Mrs. Brecheen's English IV Syllabus 2020-2021
Supplies:
-
Chromebook
-
A quiet place to work
-
Patience
Course Description
It is my intent to prepare students enrolled in English IV for the college classroom; therefore, I will be holding all of my students to high standards and expectations. Focusing on British literature, English IV students will refine and expand their skills in language through structured study and independent reading of literary and informational works. Both inside and outside of class, they read and view a variety of informational texts as well as four major types of literary texts: fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Through literary texts, students study the author’s craft by making inferences, determining point of view, analyzing theme, and figurative language. In reading a variety of informational texts, students analyze an author’s development of a thesis and examine the ways that bias is revealed in texts. In addition, English IV students continue to create a variety of responses to what they read and to develop and use in their reading, writing, and oral communication knowledge of vocabulary that includes roots, affixes, euphemisms, and idioms.
As students increase the sophistication of their writing, they produce coherent and well-organized writing that includes a thesis and supporting evidence. In implementing the writing process, they create various types of written works, including informational (expository/persuasive/argumentative) pieces and narratives. They proofread and edit their work for the correct use of the conventions of written Standard American English, and they use revision strategies to improve such elements as voice, content and development, and organization.
At the end of the year students will complete a research project that will give them an opportunity to exhibit the skills, knowledge, creativity, and talents they have been developing throughout the school career. In carrying out the research process, students identify a topic, collect information from primary and secondary sources, and present their findings and conclusions in oral, written, and visual formats. They must determine what information they need for a specific topic, and they must know how to locate that information efficiently. Students must also evaluate the validity of their sources. In addition, after incorporating their own ideas with ideas from other sources, they must distinguish their own ideas from those of others by providing accurate and complete documentation. In this capstone English course, high school students assimilate and strengthen the reading, writing, communicating, and researching skills they have acquired in previous courses as solid preparation for entering college or the workplace.
Course Standards
English IV aligns to the newly adopted Louisiana Student Standards which can be found at:
Methods of Assessment
Students will be assessed in a variety of ways including but not limited to: unit tests, essays, projects, portfolios, teacher observations and class discussions.
Board-Approved Grading Scale
Honors/IB/DE: Regulars:
A 90% to 100% 93-100%
B 80% to 89% 92-85%
C 70% to 79% 84-75%
D 60% to 69% 67-74%
F 59% and below 66% and below
Tutoring
I am available after school by appointment. Student transportation is his/her own responsibility.
Make-Up Work
We have a school-wide make-up policy which is outlined in the HHMS handbook which is online.
Be Respectful! Be Responsible!Be Safe! Be Your Best!