English 50: Assignments
Assignments will be given out well ahead of their due dates. They will also be posted and available for download off of the course website. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that he/she keeps up with changes to the website.
Formal Essays Please note, all final drafts of papers must be turned in through the Turn It In feature on the course website no later than 5pm on the day the assignment is due. You will give me your peer-reviews and any other required supporting documents in class.
Homework Unless otherwise specified, homework may be hand written in blue or black ink. Please do not use pencil or odd colors! For the most part, homework assignments, reading questions, etc., will be posted on the website at least a week ahead of time. I will also make announcements in class to remind students to check the website for the following week’s homework assignments.
Peer Reviewing One of the best ways to learn how to write is to be able to give helpful and constructive criticism to fellow writers and to receive the same criticism back in return. Being able to take criticism is a valuable life lesson and provides one of the best ways to improve and hone your skills. In this class, we will form reading groups of 3 students each. These groups will meet with each other frequently to discuss their writing before composing final drafts of papers. Your partners will see your work before I do, so be sure to be thorough in your reviews and in your reception of criticism. These meetings and the work that you do in them is integral to developing your abilities as a writer and should be taken seriously. The Peer Reviews you complete will count as a homework score.
Quizzes You will have quizzes throughout the semester. These quizzes will serve to reinforce reading and writing skills you attain in this course. I may give unannounced quizzes or in-class writing assignments periodically throughout the semester. Regular attendance will help ensure that you do not miss out on valuable points and keeping up on reading will ensure that you are ready for any unannounced assignments I might give.
In-Class Writing We will write daily in class. These assignments may include: Warm-ups, Notes, Practice Activities, Quick-Writes and a variety of other writing assignments. These should be kept in your Composition Books. You will receive a grade for keeping up with in-class writing. Be sure to check for any missed in-class assignments online or with a friend when you return.
Close Reading Close reading is one of the most important skills you will gain in this class. Close reading will enable you to write your essays and complete quizzes with greater ease. We will study and practice close reading techniques throughout the semester, and I will regularly check your readings to ensure you are demonstrating close reading strategies. This is why printing copies of the readings or buying copies of the books is a requirement.
EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS
There will be a few extra credit options that you may take advantage of this semester. Please hold all extra credit assignments until the last week of class! You may do a maximum of 5 extra credit assignments. Extra Credit assignments can be used to replace a missed homework assignment.
Formal Essays Please note, all final drafts of papers must be turned in through the Turn It In feature on the course website no later than 5pm on the day the assignment is due. You will give me your peer-reviews and any other required supporting documents in class.
Homework Unless otherwise specified, homework may be hand written in blue or black ink. Please do not use pencil or odd colors! For the most part, homework assignments, reading questions, etc., will be posted on the website at least a week ahead of time. I will also make announcements in class to remind students to check the website for the following week’s homework assignments.
Peer Reviewing One of the best ways to learn how to write is to be able to give helpful and constructive criticism to fellow writers and to receive the same criticism back in return. Being able to take criticism is a valuable life lesson and provides one of the best ways to improve and hone your skills. In this class, we will form reading groups of 3 students each. These groups will meet with each other frequently to discuss their writing before composing final drafts of papers. Your partners will see your work before I do, so be sure to be thorough in your reviews and in your reception of criticism. These meetings and the work that you do in them is integral to developing your abilities as a writer and should be taken seriously. The Peer Reviews you complete will count as a homework score.
Quizzes You will have quizzes throughout the semester. These quizzes will serve to reinforce reading and writing skills you attain in this course. I may give unannounced quizzes or in-class writing assignments periodically throughout the semester. Regular attendance will help ensure that you do not miss out on valuable points and keeping up on reading will ensure that you are ready for any unannounced assignments I might give.
In-Class Writing We will write daily in class. These assignments may include: Warm-ups, Notes, Practice Activities, Quick-Writes and a variety of other writing assignments. These should be kept in your Composition Books. You will receive a grade for keeping up with in-class writing. Be sure to check for any missed in-class assignments online or with a friend when you return.
Close Reading Close reading is one of the most important skills you will gain in this class. Close reading will enable you to write your essays and complete quizzes with greater ease. We will study and practice close reading techniques throughout the semester, and I will regularly check your readings to ensure you are demonstrating close reading strategies. This is why printing copies of the readings or buying copies of the books is a requirement.
EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS
There will be a few extra credit options that you may take advantage of this semester. Please hold all extra credit assignments until the last week of class! You may do a maximum of 5 extra credit assignments. Extra Credit assignments can be used to replace a missed homework assignment.
- Write a 2 page (minimum) summary/response of an article found in a reputable news source (online or print). Please include in your response your feelings about the event or phenomena. Also, consider speculating about the future of the problem and, if possible, tie the article into what you have learned throughout this course. Your summary/response should explain how the current event is related to the course theme of The American Dystopia.
- Write a 2 page letter to the appropriate government official about an issue that you came to care about after we discussed or you researched it during this class. Your letter should include facts/data (with appropriate citations) from what you have learned in this class in order to support your arguments for change.
- Watch a movie or read a book that is an example of dystopian fiction. Write a 2-page reaction paper that analyzes the book or movie as dystopian fiction, identifies the aspects of society that the work satirizes and ties the work to our course’s theme of The American Dystopia. You should address works that we read or watched in class that relate to the movie/book.