In order to focus on student success, provide quality instruction, and communicate openly and honestly with
students and parents, secondary teachers will publish a course syllabus each term.
2015-2016 Course Syllabus for English IV—Term I
Teacher: Paul Geary
E-mail: paul.geary@biloxischools.net
Teacher’s Website: Please click on “Geary, Paul” under “Faculty Sites” on the Biloxi High web
page.
Objectives: This is a general overview of what the teacher will teach and what the student is
expected to master.
Reading Standards:
 Close reading of texts: locate and interpret significant details, make inferences,
paraphrase, draw conclusions, draw generalizations, analyze character and character
motivation
 Identify and infer central ideas and themes; create summaries
 Identify and analyze relationships (e.g. compare/contrast, cause/effect)
 Determine the meaning of context-dependent words
 Analyze how word choice shapes meaning or tone
 Identify and analyze text structure
 Identify and analyze purpose and point of view
 Analyze arguments and identify a central claim
 Make simple comparisons between two passages
English Standards:
 Topic development in terms of purpose and focus
 Organization, unity, and cohesion of writing
 Knowledge of language
 Sentence structure and formation
 Usage conventions: correct comma usage, subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent
agreement, semicolons, colons, verbs and apostrophes
All Mondays, with the exception of August 24 and October 5, are ACT Reviews.
Week 1 Review rules, syllabus and expectations
8/03-8/07 Receive notes & work on Personal Statement
Compose formal Personal Statement
Week 2 Continue composing Personal Statement
8/10-8/14 Peer edit Personal Statement
Personal Statement due (August 12)
Begin reviewing rules of commas, semicolons and colons
Week 3
Continue reviewing commas, colons and semicolons
8/17-8/21 Complete commas, colons and semicolon test (August 19)
Review Literary Terms
Begin reading the Anglo-Saxon period and complete a reader’s log (August 21)
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www.biloxischools.net
In order to focus on student success, provide quality instruction, and communicate openly and honestly with
students and parents, secondary teachers will publish a course syllabus each term.
Bell Ringer Activity due (August 21)
Week 4
8/24-8/28
Discuss Beowulf and complete an Epic Hero activity
Read Beowulf
Complete Beowulf comprehension/discussion questions (August 28)
Week 5
8/31-9/04
Complete Beowulf test (September 2)
Complete ACT test #1 (September 4)
Bell Ringer Activity due (September 4)
Week 6
9/07-9/11
Review ACT Test #1 and Beowulf test
Begin reading Macbeth
Week 7
9/14-9/18
Review Macbeth
Continue to read Macbeth
Complete Macbeth comprehension/discussion questions (Acts I and II)
Bell work assignment due (September 19)
Week 8
9/21-9/25
Continue to read Macbeth
Complete ACT Test #2 (September 24)
Week 9
Review ACT Test #2
9/28-10/02 Complete ACT Test #3 (October 2)
Continue reading Macbeth
Bell Ringer assignment due (October 2)
Week 10 Complete Macbeth comprehension/discussion questions (Act III)
10/05-10/09 Review Term I Objectives
Complete Term I Exams (October 7 and 8)
Fall Break October 9—No school
*Due to any unforeseen circumstances, the dates of the syllabus are subject to change.
Tests and Grades
Grading: A=90-100 B=80-89 C=70-79 D=65-69 F=below 65 I=incomplete
Grading follows the policies of Biloxi Public Schools. A mid-term progress report and a report card following the end of each term are issued.
The student’s current grades are available via Internet IOD. (http://iiod.ssts.com/Home.asp?state=MS)
Tests: Students will be given a test or composition when it is apparent that the students have
mastered the necessary objectives. The grading weight of the class is as follows: Tests: 55%
Daily work/Quizzes: 35% Term Exam: 10%.
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www.biloxischools.net
In order to focus on student success, provide quality instruction, and communicate openly and honestly with
students and parents, secondary teachers will publish a course syllabus each term.
Retesting/Reteaching:
All students are encouraged to retest if they are unhappy with their grade, regardless of their
score. The higher of the two test grades will be recorded in the grade book. To retest, students
must make an appointment to come to review the test, successfully complete a remediation
assignment (including tutoring), and come to retest. The entire process must be completed
within ten days of students receiving scores on the original test. In addition, all daily/missed
work relating to the test must be complete before the original test is taken, AND all questions
must be answered on the original test in order to be eligible for the retesting process. Upon
receiving original test scores, reteaching/retesting dates will be given to students; it is their
responsibility to make arrangements to come to the reteaching/retesting sessions.
In the past, too many students were expecting to be allowed to retest because they “had to work
late last night and couldn’t study” or other varied excuses. Please study daily and complete all
assignments to ensure that you are making the most of the educational opportunities offered to
you; chances are that you will do much better the first time on your test if you work efficiently
and study regularly.
Homework/Assignments/Projects:
Homework and practice assignments are due as directed by the teacher. LATE WORK IS NOT
ACCEPTABLE. It is in the student’s best interest to complete all assignments on time.
Assignments and projects will be assessed a 10 point penalty per day late. Zeroes are not
tolerated. Because much of the daily work completed will relate to selected texts (novels, plays,
short stories, etc.), it is imperative that students read all independent reading assignments.
Falling behind when reading a novel, play or short story can lead to low or missed quiz grades,
which directly results in low test grades. It is highly recommended that students purchase a
copy of each novel/play that we read this year. This allows for highlighting, annotations, and a
feeling of ownership or investment in the activity. If this is not possible, I have books available
that can be checked out or issued.
Students who are absent are required to make up any instruction/activities missed. I am
available for tutoring before and after school by appointment. It is the student’s responsibility to
see what he/she missed and make up all assignments within ten days of returning from an
absence.
Course Requirements: English IV students are required to read a novel during this term to
complete a critical analysis on this novel during Term II. I will make some time in the schedule
for students to read. However, it will be necessary for the student to read on his or her own time.
During Term II, English IV students are required to complete a critical analysis. Although the
paper is written in Term II, the novel is read during Term I to complete the paper in Term II.
Parents will receive a letter before the students begin reading the novel, and the student will be
given ample time to read the novel. The rough draft will count as a test grade. The final paper
will count as two test grades.
Important Dates:
 No School – 09/7 (Labor Day)
 Progress Report- 09/11
 Exams – 10/7 and 10/8 ; Fall Break- 10/09
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www.biloxischools.net
In order to focus on student success, provide quality instruction, and communicate openly and honestly with
students and parents, secondary teachers will publish a course syllabus each term.
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www.biloxischools.net