Overview
English
III is dedicated to engaging and enriching students in the rigorous study of
American literature through reading, comprehending, analyzing, and interpreting
classic novels, plays, short stories, poetry, and various other literary
selections from various time periods in American history. During the fall term,
we will read solely from American Short
Stories, which offers us a wide sampling of American writers and helps us
understand the ethos of American storytelling. By examining different time periods in American literary history,
our underlying goal of the course is to articulate American identity and in
turn American voice.
Along
the way, we hope to improve our own writing through both analytical and
narrative writing assignments while also connecting our understanding of the
texts to modern day society. In the fall term, we will focus mostly on learning
to craft strong analytical essays through 5-6 weekly essays, 1-2 in-class
essays, as well as essay revisions. We will also blog about what we are reading
in class and our final project for the term will take root in our blog posts.
Materials
- Blog
- Notebook
- Writing Utensils
Course Expectations
Class Preparation:
-
You
are expected to come to class prepared, meaning that you have completed all
assigned readings and coursework. Preparation also means coming to class with
all the necessary materials (i.e. your text, a notebook, and something to write
with). You will be asked to actively read and annotate passages in your books
(I may ask to check them sometimes). Homework assignments will be collected
and/or shared* with the rest of the class. Preparation
will be reflected in your grade.
o *Part of this course will be going
through the process of peer editing. If you are uncomfortable with sharing your
work, please come and speak with me.
Participation:
-
Participation
is an important factor in this class. You can expect to participate through
class discussions as well as by completing assignments in a timely manner. In
that vein, being late to class (and missing your chance to participate!) will
be reflected in your grade.
Papers:
-
All papers must be submitted to me in
hardcopy form at the beginning of class. I will not accept email copies unless
explicitly stated prior to the due date.
-
All
out-of-class assignments should be double spaced with 12-point font.
-
In accordance with the Pomfret English
Department, written work submitted late will be penalized 10% per day, with a maximum penalty (as
long as the work comes in eventually) of 50%.
-
If I
ask for you to bring a draft into class (which I often will), I will expect you
to write a complete draft (no bullet points!) and to print it out before class.
-
We
will undergo the process of revision throughout this course but when you hand
your paper in to me, I expect it to be in its final version. I will allow for
rewrites on a case-by-case basis. Please see me with a copy of your paper if
you wish to receive a rewrite.
-
I am
willing to grant one extension per
term. Extensions must be requested well in advance of the due date and you must
have a valid reason to request an extension (i.e. “I just can’t write this
paper!” is not a valid reason). I will not grant you an extension on the day
that the paper is due. Extensions can only be one class period late.
Blogging:
-
Over
the summer, I started my own blog. I found it to be incredibly useful as a
place for me to gather my ideas on all things English-related. My blog will
serve as a reference point for our class, where I will pose questions, offer
advice, and provide useful links to our class. I encourage and expect you to
visit this site often. You can visit my blog at maguireenglish.blogspot.com.
-
In
this vein, each member of our class will create and maintain their own blog
through the site Blogger.com. Do not panic about setting up your blogs; we will
make them as a class our first week.
-
We
will use our blogs like journals where I will pose a question in class and you
will write a blog post in response to that question. Some of these assignments
will be more creative in nature whereas others will be quick responses to your
reading. I will grade these blogs on a weekly basis.
-
I
will gather all of your blog sites on my own blog and will encourage you to
visit your classmates’ blogs and comment on their posts.
-
To
learn more about my grading expectations for your blog, visit my blog!
Academic Dishonesty and
Plagiarism:
-
As
stated in the Pomfret Student Handbook, “Academic dishonesty, a major
violation, ‘occurs when one uses or takes credit for the work of another
person, whether the material be directly copied or superficially disguised
(plagiarism).’”
-
Plagiarism
can take many forms, from spark notes to discussing an assignment with a classmate.
I will let you know when you can and can’t work with others, as well as whether
you can use outside sources for an assignment. If you do use an outside source
please remember to follow proper citation rules.
Grading
-
Your
grade in this class will be based off of
o Class participation (10%)
o Your preparedness (10%)
o Vocabulary quizzes (10%)
o Papers and Projects (50%)
o Weekly Blog Entries (20%)
Classroom Norms and
Expectations
-
In
order to develop a classroom that is a safe space for us to share our ideas and
our writing, we will work actively to develop norms that encourage everyone to
be present during our class time. We will discuss these norms during our first
meeting and assess ourselves throughout the semester on how we are doing to
maintain our norms.
o One of the main norms for me will be
absolutely NO cell phones during
class time. Cell phones will be collected in a basket at the beginning of each
class and should be put on silent beforehand.
o Along those lines, I would prefer that
you not use your laptop during class. If you have an utmost need for your
laptop (i.e. it is the only way you can take notes), I will allow it, but there
will be times when I ask for you to put your screens down. Should I catch you
on facebook, instagram, tumblr, youtube or any other fun, distracting websites
during class, I will revoke your computer privilege.
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