Welcome to Mr. Andreassi's English class! I will be your literary guide to new and exciting places and you will learn to analyze literature more deeply to find its connections to everyday life.  

Attached is a Ted Talk that focuses on the deep connection literature has to daily life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvkRT0_Un_4

Email: jandreassi@yonkerspublicschools.org

Course Goals:

1. Students will be expected to demonstrate an ability to express ideas with clarity, coherence, consciousness, precision, and fluency in both written and oral communication.
2. Students will be expected to demonstrate a command of language appropriate for the study of literature and an appreciation of the need for an effective choice in both written and oral communication.
3. Students will be expected to demonstrate an appreciation of similarities and differences between literary works from different ages and/or cultures.
4. Students will be expected to demonstrate an awareness of the effects of style and techniques employed by authors.
5. Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to structure ideas and arguments, both orally and in writing, in a sustained and logical fashion, and to support them with precise and relevant examples.
6. Students will be expected to express personal responses to literature and demonstrate the ability to approach the analysis of said works in an independent fashion.

Texts and Materials

Prentice Hall Literature Anthology, That was Then, This is Now, A Raisin in the Sun

The Five People You Meet in Heaven, The Miracle Worker, Romeo and Juliet, Review and preparation for Regents Exam administered in 11^th Grade and selected poems, essays, etc.

Teacher’s Expectations

1. Respect for classmates, teacher, and oneself, either virtually or in class
2. Regular attendance and preparedness for class
3. Pride in self and work / Commitment to developing the skills to be a life-long learner

Absence Policy:

• Since this class is primarily based off of class/group discussions, it is essential for you to be present in class. A portion of your grade comes from your attendance.
• I’m sensitive to family challenges and health issues; however, it is essential for you to communicate this information to me.

Grading Criteria: 

Your grade will be comprised on the following items:

- Class participation, oral presentations, homework assignments, attendance, timeliness, and completing assignments well

Homework/Writing Assignment Policy:

• Homework is assigned on a regular basis to either follow up with a classroom activity or develop other skills outside the classroom.
• It is expected for students to take homework seriously.
• Homework will often be reading and annotating a text/piece of literature and taking a quiz on the reading.
• Homework may not always be a written assignment; however, it is essential for students to be ready for a quiz and/or class discussion.
• For example, when reading a text a student is expected to be prepared for a whole class/group discussion about their reading from the night before.
• Late Assignments – assignments not submitted on time will be graded as late and points will be deducted. DO NOT just neglect to complete an assignment just because it is late; one way or another you will complete this assignment. 

Class Participation:

• Discussions about a literary text or book we are reading is an essential part of English class.
• When sharing ideas, views, and feelings in a non-threatening, accepting environment, this allows for lively and interesting class discussions.
• Points are deducted at the end of the quarter for those students who never participate in class.
• Therefore, participation is essential to receive all the points possible to boost each quarter’s average.

IB English 11 / Mr. Andreassi / Academic Year 2020 - 2021 - Course Outline

Email: jandreassi@yonkerspublicschools.org

Course Summary:   International Baccalaureate standards include successful completion and a passing score for each of the following components:

• ELA Regents Exam
• Two Assessments to be submitted to The International Baccalaureate Program (IB).  The internal assessment (IA) will be a ten-minute oral presentation, with 5 minutes of teacher generated questions analyzing a literary text
• The external assessment (EA) is a 1,500-world analytical commentary written assignment 
• These two assessments are required to move into 12^th Grade IB English

Course Goals – Students will be expected to:

1. Demonstrate an ability to express ideas with clarity, coherence, consciousness, precision, and fluency in both written and oral communication
2. Demonstrate a command of language appropriate for the study of literature and an appreciation of the need for an effective choice in both written and oral communication
3. Demonstrate a sound approach to literature through consideration of the works studied
4. Demonstrate an appreciation of similarities and differences between literary works from different ages and/or cultures
5. Demonstrate and ability to comment on the language, content, structure, meaning, and significance of both familiar and unfamiliar pieces of writing
6. Demonstrate an awareness of the effects of style and techniques employed by authors
7. Demonstrate the ability to structure ideas and arguments, both orally and in writing, in a sustained and logical fashion, and to support them with precise and relevant examples
8. Express a personal response to literature and demonstrate the ability to approach works in an independent fashion

Texts:   Classic short stories, novels, and plays, such as Siddhartha, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Macbeth, To Each His Own, The Stranger, and Six Characters in Search of an Author are pieces read this academic year.  Students will also be exploring and connecting articles from various publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, National Public Radio (NPR), The Atlantic, and other sources to class reading. 

Instructor’s Expectations:

1. Regular attendance 
2. Preparedness for class 
3. Commitment to learn and to further develop the skills to be a life-long learner
4. Pride in oneself and assignments completed 

Grading Criteria: 

Your grade will be comprised on the following items:

- Class participation, oral presentations, attendance, timeliness, and completing assignments

 - All formal writing assignments (essays, responses to literature, literary analysis, etc.).

Absence Policy:

• Since this class is primarily based off of class/group discussions, it is important for you to be present in classl. I’m sensitive to family challenges and health issues; however, it is essential for you to communicate this information to me.

Homework/Writing Assignment Policy:

• Homework is assigned on a regular basis to either follow up with a classroom activity or develop other skills outside the classroom. It is expected for students to take homework seriously.  Homework will often be reading, which will be related to the next class discussion.
• Homework may not always be a written assignment; however, it is essential for students to be ready for class discussions. For example, when reading a text, a student is expected to be prepared for a whole class/group discussion about your understanding, perspectives and analysis of the reading from the night before.
• Late Assignments – assignments not submitted on time will be graded as late and points will be deducted. DO NOT neglect to complete an assignment just because it is late; one way or another you will complete this assignment.
• Extra Credit will not be offered except for extreme health-based circumstances. 

Class Participation:

Discussions about a literary text or book we are reading is an integral part of English class.  When students share their ideas, views, and feelings in a non-threatening, accepting environment, this allows for lively and interesting class discussions.  Points are deducted at the end of the quarter for those students who never participate in class.  Therefore, participation is essential to receive all the points possible to boost quarter average.