SAT Vocabulary
HA English 9
OReilly
1. Abet
2. Abortive
3. Abscond
4. Abstemious
5. Acme
6. avuncular
7. bilious
8. blasphemous
9. bucolic
10. caustic
1. circuitous
2. coquette
3. ersatz
4. feckless
5. histrionics
6. imperious
7. impudent
8. incredulous
9. jettison
10.lecherous
1. lexicon
2. libertine
3. licentious
4. nihilism
5. paragon
6. pathogenic
7.pique
8. potentate
9. presage
10.prodigal
1. pseudonym
2.recidivism
3.reprehensible
4. simian
5. sinecure
6. strident
7. titular
8. toady
9. vernacular
10. visceral
1. zephyr
2. wax
3. vituperate
4. verbose
5. turgid
6. truculent
7. temporal
8. tantamount
9. surmount
10. stringent
1. seminal
2. sequester
3. squalid
4. stasis
5. remission
6. raze
7. reactionary
8. preternatural
9. progenitor
10. pugilism
1. rankle
2. pellucid
3. plaintive
4. precipitous
5. portentous
6. paean
7. pariah
8. morose
9. opine
10. lithe
1. mellifluous
2. masochist
3. internecine
4. lampoon
5. incandescent
6. indomitable
7. illusory
8. furtive
9. doctrinaire
10. effluvia
1. confluence
2. contiguous
3. deride
4. coagulate
5. certitude
6. cache
7. bovine
8. braggart
9. becalm
10. apostate
1. arcane
2. atavistic
3. apprise
4. arrears
5. antiquated
6. alimentary
7. acumen
8. compliant
9. cloying
10. circumvent
19 August 2009
14 August 2009
Opening Activities: SAT Vocabulary, Class Description, Limerick Assignment
SAT Vocabulary
HA English 9
OReilly
1. Abet
2. Abortive
3. Abscond
4. Abstemious
5. Acme
6. avuncular
7. bilious
8. blasphemous
9. bucolic
10. caustic
1. circuitous
2. coquette
3. ersatz
4. feckless
5. histrionics
6. imperious
7. impudent
8. incredulous
9. jettison
10.lecherous
1. lexicon
2. libertine
3. licentious
4. nihilism
5. paragon
6. pathogenic
7.pique
8. potentate
9. presage
10.prodigal
1. pseudonym
2.recidivism
3.reprehensible
4. simian
5. sinecure
6. strident
7. titular
8. toady
9. vernacular
10. visceral
1. zephyr
2. wax
3. vituperate
4. verbose
5. turgid
6. truculent
7. temporal
8. tantamount
9. surmount
10. stringent
1. seminal
2. sequester
3. squalid
4. stasis
5. remission
6. raze
7. reactionary
8. preternatural
9. progenitor
10. pugilism
1. rankle
2. pellucid
3. plaintive
4. precipitous
5. portentous
6. paean
7. pariah
8. morose
9. opine
10. lithe
1. mellifluous
2. masochist
3. internecine
4. lampoon
5. incandescent
6. indomitable
7. illusory
8. furtive
9. doctrinaire
10. effluvia
1. confluence
2. contiguous
3. deride
4. coagulate
5. certitude
6. cache
7. bovine
8. braggart
9. becalm
10. apostate
1. arcane
2. atavistic
3. apprise
4. arrears
5. antiquated
6. alimentary
7. acumen
8. compliant
9. cloying
10. circumventHA English 9
OReilly
Writing A Limerick
Make a poster of your limerick (approximately 18" x 24"). The limerick is about you, with the first line stating your name or your origin. One half of the poster has your limerick in large letters. The other half is a self-portrait done in any medium including collage or photography. Please make the self-portrait large—about the size of a face. Your name and period number should be on the front. This is due next class session.
What is a limerick?
A limerick is a short form of poetry known for its humor.
This sample limerick demonstrates the syllabic pattern.
There was a large lady from Perth
Who wanted to travel the earth
But her wish was in vain
For the door of the plane
Was not wide enough for her girth.
