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English I Course Syllabus

Mr. Pittman Room: 123

E-mail (preferred method of contact): robin.pittman@carteretk12.org

Course Website: https://sites.google.com/carteretk12.org/mrpittmansenglish/home

Welcome to English I!

Course Overview

English 1 is a course organized around the study of various genres of literature, including novels, non-fiction expository texts, drama, and poetry. The course emphasizes instruction in the development of understanding literary elements, expanding literacy skills, and writing for analysis. Students will construct writing that responds to non-fiction texts, analyze literature, and use critical thinking skills to analyze at a deeper level. Analysis is a key skill that students will develop as they explore the significance of a piece of text and the elements of writing that create meaning. Students will also be challenged to grow in their practical language skills through class discussions, formal and informal writing assignments, creative projects, and oral presentations. Students will continue to develop grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary skills.

Course Objectives and Students Learning Outcomes:

Reading

Students will use active reading strategies, close reading, annotation in order to improve reading comprehension and analysis. English I students will read a variety of literature from different genres, non-fiction texts, poetry, and essays.

Writing

Students will construct analytical paragraphs that respond to non-fiction texts, analyze literature, and persuade an audience. Students will use MLA format and correctly cite quotations in their writing. Students will learn how to write constructed responses in preparation for the English II EOC which includes a writing component. Students will learn how to organize their writing into essays and respond to literary analysis prompts.

Speaking and Listening

Students will demonstrate use of appropriate vocabulary and language conventions during small and large group discussions and formal and informal presentations. Students will demonstrate critical thinking and listening skills through note-taking and thoughtful responses to lectures and presentations.

English Language Conventions and Vocabulary Development

Students will expand their understanding of sentence structure, grammar, mechanics, and morphology.

Organizational Skills

Students will use a planner, calendar or other system for organizing assignments and due dates. Students will organize binder, notebooks, and/or electronic files in order to ensure their success in the course.

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Class Expectations and Values

Students of East Carteret High School demonstrate Good Character in their actions, thoughts, and words. In order to be successful in this class a student must be Trustworthy and consistently show Respect and Responsibility to themselves and others.

Mr. Pittman’s #1 +#2 Rules

When Mr. Pittman is talking you are NOT
Work Hard and BE NICE To People

Students demonstrate these values by:

Attending Class

According to ECHS Student Handbook students are expected to be in class and have no more than eight unexcused absences in each course. Credit is not earned in courses in which a student has more than eight absences during a semester. Students who are sent out of class to AEC will be counted absent for that class period. Students are required to contact individual teachers within two days of the absence to make arrangements to complete all assignments. Students will notice the code “ABS” in Powerschool for missing assignments. Powerschool immediately calculates a zero for that assignment until it is made up.

Being Prepared - Helpful daily materials include:

An English section in a 3-ring binder or a separate binder with dividers (your choice)
1 Composition Book (Marbled cover or your choice) Typical Size 9 ¾ by 7 ½
Pens, pencils (sharpener/eraser), and colored pencils for revision and projects
Highlighter and Post-it notes for annotating texts
Pack of 3 x 5 notecards for daily exit cards
Fully-charged chromebook daily! (more on chromebook passes later)
Positive thoughts, kind words, respectful actions, and an open mind 😊

Supporting the Learning Environment

Follow directions the first time they are given and help others when possible
Do your own work and do your best work
Be on time, in your seat/logged in and ready to work before class starts/the bell rings

**In order to create a safe and supportive environment, we must be open to others' beliefs, lifestyles, and backgrounds. Students will respect the rights of others to express and be themselves by giving space and refraining from negative or derogatory comments. All students are welcome in this space and you are encouraged to express your ideas and beliefs in ways that are respectful and constructive.

If you choose to ignore these policies:

1st offense - You get one warning - this is it. This is basic self-control. If you can’t develop that skill, you cannot be in class. If you choose to misbehave then the rest of us will have to assume that you have no desire to learn, but you will not be allowed to deprive your classmates of their opportunities. After the warning, if the behavior continues, you may be asked to leave the class resulting in an unexcused absence, and disciplinary action. *For immediate refusal to follow instructions, disrespect, or inappropriate comments, students will be immediately asked to leave. If students are asked to leave for any reason they will receive a “pink card” and report immediately to AEC.

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Academic Honesty Policy

Students are also expected to practice academic honesty and responsible digital citizenship. East Carteret High School students follow the Carteret County Public Schools Code of Conduct, which calls for personal and academic integrity.

Academic dishonesty in any form is unacceptable behavior. Plagiarism of any kind will result in parental contact and a zero on the assignment. Subsequent offenses will result in suspension and potential failure of the course. Cheating places the value of grades over learning and undermines the mission, vision, and values of our school.Specific types of academic dishonesty are listed in the student handbook. All tests, quizzes, reports, in-class assignments, homework, and school-related exams are subject to this policy. Using AI Generators are included in this policy.

Specific actions related to violations of this policy are listed in the student handbook.

Grades:

In this course grades are determined using a total point system. Higher assignments such as projects, tests, and presentations are based on 100 pts. Quizzes or smaller writing assignments are based on 50 pts. Daily assignments and homework may range from 5pts. to 25 pts. Grades are updated daily and can be access through Powerschool.

In this course, every assignment has been purposefully designed to facilitate students development of reading, writing, and critical thinking skills and to prepare them for final exams and state testing. Some assignments may NOT show up as a grade or collected. It is NEVER appropriate for students to ask if an assignment is a grade or not. Students should assume everything is graded and attempt/participate in all assignments.

