English 10: Sophomore English

Mr. Luman
Office Hours: Mondays after school and writing center during L1 and L2.
Email: sluman@unityhigh.org (checked daily)
Classroom Website: classroom.google.com

A persons mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimension.
Oliver Wendell Holmes

English 10 Course Description

In tenth-grade English we shall explore a variety of literature and nonfiction through novels, short stories, autobiographies
and non-literary texts such as journalism, speeches, music, video, and the visual arts. We will explore the life experiences of
individuals and groups both in the United States and abroad, what it means to be an individual in a large, modern society,
and how individuals from various ethnic and class backgrounds are treated/mistreated. We shall explore and learn the core
elements of writing, reading, and communication and the basic skills of language that will help prepare students for college
and adult life.

Although this is an English class, we will not simply read and write about literature, we will read articles and speeches, we
will write our own texts, we will speak and listen to each other, we will discuss what we are reading, and what we think
about what we are reading. We will use a variety of media to analyze and understand the UNIVERSAL THEMES that our
texts tackle (and we shall define what THEME means!). We will learn to analyze our stories and to build and support
arguments in persuasive writing. We will also acknowledge and make use of non-English languages that we know and
celebrate the bilingual skills that many of our student possess.

Students will be expected to read in class and on their own and to write academic papers of varied lengths throughout the
school year. Students will work in groups and will present research and ideas to each other via Socratic seminars, where the
class will discuss texts in a rigorous, academic manner, citing specific evidence from those texts to delve deeply into the
meat of the readings.

Throughout the year, students will keep a composition notebook that they will use to respond to specific prompts tied to our
readings. You will use this writing journal (and a printed reader of our texts) to annotate readings, a form of close reading; to
help explore and better understand our texts; and to provide support and notes that can be used for later essays and writing
projects. Writing prompts, annotations, and other journaling will be graded for completion not for grammar or "correctness,"
although the teacher may write comments back to students.

A WORD ABOUT WHAT YOU WRITE TO ME: When it comes to what students write in their journals, I have to let you
know that as your teacher I am legally required to report information to authorities when I believe a student might be in
danger of being harmed by someone or harming him or herself. I say this not to dissuade you from writing honestly and
openly in your journals but simply to be clear that I can not keep such information to myself. Separate from that, anything
that you write in your journals will be kept strictly confidential between you and me.

By the end of the course, students will . . .

1. Know how to analyze and describe literary and nonfiction texts in an academic manner..
2. Appreciate and read stories and novels as commentaries on human nature, real-world problems, and larger
issues facing society, the world, and the individual.
3. Increase their comprehension and their proficiency in critically analyzing and engaging with a variety of texts.
4. Produce writing that reflects increasing proficiency through planning, drafting, revising, and editing and which
is specific to audience and purpose.
 5. Sustain progress toward fluent control of sentence and paragraph structures, grammar, mechanics, and usage of
standard English in the context of writing and speaking.
6. Become proficient in academic speech via writing and socratic seminars on various themes and the broader
issues raised by and in our texts.
7. Develop collaboration skills by working on group projects.

Class Texts:

Our units of study for the year will center around short stories, nonfiction, memoir, novels, and other literary and non-literary
works. Specific texts to be used are described in greater detail in the semester agenda at the end of this document.

You must successfully complete all of the following in order to do well in Sophomore English.

Keep an organized binder (weekly binder checks)

Specific quizzes and exams related to reading and to the ideas taught in this course.
Vocabulary and grammar quizzes.
Writers notebook assignments.
Litereary and rhetorical analysis essays.
Group assignments.

Class Policies and Expectations

Attendance You are expected to attend this class regularly and to be on time. An excused absence exists when the reason
for your absence is a good one. It is your responsibility to bring in a PASS from a teacher or administrator if you are late in
order to receive makeup work. It is your responsibility to be in your seat on time and mentally present for class. If you are
late to class, you will be marked tardy. If you are more than five minutes late, or if you are repeatedly late you will have
additional consequences.

Assignments Though it may differ by term, assessments are generally weighted according to the following scale:

40% Essays
20% Exams and quizzes
10% Socratic Seminars and group projects
10% Class and homework
5% Writers Journal
5% Work Ethic: Attendance, Participation, Conduct, Organization
10% Final

Homework Expect at least 30-40 minutes nightly, this may include reading at home, prep for exams and quizzes, and work
on essays. Usually time will be available in class for starting this work and we will do reading in class as well as at home.

Grading scale Keep in mind that Unity policy is anything less than a C- is failing.

98-100 A+ 88-89 B+ 78-79 C+ 68-69 D+ 59-0 F

93-97 A 83-87 B 73-77 C 63-67 D
90-92 A- 80-82 B- 70-72 C- 60-62 D-

Intellectual honesty policy I take this very seriously. I expect you to do your own work (unless it's a group project of
course). Cheating or copied work (plagiarism, which I will discuss the first week) will result in no credit, a referral, and a
meeting with the administration and parents/guardians. Unitys plagiarism policy is very strict. Students can get a zero for
entire semester if they plagiarize more than once and have to retake the course the following year!.