Syllable and Beat Scheme: Note that the first, second and fifth lines each have eight syllables, and rhyme with each other, while the middle lines have only six syllables and a separate rhyme. Not all limericks have that exact syllabic form, but the first, second, and fifth line have more syllables than the middle two. There is a certain beat:
bah, duppity, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, duppity, bah
The following example shows the rhyme scheme:
A Clumsy Young Fellow Named Tim
1. There once was a fellow named Tim (A)
2. whose dad never taught him to swim. (A)
3. He fell off a dock (B)
4. and sunk like a rock. (B)
5. And that was the end of him (A)
One way to write a limerick:
Now, to write your own limerick, begin by choosing a character and/or a place name. (Note here that if your place name is longer than one syllable you may expand your lines to nine instead of eight syllables.)
Think of some words that rhyme with your place name. Because the limerick is meant to be humorous, your rhymes may be silly - for example:
Sydney; kidney; didn' he.
Use two of these words to end the first two lines of your limerick, which introduce your character.
There was a young man from Sydney
Who only would eat steak and kidney.
Next, think of a problem for your character, and present it in your two short lines:
When the kidney ran out,
Though he started to shout,
Finally, finish with a resolution (ending) to your limerick, which should make your reader laugh.
He had to go hungry, didn' he?
Try this process to write limericks of your own. You will also find there are other ways of beginning your limerick:
A man with a very large nose . . .
While traveling one day in Peru . . .
I was startled one day by a hen . . .
Despite these differences, the basic limerick pattern remains the same.
Another Example
There once was a young girl named Jill.
Who was scared by the sight of a drill.
She brushed every day
So her dentist would say,
"Your teeth are so perfect; no bill."
Grading rubric:
30 participation points
5 points: The poem exactly fits criterion
4 points: The poems fits almost all the criterion
3 points: Some elements of the criterion are missing
2 points: Most elements of the criterion are missing
1 points: No elements of the criterion are present
Student Score Teacher Score
The syllable and beat scheme fit the traditional limerick form ________ ________
as shown
The rhyme scheme fits the traditional limerick form as shown ________ ________
The limerick is about you. Your name and period number appear
on the front of your poster. ________ ________
The self-portrait is about the size of a face and succeeds in ________ ________
illustrating your unique appearance and/or style.
The limerick is humorously and uniquely expressive of your ________ ________
personality, attributes, talents, eccentricities, defects
or other facts such as where you live or
what you like and/or dislike
The entire poster is large, gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing. The ________ ________
lettering is large, legible, and lovely.
Total ________ ________
HA English 9
OReilly
1. Abet
2. Abortive
3. Abscond
4. Abstemious
5. Acme
6. avuncular
7. bilious
8. blasphemous
9. bucolic
10. caustic
1. circuitous
2. coquette
3. ersatz
4. feckless
5. histrionics
6. imperious
7. impudent
8. incredulous
9. jettison
10.lecherous
1. lexicon
2. libertine
3. licentious
4. nihilism
5. paragon
6. pathogenic
7.pique
8. potentate
9. presage
10.prodigal
1. pseudonym
2.recidivism
3.reprehensible
4. simian
5. sinecure
6. strident
7. titular
8. toady
9. vernacular
10. visceral
1. zephyr
2. wax
3. vituperate
4. verbose
5. turgid
6. truculent
7. temporal
8. tantamount
9. surmount
10. stringent
1. seminal
2. sequester
3. squalid
4. stasis
5. remission
6. raze
7. reactionary
8. preternatural
9. progenitor
10. pugilism
1. rankle
2. pellucid
3. plaintive
4. precipitous
5. portentous
6. paean
7. pariah
8. morose
9. opine
10. lithe
1. mellifluous
2. masochist
3. internecine
4. lampoon
5. incandescent
6. indomitable
7. illusory
8. furtive
9. doctrinaire
10. effluvia
1. confluence
2. contiguous
3. deride
4. coagulate
5. certitude
6. cache
7. bovine
8. braggart
9. becalm
10. apostate
1. arcane
2. atavistic
3. apprise
4. arrears
5. antiquated
6. alimentary
7. acumen
8. compliant
9. cloying
10. circumventHA English 9
OReilly
Writing A Limerick
Make a poster of your limerick (approximately 18" x 24"). The limerick is about you, with the first line stating your name or your origin. One half of the poster has your limerick in large letters. The other half is a self-portrait done in any medium including collage or photography. Please make the self-portrait large—about the size of a face. Your name and period number should be on the front. This is due next class session.