Exit Cards count as a daily 1 pt. participation grade and students should thoughtfully respond to one of the questions on the exit cards poster to receive credit.

Cell Phone Policy

The use of electronic devices often encourages distraction and interferes with classroom engagement, participation, and discussion. For these reasons, students are expected to keep electronic devices put away. Additionally, it is a violation of ed code (educational law) to photograph or video the teacher or any student in the classroom (regardless of whether the classroom is a physical classroom or an online classroom). If you choose to ignore this policy it will result in immediate dismissal from class to AEC and a office referral.

Other Class Policies and Expectations:

NO Eating or Drinking In Class (Water is allowed).
Missed work is YOUR responsibility. Always check the class website and ask classmates about missed work. You can find handouts in your student work box.
Late work is NOT accepted with rare exceptions according to the department policy. See me if you have a circumstance beyond your control. You have 3 Uh-oh passes per semester to turn in an assignment late by 24 hours. *Except projects/presentations/job sheets.
Students are issued 3 bathroom passes per six weeks per class and should have plenty of opportunity to use the restroom that does not interfere with the learning process.
Students are issued 2 chromebook charging passes per six weeks and 1 chromebook pass for missing/loaner (with admin approval). *Failure to have a charged chromebook without a pass results in AEC.

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Turn in JUST THIS PAGE. Keep the rest of the syllabus in your binder for future reference.

I understand the expectations and policies for English I with Mr. Pittman and have reviewed the information on the back of this form:

Print student name _________________________________ Date ___________________________

Student signature _________________________________ Date ___________________________

Print parent name _________________________________ Date ___________________________

Parent signature __________________________________ Date ___________________________

Contact information:

Phone Number: ______________________________or __________________________________

Email Address: ______________________________or __________________________________

Preferred method of communication: Email or Phone

Please be sure to review the list of films, short stories, plays, and novels on the back of this page.

Email me if you have any questions, concerns, or want to share information about your student.

Course Content/Text Selections

Please review the list of works, films, short stories, and novels used for this course on the back of this page. Please circle any works of literature or films that you do not wish your student to view and/or read. As the semester progresses texts may be added or deleted depending on the students’ interests, previous English class required readings, and availability. If you have any specific concerns about content, ideas, themes, or other, please contact me. The best way to stay up to date on what we are currently reading or upcoming reading is to check my website course calendar for titles. In addition, I use poems, nonfiction texts, and excerpts from a variety of authors published on Commonlit.org as well as our Elements of Literature Third Course textbook. I look forward to exploring literature with your students and hope they enjoy the variety of authors, genres, ideas and themes that this diverse course has to offer. I hope all of your students will gain an appreciation for critical thinking, reading, and leave this course liking English, just a tiny-bit more! Please let me know if you you have any questions or concerns about content in this course and I will be happy to speak with you and provide accommodations and alternative works.

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Films and Works of Literature-Pittman English I

Directions (Parent or Guardian ONLY): Please circle any films or texts in the list below that you do NOT want your student to read or view.

The Hunger Games (PG-13)

The Maze Runner (PG-13)

Romeo and Juliet (1968) (1996) (1998) (PG-13)

O Brother Where Art Thou (PG-13)

News Media Clips and Global Awareness Docs (TV-PG)

Dirty Jobs in Renaissance (TV-PG)

Clash of the Titans (PG-13)

Reduced Shakespeare Company (PG-13)

Freedom Writers (PG-13)

Percy Jackson (PG-13)

Dead Poets Society (PG)

The Odyssey (PG-13)

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (PG)

The History Channel (Clash of the Gods) Documentaries (2009)

The Twilight Zone Episodes (1950’s)

Selected Ted Ed and Ted Talk Videos (Email for full list-if needed)

***Note: We will NOT watch all of these. Most will be shown in clips.

Long Fiction:

The Odyssey by Homer

Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delila Owens

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Short Stories: “A Sound of Thunder”, “The Veldt”, “There Will Come Soft Rains”, “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury

“Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe, “The Lady or The Tiger” by Frank Stockton, “The Interlopers” Saki, “The Soldier” “The Sniper” Liam O-Flaherty, “Lamb to the Slaughter” & “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl, “The Children’s Story” James Clavell.

**Please note this list may change as the semester progresses. There are more short stories available in our course textbook Elements of Literature Third Course, as well as online resources such as Commonlit. This list contains the most frequently used short stories for this course, but often times the course ends up covering more or less than this list. Email me with any questions or concerns or follow the course calendar on my website to stay up-to-date on the reading list.

Literature Circle Novels

Please note this list may change as the semester progresses and more texts become available. Additional texts are usually added based on student interest, availability, and previous reading lists from middle school.

If there are any particular topics, ideas, or content you are concern about please let me know so we can have a conversation about any additional works that may be added.

Long Fiction (Novels):

To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee Long Way Down Jason Reynolds

The Hunger Games Series Suzanne Collins Lord of The Flies William Golding

Divergent Veronica Roth Life of Pi Yann Martel

Animal Farm George Orwell The Joy Luck Club Amy Tan

The Giver Lois Lowry Patron Saints of Nothing Randy Ribay

The Outsiders S.E. Hinton The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Kamkwamba

A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L’Engle Legend Marie Lu

The Hobbit Tolkein Ender’s Game Orson Scott Card

Speak Laurie Halse Anderson The Maze Runner James Dashner

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