First time: Zero and warning

Second time: Incomplete in the course
Third time: Expulsion.

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Classroom Behavior Sleeping, doing other class work, or engaging in non-class talking will result in the loss of precious
work ethic points, a referral, detention, and other heinous punishments. Depending on severity of behavior issues, students
may be required to do community service in class to atone for their sins.

Academic English Keep all classroom talk clean and appropriate. Swearing and any other offensive language are
absolutely NOT tolerated (and are against Unity policy, worthy of a referral). You MAY use, repeat, and discuss otherwise
obscene or offensive language and ideas when it is directly quoted from a text we are studying.

Cell phones & laptops As is the policy for Unity so shall it be in my class. Active use of cell phones in class will not be
tolerated and will result in confiscation and/or referral. No exceptions. Use of computers for class purposes are allowed, of
course, but playing games, watching movies, and doing non-school work will result in consequences of an undesirable nature.

Classroom Space It is my daily practice to maintain a positive and welcoming space in which you can learn in a relaxed
setting. Please respect the resources, furniture and plant life in room 4.

Eating in Class DO NOT eat during class time (outside of set snack time). If for some reason you do have food, make sure
not to leave it in my classroom. When you are done eating snacks, please throw away in the correct receptacle. Basura en
basura, reciclado en reciclado.

Bathroom policy: One student will be allowed out to use the bathroom at a time and will take the bathroom pass and return it
when they do. Students will lose work ethic points if they remain out of class for more than 5 minutes per bathroom
excursion.

Late assignments All assignments must be handed in on the day they are due. For every day an assignment is late, I will
deduct 5% from the final score unless you have spoken to me FIRST and you have received an extension from me. I will not
give out extensions on the day an assignment is due. Essays will be counted 10% late per week late. Minimum score for
completed work, even late, will be 50%.

Resubmission policy Homework assignments can be resubmitted for additional points. Corrections must be attached to a
separate sheet of paper, stapled to the original, and turned in before the end of the unit. If you want to redo an essay, you can
make corrections and turn it back in on Google classroom within three days and raise your grade by the difference between
the first submission and the second.

Whining Whining about work or due dates for class assignments will cause the teacher to laugh in an insanely evil manner.

Email Accounts & Texting I require that each of you use your school email account and check it regularly. Given the
nature of our busy schedules, emailing (outside of class) is also an effective way to receive support and have questions
answered.

Materials Needed You must have the following supplies for my class. If purchasing any of these supplies is an issue for
you or your family, please come see me and I may have extras you can use. My priority is your ACADEMIC, EMOTIONAL,
AND INTELLECTUAL SUCCESS in my classroom, having materials ready and working for class is a vital part of being
SUCCESSFUL in school:

Binder where you will keep handouts for weekly binder checks.
Composition notebook (provided by me or your purchase)
Pens/pencils for class
Post-its (for annotation when necessary)
Common sense (I can not provide you with this, you must bring this yourself).

Changes The teacher may make changes to parts of this syllabus and will make you aware of changes.

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Fall Semester 2017 Weekly Agenda

Week # What well be doing and what is due this week:

Week 1 (Aug. Syllabus and rules review

14 to 18) Icebreakers and name games.
Diagnostic Test.
Academic Identity Survey
Literacy narrative write-up

Week 2 (Aug. Begin short story unit: Story structure, literary elements, conflict, etc.
21 to 15) Begin reading Kurt Vonneguts Harrison Bergeron.
5 words of vocabulary and quiz
Grammar: Parts of Speech

Week 3 (Aug. Continue short story unit: Characterization, Setting, Symbolism.

28 to Sept. 1) Finish Harrison Bergeron, begin Sherman Alexies What You Pawn I Will Redeem.
Reading quiz on Harrison Bergeron. Depending on when we finish it. This week or next.
5 words of vocabulary and quiz

Week 4 (Sept. No school Monday (9/4), Labor Day.

4 to 8) Continue short story unit: Theme lesson, read fables and interpret the moral/theme of stories. Theme packet in class
and for homework.
Reading quiz on What You Pawn I Will Redeem.
Begin reading Anton Chekovs The Bet.
5 words of vocabulary and quiz
Grammar: Subject-Verb Agreement

Week 5 (Sept. Continue short story unit:

11 to 15) Begin applying literary elements/analysis tools to stories we read.
Finish reading The Bet and begin reading Kate Chopins Desirees Baby.
Reading quiz on The Bet
5 words of vocabulary and quiz

Week 6 (Sept. Continue short story unit: Begin working on literary analysis essay and reviewing models of essays. Essay due
18 to 22) September 29.
Read Liam OFlaherty The Sniper as part of irony lesson, possibly Octavia Butler Bloodchild and/or Langston
Hughes Thank You, Maam in class.
Reading quiz on OFlaherty, Hughes, or Butler story.
NEXT WEEK: Literary elements exam on Monday (Sept. 25th).
5 words of vocabulary and quiz

