Mary Moore
Freshmen English Syllabus, 2015-2016
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. This 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.
OBJECTIVES: Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity, and Communication.
Writing:
Becomes proficient in Types 1, 2, 3, and 4 writing.
Has at least one Type 5 writing piece during the year.
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 capitalization, 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 fictional books, short stories, drama.
They will complete various projects and activities designed to complete the objectives above.
THEMES: Literature for each trimester is connected to the following themes and genres:
First trimester: The Hero’s Journey (realistic fiction, science fiction or fantasy)
Second trimester: Love, Life, & Death (fictional short stores, Shakespeare, realistic fiction)
Third trimester: Man’s Inhumanity to Man (classical fiction)
TEXTS:
ALL students will read:
Tripods, Book 1: The White Mountains by J. Christopher
Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula LeGuin
Lord of the Flies by Golding
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
Students will choose one of the following books:
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
1984 by George Orwell
Perks of Being A Wallflower by Chbosky,
Fat Kid Rules the World, by Going
Looking for Alaska by Green
Life As We Knew It by Pfeffer
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Students will choose several of the following short stories:
The Scarlet Ibis by Hurst
The Lottery by Jackson
Monkey’s Paw by Jacobs
Petting Zoo by de Niverville
Tale Tell Heart by Poe
Lady or the Tiger by Stockton
The Most Dangerous Game by Connell
ASSESSMENT: Students will receive Achievement and Effort grades every 3 weeks.
These grades and 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.
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Effort:
Effort grades will be comprised of Homework (40%), Class Conduct/Participation (40%), and Type 1 Writing
assignments (20%). Type 1 writing assignments will earn either a √ (100%-completed) or a - (55% not
completed).
Homework will be graded at least 2 times a week as follows:
95
Excellence: Assignment is complete, neat, and all answers are attempted.
85
Effort: Assignment is mostly complete and mostly neat; or all answers are attempted
but work is not thorough
75
Motions: Assignment is mostly complete (more than half) and mostly neat.
65
Off Track: Assignment is less than half complete and lacks overall neatness.
55
Assignment is not attempted.
Class Participation/Conduct grade will be awarded daily on a 5 point scale detailed below:
5
On time, necessary materials, excellent classroom participation
4
- On time, necessary materials, good participation
- Excellent participation, but either late or missing materials
3
- On time, necessary materials, present but no participation
- Good participation, but either late or missing materials
- Excellent participation, but both late and missing materials
2
- No participation and either missing materials or late
- Good participation and both missing materials and late
- Disruptive once
1
- No participation, missing materials, and late
- Disruptive several times
0
- UNEXCUSED Absence from class
- Frequently disruptive/asked to leave class
MAKE UP WORK
In the case of an absence, missed work will be due two class days 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, she/he is responsible for the work immediately upon return to class.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS: Late assignments (not due to illness or excused absence) 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.