Honors English III A

Syllabus

The American Dream and the Power of Persuasion

You and I have never seen democracy all weve seen is hypocrisy. When we open our eyes
today and look around America, we see America not through the eyes of someone who has
enjoyed the fruits of Americanism. We see America through the eyes of someone who has been
the victim of Americanism. We dont see any American dream. Weve experienced only the
American nightmare. Malcolm X
1st Quarter: August 18, 2015 October 16, 2015
2nd Quarter: October 19, 2015 December 18, 2015
Room 326
Instructor:
Email:
Website:
Instagram:

Ms. Kohl
Samantha.Kohl@clevelandmetroschools.org
http://www.mskohl.weebly.com
@ms.kohl

Course Description
In the first semester of Honors English III, we will explore a variety of American voices and
define what it is to be an American. Our first unit will establish the theme of the American
Dream. We will analyze a variety of contemporary and historical texts from multiple viewpoints
in order to think through and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be an American.
Our second unit will build on the idea of the American Dream. We will look at the rhetorical
tools used by writers and speakers to persuade an audience and to make a statement about
American society. Our primary goal will be to gain an understanding of the significance of
literature in Americas social conscience. There will be a strong focus on literary analysis in this
course. We will spend the first several weeks of the unit learning how to write literary analysis
paragraphs and continue to develop our skills in this kind of writing throughout the year.
Classroom Policies & Procedures
Entering Class
Every single day, class will begin with a Do Now warm-up activity.
This activity will take no more than 5-10 minutes and will serve the purpose of getting us all into
a learning mode immediately upon entering the classroom. ALWAYS check the Do Now tray
as you enter the classroom. If there is a handout in the tray, you will need it in order to complete
the Do Now. Pick up the handout, head to a desk, and begin working on it. If the Do Now
tray is empty, look to the board to find out what to do and what you will need before sitting
down at a desk.

Exiting Class
Every single day, before leaving class, you will be required to turn in an exit pass. You will
frequently be asked to write short literary analysis paragraphs for your exit pass. Some days, you
will come up with discussion questions for your exit pass. Other days, you will write about what
you have learned that day in class.
Grades
Grading Rubric

Classwork and Participation: Contribution to Discussion,

Do Now, Exit Pass, Classwork
Homework
Quizzes and Formative Assessments

25%

Projects
Essays

25%
25%

10%
15%

Parking Lot
We have a Parking Lot bulletin board. This is a space for you to informally and anonymously
(if you wish) ask questions about things that are still confusing or challenging for you regarding
course content. If, by the end of class, you feel that you do not have a good understanding of the
material or are especially confused about something, post your questions/thoughts on the
Parking Lot. We will look at whats posted at the end of each day and use your questions to
inform our instruction for the next class so that those questions get answered.
Chalk Talk
We also have a Chalk Talk bulletin board. This is a space for students to express their
thoughts, questions, and opinions regarding a certain topic of interest through writing. The topic
will change every week or every other week. Students are encouraged to come up with topics, or
prompts, that they would like to converse with their peers about.
General Expectations
I will expect you to:
Respect the thoughts, opinions, values, and beliefs of each member of the group, even
when you dont agree (its okay to disagree class is actually more interesting when we
do not always agree with each other)
Participate
o Be in class EVERYDAY and ON TIME
o Be physically AND mentally present
o Actively listen and think when members of the group are speaking
o Eliminate distractions, such as cell phones
Cell phones must be silenced and out of sight upon entering the
classroom and for the duration of class, unless otherwise stated
o Engage with members of the group and the learning material

o Follow along with in-class reading

o Contribute to class discussion at least once a day
o Complete Do Now and Exit Pass activities daily
Work hard
Advocate for yourself
You can expect me to:

Respect the thoughts, opinions, values, and beliefs of each member of the group, even
when I dont agree (its okay to disagree class is actually more interesting when we do
not always agree with each other)
Learn as much about you and from you as you allow me to learn
Teach you the criteria I will use in judging the quality of your work
Provide you with examples
Evaluate you fairly
Post daily learning objectives/standards on the board
Give you ample opportunities to practice
Announce all summative assessment dates in advance
Actively listen to your ideas, questions, and concerns
Answer questions thoughtfully and thoroughly
Admit when I have made a mistake
Ask you for feedback and suggestions to improve the learning environment
Filter my every decision, action, and word through this simple question: will it
increase student learning?
o If the answer is yes, Ill do it
o If the answer is no, I wont do it
o If the answer is unclear, I will think about it