Week 7 (Sept. Literary elements exam first thing Monday, Sept. 25th. Will take most of period.
25 to 29) Continue short story unit: Begin STYLE: syntax, complex and compound sentences, imagery.
Read W. W. Jacobs The Monkeys Paw, Edgar Allen Poe The Tell-Tale Heart, excerpts from other stories to
discuss imagery and lead into mood and tone and style (Gabriel Garcia Mrquez, Ray Bradbury, or other authors
possible).
NEXT WEEK: STYLE elements quiz (Friday, October 6).
5 words of vocabulary and quiz

Week 8 (Oct. 2 Friday, Elements of Style quiz.

to 6) Last week of short story Unit: Continue STYLE lessons: Figurative language, hyperbole, personification, metaphor,
simile, tone, mood, etc.). Continue reading and analyzing The Monkeys Paw, and Edgar Allen Poe stories,
possibly examples of magical realism by authors such as Mrquez or science fiction genre by Bradbury or Butler..
5 words of vocabulary and quiz
Grammar: Vague pronoun (pronoun-antecedent).

Week 9 (Oct. 9 Begin Rhetoric/Non-fiction Unit: Introduce SOAPStone, Aristotles three types of Rhetorical styles. (Need to
to 13) include names of articles to read as examples?)
5 words of vocabulary and quiz (shortened week, so maybe no quiz).
Friday Oct 13th (FRIDAY the 13th! BEWARE!) NO SCHOOL.

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 Week 10 (Oct. Monday and Tuesday (Oct 16th and 17th) NO CLASS, STUDENT CONFERENCE DAYS.
16 to 20) Continue Rhetoric Unit: Evidence, Counterarguments, Bias, and Logical Fallacies.
5 words of vocabulary and quiz

Week 11 (Oct. Read examples of rhetoric and analyze using elements weve studied. Apply and analyze articles/stories.
23 to 27) Prepare for Friday Nov. 3 Rhetoric Quiz!
5 words of vocabulary and quiz

Week 12 (Oct. Read examples of rhetoric and analyze using elements weve studied. Apply and analyze articles/stories.
30 to Nov. 3) Take Rhetoric Quiz Friday Nov. 3!
5 words of vocabulary and quiz
Grammar: Verb tenses.

Week 13 (Nov. Work on Rhetoric Analysis Essay all week.

6 to 10) 5 words of vocabulary and quiz (shortened week, so maybe no quiz).
Friday Nov. 10, Veterans Day! No School!

Week 14 (Nov. Week spent completing rhetorical analysis essay. Working and writing will be done mostly in class. Final version
13 to 17) due Friday, November 17.
5 words of vocabulary and quiz

Week 15 (Nov. No School Thanksgiving Break! Week off!

20 to 24)

Week 16 (Nov. Review literary and rhetorical elements for finals. Possibly read texts and use our knowledge of elements to do
27 to Dec. 1) analysis. DEBATE on issues. PRESENTATIONS.
5 words of vocabulary and quiz
Grammar: Homonyms (There, their, theyre, its, its, and others!)

Week 17 (Dec. Review literary and rhetorical elements for finals. Possibly read texts and use our knowledge of elements to do
4 to 8) analysis. DEBATE on issues. PRESENTATIONS.
5 words of vocabulary and quiz

Week 18 (Dec. Review literary and rhetorical elements for finals. Possibly read texts and use our knowledge of elements to do
11 to 15) analysis. DEBATE on issues. PRESENTATIONS.
5 words of vocabulary and quiz

Week 19 (Dec. FINALS!!

18 to 22)

NO SCHOOL UNTIL JANUARY 8! WINTER BREAK

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Name: _____________________________________________ Period: __________ Date:
__________

Course Contract / Contrato de clase

I have read the syllabus for Mr. Luman's English II course (or my child has read the syllabus to me).
I understand the content and expectations for the course / He ledo (o mi hijo/a me ha explicado o traducido) el
contenido del curso. Entiendo el contenido y las expectativas para el curso.

Parent or guardian name/ Nombre del padre, madre o Parent phone number/numero del telfono de padre,
guardin: madre o guardin:

Parent signature/ Firma del padre, madre o guardin: Parent email/correjo electronico de padre, madre o
guardin:

Please return to Mr. Luman by August 18th 2017 with your parent or guardian's signature.
Por favor, regresa este papel para 18 Agosto 2017 con la firma de su padre o guardin.

Parents/Guardians O Padres/Guardinaes:
In the space below (and/or the next page), please write any information that will help me in teaching your child
this school year. Thank you.

En el espacio abajo (y/o el otro lado de la pgina), haga el favor de darme cualquiera informacin que me
ayudar a ensear a su hijo/a durante este ao escolar. Puede responder en ingls o en espaol. Muchas gracias.

Oakland Unity High School 2017-2018 (Mr. Luman, adapted from Zapata & Paraiso) Page 6