Fall 2012 ●
English I ● Syllabus
A Note from Mr. Blair:
Teacher Information
First, here are some tips on
how to succeed in this class:
Name: Mr. Brian Blair
 THE BIG ONE: you must read
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the assigned material. If you
do not read, you will not be
able to give your maximum
effort to assignments, tests,
or class discussions.
Complete ALL the assignments and have them done
on time. Late and/or missing work will severely affect
your grade.
Take notes in class.
Ask questions. I am here to
help you learn. If you do not
understand something, do
not be afraid to ask.
Take part in classroom discussions. Classroom discussions help you to better understand the material.
Again, you will not succeed in
this class if you do not read the
material or complete the assignments. Take the time to
read. I know that not every
selection we read will appeal
to every student, but the English department has made a
conscious effort to include a
variety of selections. Hopefully some of them will appeal
to you.
We are going to have fun in
this class; but remember, we
have a lot of material to cover
this semester. So, we will be
working hard. However, I hope
that this class is an enjoyable
one for you. Follow the class
rules, which are hanging on the
side wall, and we should have
an excellent semester together!
Go Indians!
Room: 133
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 815-844-6113 (school)
Help Me Help You
If there is anything you need help with, at any point in the
semester, please do not hesitate to come to me. I will usually be in my classroom by 7:45am each morning and I will
be in the building after school until at least 3:30pm. Come
by the classroom and I would be happy to help you. This is
a difficult class for many students, so please take advantage of the opportunity for extra help.
Course Overview
This course is an integrated study of literature and composition. Emphasis will be given to the basic literary forms:
short story, novel, drama, poetry, and non-fiction. This
course, while emphasizing literary vocabulary and analysis
of form and content, ultimately seeks to integrate composition activities into the course. Students will complete
several themes and other writing assignments based on the
literature studied.
—from Pontiac Township High School
Curriculum Guide, 2009-2010
Required Materials
Spiral Notebook
Pocket Folder
Loose-Leaf Paper
Blue or Black Pen
Red Pen
Elements of Literature:
Third Course.
Holt,
Rinehart and Winston,
2007.
Elements of Writing: Third
Course. Holt, Rinehart
and Winston, 1998.
Rose, Reginald. Twelve Angry Men. New York: Penguin, 1996.
- Mr. Blair
Blair — English I: Course Syllabus
Course Texts
1
Fall 2012 ●
English I ● Syllabus
Course Schedule
Unit I: Fiction (Short Stories)
- Including, but not limited to:
“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell
“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant
“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe
“The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry
Unit II: Prewriting and Paragraph Development
Unit III: Expository Writing
- Sentence structure, paragraph structure, theme structure, editing
Unit IV:
Twelve Angry Men
Unit V:
Non-Fiction
Finals: December 19—21
Please Note: This syllabus is subject to change!
IMPORTANT!
Check the school
handbook for additional
information
on classroom rules,
attendance procedures, school work
make-up procedure,
discipline, etc.
Grades
Grades will be based
on the following:
 Completion of Nightly
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Blair — English I: Course Syllabus
Grading Scale
Reading
Homework
In-Class Activities/
Assignments
Written Themes
Participation in Class
Discussions
Projects/Presentations
Quizzes (announced
and unannounced)
Unit Tests
Final Exam
2
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A:
B:
C:
D:
F:
100-92
91-83
82-74
73-65
64-0