What is a limerick?
A limerick is a short form of poetry known for its humor.
This sample limerick demonstrates the syllabic pattern.
There was a large lady from Perth
Who wanted to travel the earth
But her wish was in vain
For the door of the plane
Was not wide enough for her girth.
Syllable and Beat Scheme: Note that the first, second and fifth lines each have eight syllables, and rhyme with each other, while the middle lines have only six syllables and a separate rhyme. Not all limericks have that exact syllabic form, but the first, second, and fifth line have more syllables than the middle two. There is a certain beat:
bah, duppity, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, duppity, bah
The following example shows the rhyme scheme:
A Clumsy Young Fellow Named Tim
1. There once was a fellow named Tim (A)
2. whose dad never taught him to swim. (A)
3. He fell off a dock (B)
4. and sunk like a rock. (B)
5. And that was the end of him (A)
One way to write a limerick:
Now, to write your own limerick, begin by choosing a character and/or a place name. (Note here that if your place name is longer than one syllable you may expand your lines to nine instead of eight syllables.)
Think of some words that rhyme with your place name. Because the limerick is meant to be humorous, your rhymes may be silly - for example:
Sydney; kidney; didn' he.
Use two of these words to end the first two lines of your limerick, which introduce your character.
There was a young man from Sydney
Who only would eat steak and kidney.
Next, think of a problem for your character, and present it in your two short lines:
When the kidney ran out,
Though he started to shout,
Finally, finish with a resolution (ending) to your limerick, which should make your reader laugh.
He had to go hungry, didn' he?
Try this process to write limericks of your own. You will also find there are other ways of beginning your limerick:
A man with a very large nose . . .
While traveling one day in Peru . . .
I was startled one day by a hen . . .
Despite these differences, the basic limerick pattern remains the same.
Another Example
There once was a young girl named Jill.
Who was scared by the sight of a drill.
She brushed every day
So her dentist would say,
"Your teeth are so perfect; no bill."
Grading rubric:
30 participation points
5 points: The poem exactly fits criterion
4 points: The poems fits almost all the criterion
3 points: Some elements of the criterion are missing
2 points: Most elements of the criterion are missing
1 points: No elements of the criterion are present
Student Score Teacher Score
The syllable and beat scheme fit the traditional limerick form ________ ________
as shown
The rhyme scheme fits the traditional limerick form as shown ________ ________
The limerick is about you. Your name and period number appear
on the front of your poster. ________ ________
The self-portrait is about the size of a face and succeeds in ________ ________
illustrating your unique appearance and/or style.
The limerick is humorously and uniquely expressive of your ________ ________
personality, attributes, talents, eccentricities, defects
or other facts such as where you live or
what you like and/or dislike
The entire poster is large, gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing. The ________ ________
lettering is large, legible, and lovely.
Total ________ ________
La Conquistadora OReilly
Soquel High School
HA English 1
2009-2010
Welcome to Soquel High and the Humanities Academy. In this class, you will be challenged to read a variety of texts, short stories, plays, and poetry. As you read these pieces, you will be asked to explore themes. What are themes? Themes are eternal insights on life—the truths of human existence that are witnessed through first hand experience or through art. In literature, as opposed to popular fiction, the astute reader senses and realizes these eternal truths, and that is why literature is both more meaningful and more complex than the average bestseller. You will learn to discern these themes in the texts as well as the manner in which authors employ literary devices and motifs to develop themes. And we will regularly write analytical essays exploring these same themes, motifs, and literary devices. Beyond discerning theme in literary texts, the primary focus and your primary task in HA English 10 is to create clear structure and employ proper mechanics in your writing. In addition, you will produce a variety of creative and fanciful pieces, a research paper, and group projects. Prepare to work hard, explore your limits, and have fun.
