English IV Syllabus
Teacher:
Mrs. Paula Rouse
 B.A. in English, Clemson University
 M.A. in Education, Converse College
 National Board Certified
 Gifted and Talented Certified
Room #:
Email:
Website:
Phone:
Textbook:
B16
prouse@greermiddlecollege.org
http://greermiddlecollege.org/faculty-staff/english/paula-rouse/
864.469.7571 Ext.1016
Elements of Literature, 6th Course
Course Description
English IV is an in-depth survey of British literature with an emphasis on readings from various literary periods and
genres. Students write a variety of compositions based on the literature study. This course is designed for
students planning to continue their educations at the college level or enter the business world.
Instructional Philosophy
This course will prepare students to be life-long learners by building communication skills required in every walk
of life. The course will be organized around best practices in English language arts instruction, including literature
circles, performance, reading and writing process, strategies to improve writing, and the Socratic Seminar.
Students will be expected to complete all assignments both those assigned in class and out of class. These
assignments will include extended projects requiring research and reading over a period of time. Being a part of
the classroom community means participating in discussion and sharing insights and interpretations with
classmates and the teacher. There will be out-of-class reading. Both teacher and students will strive to build
community, comprehend and create text, and then reflect on that process.
My Schedule:
“A” Day
1A – English II
2A – English II
3A – Planning
4A – English II
Office Hours:
English 4 Office Hours are on Wednesdays from 3:05 – 4:00. To help me better prepare
for Office Hours, students need to sign up in advance. A student may arrange an
alternate time for help by making an appointment with me.
“B” Day
1B - Planning
2B-English II
3B-English IV
4B-English II
Required Materials:
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Signet Classic’s Beowulf Translated by Burton Raffel
3-ring binder (at least 1” and no spiral bound)
5 dividers (for binder)
loose leaf paper (no spiral bound)
pencils
black or blue pens
Classroom Expectations:
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Treat everyone with respect.
Come to class on time and prepared with necessary materials.
Students must have the GMC classroom pass to leave class – no exceptions. If there is a medical condition
that requires a student to leave the room frequently during class, please notify me the first week of
school and provide a note to Mrs. Denise Clark to keep on file.
No sleeping in class is allowed.
To receive credit, students must not miss more than 5 days for a unit course. Any absence in excess of 5
days may cause a student to lose credit for a unit course. All absences beginning with the sixth for a unit
must be an excused absence. Refer to the student handbook on p.12-13 for a list of excused absences.
Students are responsible for missed class time and classes (including coming into your class late or leaving
class early) – getting the notes from another student, scheduling a time to make up an assessment, and
obtaining any classwork or homework assignments. Work missed during absences must be made up
within 5 school days after the student returns to school.
In the case of a substitute, any student who misbehaves with the substitute and has his or her name
turned into me will serve 1 hour after school detention with me for his or her misbehavior. Good
behavior will be rewarded with extra credit.
Absolutely no form of academic dishonesty, which includes but is not limited to: copying another
student’s homework, giving or receiving information about an assessment, or plagiarizing. Refer to p.5-6
for the forms and consequences of academic dishonesty.
Students are not allowed to use their cell phones in my classroom unless I have specifically instructed
them that they may use their Smartphones for Internet access, photography, etc. for a classroom activity.
Follow all GMC rules as outlined in your student handbook.
Consequences:
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Warning
Detention (after school)
Parent contact
Referral to administration
South Carolina Standards
In English IV, the curriculum focuses on five categories: reading and analyzing literature, reading and analyzing
informational texts, writing, language, and speaking and listening skills. Parents may access the South Carolina
standards at: https://ed.sc.gov/agency/se/instructional-practices-and-evaluations/ .
Major Assignments and Projects
Students will write essays and responses, complete presentations and projects, and participate in class discussions
regularly. Reading schedules and dates for assignments, as well as reminders, will be distributed and noted daily
in class and on my website. Students are encouraged to see me for assignments if they anticipate missing class as
well as seeing me once they return from an absence in order to complete make-up work. Papers and projects are
due on the due date. Late papers and/or projects will be penalized 10 points per school day. Periodically, I will
offer extra credit for major assignments turned in early.
Assessment and Grading
Assessment of work completed in English IV will most often reflect the use of a rubric. Rubrics will be made
available to students prior to beginning an assignment, especially a long-term project. Objective tests will be
graded on a 100 point scale. Writing assignments will be graded primarily for content; however, grammatical
correctness and style will certainly count in the overall assessment. Literary knowledge will not only be assessed
by objective quizzes on selections but also by genre tests, presentations, projects, and by written responses to
selections.
Semester I Categories
Quarter 1 Final Grade
Quarter 2 Final Grade
Midterm Exam
Semester II Categories
Quarter 3 Final Grade
Quarter 4 Final Grade
Final Exam
% of Grade
20%
20%
10%
% of Grade
20%
20%
10%
Quarter Categories
Major - essays, presentations, projects, tests
Minor – quizzes, notebook checks, journals, etc.
60%
40%
Grading Scale
93 – 100 ..................................... A
85 – 92 ....................................... B
77 – 84 ....................................... C
70 – 76 ....................................... D
69 and below ............................. F
*Please note: To receive credit for a course at GMC, students must have a minimum of an 80 average.
Course Outline
Listed below is a course outline with selections. The outline is subject to change based upon my students’ needs.
The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages
 Collection I
o Texts: Beowulf, The Seafarer, The Wanderer
 Collection 2
o Texts: Gilgamesh, the Iliad
 Collection 3
o Text: The Canterbury Tales
 Collection 4
o Texts: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Le Morte d’Arthur, Lord Randall, Edward, Edward,
Get Up and Bar the Door
The Renaissance
 Collection 5
o Text: Macbeth
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Collection 6
o Texts: William Shakespeare’s sonnets, To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time, To His Coy
Mistress, Psalms 23 and 137, The Parable of the Prodigal Son
Restoration and Eighteenth Century
 Collection 7
o Texts: Candide, Don Quixote, Journal of the Plague Year, An Essay on Man, The Rape of the
Lock
o Novel: Frankenstein
The Romantic Period
 Collection 8
o Texts: Selections from this period including poetry by William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor
Coleridge, William Blake, Robert Burns, and John Keats.
o Possible Novel Choices: Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights
The Victorian Period
 Collection 9
o Texts: Selections from this period including poetry by Hopkins, Tennyson, and Robert
Browning. The Bet, The Jewels
The Present
 Collection 10
o Selections from this period including poetry by Sigried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, William Butler
Yeats, and Dylan Thomas, short fiction by James Joyce and Frank O’Connor.
English IV
After reading the English IV syllabus on-line or a hard copy that Mrs. Rouse will provide upon request, please
complete this page and return only this page to Mrs. Rouse. Returning this signed page counts as 6 points extra
credit on the first test. I look forward to working with you and your child. Thank you.
ENGLISH IV
SYLLABUS AND RULES 2014-2015
I have read and understand the syllabus and rules for Mrs. Rouse’s class.
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Date
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I have read and understand the syllabus and rules for Mrs. Rouse’s class.
Print Parent/Guardian Name
Date
Parent’s Signature
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