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I. Course Description
Freshman English stresses the mastery of the fundamentals of communication, composition and syntax. It is much more than just the mechanics of spelling, punctuation, grammar, reading and writing. Students become more aware of a variety of nuances in language styles through their reading, thinking and discussion, and begin a systematic approach to writing as a response. Students learn to understand and appreciate literature as an expression of the human imagination and condition; being sensitive to such spiritual themes as they experience them in the world in which they live and in works of literary value.
II. Student Outcomes
A. Grammar, Usage and Mechanics
The student's proficiency in grammar will be measured by his ability to identify, define and/or construct, and if necessary, identify faulty sentence construction involving the following:
1. The Eight Parts of Speech: noun, adverb, pronoun, preposition, adjective, conjunction, verb, interjection
2. The Parts of a Sentence: subject, predicate, complement (noun & adj), direct object, indirect object, phrases, clauses, and verbals
3. Usage: coordination & subordination, agreement (subject/verb, pronoun/antecedent), pronoun case, fragments, run-ons, comma splices, and Standard English
4. Mechanics: spelling (through vocabulary), punctuation (proper nouns, etc.), Common Mistakes (its, their, plurals, etc.)
B. The Writing Process
1. The student will demonstrate familiarity with various pre-writing techniques, such as clustering, free-writing, brainstorming, etc.
2. The student will demonstrate the ability to move from ideas in the Pre-Writing stage to organizing ideas into a formal essay.
3. The student will demonstrate the ability to expand the formal outline into the rough draft, identifying an appropriate mode of discourse.
4. The student will demonstrate his ability to revise the content of the rough draft, editing effectively for errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics(all before producing his final draft). *N.B. Teachers may use the 5 Error Rule for Final Drafts (5 errors = failure or a mandatory re-write)
5. The student will begin building a writing portfolio, a file of his various writing assignments, which will follow him throughout his four years at Brophy.
C. Paragraph Development
1. The student will demonstrate the ability to develop a topic sentence with a precise opinion about a limited (specific) subject.
2. The student will demonstrate the ability to move from opinion to argument by supporting the topic sentence with evidence, details and quotations from the text.
3.The student will demonstrate the ability to develop a paragraph in Standard English using various methods of development: a. comparison & contrast c. classification b. definition d. cause & effect
4. The student will demonstrate his ability to provide effective closure to the paragraph.
5. The student will be required to write a minimum of 4 formal paragraphs over the course of first semester.
D. Essay Writing
1. The student will demonstrate the ability to create an interesting lead and conclusion, as well as the ability to develop a solid, clear thesis.
2. The student will demonstrate familiarity and competence in developing an essay of each of the four modes of discourse: a. description c. exposition b. narration d. persuasion
3. The student will be required to write 3-4 formal, multi-paragraph essays during the course of his second semester of instruction.
E. Speech
1. The student is required to improve his speaking skills and his ability to express his own ideas orally.
2. The student will demonstrate proficiency in the basics of effective public speaking, including eye contact, voice inflection, posture, use of audio-visual aids, etc.
3. The student will demonstrate proficiency in effective library and research skills, including Internet usage, outlining, source citation and text organization.
III. Evaluation
A. Homework: 4 days each week, taking a minimum of 30 minutes to complete.
B. Writing: various assignments throughout the term, including paragraphs, formal essays, journal assignments.
C. Quizzes: minimum of one a week.
D. Exams: minimum of one every three weeks.
E. Class participation.
F. A cumulative midterm and final examination.
IV. Grading Policy
A. Five spelling or egregious grammatical errors result in automatic failure or re-write.
B. All work must be typed, unless otherwise directed.
C. Late papers will receive no higher than a D and can receive lower depending on quality.
D. Plagiarism of any kind will not be tolerated.
E. For any other questions, consult The Brophy Student Handbook.
V. Teaching Methods
A. Inductive Questioning (Socratic method)
B. Lecture
C. Group work/Cooperative learning
D. Class discussion
E. Audio-visual instruction
F. Library activities
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