Mary Moore
Freshman English Syllabus, 2012-2013
Hyde School, Bath, Maine
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The mission of the English Department is to inspire students to embrace the power of language as the foundation
for imaginative dialogue with one’s self and the world.
Course description: Freshman English introduces students to a variety of literary genres, including short
stories, novels, and drama. The course emphasizes personal writing and class discussions as effective means of
exploring literature. Their study of language and literature emphasizes a strong review of grammar and usage,
as well as sentence structure and paragraph form. Students practice writing, speaking and listening in small
and whole group projects. They also critically review a film in comparison to originating drama. We focus on the
cultivation of the five Cs from the Hyde School learning promise: Comprehension,
Critical Thinking,
Collaboration, Creativity, and Communication.
This course emphasizes personal writing and class
discussions as effective means of exploring literature as well as an implementation of the five Cs. Their reading
and study skills are strengthened throughout the year. They also write essays of literary analysis, beginning
with paragraphs and progressing to the multi-paragraph theme.
Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity, and
Communication.
Objectives:
Writing:
Develop cohesive single –paragraph essay
Expand a single paragraph essay to 5 paragraph format
Use topic sentences, thesis statements supporting examples.
Introduce creative writing through short stories
Grammar:
Become familiar with parts of speech and their usage through their own writing
Practice a variety of sentence structures in own writing
Learn appropriate use of punctuation and paragraphing
Literature:
Examine point of view through multiple voices and genres
Develop insight into author’s theme and message
Relate one’s own experiences to that of characters in each novel
Essential questions: Who are my students? Students will be informally assessed as to their reading level,
habits and competency in writing.
What do my students need to learn this year? Students will be able to read and analyze different genres
of literature. They will be able to write a simple thesis 9 sentence paragraph and then by the end of the year,
a 5 paragraph thesis essay.
What do they need to get there? Students will read a variety of books, short stories, drama. They will
complete various projects and activities designed to complete the objectives above.
TEXTS:
ALL students will read:
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
Lord of the Flies by Golding
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
Students will choose several of the following books and short stories:
Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula LeGuin
The Alchemyst, Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel by Michael Scott
Scribbler of Dreams Mary E. Pearson
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
West Side Story by Irving Shulman
The Romance of Tristan and Iseult by J. Bedier, Hilaire Belloc
Perks of Being A Wallflower by Chbosky,
Honey, Baby Sweetheart by Caletti
Life As We Knew It by Pfeffer ,
Fat Kid Rules the World, by Going
Stolen by L. Christopher,
Looking for Alaska by Green
The Uglies by Westerfield
Gone by Grant
Its Kind of a Funny Story by Vizzini
Tripods, The White Mountains by J. Christopher
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Short stories:
The Scarlet Ibis by Hurst
The Lottery by Jackson
Monkey’s Paw by Jacobs
Tale Tell Heart by Poe
Petting Zoo by de Niverville
Lady or the Tiger by Stockton
The Most Dangerous Game by Connell
Assessment: Trimester grades will be calculated based on the following tasks and weighting.
Achievement:
 50% Tests - Tests may be take home projects, reports, investigations, presentations, or traditional
timed, sit down exams.
 40% Quizzes/Homework – Quizzes/homework: may be announced or unannounced. Expect at least one
quiz at least twice weekly. Homework is given and reviewed daily.
 10% Exam – A final exam is given at the end of each trimester.
Effort:
 10% Binders - Students are expected to maintain a neat and organized notebook dedicated to this class.
Weekly notebook checks will be used to assess notebooks.
 50% Homework and projects- Homework will be assigned and checked daily. Typical assignments are
designed to take approximately 20 - 30 minutes to complete. Projects are assigned periodically and
students are given adequate time to complete.
 40% Class participation - A scoring rubric will be provided for weekly self assessment. Students are
expected to actively participate in class by asking/answering questions, working on class assignments, etc.
Make up work:
In the case of an absence, missed work will be due the day after the student’s return to school. This may be
extended in the case of prolonged absences.
If a student is present the day before a quiz, test, or other assessment but is absent the day of the
assessment, s/he is responsible for the work immediately upon return to class.
Late assignments: Late assignments will be accepted with no penalty if approved by me prior to the deadline.
Otherwise: 1 day late = 10 points off, 2 days late = 15 points off, 3 or more = 20 points off
Extra help: I am available: see me to set up time.
Basic expectations: Students will follow principles adopted by class the first week.