ENGLISH 11 Regents

Curriculum Overview as Aligned to the Common Core State Standards

To become college and career ready, students will grapple with canonical works
of whose range extends across genres, cultures, and centuries which offer
profound insights into the human condition. To be competent and proficient
writers, students will assert and defend their claims, showing what they know
about a subject and conveying what they have experienced, imagined, thought,
and felt. Students will practice gathering information, evaluating sources, and
citing material accurately, reporting findings from their sources in a clear and
cogent manner.
Additionally, students will have ample opportunities to take part in a variety of
rich, structured conversations-as part of a whole class, in small groups, and in
partnerships-built around important content in various domains. Whatever their
intended major or profession, high school graduates will depend heavily on their
ability to listen attentively to others so that they are able to build on others
meritorious ideas while expressing their own clearly and persuasively. To be
college and career ready in language, students must have firm control over the
conventions of standard English.
Materials:
* = Must take to class every day
- *Three Ringed Binder - (Please do not bring in notebooks because I will
be giving multiple handouts that must be organized neatly in your binders).
- USB Drive
- *Folder
- *Writing Utensils: Pens, pencils, highlighters
- *Novel - students must come to class prepared with their current novel
on a daily basis.

Extra Help: I am always available after school or before school by

appointment.

The lazy man works twice as hard

What does this statement mean?
Why am I presenting you with this?

The following is a sampling of some of the works we will be studying as a

class throughout this year:
Major Works:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
1984 by George Orwell
Additional and Supplemental Works:
Short Essays and Nonfiction articles
Selected short stories
Poetry
Grammar Instruction
Vocabulary Building (SAT Focused)
Grading Policy
Writing Assignments, Projects, Tests = 50%
Quizzes/ Journals = 35%
Homework and Class work = 15%
Quarters:

1st: 20%

2nd: 20%

3rd: 20%

4th: 20% Final Exam: 20%

Policies:
Absence: Illness, Trip, Music lesson: It is the responsibility of the
student to get the assignments and make up any missed work.
o Music lessons are not an excuse for taking a test or quiz late or
turning in work late. Stop in class first and get all
assignments. Know your due dates.
Lateness on Assignments:
o Major assignments lose 5 points per day
If you have printer problems, please email me the assignment.
Email: Nschwartz@obenschools.org

o Negotiate:
o If there is any serious illness or problem within your
family that will prohibit you from completing a task on
time, let me know and we will discuss an extension for
you.

Lateness to class:
o Come to class on time.
o If you do come into class late, you must have a pass.
o Walking in late with food, drinks, or lack of a pass will be
unacceptable.

Participation:
o Participation is essential for our class discussions. Together we
will all be sharing our ideas, thoughts and opinions that will
open up our minds to literature and life.
o Attitude, promptness, and active engagement are all
elements of participation.
o All homework assignments will be meaningful towards
discussion in class and will be designed to encourage successful
participation.
o Respect is expected and key to our class discussion! Every
student must respect his/her classmate and teacher. Students
will grow as listeners, speakers and critics through our class
discussions.
Homework / Unprepared for class:
o Homework is due on the assigned day at the beginning of class.
If there is a legitimate reason as to why your homework is not
completed, please bring in a note from your parent(s) or
guardian(s). Reading assignments are just as important as
written homework. Be prepared to answer questions about the
material either verbally or in writing. You begin the year with
a homework grade that equals 100%. With each missing
homework assignment, five points are negated.
Classroom Protocol:
o Please turn off all cell phones and electronic devices during
class. Class is dismissed not by the bell, but by the teacher.

There is no crowding of the doorway or leaving your seat

unless otherwise indicated.
Academic Dishonesty:
o Plagiarism and/or academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in
this classroom. Copying work or falsely using idea(s) from an
outside source without citing will result in a grade of zero
and/or further action. The seriousness of the offense will
determine the severity of the action.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
READING STANDARDS FOR LITERATURE and INFORMATIONAL TEXTS
Key Ideas and Details:
Use textual evidence to support analysis of texts explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
Analyze the development of themes over the course of the text, including
how they interact and build on one another.
Analyze the impact of the authors choices regarding story elements.
Craft and Structure:
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure specific
parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem evaluating how
each version interprets the source text.
Examine canonical works of American literature, including how two or
more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.
WRITING STANDARDS
Text Types and Purposes:
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of topics or texts, using
precise, knowledgeable claims.
With awareness of audience, develop claims through the use of the most
relevant and
current evidence.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas,

concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective
selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Production and Distribution of Writing:

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most
significant for a specific purpose and audience.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge:
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a
question
(including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or
broaden the inquiry
when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts (print and digital) to
support analysis,
reflection, and research while avoiding plagiarism.
Range of Writing:
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks,
purposes.
SPEAKING AND LISTENING STANDARDS
Comprehension and Collaboration:
Actively participate in group discussions by building upon peers ideas,
asking insightful
questions and maturely evaluating statements from all sides of an
argument.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
Present researched findings in a clear manner, strategically using digital
media so the
audience can make informed evaluations of the findings.
LANGUAGE STANDARDS
Conventions of Standard English:
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.

Knowledge of Language:
Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in
different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to
comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown words, phrases, figures of
speech through the use of dictionaries, thesauri and web resources.

I have read this syllabus and I agree to follow the above guidelines in Ms.
Schwartzs English class. My parent(s) or guardian(s) have also read the course
description and requirements for English 11.
Students Signature
_________________________________

Date ___________

Parent / Guardians Signature

_________________________________

Date____________