Soquel High School
HA English 1
2009-2010
dianoreilly@sccs.santacruz.k12.ca.us
Welcome to Soquel High and the Humanities Academy. In this class, you will be challenged to read a variety of texts, short stories, plays, and poetry. As you read these pieces, you will be asked to explore themes. What are themes? Themes are eternal insights on life—the truths of human existence that are witnessed through first hand experience or through art. In literature, as opposed to popular fiction, the astute reader senses and realizes these eternal truths, and that is why literature is both more meaningful and more complex than the average bestseller. You will learn to discern these themes in the texts as well as the manner in which authors employ literary devices and motifs to develop themes. And we will regularly write analytical essays exploring these same themes, motifs, and literary devices. Beyond discerning theme in literary texts, the primary focus and your primary task in HA English 10 is to create clear structure and employ proper mechanics in your writing. In addition, you will produce a variety of creative and fanciful pieces, a research paper, and group projects. Prepare to work hard, explore your limits, and have fun.
Success in The Academy is determined more by hard work and diligence than by intelligence. This is a program for academically motivated students, not necessarily for geniuses. Being a genius helps, a lot, but correctly completing and turning in work is of primary importance to one's success in this program.
Primary Literature Texts:
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
Excerpts from The Odyssey, Homer
The Power of One, Chinua Achebe
The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima
Ramayana, Valmiki
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Selected poems of Rumi
Selected Latin American short stories and poetry from Glencoe Anthology of World Literature, McGraw Hill
Grading:
Students must maintain a C semester grade in both English and World Geography and Culture to remain in the Academy. Please be aware that semester grades are cumulative. Your six-week grade simply represents your semester grade at that point in the school year. In other words, in early October, and every six weeks, you will receive a report card in the mail with a progress report. The grade does not appear on any official transcript, nor does that grade affect your status in the Academy. The grade is significant only in that it reflects your progress at that point in time. The semester grade is sent out twice a year—in January and June. The semester grade appears on your permanent high school transcript, and it is the grade that determines student status in the Academy.
It is the student’s responsibility to track his or her own progress on Infinite Campus, the school Internet system, located on the Soquel high School website, that posts grades and absences. To login to Infinite Campus use your student ID as your user ID and your six digit birth date as your password.
Essays/written work: 40%
Homework/reading activities: 20%
Participation/preparedness: 15%
Tests and Quizzes: 25%
Be prepared to work when you enter class:
Look at the daily agenda, gather materials, write down assigned homework, and/or turn-in homework as necessary. Think of clever and amusing contributions to class discussions. Before leaving, straighten your desk and clean up any materials you may have dropped. Wait at your desk to be dismissed. Of late, I have been considering the value of classroom participation. Usually a few students do the majority of speaking and sharing in any given class. But when I reflect on my college and work career, I realize that being a part of the conversation has benefited me in many ways. Try to participate at least once everyday in class. If everyone can't participate, I will have to resort on calling on people or initiating a verbal participation grade. Speaking is part of Language Arts. Please blab, but do raise your hand first.
Your journals:
Your journals are notebooks or a separate section in your binder in which you keep your notes in an organized fashion with a table of contents and numbered pages so you can quickly find your topics. You must always bring your journal to class. Although you will never turn it in, you will be randomly tested on the material therein. Be sure to bring your journal to the next class session.
Tests and Quizzes:
You will always be prepared for your tests by way of pretests and plenty of drill. In addition, you will have plenty of time to study for your tests. They will often be vocabulary, grammar, or mechanics drill. Quizzes will be at random times with no warning; however, you will be allowed to use your texts or your journal. Some of your tests will be in-class essays or paragraphs that will count under the essay category of your grade.
Late Work:
Late work due to excused absences may be turned-in within the same number of days as the length of the absence. Late work for any other reason may be turned in one day late for a fifty percent penalty. Although I am always willing to hear creative reasons why late work should be accepted, it is extremely doubtful that I will hear a convincing one. You are responsible for finding out what work you have missed and turning it in. To find missed assignments 1) check the agenda journal, a black notebook on the whiteboard eraser bar under the daily agenda 2) find missing assignments in the bin provided on the back table 3) get any journal notes you missed from another student. You should not have to ask me what you have missed.
