Course Syllabus

Honors English II Syllabus - Policies and Guidelines

 

Course Description:

English II is a rigorous course with an emphasis on composition and world literature.

"Students in English II read, discuss, and write about both classical and contemporary world literature through which students will identify cultural significance. They will examine pieces of world literature in a cultural context to appreciate the diversity and complexity of world issues and to connect global ideas to their own experiences. Students will continue to explore language for expressive, informational/explanatory, critical, argumentative and literary purposes. In addition to literature study, students will:

• Examine non-literary texts related to cultural studies.
• Research material to use primarily in clarifying their own explanatory responses to situations and literary-based issues.
• Critically interpret and evaluate experiences, literature, language, and ideas.
• Use standard grammatical conventions and select features of language appropriate to purpose, audience, and context of the work."                                                                                 ~ North Carolina Standard Course of Study

 

Overview of Course Units:

Unit Title	Core Text	Major Assessments
The Hero’s Journey	Epic of Gilgamesh	ACES Writing Portfolio
Fate Versus Flaw	Tragedy:  Oedipus Rex or Julius Caesar	Literary Analysis Essay; Unit Test
Man’s Inhumanity to Man	Night*	Research Project; Inquiry Discussion
Establishing Identity	World Literature Novel*	Group Project

 *Honors students are expected to purchase copies of the texts bolded above.  The book are due by the end of third quarter – March 26^th.  Please ensure that you order the correct version of each book using the following ISBN numbers:  

• Night by Elie Wiesel (ISBN-10:0374500010 OR ISBN-13: 978-0374500016)
• World Literature Novel (TBD).

 Note:  In addition to the major assessments listed above, students will be taking three skills-based Reading Comprehension Exams throughout the semester; these will count towards their final grade for the course.

 

Grading Procedures:

Major assignments = 60% per quarter

Minor assignments = 25% per quarter

Homework/Classwork = 10% per quarter

Student Engagement = 5% per quarter

• Major assignments consist of tests, papers, and unit projects, while minor assignments consist of quizzes and other teacher -determined assignments.
• Participation and student engagement includes daily class activities and SMART lunch attendance.
• Grades are updated weekly in Power School. The parent portal is available at https://wcpss.powerschool.com/public/.
• Semester Grade is determined as follows: Quarter 1 = 40%, Quarter 2 = 40%, EOC Exam = 20%.

 

 

End-of-Course Test Preparation and Writing Preparation:

All sophomores are required to focus on and learn guidelines for good academic writing that will help them to prepare for writing

assessments and college entrance tests.  English II students will take an end-of-course test designed by state officials testing

grammar, reading comprehension, and writing skills.  All assignments throughout the course of the semester are designed to

successfully prepare them for this test.

 

 

Grammar and Vocabulary:

• Concepts of grammar based on North Carolina Common Core Standards will be covered, including: agreement, structure, punctuation, style, and MLA citation.
• Vocabulary in context will be utilized as an essential part of the English II curriculum as well.
• Students will be given various assignments and regular minor assessments as a part of each unit.

 

 

Attendance and Absence Procedures:

• Each student will benefit from and is expected to attend, AND participate in classroom activities and discussions.
• After five absences, parents will be contacted by the teacher; ten (10) absences in a course are considered excessive.
• Excessive absences (above 10, both excused and unexcused) will affect the benefits each student gains from this class, and can result in serious academic consequences, such as class and grade-level failure.
• When absent, please check Canvas for missed classwork and homework. Students are expected to complete the work listed on Canvas that was missed while absent and return to school on pace with the class.
• When students are absent, they are still expected to turn major and minor assessments in on the due dates. This may require students to email the assignment to the teacher before the start of that school day or hand deliver the assignment to the front office before the start of the student’s class period.
• If a student is absent when an assignment is given, he/she will have one day for each day absent to complete the assignment.
• Students absent on QUIZ or TEST DAYS are expected to report to the next available English SMART Lunch upon returning to school. If there is a conflict, students must communicate this with the teacher and set up an alternative make-up date.
• Students should talk to their teacher if absent for three or more days in a row to create a schedule for making up the work.

 

 

Late Work:

• Major assignments will be accepted up to five days after the due date, but will received a ten-percentage deduction for each day the assignment is late. After five days, the major assignment will not be accepted.
• Homework is due at the beginning of class– there is no late or make-up for classwork/homework assignments.

 

 

Tardy Policy:

Since Panther Creek values learning, students are expected to be in their seats when the bell rings working on the assigned task. An unexcused tardy will be addressed per the Panther Creek High School Tardy Policy, which can be found in the Student Handbook and will be displayed in the classroom.

 

 

Catamount Consequences:

Students who do not adhere to the school and classroom basic expectations will be handled as follows:

1. Student/Teacher Conference
2. Parent Contact/Teacher-determined Consequence
3. Lunch Detention
4. Referral to Administration

 

 

SMART Lunch:

English department classrooms will be open for SMART lunch twice a week.  At these times, students may meet with group members to complete classwork, work independently on homework/classwork/makeup work, conference with the teacher, or read independently.  Student engagement credit is awarded only when students participate in these approved course/literacy-related activities. 

 

 

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is not permitted at Panther Creek High School. Students and parents should read the student/parent handbook’s section on integrity found on the Panther Creek website (http://panthercreekhs.wcpss.net).