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Expectations for Success 

Our curriculum covers grammar, mechanics, syntax and composition as well as a myriad of literature from many different cultures, genres, and time periods. We will utilize literary devices and touch on rhetorical theory as it applies to the literature that we will be working with. This is a dense course and we will rigorously follow the curriculum. We will read, we will write, and we will think about every piece of literature and nonfiction that we cover.

    We will cover standards of argument and debate through classroom debates and argumentative writing. Through literature, debate, and research we will cover many serious topics that are featured in the text that we are using or in the student's research. We encourage students and parents to discuss these topics to deepen the student's understanding of them. If at anytime a parent does not want their child to read a specific text due to content please let us know the first two days of the unit and an alternate assignment of comparable length and literary merit will be given.  

    We will also complete a comprehensive research paper that will utilize MLA structure, organization, and citation. All research assignments will be submitted to turnitin.com.  If a student plagiarizes any assignment (this includes copying an assignment from another student) then the student will receive a "0" on the assignment.

Hello parents, guardians and students! 

 

     Welcome back to another year at Ashley High School! We look forward to working with each of you as we embark on this semester of English II. This web page will be updated daily with any and all class information including classroom notes, assignments, homework, readings, and rubrics. Ms. Riggs is always available through email at shauna.riggs@nhcs.net or via the remind app (Our class code is @thirdengII), Ms. Keel is available by email at angela.keel@nhcs.net.

The overall grading system for this class is:

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40% Practice of Skills

60% Performance of Skills

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This is broken down to:

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Quizzes/ Notebooks (and writings that are weighted as a quiz)                                                                                           15%

Classwork (including peer review and discussion)       20%

Homework (not including reader’s journals)                 20%

Test and Major Writings                                                     45%

 

Missing Work

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If a student is absent with an excuse note then the student will have 5 days from the absence to turn in any make up work. After 5 days the student will receive a "0". It is the student's responsibility to review the assignments posted on the website and ask any questions about the assignments that he/ she may have before the 5th day. I greatly encourage all students to email me or remind text me with any questions as soon as they can so that they do not fall behind.

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Each student will be required to maintain a learning notebook. The notebook should be organized according to these guidelines. Notebook checks will be random so each student needs to stay organized every day.

Classroom Tech Tools

Tutoring Hours

 

 

Ms. Riggs will available for tutoring before school and after school by appointment everyday except Wednesday. 

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Ms. Keel

In this class we will employ three very useful pieces of technology. 

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- Remind- the remind app is designed for schools to aide in communication between students and teachers. It is a free app that allows the teacher to send text-like messages directly to students and the students text questions to teachers without revealing personal information (i.e. phone numbers are not visible). To sign up for this, one simply text @thirdengII to 81010. All students need to register and I welcome parents to sign up as well. 

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- All Guardians need to complete the GoogleForm Guardian information Sheet before Friday, August 31 2017. Just click on the link and complete the form. 

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- Turnitin.com- turnitin.com is a website that runs student submitted work against print and digital sources to spot plagiarism and structural issues. All major assignments will be submitted to Turnitin.com and students will receive a "0" if their assignment is found to plagiarized after teacher review of the results. This tool also allow students to do extensive grammar and syntax checks before they turn in an assignment. Students must create a free account and add our class. Our class code is 18495199 and the enrollment key is third. 

Classroom Rules and Procedures​

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All students are expected to conduct themselves according to the Ashley High School Student Handbook Code of Ethics. 

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Our rules are simple and we expect each student to follow them every day in my classroom:

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RESPECT- Respect is the basis for all rules, in my classroom I expect you to have respect for yourself, your fellow classmates and me. If you do, that respect will be returned to you.

Be on time- Each student that is not in his/her seat at the bell will be considered tardy. The student will need to get a tardy slip from the hall sweepers at the end of each hallway. There are set punishments for each tardy. Be on time, it is disrespectful and disruptive to come in late.

- Do not talk during instruction time unless you been recognized by one of the teachers- This means that while Ms. Riggs or Ms. Keel are talking, no student should be. There will be times during class when students will be able to interact with other students, but while Ms. Riggs or Ms. Keel are talking, students should be listening- sometimes, we even say interesting stuff!

- Just to reiterate- If a student is absent, the student will have 5 days to make up work. This means the student will have 5 days from the day that he/she comes back. It is the student’s responsibility to ask what he/she missed while he/she was gone, if a student does not ask, it is that students fault that he/ she received a “0”. If a student is caught skipping, the student will not be able to make up work.

Literature

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We will cover a variety of literature from many different cultures and time periods. Students will vote on some of the text that we will read this semester but this is the list all of the options just in case you want to do your own research. 

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The Lord of the Flies by William Golding

During an unnamed time of war, a plane carrying a group of British schoolboys is shot down over the Pacific. The pilot of the plane is killed, but many of the boys survive the crash and find themselves deserted on an uninhabited island, where they are alone without adult supervision.

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Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare 

The tribunes, Marullus and Flavius,break up a gathering of Roman citizens who seek to celebrate Julius Caesar's triumphant return from war. The victory is marked by public games in which Caesar's friend, Mark Antony, takes part.

 

Gilgamesh -unknown

An epic journey that follows hero Gilgamesh and his companions through several adventures

 

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles 

As a King searches for a murderer 20 years after the old King was killed, he uncovers a web of mistakes commented in pride that will for ever change his kingdom and his family. 

 

Anthem by Ayn Rand 

In a world completely controlled by the government, one young man follows his own mind to enlightenment. 

 

Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane

This autobiography follows a young man as he comes of age in apartheid era South Africa and the terrifying journey that he makes into manhood.

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We will also read a variety of poetry, short stories, non-fiction pieces, and periodical sources. 

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