Portfolios:
Santa Cruz City Schools has a portfolio graduation requirement. In your freshman year, you will be expected to write a narrative or research paper, reading response, and an example of mastery of writing conventions. To that end, you must keep all your essays, including all drafts, archived in the classroom in the hanging files provided for you. From this archive, you will choose three samples to fulfill the portfolio graduation requirement.
Turning in assignments
One of the major differences between this class and your middle school experience is that there are very strict guidelines for every assignment. If you follow the guidelines, you will receive a high grade for your effort. You simply must follow the proscribed guidelines, which I will provide in the form of a check-off list or rubric. You must turn this rubric in with every assignment. You cannot receive a grade without the rubric. Work turned in without a rubric will be re-turned and will be considered late if re-submitted. Don’t lose your rubric. For posters and art projects, rubrics must be lightly taped to the project. Papers must be submitted in the following manner: the rubric must be on top, and then the final draft, preliminary drafts and editing rubrics must be stapled underneath the final draft. Usually a copy of the rubric can be found on my blog at http://ha9english2009.blogspot.com/. This class description can be found at my blog under the label "Class Description."
Classroom supplies:
Required supplies include: a dedicated section in your binder for handouts, a journal as described above, highlighters in pink, green, yellow, and blue, and small post-its to bookmark as you read.
Bathroom and Water Breaks:
One student at a time may leave the class to use the bathroom or get a drink. Discretely signal to me that you are leaving, bring me your planner to sign, and return promptly. If this privilege is abused, I will fall back on a less permissive policy
CD players, Ipods, MP3 players, and cell phones are strictly prohibited.
I never want to see any personal electronic equipment in my class. All such equipment will be confiscated and held in the administrative office as per school rules. No exceptions except the following: If a piece of electronic equipment is confiscated on a Friday, school rules require that the equipment be held over the weekend. In my extreme benevolence, if the parent contacts me by phone or email and requests that the equipment be returned to the student, I will allow the equipment to be picked up at the end of the day on Friday.
Food, drink, garbage:
Eating of healthy food is allowed in class, unless eating interferes with learning in any way, including noisy, rustling chip bags, or whispered requests for just one bite, etc. If I ever have to clean up anyone’s mess even once in any class, all food will be banned. Needless to say, it is in your own best interest to notice and inform your classmates of their messy manners before I see the result.
Do I really need to mention being polite and socially acceptable?
Rude behavior, name calling, obscene language, politically incorrect slurs, and put-downs are subject to disciplinary action.
Themes and Topics:
In high school, and especially in the Humanities Academy, profound, human themes are discussed and studied. For instance, in Romeo and Juliet, we discuss arranged marriages and teenage love; in The Odyssey, we consider Odysseus’s infidelity to his wife. Students are expected to approach these themes with maturity, dignity, and developing insight. Occasionally, classes may watch an R-rated movie if it is appropriate to the literature being studied. Students are expected to watch such movies with the proper attitude of academic interest.
Class responsibilities and Duties:
Running a class requires some logistical and routine responsibilities. Since we are all participating in the experience of learning and growing as an academic community, students are expected to take a role in the day to day running of the classroom. To that end, each six weeks, some students will be assigned a job in the classroom. These jobs include the following: being the agenda monitor, role taking, turning in and passing back papers, stamping homework. Taking such roles and effectively performing them earns the student 10 participation points per semester.
Other Ways of Earning Extra Credit:
Extra credit can be earned by finding vocabulary words in non-assigned reading, seeing certain plays and movies, and writing responses as assigned.
