English 11 Honors Syllabus 2016-2017
Instructor
Course Overview
Mrs. Melinda Shingler
Welcome to English 11 Honors! This will be an exciting year in which you
will be challenged to become better writers, readers, and thinkers! Our journey
through American Literature will allow us to explore the American spirit and
the “self-made person” who strives to achieve his/her American Dream. We
will explore ways to answer the question, “What IS an American?” and “How
is the American Dream present – or absent – in the literature we read.
Phone
571.252.2000
Email
[email protected]
Class Location:
Room 200
As outlined in the LCPS English Curriculum Guide, English 11 Honors
focuses on the same content and skills as grade level and academic courses,
honors courses are distinguished by a more rigorous study of literature. Honors
classes move at an accelerated pace, cover a greater breadth and depth of
textual study, and require more independent work. Honors classes also are
designed to prepare students to take Advanced Placement English or Dual
Enrollment in their senior year. Accordingly, Honors classes emphasize the
ability to synthesize Aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning, this
course will provide instruction in oral language, reading and literature, writing
and grammar, research, and vocabulary.
Being able to write effectively is a valuable skill. We will nurture your writing skills through a variety of
writing assignments. These will include, but are not limited to: analytical, argumentative, collaborative,
creative, journal, reflective, persuasive, and research.
We will combine critical thinking skills along with daily reading and writing. Dissecting the literature we read
will enable you to more fully examine and interact with the texts we study. You will also be involved in a third
quarter “Big Question Project” that will conclude with your creation of a research paper.
Prepare yourselves as we read fast and we write a lot!
Course Materials
The following is a list of supplies that are expected to accompany you to class daily.
 One three-ring binder
 Highlighters
 Loose-leaf paper
 Composition notebook (this will be kept in the
classroom)
 Blue/black ink pens
 Post-it Notes
 Current novel/text
 Personal Technology Device (to be used at the
discretion of the teacher)
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BYOT and Personal Device Usage
The wireless access that is provided to student devices is designed to enhance
students’ educational experiences. Please note that connecting to the school’s
wireless network with a personal device is a privilege, not a right. During
instructional time, devices must be in silent mode and out of sight, unless
otherwise instructed. Devices may only be used for instructional purposes;
this means no personal phone calls or texting is permitted. Devices may not be used to record, transmit or post
photographic images or videos of a person or persons. Failure to adhere to the rules set forth by LCHS and
LCPS can and will result in disciplinary measures. If you have any questions concerning this policy, please refer
to the LCHS BYOT site (http://www.lcps.org/Page/172915).
Honors BIG Question
As outlined by the LCPS Honors English Curriculum Guide, “the Big Question is
intended to enable students to formulate their own questions; find reliable, meaningful,
relevant, and varied sources of ideas about these questions; and consider competing ideas
and synthesize their own coherent arguments that are supported by evidence and address
counter-arguments.” The Big Question Synthesis Essay will be one major grade of the
third quarter. Stay tuned for more information.
Grading
Students will be graded on a point-value system. Each assignment will carry a different point
value so that by the end of each quarter, the total points earned will be added and then divided
by the total points possible. A letter grade will be assigned according to the LCPS grading
system. For example, if you have earned 850 points throughout a quarter and the total
possible points are 1,000, your grade would be an 85% or “B.”
Formative vs. Summative Assessments
All homework and classwork is considered formative. Formative assessments (classwork, homework,
practice exercises, journaling, rough drafts, and participation) lay the foundation for your education. Activities
completed help to determine areas of weakness, demonstrate mastery of concepts covered in class, and allow
time for correction/development of skills. Any and all work assigned is expected to be completed to the
best of your ability. It enables you to be prepared for the next class’s agenda and affords you the necessary
practice to master the skills on which the summative assessments will be assessing. Summative assessments
(quizzes, tests, projects, papers, and oral presentations) gauge the strength of the bricks that are laid upon the
foundation. Summative assessments will count as 100% of your quarterly grade. Grades will be posted in
Phoenix. Please allow up to ten school days once the assignment has been collected for grades to be posted in
Phoenix.
Work Completion
All work is expected to be completed by the assigned due date. As an eleventh grader, it is your responsibility
to be proactive and maintain active dialogue/communication with me. In the event that you miss class, it is
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your responsibility to obtain your work and/or notes immediately upon your
return. It is not my responsibility to track you down. If by chance you are
absent when a test or quiz is given, you must see me to schedule your makeup. Make-ups can be completed during Raider Rally. Again, this is your
responsibility. If you have a pre-arranged absence, it is your responsibility
to see me prior to your absence to discuss arrangements and to obtain the
work that will be missed.
“Tomorrow is often
the busiest day
of the week.”
