English 12 Syllabus
2013-2014
Mrs. Markolovic
“Before you act, listen. Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize,
wait. Before you quit, try.” Ernest Hemingway
Class Outline:
The purpose of this English class is to prepare you for college and the workforce.
The English program will consist of various types of writing, analysis and critical
thinking skills will be reinforced, and you will be able to expand your vocabulary,
and grammatical skills through the process of writing and revision. During the
course of the year, we will be focusing on the different types of writing that you may
encounter in college, and identifying strategies and techniques to help you write
with clarity and precision. In addition, we will be reading the following two novels
throughout the year. The culmination of this course will be a research paper and a
presentation.
Course Learning Objectives:
 to write and revise essays for content, form and style
 to articulate personal responses, summarize, draw inferences and to express
informed opinion in class discussion with peers and in writing
 to read and demonstrate an understanding of texts by identifying core ideas,
articulating response to the ideas in writing and discussion, and supporting
the responses with references to the text
 to perfect the structure of the narrative essay, the compare/contrast essay,
the cause/effect essay, argument essay and research paper.
Methods of Instruction:
Reading, essay and response writing, class discussion, multimedia, group work, peer
editing, student presentations
Writing Expectations:
In Research and Writing, the focus is on the transference of basic essay concepts
(introduction-body-conclusion, thesis, topic sentences, logical progression of ideas in
individual paragraphs and the essay as a whole) to a college-level analytical writing,
which includes use and integration of sources. More specially:
1. students will be expected to pre-write: brainstorm, conceptualize, cluster ideas,
outline
2. Students will be expected to revise all works for a final copy for the porfolio
Writing:
College
Expository
Response
Persuasive
Compare/Contrast
Analytical
Creative
Perspective
Use of Sources/MLA Documentation:
1. Students will be taught to gather and evaluate primary and secondary sources,
paraphrase and quote, cite and document where appropriate in their writing.
2. Students will be taught to use documentation while still maintaining their own
voices and develop a point of view.
Course Requirements:
1. Required Books (School has copies):
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Beauty School of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez
2. Pens: blue or black
WCC Writing and Research English 101 Credit:
You will have the opportunity, if you so choose, to receive Writing and Research
English 101credits. SUNY WCC will administer an essay test, which you will need to
receive a certain score on in order to be eligible for the credits, along with maintaining
and 80 average in English 12. These are 3 college credits for a monetary amount. The
credits transfer to many colleges.
You also must maintain an 80%average in English throughout the year to receive
this credit.
Grading:
60% --Tests, Major Writing Assignments
30% --Quizzes, minor writing assignments, reader response assignments
10% --Homework and Participation**
**Participation grade is based on your ability to successfully follow attendance
guidelines, take an active role in whole class and small group discussion, overall
productivity and seriousness of purpose during class activities, and demonstration that
you are keeping up with assignments.
Late assignments will be deducted -10 a class period
Letter Grades are as follows:
A+ 100
A
95-99
A- 90-94
B+ 86-89
B
83-85
B- 80-82
C+ 76-79
C
73-75
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D
63-66
D- 65
F
Below
PLAGIARISM will result in an automatic
0 - NO EXCEPTIONS
Blogs:
You will be required to respond to blog
postings on pnwboces.schoolwires.net. I
will direct you as to when a blog is due. 5
blog response postings = 1 quiz grade.
(20 points for each blog)
Twitter:
Markoloviceng: you do not have to use
twitter. I will post assignment due dates and
relevant articles, but twitter is not required.
It will be merely another reminder for those
that choose to use it. All assignments will be
posted/announced in class in addition to
twitter.
Topics/Units
Description
Readings
Assignments
Identity
Who are you?
How does culture
shape the way
you see yourself
and others? How
identity connects
to community
and world.
Narrative essay;
college essay
writing;
Reputable
article;
Gender Bias
Is one gender
better than the
other? How does
gender bias
influence
women’s ability
to be successful?
Homogenous
societal
representations:
professional
Image; selfimage; Body
image; How do
chain superstores
compete with
smaller stores?
What is the
American dream?
How is it
achieved? Why
do people spend
so much time
searching for the
American dream?
How are the ideas,
perspectives,
attitudes, images,
that are within the
mainstream of a
given culture
viewed and why?
How do we make
popular culture?
Arm wrestling
with my father
by Brad
Manning; The
dog ate my
homework; We
wear the mask
by Paul
Lawrence
Dunbar; Girl by
Jamaica Kincaid
Kabul Beauty
School by
Deborah
Rodriguez; They
Say…I Say;
Reputable
article; reader
response; mini
research paper;
film literacy
response
MissRespresenation;
Blogs; Op-ed pages
NY Times
Fast Food
Nation; They
Say…I Say;
Reputable
article; reader
response; mini
research paper;
film literacy
response
Op-ed pages NY
Times; Food Ink;
Blog;
Sold by Patricia
McCormick;
They Say…I Say;
Reputable
article; reader
response; mini
research paper;
film literacy
response
Op-ed pages NY
Times; Blog; Quiz
show movie
They Say…I Say;
Entrepreneurial
readings;
Reputable
article; reader
response; mini
research paper;
film literacy
response
Pretty Little Liars &
Body Image; Op-ed
pages NY Times;
Blog
Food & Society
American
Dream
Pop Culture &
Inspirational
People
Additional
Materials
Grammar; sentence
structure; blogs
Assignment Explanation:
1. Reading Response Assignment
Your job in this reading response is to practice the strategies of “They Say/I Say” using
the article from an article submission assignment.
For this response, write a paper that summarizes the author’s arguments and then give
your own opinion.
Here are some requirements:
1. Your response should be 1-2 pages.
2. Your response should have a THESIS around which it is organized.
3. Your response should use some of the strategies and the templates provided
about
 how to introduce what “they say”
 how to summarize
 how to use quotes
 how to agree or disagree
4. Your response should be formatted according to MLA style (see sample paper
posted on
5. For each quotation, you must use an in-text citation (MLA style). Blackboard).
6. You must use AT LEAST 1 quotation from the article you choose.
7.
8. For each quotation, you need a "quote sandwich" - you must introduce the quote,
give the
9. Your response must have a Works Cited page (see sample paper posted).
10. Your response must be submitted AS AN ATTACHMENT in WORD format by
the due date. No quote and then analyze the quote. See pages 44-48 in the
textbook for further clarification.
2. Article Submission Assignment
For this assignment you have to:
1. Find a credible article on the topic this unit covers. If you aren’t sure what this
means, review the exercises under “How to find a credible source.”
2. Create a proper MLA citation for the article.
3. Provide a link to the article.
4. Explain why the article is credible, using the five criteria in the “How to find a
credible source” reading and video.
5. Why you chose this article and how it is relevant to our unit of study.
As always, your paper should use proper MLA style in the format (a proper heading, etc.)
and you should proofread your paper before submitting.
Absences:
Absences and tardiness should be kept at a minimum. The course is designed to
achieve its objectives primarily by in-class activities, thus excessive absenteeism
and tardiness will result in a lowered quarter grade. You are responsible for the
work that you miss if you are absent. You should obtain the phone number of one of
your classmates to find out what you missed and turn it in on the next day, unless
other arrangements are made with me.
EMAIL: mmarkolovic@pnwboces.org
Website: Pnwboces.schoolwires.net
Twitter: markoloviceng