I understand the expectations and responsibilities in Humanities Academy 9 English:
Sign:
___________________________________________ __________________________________________
parent/guardian date student date
Print:
___________________________________________ __________________________________________
parent/guardian date student date
Primary Literature Texts:
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
Excerpts from The Odyssey, Homer
The Power of One, Chinua Achebe
The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima
Ramayana, Valmiki
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Selected poems of Rumi
Selected Latin American short stories and poetry from Glencoe Anthology of World Literature, McGraw Hill
Grading:
Students must maintain a C semester grade in both English and World Geography and Culture to remain in the Academy. Please be aware that semester grades are cumulative. Your six-week grade simply represents your semester grade at that point in the school year. In other words, in early October, and every six weeks, you will receive a report card in the mail with a progress report. The grade does not appear on any official transcript, nor does that grade affect your status in the Academy. The grade is significant only in that it reflects your progress at that point in time. The semester grade is sent out twice a year—in January and June. The semester grade appears on your permanent high school transcript, and it is the grade that determines student status in the Academy.
It is the student’s responsibility to track his or her own progress on Infinite Campus, the school Internet system, located on the Soquel high School website, that posts grades and absences. To login to Infinite Campus use your student ID as your user ID and your six digit birth date as your password.
Essays/written work: 40%
Homework/reading activities: 20%
Participation/preparedness: 15%
Tests and Quizzes: 25%
Be prepared to work when you enter class:
Look at the daily agenda, gather materials, write down assigned homework, and/or turn-in homework as necessary. Think of clever and amusing contributions to class discussions. Before leaving, straighten your desk and clean up any materials you may have dropped. Wait at your desk to be dismissed. Of late, I have been considering the value of classroom participation. Usually a few students do the majority of speaking and sharing in any given class. But when I reflect on my college and work career, I realize that being a part of the conversation has benefited me in many ways. Try to participate at least once everyday in class. If everyone can't participate, I will have to resort on calling on people or initiating a verbal participation grade. Speaking is part of Language Arts. Please blab, but do raise your hand first.
Your journals:
Your journals are notebooks or a separate section in your binder in which you keep your notes in an organized fashion with a table of contents and numbered pages so you can quickly find your topics. You must always bring your journal to class. Although you will never turn it in, you will be randomly tested on the material therein. Be sure to bring your journal to the next class session.
Tests and Quizzes:
You will always be prepared for your tests by way of pretests and plenty of drill. In addition, you will have plenty of time to study for your tests. They will often be vocabulary, grammar, or mechanics drill. Quizzes will be at random times with no warning; however, you will be allowed to use your texts or your journal. Some of your tests will be in-class essays or paragraphs that will count under the essay category of your grade.
Late Work:
Late work due to excused absences may be turned-in within the same number of days as the length of the absence. Late work for any other reason may be turned in one day late for a fifty percent penalty. Although I am always willing to hear creative reasons why late work should be accepted, it is extremely doubtful that I will hear a convincing one. You are responsible for finding out what work you have missed and turning it in. To find missed assignments 1) check the agenda journal, a black notebook on the whiteboard eraser bar under the daily agenda 2) find missing assignments in the bin provided on the back table 3) get any journal notes you missed from another student. You should not have to ask me what you have missed.
Portfolios:
Santa Cruz City Schools has a portfolio graduation requirement. In your freshman year, you will be expected to write a narrative or research paper, reading response, and an example of mastery of writing conventions. To that end, you must keep all your essays, including all drafts, archived in the classroom in the hanging files provided for you. From this archive, you will choose three samples to fulfill the portfolio graduation requirement.
Turning in assignments
One of the major differences between this class and your middle school experience is that there are very strict guidelines for every assignment. If you follow the guidelines, you will receive a high grade for your effort. You simply must follow the proscribed guidelines, which I will provide in the form of a check-off list or rubric. You must turn this rubric in with every assignment. You cannot receive a grade without the rubric. Work turned in without a rubric will be re-turned and will be considered late if re-submitted. Don’t lose your rubric. For posters and art projects, rubrics must be lightly taped to the project. Papers must be submitted in the following manner: the rubric must be on top, and then the final draft, preliminary drafts and editing rubrics must be stapled underneath the final draft. Usually a copy of the rubric can be found on my blog at http://ha9english2009.blogspot.com/. This class description can be found at my blog under the label "Class Description."
Classroom supplies:
Required supplies include: a dedicated section in your binder for handouts, a journal as described above, highlighters in pink, green, yellow, and blue, and small post-its to bookmark as you read.
