THE NEWMAN SCHOOL
BOSTON, MA
ENGLISH 10T
Miss Julianne Papetsas Fall 2011
Course Description:
English 10T is a transitional course intended to prepare students who were formerly in the ESL program for the rigors of the IB English curriculum. This course teaches students how to read novels, short stories, and poetry closely and thoughtfully by examining all literary components and applying literary terminology learned in Literature 3. In addition to developing reading comprehension skills, students will also learn how to express their thoughts through writing and speaking, developing good persuasive writing techniques and discussion skills. All students must complete two semesters of 10T, and will leave the class with a strong understanding of how to write a persuasive literary analysis.
Required Materials:
1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
3. Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative Herbert Mason Translation
4. Composition Notebook, for writing assignments
5. Regular Notebook for class notes
6. Folder/binder to store graded assignments
7. The Newman School agenda book (Recommended)
Goals and Objectives:
The student will be able to . . .
1. Literally comprehend the text that s/he is reading.
2. Analyze the text in order to derive deeper meaning.
3. Define various literary terms such as character, plot, setting, theme, metaphor, etc.
4. Express how these literary terms are developed within a narrative.
5. Participate in class discussions and verbally express thoughts and opinions.
6. Respond to comprehension questions and express ideas in writing.
7. Write a persuasive literary analysis.
Course Grading/Policy:
Class Participation (20%) - Students are expected to be attentive during lectures and involved in class discussions. Students must be in class on time everyday and prepared with the required texts and notebooks. Consistent absences are inexcusable and will cause the final grade to suffer. English ONLY is permitted to be spoken in class.
Homework (20%) – Homework, in addition to nightly reading assignments, will typically consist of journal entries that respond to comprehension questions and ask students to write thoughtfully about the text they are reading. All homework is expected to be completed the day it is due. An uncompleted homework assignment will result in Homework Tutorial.
Quizzes (20%) – Pop comprehension quizzes will be frequently delivered in order to make sure
everybody is completing their reading assignments. Quizzes may NOT be made up. The two lowest quiz grades will be dropped at the end of the semester to account for absences and difficulties.
Tests (20%) – Tests may not be made up unless the student can prove that his/her absence was due to an emergency. Cheating on tests (or quizzes) is strictly forbidden and will result in a grade of zero and a report to the Headmaster. Translators my NOT be used during tests and quizzes.
Papers/Projects (20%) – Papers must be completed and handed in on time. The grade will drop 10 points each day it is late. Plagiarism is inexcusable and will also result in a grade of zero and a report to the Dean of Studies.