“There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” – Aldous Huxley

English 10A

Major Texts we will read this Semester:

Lord of the Flies William Golding

Julius Caesar William Shakespeare

In this class, major texts will be supplemented by many different kinds of texts, including but not limited to all of the following:

• Essay
• Personal Narrative, Memoir, Autobiography
• Speech
• Letter
• Textbook
• Newspaper Article
• Novel, Short Story
• Quotation
• Editorial
• Poem
• Film

Essential Questions for this Class:

How does literature express the values of a society?

How do an author’s choices create meaning?

How does engagement with text reinforce and refine critical reading, writing, and thinking?

How do subtleties of expression affect meaning?

Tools for Success

• Paper – EVERY DAY
• Pencils (with eraser) AND pens (blue or black)
• Colored Pencils
• Multicolored Highlighters
• Sticky notes of many sizes

Course Terms:

You need to know these terms for the final exam, as well as for understanding throughout the course. Keep this list in your notebook and use it to study for the semester exam.

Rhetorical Devices/

Figurative Language

Allusion

Audience

Cliché

Colloquialism

Diction

Epithet

Flashback

Hyperbole

Idiom

Imagery

Irony

Juxtaposition

Metaphor

Motif

Narrator

Parallelism

Point of View

Repetition

Stream of Consciousness

Symbol

Syntax

Theme

Thesis Statement

Tone

Persuasive Technique

Aristotelian Appeals

Ethos

Pathos

Logos

Counter Argument

Direct Address

Historical Allusion

Justification

Logical Fallacy

Personal Experience

Refutation

Oral Communication

Intonation

Pause

Pitch

Rate

Stress

Volume

Epic Conventions

Divine Intervention

Epic Cycle

Epic Hero

Epic Simile

Episodic Development

Epithet

Hospitality

In Medias Res

Invocation

Grammatical Conventions

Conjunctions

Coordinating

Correlative

Subordinating

Parallel Structure

Run-ons

Sentences

Complex

Compound

Simple

Sentence Fragments

Subordinate Clause

Usage

Classroom Rules and Expectations

“Things do not change, we change” – Henry David Thoreau

• Late work will be penalized. All work turned in late will be stamped with one frowny face for each day late, and it will lose one letter grade per frowny face. Moral: turn in work on time or your grade will suffer (and you will frown).

• Because of our dependence on classroom discussion for understanding, all reading must be done on time. You are welcome to get started early on your reading, as all major texts have been indicated on this syllabus.

• Come to class on time. Do not make the class wait on you.

• Be ready to speak. A large part of understanding and analyzing text is classroom discussion. You will be expected to participate in classroom discussion as well as in group discussion daily. You will also be expected to participate in spirit reading as the occasion requires.

• Come to class prepared every day. Your success depends on bringing tools for success to class every day. Do not come to class unprepared.

Grading Scale

• I will grade on a total point system; however; completed homework will count up to 10% of the final grade.
• Assignments turned in past the due date will be marked down one letter grade.
• Students will receive 50% of the total points as the lowest grade, with the exception of cheating, plagiarism, or unsubmitted work, which will be marked as zero.
• An assignment will not be accepted after its deadline. Deadlines will vary depending on the significance of the assignment.
• I encourage you to discuss your grade with me.

Category	Point Range
Classwork/ Homework	5-30 Points
Speeches and Compositions	50-100 Points
BCR’s	20-30 Points
Tests and Projects	50-100Points
Quizzes	5-30 Points