~unknown
Extra credit is not offered. If you feel that you are having difficulty completing an assignment, see me so that
we may discuss ways to help you work towards the grade you’d like to earn.
Writing Assignments & Turnitin.com
Because writing is a process, there will be formative and summative assessments that happen during this
process. A timeline of when particular elements are due will be provided when a paper is
assigned. You will have opportunities for teacher and peer feedback. In the event that a
problem arises, communicate with me ahead of time so I am aware of any issues – but
do not wait until 11:30pm the night before an assignment is due to reach out!! All
final papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font with one-inch
margins. Final papers must also include the correct heading and a creative title. We will
utilize turnitin.com for paper submissions. You will sign up for a turnitin.com account and
this will be the means in which your papers will be collected, stores, and graded for this year. In the case
where papers are to be turned in as hard copy (rough drafts, projects, etc.), papers must be printed
PRIOR to class – no printing in the classroom.
Class Expectations
In order to be successful, you are expected to be prepared for every class. This means that you are completing
assignments, bringing your required materials, and being involved in daily activities. If you are unprepared, it
will affect your participation. You are expected to be an active
participant in class. This is not limited to sharing your ideas, offering
“You must do the thing you
criticism to fellow classmates, challenging ideas respectfully, completing
think you cannot do.”
daily work, and reading. American Literature speaks to and for all of us;
therefore, everyone should have something to add or with which to connect.
Learning is your responsibility. If you have questions about any
assignment, ASK ME – do not wait until the due date. I am available
before school to meet with students; however, I ask that you please schedule
any meeting in advance so that I may be prepared and make the most out of
any meeting.
— Eleanor Roosevelt
As an Honors student, you are expected to complete all assigned readings. Much of what we do in class is
based upon the outside reading assignments. If you fail to complete the reading, you cannot actively participate
in the daily activities and are therefore at a disadvantage. The collegiate expectation is that students are able to
read 200-600 pages a week in college. Consider your Honors courses as practice for later!
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Honors Habits of Mind
As outlined by LCPS, it is the expectation that you as an Honors student will:
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Read widely and often.
Foster your spirit of inquiry and seek answers.
Make connections.
Reflect thoughtfully.
Refine your thinking.
Develop your capacity for analysis.
Write widely and often.
Revise deeply.
Demonstrate originality.
Work diligently.
Class Rules
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Treat everyone with kindness and respect.
Follow the Honor Code – always. Plagiarism results in an automatic “0” and will be recorded in your
school file.
Cell phones MUST be turned off and out of sight when you enter the classroom. Cell phones are not to
be a distraction to your classmates’ learning. We will utilize personal devices only when they enhance the
lesson; otherwise, all technology is to be turned off and out of sight. Failure to adhere to this rule will
mean that your phone will be placed in the “Cell Cell.” You will be able to retrieve your device at the end
of class. On test days, ALL cell phones must be turned off and will be required to be out of sight.
Communication
I will send out regular reminders via the Remind app to alert and gently remind students of
upcoming work. Although you are not required to sign up for this free app, it is highly
encouraged that you do. We all have busy lives and sometimes it’s nice to get a “remind”
of what is due or what you should be reviewing. The Remind app also has a feature where
you can ask me a question. Please adhere to timely correspondence; I do not have 24/7
office hours. I enjoy time with my family and my sleep. If you have questions regarding
an assignment, you should not be texting or emailing me at 11:30pm expecting to receive a
response. I do not send reminds that late; I ask for the same courtesy. I may also be
reached via email ([email protected]). Please remember, “Poor planning on your part does not
constitute an emergency on my part.”
Where to Find Information
It will be to your benefit to become familiar with my staff page on the Loudoun County
High School homepage. All reading assignments will be posted there and will contain
hyperlinks. Additionally, I will maintain a class web page accessible in Phoenix.
Handouts, reading assignments, and other pertinent information covered in class will
be able to be accessed there. If you lose a handout, it is your responsibility to access
Phoenix and obtain another copy. I provide one copy of a handout per student.
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Textbooks and Supplemental Novels/Plays
We will be using a class set of The Language of Literature: American Literature, McDougall Littell. Our
supplemental novels and plays will include The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, The
Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, A Raisin in the Sun, and an independent reading. Books will be assigned;
however, you are encouraged, but not required, to purchase your own copies of these texts in the hopes that you
will annotate the texts as you read.