Bathroom and Water Breaks:
One student at a time may leave the class to use the bathroom or get a drink. Discretely signal to me that you are leaving, bring me your planner to sign, and return promptly. If this privilege is abused, I will fall back on a less permissive policy
CD players, Ipods, MP3 players, and cell phones are strictly prohibited.
I never want to see any personal electronic equipment in my class. All such equipment will be confiscated and held in the administrative office as per school rules. No exceptions except the following: If a piece of electronic equipment is confiscated on a Friday, school rules require that the equipment be held over the weekend. In my extreme benevolence, if the parent contacts me by phone or email and requests that the equipment be returned to the student, I will allow the equipment to be picked up at the end of the day on Friday.
Food, drink, garbage:
Eating of healthy food is allowed in class, unless eating interferes with learning in any way, including noisy, rustling chip bags, or whispered requests for just one bite, etc. If I ever have to clean up anyone’s mess even once in any class, all food will be banned. Needless to say, it is in your own best interest to notice and inform your classmates of their messy manners before I see the result.
Do I really need to mention being polite and socially acceptable?
Rude behavior, name calling, obscene language, politically incorrect slurs, and put-downs are subject to disciplinary action.
Themes and Topics:
In high school, and especially in the Humanities Academy, profound, human themes are discussed and studied. For instance, in Romeo and Juliet, we discuss arranged marriages and teenage love; in The Odyssey, we consider Odysseus’s infidelity to his wife. Students are expected to approach these themes with maturity, dignity, and developing insight. Occasionally, classes may watch an R-rated movie if it is appropriate to the literature being studied. Students are expected to watch such movies with the proper attitude of academic interest.
Class responsibilities and Duties:
Running a class requires some logistical and routine responsibilities. Since we are all participating in the experience of learning and growing as an academic community, students are expected to take a role in the day to day running of the classroom. To that end, each six weeks, some students will be assigned a job in the classroom. These jobs include the following: being the agenda monitor, role taking, turning in and passing back papers, stamping homework. Taking such roles and effectively performing them earns the student 10 participation points per semester.
Other Ways of Earning Extra Credit:
Extra credit can be earned by finding vocabulary words in non-assigned reading, seeing certain plays and movies, and writing responses as assigned.
I understand the expectations and responsibilities in Humanities Academy 9 English:
Sign:
___________________________________________ __________________________________________
parent/guardian date student date
Print:
___________________________________________ __________________________________________
parent/guardian date student date
12 August 2009
Class Description HA9 English
La Conquistadora OReilly
Soquel High School
English 1
2009-2010
dianoreilly@sccs.santacruz.k12.ca.us
dionoreilly@gmail.com
Welcome to Soquel High and the Humanities Academy. Here is the first question I want you to answer: What is a literary theme? Here is the second question: What is an insight? Please come to the next class with a brief answer to those two questions.
Success in my English class is determined more by hard work and diligence than by intelligence. This is a class for academically motivated students, not necessarily for geniuses. Being a genius helps, a lot, but correctly completing and turning in work is of primary importance. Please do not begin this course if you are not interested in working hard and if you are not interested in developing insight. into life and literature.
Primary Literature Texts:
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
Excerpts from The Odyssey, Homer
The Power of One, Bryce Courtnay
The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima
Ramayana, Valmiki
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Selected poems of Rumi
Selected Latin American short stories and poetry from Glencoe Anthology of World Literature, McGraw Hill
Primary Literature Texts:
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
Excerpts from The Odyssey, Homer
The Power of One, Bryce Courtnay
The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima
Ramayana, Valmiki
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Selected poems of Rumi
Selected Latin American short stories and poetry from Glencoe Anthology of World Literature, McGraw Hill
Hopefully you will like all these books. If you do not like the texts or the assignments, whining is prohibited. You are here to experience the unknown. You are here to become a literature gourmet. You cannot be a gourmet if you insist on only eating Mc.Donalds and whining when presented with cuisine. The previous statement is a metaphor. Here is your third question to know by next class: What is a metaphor?
