Instructor: Miss Teri Johenan
Phone: (480) 233-3622
Our School’s Mission: Through community, parent, teacher, and student partnership,
it is the mission of Grand Canyon Prep to empower students to fulfill their promise by
promoting life-long learning and career potential through academic scholarship,
character development, and active citizenship.
Room: 2
Time: 2nd Hour on “A” Days; 3rd Hour on
“B” Days
Email: tjohenan@gmail.com
Office Hours: M/W/F 12:15-1:45; T/TH
9:30-11:00
Required Materials:
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2” binder
Notebook
Two-pocket folder
Pen or pencil
Flash Drive
Loose leaf paper (Make sure you have enough – we will be doing a lot of writing!)
300 3x5 or 4x6 index cards – you will need them for vocab words AND research projects
Course Description:
The focus of this class will be to prepare you for success in high school. The class will help
you polish your writing and become more intuitive about literature. Throughout the year
you will study Jack London, Shakespeare, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. You will
also be reading books of your own choosing and creating mixed media projects. Finally,
weekly vocabulary and grammar lessons will help broaden your skills and educate you for
the future that lies ahead.
Scope and Sequence:
1st Quarter – Man vs. Nature
This unit explores human interaction with animals and nature. The literary texts illustrate
various encounters between humans and animals from the perspective of both sides.
Students learn how different points of view help readers experience different ideas. The
informational texts provide readers with scientific and personal accounts of animal
cognition. The combination of texts prepares students to develop their own arguments
about human relationships with animals. The primary text will be Jack London’s Call of the
Wild.
2nd Quarter - Changing Adolescent Identities in Literature
This unit allows students to explore several accounts of changing adolescent identities the
authors and poets wrote about in their lives, as well as explore those changing identities in
the students’ own lives. The primary text for this unit will be Walter Dean Myers’ Bad Boy:
A Memoir.
3rd Quarter – Mythology Retold
This unit will explore a modern retelling of a myth or folktale. The students will be working
with both a novel and multiple myths to discover how the author has used the stories and
characters in a new and modern setting. The students will focus on author choices and why
certain artistic liberties may have been taken. The primary text of this unit will be Rick
Riordan’s The Lightning Thief.
4th Quarter – All the World’s a Stage
This will be a unit on Shakespearean drama. The students will learn about the historical
context in which the play was written, about the life of Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre,
and work on in-class readings and performances to bring the work to life. The primary text
of this unit will be Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Attendance Policy:
Regular and prompt attendance is crucial for your academic success. I expect you to be
present and on-time to my class daily. Please avoid missing class unless you are ill – you will
miss critical information if you are not there. Attendance will be factored into the
participation portion of your grade.
Behavior Guidelines:
1. Please enter the room quietly with all your materials and take your seat. If you are
unprepared for class, your grade for the day will be lowered.
2. Check the board for bell work – if it is there, please do it. I will be checking to see
if it is complete. Failure to complete this will result in a lowered grade for the day.
3. Please attend to any personal needs (bathroom, water, etc.) before entering the
room. I will allow one person at a time to use the restroom or get a drink of water
once 45 minutes of the class have elapsed.
4. You may keep a bottle of water with you. Please keep it capped when not in use.
5. During lectures there is only to be one person speaking at a time. Please raise your
hand if you would like to contribute to the conversation – this is encouraged.
6. Be polite and respectful in both word and deed.
7. Please do what Miss Johenan says the FIRST time.
8. You may talk quietly during group work.
9. Push yourself!
10. Be creative with what we are doing and have fun!
Cell Phone/Electronic Device Policy:
Cell phones and iPods/mp3 players will be collected at the beginning of each class and kept
on my desk. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action by the administration.
Grade Breakdown:
Participation: 10%
Homework: 40%
Essays/Quizzes: 30%
Midterm: 10%
Final: 10%
Grade Scale:
90-100: A
80-89: B
70-79: C
69-below: F
Homework Policy:
Your homework is to be complete when you come to class on the day it is due. Failure to do
so will result in detention, a lowered grade on the assignment, and a lowered grade for that
day’s attendance and participation grade. Daily assignments will be accepted NO LATER
than one calendar day past the due date, and larger projects or essays will no longer be
accepted after three days. Repeat offences will result in a “P” grade for your final grade.
Academic Dishonesty:
Cheating, plagiarism, or any other kind of breach of ethics will not be tolerated in this
class. Anyone caught committing such an act will be subject to the school’s strict
consequences for such acts. Students caught cheating on an exam or assignment will
receive a zero for it on first offence.
PLAGIARISM (the use of a source or another’s idea without citing/giving credit to that
source) is a form of cheating, so remember to cite ALL sources (ie. Books, internet sites,
people, etc.) from which you may have obtained information, whether you directly quote
them or not. You will be held responsible for plagiarized works you submit, including
discussion postings, essays, and any other class work
About Miss Johenan:
Teri was born and raised in the Chicago-land area. She holds a Bachelor of Music in
Clarinet Performance from DePaul University and a Master of Music in Clarinet
Performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. She has extensive
experience in orchestra as a principal clarinetist as well as with the auxiliary clarinets. Her
primary teachers include Wagner Campos, Howard Klug, and Julie DeRoche. She has been
teaching privately, as well as coaching chamber groups and running sectionals, and is very
excited to be returning to the Grand Canyon Prep team to continue building a music
program and to share her life-long love of music with her students. She will also be
teaching AP Art History, 11/12 English, 9/10 English, Mythology, and Music.