Honors English 10 | Mr. Vega Fall 2012

HONORS 10 Welcome to the Journey!

“Show me the man the speaking stone from Delphi damned / Whose hands incarnadine / Achieved the master stroke of master murdering.” (Oedipus, Second Choral Ode)

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This course is designed around some of the world’s literary masterpieces. Together we will travel back to 429BCE and arrive in Ancient Athens where we will witness the tragic downfall of Oedipus the King, and stand beside Antigone as she alone challenges society. Afterwards, we will paddle our triremes to 5th century Scandinavia and marvel at

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Beowulf, the epic hero who deals out justice to the wicked. After a brush with death, we will sail to England and join a medieval pilgrimage to Canterbury while listening to splendid tales of adventure, morality, and revenge. Our odyssey will end in Cyprus, where the great Othello suffers the trepidations of jealousy that lead him to the unthinkable.

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In December, students in the fall semester English 10 Honors course will take the Keystone Exam in Literature, one of the required state exams. Unlike the previous PSSA’s, the Keystones are aligned with the new Common Core requirements for PA. Students who do not pass the exam may be required to complete several intervention sessions AND retake the exam (State regulation pending).

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The exam is rigorous, covering critical analysis of a combination of complex texts, such as short stories, poems, essays, letters, speeches, articles, and literary nonfiction. We are confident the 10H curriculum will adequately prepare students for this exam. HOWEVER, to improve their chances for passing, students must faithfully complete the required reading, writing, and research assignments.

Important!!! Keystone Exams Have Arrived

Target Skills at a Glance

Literary Interpretation & Analysis

College Composition

Critical Reading for Information

Usage and Conventions Skills

Students will learn and practice strategies for interpreting and analyzing literature, including literary nonfiction.

Students will learn and practice strategies for analyzing expository and informational texts, including essays, speeches, and letters.

Students will learn how to compose a variety of persuasive, informational, and expository texts.

Students will learn and practice advanced grammar, usage and conventions skills in order to achieve clear, forceful prose.

Critica l reading, writing, and thinking a llow us to wrestle with complex idea s so tha t we can

construct our own world perspectives.

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English 10 Honors | Mr. Vega Fall 2012

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Learning is progressive – it is the product of the mind assimilating new information through multiple exposures across a variety of learning situations over time. What does this mean? Basically, your brain seeks novelty, and many times novel (new) concepts are confusing. In fact, without confusion, your brain wouldn’t have a reason to learn.

To digest new information, your brain needs to connect it to concepts you already “own.” And the more complicated the concept, the more practice opportunities your brain needs to learn it. If you don’t already

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have background knowledge for a new concept, your brain will beg you to “feed” it the missing information. This process doesn’t stop – even while “asleep,” your brain continues to work, organizing new information.

This is why I will repeatedly ask you to revisit and apply concepts in a variety of tasks. By providing your brain multiple opportunities to use the information in increasingly more complex assignments, I am helping you “learn.” We will never be “finished” learning.

How will I learn the course material?

“The illitera te of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” –

Alvin Toffler

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I will provide multiple assessments per week for you to show how well you understand new material. The goal of these assessments is to provide you with the feedback and assistance you need to become a more effective reader, thinker, and writer. Sometimes you will need to see me for tutoring. Other times, you will need to complete additional online practices, or revise essays.

Eventually, you will take exams to demonstrate your mastery of course material. These exam scores will be considered for grading purposes.

You will be evaluated on the following skills, as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education:

1. Quality of Writing 2. Vocabulary Acquisition 3. Research Skills 4. Literary Interpretation 5. Comprehension of Expository texts 6. Critical and Analytical thinking

Okay, but how will I show my learning?

Because averages will not automatically be used to calculate grades, students must continue to make progress over the course. Just as it is possible for a student’s grade in a skill to improve as he/she makes progress on that skill, it is possible for a student’s grade to drop if he/she does not make progress on that skill.

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For skills that are recursive (repeated throughout course), the most recent scores will be used to determine grades. Averages will not be automatically used unless they are the most appropriate way to describe a student’s progress.

English 10 Honors | Mr. Vega Fall 2012

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Specific Course Requirements

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SAT Vocabulary Preparation (New Program This Year)

New This Year: Number2.com for Vocabulary Learning

Research continually shows that an extensive vocabulary is directly related to academic and career success. Therefore, vocabulary study is a mainstay of the Honors English curriculum.

This year, however, we will forego the rigidity of the Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop books in favor of the individualized online vocabulary-training program, Vocbulary.com. Unlike Vocabulary Workshop, Vocabulary.com adjusts the pace and level of difficulty for each student.

To get started, students need to visit Vocabulary.com and create an account. Students MUST use their southwesternsd.org account usernames and passwords, which Mr. Vega will use to access students’ accounts. Mr. Vega will monitor weekly for progress (mastered words).

IMPORTANT: Vocabulary.com progress will count as part of the homework grade, which will be based on how many words the student practices and masters each week.

NOTE: Students will still be tested on their understanding of literary terms and reading-related vocabulary.

SAT Writing Skills: Yes! We’re talking Grammar, Usage, and Conventions!

