Honors Composition II e-mail: knourie@stasaints.

net

Course Description:
Honors Composition II, the required follow-up course to Composition I or Journalistic
Composition, continues the use of the writing process introduced in the beginning
composition course. Composition II students learn to use elements of style in their
writing and are held accountable for the mechanical elements taught in Composition I. In
Composition II, students compose both in-class and out-of-class writings. Students base
some formal essays, including a required research project, on their assigned readings
from American literature. Students also continue their vocabulary study. Honors
Composition II prepares students to take the Advanced Placement exam in May.

Objectives:
Students will demonstrate skills
• for accessing, processing, analyzing, and synthesizing data effectively.
• and knowledge needed to read and respond to literature.
• to write effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences.
• of effective listening and oral communication.

Materials:
• 3-ring binder and dividers
• loose-leaf paper/spiral notebook
• pencils and dark blue/black pens only (no gel pens or markers)
• highlighters
• box of tissue
• flash drive

Texts:
Sadlier’s Vocab F, Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Wilson’s Fences, Nafisi’s Reading
Lolita in Tehran, two novels of your choice (see outside reading requirements)

Writings:
1st/3rd Quarter 2nd/4th Quarter Final
Position paper Position paper Portfolio
Technical paper and project Historical significance Self-evaluation
paper and project
Analytical research essay Outside reading essay Structure and style
explanations
AP-style timed writings AP-style timed writings
Reading logs/discussion boards
Structure and Style logs

Rules:
1. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Matthew 7:12
2. Come to class on time, and push in your chair when you leave.
Expectations:
• Grading: Semester percentage grades are figured based on total points possible,
which is a combination of in-class and out-of-class writings, projects, quizzes, and
participation. Semester grades are 80% of your overall grade. The final, a
writing portfolio, is the remaining 20% of your overall grade.
• Availability: Because I teach a class during seminar, I am not available during
that time; however, I regularly will be available before and after school. If you
don’t find me the first place you look, try somewhere else. Good places to try
include my classroom, the faculty offices, and the library. Check the weekly
syllabus to see when I have morning meetings and, therefore, will be unavailable.
• Absences: It is your responsibility to find out what happened when you were
gone. The weekly syllabus, all handouts, and all assigned readings are posted on
BlackBoard. I will not tell you what you missed, but I will answer specific
questions about assignments or class discussions. Field trips do not count as
absences: hand in any work due the day of a field trip before you leave.
• Make-up Work: Assignments are due the day you return from a one-day absence.
You will take a missed quiz or timed writing the day you return from a one-day
absence. If you are absent more than one day and have missed a quiz or timed
writing, it is your responsibility to schedule a time to make up that work. (Do not
try to do this as class is starting. Come early, stay late, or find me before or after
school.) Except under extenuating circumstances or in extreme cases, you have
five school days to make up missed work.
• Late Work: You may not return to your locker to retrieve an assignment. Instead,
you may turn it in by 3:00 the same day for 80% credit. I will not accept any
other work late, but if you do fail to do an assignment you will be able to
complete a make-up assignment. Know, though, that it will be harder than the
original assignment. Vocab books will never be accepted late.
• Revisions: Part of writing is revising. If you have done poorly on an assignment
(or have simply not met your own expectations), you can revise the assignment to
earn back some of the lost points. See the Revision for Points Policy posted on
BlackBoard for a more thorough explanation.
• Technical Difficulties: They happen: be prepared. “My printer was out of ink” is
not a sufficient reason for a deadline extension. “My computer is in the shop”
doesn’t work either. If something is happening with the printer, e-mail the paper
to yourself AND save it to your flash drive, then print it at school. If your
computer has recently died, is near death or in the computer hospital, or is just
plain acting funny, you need a plan. Use the labs at school, use a friend’s
computer, or use a public library’s computer.
Always, always save to your flash drive frequently when composing on a
computer since you never know when the machine may turn on you. I know that
computers sometimes decide to stop working when you need them most, but you
should know that I need to see evidence of your work. Bring me whatever is
saved to your flash drive and handwrite the rest. It’s likely that the two pieces
will have transition problems and will need to be revised, if for no other reason, to
achieve better flow. That’s fine, you and I will discuss it. Just don’t show up to
class without a complete paper.