English Composition 1-2

Instructor: Jessica McPeak

Contact: jmcpeak8181@gmail.com
Phone: 480-236-8625
Office Hours:
Monday: 12:18 pm 1:30 pm
Friday: 12:18 pm 1:30pm
(or by after school appointment)
Course Description:
This course will explore the application of rhetorical strategies and
principals as well as the application of advanced vocabulary. As a student in
this class your expository writing skills will be touched upon and your
development of nonfictional prose will be strengthened. As a class we will
also reinforce your current reading skills and delve into advanced
comprehension of literature that involves the concepts revolving around
human rights.
Course Purpose:
This course is to inspire you as a student and to allow you to actively engage
in discussion equally as a class. We will learn how to be effective writers
together as well as how to actively engage an audience. This course will
allow us to develop our skills in rhetoric, which will in turn allow us to have
valuable debates amongst ourselves in an esteemed fashion. This course in
turn will strengthen your ability to comprehend what you read on a more
advanced level.
Learning Goals/Outcomes:
Develop effective and well thought out arguments.
Understand and use rhetorical devices.
Practice and understand the process of writing.
Make comprehension connections while reading.
Read a variety of books for the course that are apart of the curriculum.
Concretely understand MLA formatting including citing.
Learn to address bias as well as to keep it out of discussions and
writing.
Understand your human rights.

Course Materials:
Each student will be required to have 1 folder for holding graded work
and papers completed over the year.
Each student will be required to have 1 college ruled notebook to
complete bell-work and daily journal prompts.
Textbook: (supplied in class)
The Norton Anthology
Novels: (supplied in class)
Hunger Games
The Giver
The absolutely true diary of a part time Indian
Anastasia (Graphic Novel)
Online Course Resources:
Purdue Owl: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Literature strategies: http://www.shmoop.com/
Oxford English Dictionary: http://www.oed.com/
Course Policies/Expectations:
You are expected to finish any and all assignments any assignment
that is not turned in or completed will receive a grade of 0.
In the event that you are absent you have 1 day for every day you are
absent to turn in any course work or homework you may have missed.
You are allowed three no questions asked absences and in the event
that you are absent a fourth time your final grade will be deducted by
10% for every time you are absent after that.
You are expected to actively participate in class and will be given 5
points for every bell-work you turn in that will contribute to your
participation grade.
There is no plagiarism allowed. In the event that you engage in
plagiarism you will receive a grade of zero for that assignment.
District Policies:
District policy states that our school dress code must be adhered to
anyone who strays from what the student handbook denotes as
appropriate will be sent home to change their clothing.
There is a zero tolerance for bullying.

 The student handbook is available to all students and will be provided

to you in your homeroom class. If you have any questions on district
policies you may refer to the handbook.
Understand that the handbook is strictly supported and followed by
this class and any deviation from it will not be tolerated.
Course Schedule:
Unit 1: Week 1 Week 4
Dystopian/Utopian societies
Excerpts from The Hunger Games
Excerpts from The Giver
Excerpts from The Genius Of The Crowd by Charles Bukowski
Literary analysis
Strategies in comprehension
Unit 2: Week 5 Week 8
Rhetorical devices
Rhetorical strategies
Addressing Bias
The use of literary lenses
Brave New voices
Expository Essays/ Persuasive Essays
Unit 3: Week 9 Week 12
Informational Writing
Text-based evidence
What is text-based evidence?
Application of sources
Citing Sources
The importance of MLA Format
Unit 4: Week 13 Week 15

 TBA

(Actual course schedule will be made when I have a curriculum to follow

and have an actual class to teach).