Grading:
Students must maintain a C semester grade in both English and World Geography and Culture to remain in the Academy. Your six-week progress report does not appear on your college transcript, nor does it determine your status in The Academy.
It is the student’s responsibility to track his or her own progress on Infinite Campus, the school Internet system located on the Soquel High School website, which posts grades and absences. To login to Infinite Campus use your student ID as your user ID and your six digit birth date as your password.
Essays/written work: 40%
Homework/reading activities: 20%
Participation/preparedness: 15%
Tests and Quizzes: 25%
Be prepared to work when you enter class:
Look at the daily agenda, write down assigned homework, and/or turn-in homework as necessary. Knowing due dates and turning in work on time is your responsibility. Raise your hand before speaking and listen when the teacher is explaining or lecturing. Before leaving, straighten your desk and clean up any materials you may have dropped. Wait at your desk to be dismissed.
Your journals:
Your journals are notebooks or a separate section in your binder in which you keep your lecture notes in an organized fashion. You must always bring your journal to class. Although you will never turn it in, you will be randomly tested on the material therein. Be sure to bring your journal to the next class session.
Tests and Quizzes:
Tests are planned and scheduled. Quizzes will be at administered with no warning; however, you will be allowed to use your texts or your journal. Some of your tests will be in-class essays or paragraphs that will count under the essay category of your grade.
Late Work:
Late work due to excused absences may be turned-in within the same number of days as the length of the absence. Late work for any other reason may be turned in one day late for a fifty percent penalty. You are responsible for finding out what work you have missed and turning it in. Missed work and assignments are posted and stored in the classroom for your convenience.
Portfolios:
Santa Cruz City Schools has a writing portfolio graduation requirement—currently four pieces; therefore, you must keep all your essays, including all drafts, archived in the classroom in the hanging files provided for you.
Turning in assignments
You must turn-in the rubric with every assignment. You cannot receive a grade without a rubric, name, and period number. For posters and art projects, rubrics must be lightly taped to the project. Papers must be submitted in the following manner: the rubric must be on top, and then the final draft, preliminary drafts and editing rubrics must be stapled underneath the final draft. Usually a copy of the rubric can be found on my blog at http://ha9english2009.blogspot.com/.
Classroom supplies:
Required supplies include: a dedicated section in your binder for handouts, a journal as described above, highlighters in pink, green, yellow, and blue, and small post-its to bookmark as you read.
Bathroom and Water Breaks:
You get three bathroom passes a semester. If you do not use them, you may turn them in by the deadline posted at the end of the semester to receive 5 points each participation extra credit.
Personal electronic devices are strictly prohibited in the classroom and will be confiscated.
Food, drink, garbage:
Eating of healthy food is allowed in class, unless eating interferes with learning in any way, including noisy, rustling chip bags, or whispered requests for just one bite, etc. If I ever have to clean up anyone’s mess even once in any class, all food will be banned.
Do I really need to mention being polite and socially acceptable?
Rude behavior, name calling, obscene language, politically incorrect slurs, and put-downs are subject to disciplinary action.
Themes and Topics:
In high school, and especially in the Humanities Academy, profound, human themes are discussed and studied. For instance, in Romeo and Juliet, we discuss arranged marriages and teenage love; in The Odyssey, we consider Odysseus’s infidelity to his wife. Students are expected to approach these themes with maturity, dignity, and developing insight. Occasionally, classes may watch an R-rated movie if it is appropriate to the literature being studied. Students are expected to watch such movies with the proper attitude of academic interest. Parents: if you do not wish to allow your child to watch an R-rated movie, such as Slumdog Millionaire or The Kite Runner, please make a not below n the student will be allowed an alternative assignment.
Earning Extra Credit:
Extra credit can be earned by finding SAT vocabulary words in non-assigned reading, seeing certain plays and movies, and writing responses as assigned.
I understand the expectations and responsibilities in Humanities Academy 9 English. I understand I will be tested on the material contained herein at the next class session(students only):
Sign:
___________________________________________ __________________________________________
parent/guardian date student date
Print:
___________________________________________ __________________________________________
parent/guardian date student date
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