Freshman English (English 1-2)
Kim Wagner
email: [email protected]
Google Drive: [email protected]
Website: hellomisswagner.weebly.com
Where’s Wagner?
Per. 1: B-10 office
Per. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8: B-25
Per. 7: B-12
I try to maintain office hours on Tuesday and Thursday after school until at least 5. I will stay until 6 on those days, and also on Wednesday, by prior arrangement.
What this year is about
Story-telling is a huge part of the human experience. We are going to explore how to use language to express ourselves, figure out who we are, and develop empathy for each other.
Semester 1
•The Odyssey (Homer; graphic novelization by Gareth Hinds)
•mythology including the Monkey King (excerpts from Monkey by Arthur Waley)
•Boxers and Saints (Gene Luen Yang) (analytical paper with textual citations)
•hero stories (maker space, BIG narrative papers, nonfiction and fiction short stories from around the world)
•Joseph Campbell on heroes
Semester 2
•Descriptive writing
•Poetry for social justice/Verselandia
•Bronx Masquerade (Nikki Grimes)
•state narratives
•The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
•Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare; No Fear Shakespeare edition)
Grades
I grade on the points system: 90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, 59 and below = F. If you do all your work, you will pass, guaranteed. Large assignments will have rubrics based on the Common Core State Standards as adopted by Portland Public Schools and will be worth 20-100 points depending on complexity. Daily assignments will be worth 5-15 points each based on completion.
Late Work
I will grade late work at my own convenience, but I will enter zeroes in the gradebook until I receive it. You will get a grade for it, but it might not show up for a long time. If you are not using class time, I might not accept late work. Late work turned in during the last week of the semester is not guaranteed to show up on your semester grade. We will be doing a lot of work that builds on previous work. My advice to you is to keep up!!
Absences
Copies of all work are kept in the absences folder in the classroom, as well as on the website. You are expected to check the folder first, then come to me during class or tutorial to find out what you missed. If you need extra help, you are expected to come during tutorial.
No Names
These will be in the no name box. It is your responsibility to find assignments that you think you turned in but have not been graded.
Materials
You need to bring a pencil or pen to every class. I will provide journals that you will keep in the class. Bring a choice reading book every day or leave one on my bookshelf. And bring whatever we are reading at the time!
Honors
You will write 5-6 pages of material, read two books and create a project that demonstrates understanding of each, and attend an outside literary event (play, author reading, etc.) each semester. For reading and writing project ideas, I encourage you to check my website under Honors and bring me your own good ideas! Honors is about autonomy. Bring me your ideas, get approved, and go for it.
I am excited to spend this year getting to know all of you wonderful people. I believe in your ability to write your own life story. And by the end of the year, you will too.