou
Selections from the Prentice Hall anthology
Writing: Heroic Journey Paper, Literary Analysis Essays
Quarter Three:
Reading: Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths Bernard Evslin
The Oddysey (Outside Reading) Homer
Selections from the Prentice Hall anthology
Writing: Mythology Research, Literary Analysis Essays
Speaking: Poetry Memorization and Recitation
Quarter Four:
Reading: Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Nights Dream William Shakespeare
Selections from the Prentice Hall anthology
Writing: Research Assignments, Literary Analysis Essays
Website: This year I have created a website for my classes. The purpose of this website is to be a resource for you, and your parents, when you are absent or forget your assignments. The website will feature a description of what we do each day in class (perfect for when you are absent so that you can keep track of what we are doing), it will include a list of homework assignments and long term due dates. Eventually, I hope to post grades online as well as links that may help you in being successful in our class. Please use this resource as a first option in figuring out what work you need to complete and when you need to complete it by. The address is www.oocities.org/tomdoppe.
Parents / Guardians: You too should frequently log on to the website because I have set up a page specifically for you! The website is a great place for you to keep tabs on what your child needs to be doing. Now you can know if your child actually has homework or not. Additionally, I encourage you to read along in the novels we are reading this year with your child. We are reading some wonderful literature this year, some of which you too may have read as a student. What better way to know what your child is doing in school than to do it also. To help facilitate this I will post on the website a breakdown of what we will be reading and when. I will also post online some of the topics we have been discussing in class so that you can consider these questions on your own and, ideally, you will even discuss these topics at home with your child. I hope that you use the website as a tool to open up communication with your child about school and to feel involved in our class. You and your child will find it to your advantages to own any of the books we are reading in class. Most of these titles can be found in used book stores for about $5. This is only a suggestion, not a requirement. Also, students who finish their school work and read for at least 15 minutes prior to watching T.V. greatly enhance their success in school. If you have any questions or concerns, contact me at 687-2030, checkout the website (www.oocities.org/tomdoppe), or email me at tomdoppe@yahoo.com. Thank you for support in your childs education and I hope that you find the website to be a valuable tool.
Outside Reading / SSR
My SSR class will be used for just that, silent sustained reading. All students will read silently for at least 20 minutes and must come to class with a pre-approved book to read. Students who forget their book will be given a terrible, tedious, and thankless alternative assignment. The remaining 20 minutes of SSR may be used to continue reading or to silently work on homework. Either way, students are to remain awake, productive, and silent for the entire period. This is not a social time! Each quarter you must read a minimum of 600 pages independently to earn an A for this portion of the class. Your outside reading will account for 10% of your quarter grade. Therefore, even if you are not in my room for SSR it will be to your advantage to use your time wisely. Here are more detailed guidelines.
1. You may read any fiction book that you have not read before.
2. If you want to read anything besides fiction, including sports and non-fiction, please see me first. We can discuss your choice when you register your book with me.
3. Everyone must register their book with me. That means you show me the book and I record it. You may not do a conference with me with an unregistered book.
4. You will earn SSR points by bringing your book to class each day, reading the entire time without causing distractions, and completing a book conference.
5. I am looking to see the total number of pages you have read, not the total number of books. If you read more than 600 pages in a quarter, then the pages will carry over to the next grading period. The grading scale is as follows:
A 564-600 A- 540-563 B+ 522-539
B 504-521 B- 480-503 C+ 462-479
C 444-461 C- 420-443 D+ 402-419
D 384-401 D- 360-383 F 359 and below
6. A book does not have to be completed to receive credit for the pages you have read. But you must read at least 25 pages before you decide to stop. Then see me for the pages you have read, and be prepared to register a new book.
7. You may take notes while you are reading to use during the conference.
8. You must have the book in your hands while we do the conference. No book = no conference. Make sure you complete your conferences by the end of the quarter.
9. You can sign up for a conference any time during SSR, before or after school, and during lunch or brunch. However, you may only do one conference a day.
10. The book conference is oral. Your job will be to answer my questions in order to convince me that you have in fact read the book.
This outside reading/SSR component is important; it can effect your grade by one whole letter. One of the goals of this class is to help you become a more fluent and critical reader. Research shows that the only way to becom
e a better reader is to READ!
Parent/Guardian: Please read these guidelines and sign below. Your child has homework every night: READING! Please help him or her to make this a habit. Thank you.