“Cal

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Bill

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The SAT Writing section tests the following:

• Subject-verb agreement • Pronoun antecedent agreement • Clear pronoun reference • Concision • Use of adverbs and adjectives • Comparative structures

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• Parallel structure • Active VS passive voice • Coordination and subordination • Sentence structures • Diction (word choice) • Advanced punctuation • Relationships between sentences • Syntax and semantics

English 10 Honors | Mr. Vega Fall 2012

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SAT Writing Skills continued…

What does this mean for English 10 Honors students? We will use the elements of grammar and usage to improve writing style. The College Board advises that students not only study usage and grammar for writing, but also use their grammatical knowledge to analze complex texts for nuances in meaning.

Students should expect the following:

• A diagnostic writing skills exam to determine which lessons they will need to complete

• Formal grammar lessons and assignments

• Individualized learning workshops to address individual needs for revision, editing, and proofing

• Multiple revisions of assigned compositions

The Reading-Writing Connection

Repeatedly, literacy experts tell us that the best writers are those who read extensively a wide variety of texts. Conversely, the most effective readers are those who write the most.

Unlike Calvin, who views writing as a way to conceal a lack of ideas and create confusion, we will use writing to expose ideas and bring them to clarity. Writing assignments are designed to help students accomplish five goals:

1. Explore and analyze ideas related to reading selections

2. Practice usage and grammar skills

3. Demonstrate learning of literary concepts

4. Develop/improve overall writing style

5. Develop fluency within timed constraints

To comply with the PA Common Core requirements for writing, we will focus on informational, expository, persuasive, analytical, and research writing.

Articles of the Week?

Yes! Here’s Why

English class has traditionally focused on works of literature. However, 80% of the SAT reading section focuses on complex nonfiction. The College Board recommends that students read short complex newspaper and magazine articles, editorials, and reports on a regular basis, both to improve their comprehension skills and increase their world knowledge. The PA Common Core also requires that about 50% of all reading be complex nonfiction.

The most convenient way for our English class to meet these demands is for students to read regularly- assigned nonfiction.

Students should expect a minimum of 2-3 nonfiction pieces to analyze and write about weekly. For practical reasons, these articles will focus mostly on the themes and issues addressed in the literature selections.

“Cal

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Bill

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Honors English 10 | Mr. Vega Fall 2012

Assessments and Re-tests

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Missing & Late Assignments

Because of the rigorous nature of the course, students MUST work diligently to complete all assignments on time. Late assignments will immediately be reported on Sapphire for parents and Advisory teachers to see.

As per the new Advisory Period requirements, students who are habitually late will be placed in Academic Accountability for a period of up to 4 days within the six-day cycle. This placement will ensure that students make up missing work, as well as provide assistance with completing assignments.

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Why does it matter? Because teachers cannot provide students necessary feedback for improvement if students do not submit the work. Worse yet, teachers cannot assess whether students are learning the material. This is important with writing assignments, which often require multiple revisions.

Homework Assignments

Homework in Mr. Vega’s class is designed for students to explore ideas, master content, and practice critical reading, writing, and thinking skills. Many of the assignments can be completed via interactive online activities.

Assignments and Homework

Although universal research on the benefits of homework is inconclusive, there is a strong correlation between homework completion and higher assessment scores in Mr. Vega’s classes. At the very least, students should expect to review and revise their notes nightly. Relying on inherent talent alone typically does NOT lead to higher achievement. Effort plus ta lent DOES.

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Types of Assessments

Students will be assessed multiple times during a unit to determine how well they are learning the course material. Teachers will use two types of assessments

Formative Assessments Most assessments will be formative. Although the results from a formative assessment do NOT affect a student’s grade, the results will be recorded in Sapphire.

Formative assessments focus on one or two important skills or concepts and let teachers know which students need additional assistance. Students who do not perform well on formative assessments should expect to be placed in a 5th period intervention run by English teachers. It is NEVER a good idea for students to “slack off” on formative assessments!

Summative Assessments

Summative assessments DO affect a student’s grade. These assessments are typically administered after students have taken multiple formative assessments.

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Summative assessments include unit exams, formal writing assignments and projects. Unlike formative assessments, summative assessments are comprehensive, covering multiple skills and content.

Test Validity Pennsylvania’s Common Core standards require students to demonstrate their critical reading, writing, and thinking skills on assessments comprised of unfamiliar reading passages and questions. Therefore, most course assessments will include “cold” reads and unfamiliar questions that test whether students can apply the skills and content taught.

Impact on Writing Assignments Due to time constraints, teachers may limit the number of rewrites /revisions students can resubmit. Students who submit writing assignments late might not get an opportunity to rewrite.

Test Make-ups

Summative assessments are announced ahead of time so students can review and practice the material and skills being tested.

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Students who miss an assessment due to an absence or illness need to consult with the teacher to arrange a make-up time. In most cases, students will make up exams in the testing center during the 5th period.

Test Re-takes

Test Re-takes are NOT Automatic! The high school’s Grading and Assessment Policy allow students one retake per Unit Test (summative). However, students qualify only if they meet the following requirements:

1. Complete all test-related homework, classwork, and formative assessments

2. Create test-prep plan 3. Complete requisite tutoring 4. Take the re-test within 7 days.

IMPORTANT: Only students scoring lower than 85% on a first attempt are eligible for retesting.

MORE IMPORTANT: The highest score students can earn on retests is 85%!!!

MOST IMPORTANT: Students striving for A’s should do their very best the first time around!