Welcome to ENG 4UI!
Welcome to Grade 12 University English. I look forward to getting to know you this semester.
The course is divided into six units of study. Please organize your binder into six distinct sections accordingly. Under the description of each unit,
you will find links to reference materials or assignments.
In an effort to reduce paper use, I will use this wiki as my primary tool for out-of-classroom communication with you. While we will refer to overheads of assignments and reference materials in class, rather than hand them out for you to place in your binder and promptly forget about or lose, I will post them on the wiki. You can access them at any time for reference.
Unit One: Prose
developing a sense of the value of writing will be a focus as we complete close readings of a number of essays and short non-fiction pieces.
With a better understanding of the rhetorical strategies essayists use, students will be better able to craft their own informal essays.
These essays, as well as a major prose test, will be the major evaluations for this unit. This unit will be worth 20% of your final grade:
10% for the prose test and 10% for your major informal prose essay.
Education Debate Informal Essay Assignment: informal essay.doc
Informal Narrative Essay Assignment: 4U informal essay asst Narrative.doc
Unit Two: Long Day's Journey Into Night
Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical work A Long Day's Journey Into Night provides students with an introduction to modern American drama. Considered one of the most important American playwrights in the Twentieth Centrury, O'Neill offers a riveting view into what it means to be
a family, and into the space between our visions of ourselves and our reality.
Unit Three: Independent Study
As part of the course, you will complete and submit a polished research essay. Starting early in the term, you will choose a novel (subject to
my approval) and begin reading independently. The project will be marked in stages, with the final product a literary research essay using
at least two academic secondary sources and following MLA format. This project is worth 15% of your final mark:
10% for the essay and 5% for process.
The assignment sheet for your ISU can be found here: ISU assignment sheet.doc
The questions for ISU process to help lead you toward a topic and thesis are here: ISU process
Please make note of the following due dates:
- novel selection due: Tuesday, February 23rd.
- secondary sources list due: Tuesday, March 2nd.
- reading comprehension test: Tuesday, March 23rd.
- thesis process questions: Friday, October 30th.
- Student-teacher conferences: Tuesday, November 3rd.
- Annotated bibliography: Monday, November 9th.
- ISU outline: Tuesday, May 11th.
- Peer Edit: Wednesday, May 26th.
- Final Essay Due Date: Tuesday, June 1st.
If you are absent for any foreseeable reason on any of the due dates, please make arrangements with me BEFORE your absence.
Unit Four: Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
A renowned novel by prominent Canadian writer Robertson Davies, Fifth Business allows us to delve into history, psychology, mythology and many other inspiring fields of study. Students will complete daily reading at home, followed by comprehension quizzes in class. Your summative assignment in this unit, an in-class essay, is worth 10% of your final grade. Here is the reading schedule for this novel: Fifth Business Reading Schedule Fall 2009.doc
Unit Five: Shakespeare's Hamlet
Hamlet is widely considered one of Shakespeare's most important plays. Through this play, we will investigate what it means to be human, and how one can be good and make moral decisions in a world that can be corrupt and reward immorality.
Course Evaluation:
Prose test -- 10%
Prose Informal Essay -- 10%
Drama Summatives -- 10%
Independent Study -- 15%
Novel Summative -- 10%
Classwork -- 15%
Exam -- 30%
Student Responsibilities:
Attendance and Punctuality: As senior students, the responsibility for being in class every day and on time falls into your hands. You must catch up on missed work, assignments and due dates if you are absent. Refer to the "missed class binder" at the front of the room. All handouts and due dates will be available in that binder. Exchange phone numbers and email addresses with a responsible student in the class. Contact that person to find out what you missed and to catch up before you return to class whenever possible.
Deadlines: all students are responsible for carefully managing their own time. Due dates are posted in the classroom on the homework board and on this wiki. If you know in advance that submitting an assignment on time will cause you great stress, let me know and we can arrange an extension. You must let me know at least one week before the assignment deadline. The only assignment for which an extension is not possible is the final due date of the ISU. If you do not make alternate arrangements and do not submit an essay on time, your assignment will be subject to the department's late policy of a 5% deduction per day (including Saturday and Sunday) to a maximum of 20%. You may submit assignments after the due date until they are marked and returned to the class, after which your missed assignment will be assigned a grade of 0 (zero).
Plagiarism: Be sure to recognize the work of others in your own research and writing. Cite all sources appropriately and be sure to seek assistance if you are unsure about what to cite. A project that has been copied from another source will receive a grade of zero and will be referred to the office.
Staying in touch... Please meet with me if you need assistance with your work or have questions about our studies or assignments. I am available before school every morning, during lunch, and after school, and am likely to be in the classroom (3203) or in the English office. You are the best advocate for your own learning. Be sure to seek extra help whenever it's needed.
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