Syllabus

English II Erich Schliebe

Spring 2020 Course Syllabus [email protected]


Course Overview: English II is a broad survey of world literature from Ancient Greece to the present day.  The purpose of this course is to expose you to fundamental works which have resonance in our modern world.  In the process you will become a better reader, more proficient writer, and deeper thinker. Texts will be assembled from multiple genres: novels, essays, short stories, poetry, drama, criticism, historical documents, and film.  Throughout the year we will work towards mastery of the close reading and lucid writing skills required for the NC End of Course test. This course will help you become a more literate, thoughtful citizen.


Overall Expectations: You will be expected to work hard in this class.  There is a lot to cover and focused effort on your part will be crucial to success.  Please be prepared, having done the required reading and coursework, for each class. We will learn together and from each other, so respect for your fellow classmates is necessary.  You will be expected to follow all rules and regulations as specified in the River Mill Academy Student Handbook.

The Honors section of this course will feature assessments slightly augmented or modified from the CP section.  All students, regardless of section, are expected to try their best.

Tentative Sample of Major Texts to be Covered:

Antigone - Sophocles

The Taming of the Shrew - William Shakespeare

The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan

Night - Elie Wiesel

Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe

Required Materials: Your laptop - charged.  (You will need it to access online texts, for some assessments and research projects.  You may not charge your laptop in class.) Pencil/pen (blue or black ink) Notebook and paper for notes, classwork, and written assignments. 
Folder for organizing handouts and printed material

Grading:

This class will utilize the ten-point grading scale as outlined in the River Mill Academy handbook.  Grading will be broken down as follows: 50% tests/papers/projects, 25% quizzes/reading quizzes, 25% homework/classwork/participation.  Students in the honors section will be assigned more challenging and complex assignments. Each unit will center around an anchor text and will include a major written assignment or project. Reading quizzes and other forms of assessment will be utilized as well.  The N.C. End of Course exam will count for 25% of a student’s final grade.

Plagiarism:

While this class will feature some collaborative learning and group work, unless explicitly stated, all work submitted for grading must be of your own doing, demonstrating your own thinking.  Cutting and pasting from the internet will not be allowed. Simply rephrasing articles or notes found online will also not be tolerated. Instances of plagiarism will be dealt with as outlined in the student handbook.  If you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism, ask me before turning in an assignment.

Late Work:

Due dates for projects and papers will be posted on the calendar located on the class website.  The work assigned in this class is time-sensitive, builds upon itself, and is important to your learning.  It is not busy work. Therefore, it is very important that you complete assignments in a timely manner. Please make every effort to turn in work when it is due.  If you think you will have difficulty meeting a due date, please see me beforehand. Late work will incur a ten point per day deduction up to two days after the due date. After two days, no credit will be given for any submission. Also, familiarize yourself with the student handbook section concerning work missed due to absence.  It is your responsibility to submit work in a timely manner - I will not chase you down to complete delinquent assignments.

Extra Help:

I am often available after class for extra assistance.  Please talk with me to set up time if you are interested.  Remember also that tutoring is available from 2:30-3:00 every afternoon.  Let me know if you would like to utilize this opportunity.

Instructional Philosophy:

I agree with local writer Jill McCorkle that liberal arts are the “backbone of humanity.”  I care deeply about this course, and believe that the ideas we discuss will inform and enrich your life long after high school.  If you want to do well in this class, I will help you to the best of my ability.