Senior English

Course Description:

Students in Senior English will receive instruction in writing expository prose, including generating topics as part of the writing process. They will develop, organize, revise, and edit a varity of different types and lengths of compositions so that they are competent and confident communicators of the English language. In addition to writing shorter papers, students will be required to write a minimum of a ten-page research paper on the topic of their choice, using proper MLA style documentation. Weekly vocabulary exercises will further enhance students' compositional language fluency.

Course Objectives:

As stated in the Alaska State Content Standards for English/Language Arts, a student meeting the standards should be able to:

A.) Speak and write well for a variety of purpose and audiences.

B.) Be a competent and thoughtful reader, listener, and viewer of literature, technical, materials, and a variety of other information.

C.) Be able to identify and select from multiple strategies in order to complete projects independently and cooperatively.

D.) Think logically and reflectively in order to present and explain positions based on relevant and reliable information.

E.) Understand and respect the perspectives of others in order to communicate effectively.

Assessment:

Daily writing assignments will be graded holistically on a 1-10 point scale and short papers and the research paper will be assessed using specific rubrics given out ahead of time. Terminology and/or literal or factual information will be assessed via objective test and quizzes. Students will know what is expected of them at all times and will have plenty of advance notice of due dates.

Grading Policy:

Homework and Quizzes: 20%

Short Papers & Tests: 40%

Research Paper: 40%

Late Work and Makeup Policy:

Please note that late work will absolutely not be accepted unless the student has an excused absence on the day/s the work was assigned. If the student has an excused absence, it is his or her responsibility to find out what work they have missed and to turn it in the next school day. If an absence is unexcused, students will not receive credit for assignments due that day. It is the responsibility of each student to find out what work they have missed and to immediately arrange to make up missed quizzes and test.