 Welcome to your first high school English course!  We will read a variety of texts throughout the course and complete assignments using different styles of writing  Our summative unit and exam will have a focus on dystopian texts  I know you don’t all love English…I will try to make it as painless as possible

 I know studying grammar can be boring, but we need it to make our writing better  We need to cover two main grammar components in this course: › Parts of speech › Types of sentences  Evaluation: › Parts of speech test › Sentences quiz

 Here is your chance to be creative!  You will choose a picture and write a paragraph that appeals to the reader’s senses  Start thinking about your favourite places to be and/or visit  Evaluation: › Creative descriptive paragraph

 We will get to know the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology  This unit will include individual work and media-based group work  Evaluation: › Formal paragraph › Media project and presentation MOVIE: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

 You may not be looking forward to Shakespeare, but this play is confusing and funny and will hopefully spark a little interest in you  Don’t worry, we will work as a team during this unit to understand the language  Evaluation: › Formal paragraph › News article › Social media assignment MOVIE: She’s the Man

 This will be our first look at dystopian texts  We will read a number of short stories that will help us with some writing and lead us into the summative unit  Evaluation: › Formal paragraph

 This is our summative unit  We will read different dystopian novels in groups  You will be required to work individually and collaboratively  Evaluation: › Formal essay › Media project › Final exam MOVIE: The Island

 We have the opportunity to use a lot of technology throughout this course  This allows us to become more confident with technology and collaborate with our peers  We will often use the school’s netbooks to do some blogging, collaborate with others and create media projects

 Come to class prepared (separate binder with dividers, writing utensils, books required for the day, your ideas and energy)  Be on time: Dr. Phil says, "late people are selfish."  Feel free to bring snacks and drinks to class - but once you make a mess, this privilege will be taken away  Listening to music is allowed during individual work time  Please sit where you are supposed to sit  RESPECT - yourself, your peers, classroom furniture and equipment...and Ms Stronach  Cell phones....we will chat about this  Have fun!  What else do you need from our class?

 When you are given time in class to read, use it, instead of staring off into space  Doing your homework is beneficial to YOU, not Ms Stronach  If you know you are going to be away, let Ms Stronach know  When you return from being away, check the "What Did I Miss?" binder  Do not plagiarize - make sure you understand what this means and how to avoid it  Do not just use spell/grammar check when editing - always print off assignments and proofread them yourself  Read and listen to all instructions CAREFULLY - never start an assignment without reading over everything  Always try your best, even on small assignments  Read all feedback on assignments, so you can improve on the next one  Participate. We want to hear from you!