World Literature and Composition  1X and 1

Course Syllabus

Mr. Dawkins
Fall 2008
Room 221
Phone (720) 423-6231

nickolas_dawkins@dpsk12.org

Mr. Dawkins	Mr. Dawkins in Bath, England.

Course description:

This course focuses on World Literature using a variety of texts and approaches.  We will use a variety of genres, including, but not limited to, poetry, drama, autobiography, biography and novels to learn about literary movements, conflicts and humanity.  We will develop a deeper understanding of literature through reading, writing and speaking in a variety of contexts.  This is a standards based course.  The reading and writing standards are:

1. Students read and understand a variety of materials.
2. Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences.
3.. Students write and speak using formal grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
4. Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.
5. Students read to locate, select, and make use of relevant information from a variety ofmedia, reference, and technological sources.
6. Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.
7. Students use appropriate technologies to extend comprehension and communication
skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing.|

For more information on the standards see the Denver Public Schools website:

http://curriculum.dpsk12.org/standards/read_writing.pdf

Materials:

You will need:

• Blue or black pen
• Loose leaf paper
• Three ring notebook
• Dividers
• A place to write down assignments
• Springboard book and novel we are reading at the time

Each student will be issued a Springboard book.  The books are used both in class and for some homework assignments, and students will write in them and turn some pages in.  Students are responsible for their books. Replacement books are $10.

In addition to the Springboard Curriculum, we will be doing a number of independent world literature novels and a number of  class novels and plays.  These novels and plays may include: Siddhartha, Hamlet, The Kite Runner, and Dubliners, as well as independent novels.

Attendance:

Attendance is essential for you to do well in this class.  The discussions and group work we do in class are important for your success.  Please see the attendance policy in your student handbook for how unexcused absences will be handled. Participation will be factored into a portion of your grade, and in order to participate, you need to be in class.  Discussions are what make a literature class interesting, so it is imperative that you have done the reading to participate in these discussions.  If you are more than 30 minutes late, it is considered an absence.  Chronic absences and tardiness will be referred to the academic dean.  If you are late, it is only possible to get ½ credit for your independent reading or journal.

If you are absent. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU MISSED (ON YOUR OWN TIME).  The sooner you do this, the better off you will be. We will move fast, so if you are absent, you may e-mail me and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Your classmates are also a great resource, if you are absent. 

Expectations:  This is a learning environment.  Please make sure you are ready to be an active member of the class.

Please do not bring:

• CD players, i-pods, walkmans, etc. (If I see them in class, I’ll take them.)

• cell phones—(If I see it or hear it, I’ll take it.  Turn it off before class.  See student handbook for school policy on this.)

• food or drink (you may bring water)

Grading: 

Grades will be based on participation in class, homework assignments, embedded assessments, essays, creative writing assignments, and the assessment portfolio. Grades in my course will be broken down into three levels based on Costa’s Model of Intellectual Functioning in Three Levels. Level One (Information) assignments make up 20% of your grade, Level Two (Processing) assignments make up 30% of your grade, Level Three (Application) assignments make up 50% of your grade. We will go into more detail about this grading process as the semester moves on. This is an attempt to provide a more authentic assessment of a student’s learning experience in my class. Grades will be measured by the standard letter grade scale.  The following is the grading scale adopted by the Denver Public School District for the 2008-2009 school year

A     – 93-100%
A-   – 90-92%
B+  – 87-89%
B    – 83-86%
B-   – 80-82%
C+  – 77-79%
C   – 73-76%
C-  – 70-72%
D   – 60-69%
F   – 59% and below

I am here to help you!  I am available before school, during lunch and during my planning periods.  Please let me know you will be coming and I will be in my room, or drop by. 

Grades are entered in IC on a regular basis.  If it is blank, it is either not due yet, or I haven’t graded that assignment yet.  If it is a 0, it was not turned in, or late and I haven’t graded it yet.  Grades will be entered in a timely manner, but with major papers, and several classes, sometimes it takes up to a week.  If you would like to know if it has been turned in, please contact me.

We will be reading a variety of materials, including poetry, drama, essays and novels. 

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