Honors English 11
Mr. Bockholt
Room 112
bbockholt@nebo.edu
801-442-2506
Course Description:
In this course, students will study contemporary American and British literature. I have selected what I believe to be some of the best modern literature that is relevant and significant to students. The skills this course seeks to strengthen are reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Student competency in these areas will be measured with a combination of journal responses, quizzes, group projects, end-of-unit examinations or presentations, and a final research paper.
Texts:
Norton Anthology of American Literature 7th Edition
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neala Hurston
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brian
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Material Needed:
• Spiral Bound Notebook (for journal)
• Notebook Paper
• Pens
• #2 Pencils (for tests)
Response Journal (15%):
Writing well is difficult. It takes time. It takes practice. To increase students’ writing skills, they will write a one (1) page, hand-written response to a thought-provoking prompt at the beginning of each class. Journals will be collected periodically and assessed for a grade.
Quizzes (15%):
It is imperative that students come to class having finished their assigned reading. This class is discussion oriented and discourse cannot occur without student preparation. To encourage students to read their material before class, they will be issued multiple choice quizzes on the reading the day it is due. These quizzes cannot be made up. However, students’ two lowest quiz scores will be dropped at the end of the semester.
Group Projects (25%):
Students learn better with their peers. Various projects and assignments will be assigned for groups to complete in class. Students will be assigned into groups at the beginning of the term. A majority of student assignments will be completed as a group. As I see fit, groups will be rearranged and reorganized; students will not choose their own group members.
End-of-Unit Examinations or Presentations (25%):
At the end of each unit/novel, students’ competency will be assessed either via examinations or presentations. Tests and presentations will assess understanding of the material covered in class. Test questions will be multiple choice, true/false, and short answer form. Presentations will either be informative, argumentative, or a student-written drama/skit.
Final Research Paper (20%)
At the end of each semester, students will write thesis driven, 8-page, research paper. Student may pick any literary work covered during the semester to write their paper.
Extra Credit:
Students may earn meaningful extra credit for researching an author studied in this course and writing a 2 page paper about how their life influenced their writing.
Grading Scale:
A: 93-100% B: 83-86% C: 73-76% D: 63-66%
A-: 90-92% B-: 80-82% C-: 70-72% D-: 60-62%
B+: 87-89% C+: 77-79% D+: 67-69% F: 0-59%
Attendance and Tardies:
I will follow the school policy regarding absences and tardies. Upon returning to class, late assignments can be found in the green compartment labeled “Honors 11” on the back table.
Late work and Make-up work:
Any assignment that is not turned in on time is considered late. Late assignments can be turned in up until the last week of the semester. Late assignments will receive 50% of their original point value. If students have a valid school excused absences, however, late work can be made up for full credit. You will be given one extra day to turn in any missed assignments for every day you have an excused absence.
