2016-2017 English 11 Syllabus

Phone: (661)533-9000, ext. 110

Mrs. Bravo-Kramers Contact Info:

Email: vbravo@avhsd.org Class Website: bravzilla.weebly.com

Purpose of Class: Students will develop proficiency in reading for a variety of purposes
through the study of core works of American fiction, nonfiction, public documents, and
technical texts. Students will come to understand, participate in, and contribute to a
common literary and cultural heritage by interpreting and creating texts in response to
literature. Students will learn to analyze both literary texts and texts from the real-life
world (such as newspapers, journals, and essays) and cogently express applications to
their own lives through writing and speaking. By applying and generating technical texts,
students will develop competencies that will prepare them for life in the workplace.
Students will prepare for state performance tests and college entrance exams.
Please Note:
The policies set forth in this document are subject to change, according to the teacher, in order to preserve order,
follow school policies, and maintain the best possible learning environment. Any student who does not follow
class and/or school policies and disrupts the learning process will be subject to disciplinary action.
All students are to abide by the school rules, as well as the classroom rules and policies listed below*:
1.
Students must be respectful toward their classmates, the classroom, and the teacher.
2. Personal electronic devices are allowed in class at the discretion of the teacher and only as long as
such devices add to student productivity. Should electronic devices become a disruption, these items
will be confiscated by the instructor and/or security/administration.
3.
Cheating is not tolerated. Students caught cheating on any test/quiz/assignment will receive
a zero and will not be allowed to make up the grade.
4.
Appropriate language should be used at all times.
5.
Food and beverages are allowed in class as long as students clean up after themselves.
6.
If a student is habitually late to class, they will lose participation points. Late students may
also miss the warm-up assignment, which may result in a loss of points on comp. book grades.
*Students that disobey any of the above rules wil1 be assigned an after school work (detention) to be
served on the date appointed by the teacher. Should the student not appear on the appointed date, that
student will lose all participation points (100 points per quarter). Once a student serves the detention,
the students participation points will be returned to his/her grade. Please note that habitual problem
behaviors will result in further measures under the schools discipline policy, and a student will not have
his/her participation points returned and will no longer be eligible for extra credit.
Materials needed for class:
1. Textbook (not needed for class each day, but should be accessible at home)
2. Composition or single subject notebook (for this class only)
3. College-ruled binder paper
4. Pencils/Pens (no red or bright yellow ink)
5. Highlighters

Grading Policy

Writing
30%
Projects/Performance Tasks 30%
Tests/Quizzes
10%
Classwork/Homework

30%

Homework and Classwork Policies:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Homework will be assigned at the discretion of the teacher.

Any homework assigned will, on average, not require more than 30 minutes of the students time.
Reading/studying is considered homework.
If the student does not complete and return a homework assignment, he/she will be given no credit for
that assignment and it will impact the students grade.
Late work is accepted, but points will be subtracted for every day late. For essays and projects, the
final grade will be dropped one letter grade for each day late. For example, an A paper that is one day
late will receive no higher than a B.
Absent students are allowed to make up missed assignments. The number of days absent determines the
makeup time. For example, if a student is absent two days, she/he has two days to complete and turn in
the assignments, otherwise the assignments will be considered late.
Talking while taking a test/quiz is considered cheating and is an automatic zero. Students will not be
allowed to makeup these tests/quizzes.
Any student caught plagiarizing on essays and projects will automatically fail those assignments. If a
student allows another student to copy his/her assignment, both students will receive a zero on that
assignment.

Assignments: Students will have a variety of assignments throughout the year, including, but not limited to:
lecture notes, worksheets, grammar exercises, reading assignments, textbook assignments, warm-up
assignments, creative writing, current event reports, projects, performance assessments, quizzes, and tests.
In addition, students are required to learn and write the following types of essays:
o Argumentative Essay
o Research Essay/Project
o Op-Ed Project
o Short Satirical Piece
o Persuasive Speech
Remind: Remind is a free messaging service that allows me to send reminder messages without the sharing of
contact information between the teacher and the student (phone numbers are not exchanged). Remind messages
can be accessed through text message, email, or notifications on the free app. To sign up:
Text message: Text the code @bkeng11 to the number 81010
Email: Go to www.remind.com, click on Im a student or parent, enter bkeng11 into class code box,
and follow the subsequent directions (make sure to click on the email tab).
For the app: You must download the app, create an account in the app, and enter the class code
(@bkeng11) when prompted to do so.
More detailed information can be found on the class website.
Extra Credit: Information is available on the class website.