Journal Submissions
You will receive a formative grade for completion of ALL journal entries. You must
complete each journal as though it were to be graded. The selections chosen for
summative grading will be random. Composition notebooks will be stored in the
classroom. When journals are assigned, it is expected
that you write for the entire duration. This is to build
your stamina for the Writing SOL test that will be taken
in March. Remember, the writing process consists of
five stages: brainstorming, writing, revising, editing, and publishing. Although
not all of your journals will published, per se, you should treat each writing
exercise as an opportunity to improve your writing skills. We will be focusing on
specific grammatical, mechanical, and stylistic elements that will ultimately
enhance your writing. It is expected that you infuse the skills that we are focusing
on in each writing exercise.
Tentative Syllabus
*Selection changes are at the discretion of the teacher. Additional nonfiction pairings will be added
accordingly. This is an Honors class, therefore, you will be expected to read both in class and out of class.
Bring reading material to class daily.
Unit One: Native Americans, Colonists, Puritans: Converging Cultures & American Passages
“The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus (poem)
“The World on the Turtle’s Back” by Iroquois (creation myth)
from “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” (slave narrative)
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley (poem)
“To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “Upon the Burning of Our House, July 10 th, 1666” by Anne Bradstreet (poetry)
from “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards (sermon)
The Crucible by Arthur Miller (play)
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (novel)
Unit Two: Revolution, Persuasion, Equal Rights: Fight for Your Right to . . .
“Speech in the Virginia Convention” by Patrick Henry (speech)
Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson (document)
“What Is an American?” by Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur (essay)
from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin (nonfiction)
“I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr. (speech)
“Lecture to a Missionary” by Red Jacket (speech)
JFK Inaugural Speech by John F. Kennedy (speech)
9-11 Address to the Nation by George W. Bush (speech)
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Unit Three: Romanticism, Transcendentalism: Take a Walk on the Dark Side
“The Devil and Tom Walker” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving (short stories)
from “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson (essay)
from Walden by Henry David Thoreau (essay)
“My Walden, My Walmart” by Crispin Sartwell (essay)
“The Masque of Red Death” and “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe (short story and poetry)
“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner (short story)
from Moby Dick by Herman Melville (fiction)
Unit Four: Realism: No Nonsense
“I Hear America Singing” and “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman (poetry)
from “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” by Frederick Douglass (slave narrative)
The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln (speech)
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce (short story)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (novel)
Unit Five: Conflict and a Changing America: You Got a Problem with Me?
Selected Poetry by Emily Dickinson (poetry)
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (short story)
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin (short story)
Unit Six: The American Dream and The Harlem Renaissance: Dreamcatchers
“America and I” by Anzia Yezierska (nonfiction)
“How It Feels to Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston (essay)
“The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” by Katherine Anne Porter (short story)
Selected Poetry by Langston Hughes (poetry)
“Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald (short story)
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot (poem)
“The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” by Randall Jarrell (poem)
“Why Soldiers Don’t Talk” by John Steinbeck (essay)
“The End of Something” by Ernest Hemingway (short story)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (novel)
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (play)
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Dear Parents and Students,
I am very excited about the upcoming year in English 11 Honors. It will be an incredibly
busy, but rewarding journey through American Literature. I am a firm believer that to be
successful, we must all work together and address any issues before they become problems. I am accessible
via email: [email protected].
I encourage and appreciate both parents and students to contact me with concerns; however, my ability to
respond to emails is limited during the school day. I ask that you be accepting of the 24-hour response period
during the school week. And please respect that I, too, have a family and set aside my weekends to be with
them.
Please refer to both my staff page (accessible via the Faculty link on LCHS’s web page) and to Phoenix for
resources and up-to-date information regarding assignments. I also encourage students and parents to sign up for
the free Remind app; I regularly send out “reminds” via this app. Information will be forthcoming. You may
opt out at any time.
Students are expected to adhere not only to classroom rules but to the rules set forth by LCPS and by LCHS.
This includes acknowledging that plagiarism is not accepted and will result in an automatic zero. Your
work is expected to be your work.
I look forward to meeting you on Back-to-School night on Monday, September 12th.
Warm regards,
Melinda Shingler
STUDENTS: I have read, understand, and agree to the rules and expectations for English 11 Honors. By
signing below, I acknowledge my responsibilities, promise to put forth 100% effort in and out of class,
guarantee that I will treat my fellow scholars with respect, and vow to abide by the Honor Code.
Signed:_________________________________________________ Date _____________________________
Printed Name: ___________________________________________ Personal Device Type ________________
Email: ___________________________________________________________________________________
PARENTS: I have read and understand my child’s responsibilities and the expectations of English 11
Honors.
Signed:_________________________________________________ Date _____________________________
Printed Name: _____________________________________________________________________________
Please indicate your preferred method of communication:
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Home and/or Work Phone: ____________________________________________________________
Cell Phone: ________________________________________________________________________
Email: ____________________________________________________________________________
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