Class 3
Block 3-English I PreAP
Fall 2008
Welcome to Mrs. Thomason's Pre-AP English I Class.
I look forward to teaching you and feel confident that we can work together to make this semester successful. It is very important that we keep the lines of communication open. Please feel free to speak with me; I promise to listen if you let me know about your concerns and needs. I will do anything that I can to help you in class as long as you are willing to take responsibility for your work.
The course of study for this semester will include the following novels : Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird and The House on Mango Street . Students will also be reading The Odyssey , short stories, selected poems and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . There will be a required research assignment and one or more projects. Areas of study will include an in-depth study of poetry, plays, short stories and novels. Students will concentrate on language acquisition, critical thinking skills, and advanced composition. TAKS preparation will be ongoing throughout the semester. The purpose of this class is not only for students to prepare to pass TAKS and other standardized tests, but to prepare you as readers, writers and communicators in practical aspects as well. Students will have homework on a daily basis. It is highly recommended that students keep up with assignments in a planner or assignment notebook throughout the semester. Students will receive a detailed assignment schedule for each unit. It is your responsibility to meet the deadlines. The required summer reading for this class is Watership Down by Richard Adams. Summer reading tests will be given the week of September 2-5, 2008.
Textbook: The Language of Literature , 9 th Grade , McDougal Littell
Fall Spring
The Odyssey To Kill a Mockingbird /Research Paper
Romeo and Juliet /Outside Reading Project The House on Mango Street
Lord of the Flies Short Stories
Poetry
Grading Policies
1. Daily Assignments account for 10% of the average.
2. The Summer Reading Test/ Projects account for 10% of the average.
3. Quizzes account for 20% of the average.
4. Tests account for 25% of the average.
5. Essays/Writing Assignments account for 35% of the average.
Each Six Week's grade will account for 26.6% of the semester grade. The Semester Exam will account for 20%. The three Six Week's grades along with the semester exam will make up the final semester grade. Semester grades are computed by averaging the numerical grades recorded for each of the three six week reporting periods. One-half credit is awarded for a cumulative grade of 70 or greater at the end of the semester.