Course+Description


 * Journeys in Literature- **

English 9
Room 325 / jwensman@spa.edu Office Hours- periods 3,6 & 7 in room 423. ** Goals ** : To write well in a variety of forms To read carefully and understand what you read To draw perceptive, logical conclusions through close reading of texts To learn about your own life journey through the experiences presented in course texts To speak and perform with confidence and poise To challenge yourself and improve your skills by setting personal objectives // Haroun and the Sea of Stories //, Salman Rushdie // The Arabian Nights //, trans. Husain Haddawy // Oedipus Rex, //Sophocles //Of Mice and Men//, John Steinbeck // Macbeth, // William Shakespeare //Genesis// // The Odyssey //, Homer Additional short stories Written work-essays & projects 40% Daily work  20% Participation/Seminar  20% Tests and/or quizzes 20% There will be a final exam each semester. Each quarter will be worth 42% of the semester grade, and the exam will constitute the remaining 16%. If you feel a particular essay doesn’t reflect your best work, I encourage you to schedule a meeting to discuss the problem and rewrite the assignment. The final grade will be the average of the two scores. All work must be your own. Any ideas or specific language appropriated or plagiarized from another source without proper citation will earn __no credit__ according to school policy. Plagarism will also be referred to the dean or the discipline committee as per the school handbook. Please use proper citation format which is available on the school web site in the library resources area. If you receive assistance on your work from anyone, indicate on your assignment who helped you and what he/she did for you. This will help us to work in a partnership. As per English department policy, all late work will be penalized one grade increment per day. We will give you advance notice when you need to bring your laptop to class. Throughout the term you will need to keep your laptop in good working condition. Materials due to be handed in (and we will try to clarify on the assignment sheets) must be printed before you come to class. You may use the printers in the computer lab,library, and lecture room. Homework not printed out ahead of class will be late. No e-mail, netsurfing, instant messaging, or games during class time. If you fail to bring your laptop to class (or any materials for that matter) on designated days, you will be considered unprepared for class and will not be permitted to go to the computer lab to do your class work. Any requests to "run go get" something from your locker will be treated as a lateness. Save all essays for this class in an organized "English" folder on the (F) drive of the network.Any work lost because of computer failures is your responsibility. Work submitted electronically should be saved to the drop folder. Laptops left in the room after class will be turned in to Dean Cummins and will have to be retrieved by your parents. Cell phones used or ringing during class will be confiscated and given to the dean. Oops, I was gone fishin’ Oops, I was gone fishin’ Save this valuable coupon!!! Save this valuable coupon!!! Must be present to win! Must be present to win!
 * John Wensman ** **Fall 2008**
 * Texts ** :
 * Classroom Responsibilities: **
 * Be on time and prepared for class each day with the appropriate text and materials
 * Listen to, respect, and learn from one another in class.
 * Homework is due at the beginning of class.
 * If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to complete the homework. If you are uncertain of an assignment, start with the assignment sheet (available online), then call a classmate who also has the same teacher for class (**assignments may differ between teachers**). If you still don’t understand, you may call me at home.
 * Communicate with your teacher **before class** if you anticipate an absence or a problem in completing your homework.
 * Assignments ** :
 * Essays should be typed in 12 point with 1.5 line spacing. Avoid overly expressive font choices.
 * All work turned in should have your **name**, **date** and class **period**. Using a header to put these on all pages in the upper left hand corner is an excellent idea.
 * All essays should have titles. The name of the assignment is NOT an appropriate title.
 * Please use default page margins.
 * Please print and staple your work before class.
 * A journal assignment in this class should be about 200-250 words and include specific examples from the text when possible. I prefer these typed as well, but I will accept handwritten work.
 * Evaluation ** :
 * Academic Integrity: **
 * Laptop Policy: **
 * Fishies ** : These fish may be redeemed for any daily or journal assignment or reading quiz, or they may be turned in for 14 points extra credit at the end of the semester.