Course Overview

College Prep English 10 builds upon those reading skills developed during the previous year as students continue to interact with a variety of sophisticated texts appropriate to the high school curriculum. Practicing a variety of strategies, students read beyond the literal level to arrive at deeper understandings of author purpose and meaning in the four genres of literature: short story, novel, poetry, and drama. In nonfiction selections (persuasive, informational, and practical/workplace), students explore audience, purpose, supporting details, organizational patterns, rhetorical devices, and persuasive techniques in practical, real-world situations. The first half of the course will focus on non-fiction reading strategies; the second half of the course will focus on the study of literature.

Class instruction will also focus on helping students to better express through written responses the depth of ideas found in the materials they read. Such focused reading and writing skills are essential to the college-bound student who will be required to answer many open-ended responses and write many essays during his or her college years.

CP English 10 students continue to develop a practice portfolio, with additions this year to include a personal narrative, a persuasive editorial or speech, and writings from other subject areas. Additionally, students will review the correct use of capitalization, punctuation, and usage.

Course Texts

Reading selections and class work will be drawn from a variety of sources including

MacDougal-Littell’s The Language of Literature CCT Coach Reading Workbook

KIRIS/CATS release questions Supplemental Reading Workbooks

Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT Literary Cavalcade

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury assorted newspaper & magazine articles

A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry assorted research articles and essays

REQUESTED SUPPLIES

1. Students need a composition book that will be kept in the classroom and used as a learning log. These often have a “marble” cover and are 9 ¾ by 7 ½ inches in dimension. No spiral notebooks please; the metal wires get tangled when stored together in boxes.

2. Due to the importance and number of supplemental handouts, students will need to purchase a 3-ring binder. They may use a thin one for my class only, or they may purchase a thicker one for several subjects.

3. Other helpful supplies include highlighters, access to a dictionary and thesaurus at home, correction fluid, paper, pencils, and blue or black ink pens (red, pink, purple. etc. are inappropriate for formal papers at the high school level).

4. A voluntary donation of a box of tissues for class use would be greatly appreciated.

HOMEWORK

Time outside of class is required for completion of course work. College-prep students are expected to show maturity in completion of assigned tasks. Students should come to class prepared each day with assigned work and other needed materials.

A standing vocabulary assignment exists. Each Thursday a vocabulary lesson will be due. Every Friday there will be a vocabulary quiz. (This schedule may be varied from time to time due to holidays, assemblies, etc.)

EVALUATION

Students are evaluated through a variety of methods including objective tests, open-response questions, in-class writings, portfolio pieces, projects, vocabulary and reading quizzes, worksheets, study guides, and participation (i.e. having needed materials, completing study guides and learning log entries, maintaining a class binder, making responsible contributions to group tasks).

Ø Each item evaluated is assigned a point value depending on the length and complexity of the assignment: daily and quiz grades usually range between 10 and 50 points while test grades and major projects are usually 100-point tasks.

Ø Obviously failure to complete assignments results in a zero on that assignment.

Ø Due to the importance of the writing portfolio, portfolio assignments will count 200 points.

Ø A student can determine his grade at anytime by dividing the points he has earned by the total points possible. Both students and parents can check a students grades using STI Home. Please contact the counselor’s office if you need assistance in accessing STI Home.

Ø The percentage of points earned will determine a student’s grade: 92%-100% earns an A, 83%-91% earns a B, 74%-82% earns a C, 68%-73% earns a D, and 68% and below earns an F.

Late Work: Because completing assigned tasks promptly is so important in the workplace, punctuality is stressed.

Ø Points will be deducted for assignments turned in past the time due.

Ø Generally speaking, daily assignments will be given half credit if turned in late; on 100-point assignments, 10 points will be deducted for each day late.

Ø If daily assignments are checked in class, students will not receive credit for merely copying down the answers as they are read out. This is especially true for the weekly vocabulary assignment that will be checked the day prior to the quiz as a review.

Ø Daily assignments that are more than one week late will NOT be accepted.

Absences: When absent, students are responsible for requesting make-up work at an appropriate time either before or after class, and they should follow the make-up policy outlined in the CHHS Student Handbook in determining when this make-up work is due. Much of the learning process occurs in the classroom; therefore, good attendance is essential for maximizing student learning and performance.