Mr. Hawkins

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    Welcome to English IV
    Mr. Hawkins
    Email: thawkins@madison-schools.com

    Course Description:

    Welcome to senior English!

    “I believe that reading and writing are the most nourishing forms of meditation anyone has so far found. By reading the writings of the most interesting minds in history, we meditate with our own minds and theirs as well. This to me is a miracle.” - Kurt Vonnegut

    Reading and writing have practical uses in the world at large in virtually every career path, but they also have the potential to allow us to understand ourselves on a deeper level, as well as the world we inhabit. By understanding the origin of the language we speak and the stories that were written in its conception and the subsequent years, we can truly explore the ideas, philosophies, and culture of those who came before us.

    In this course, we will be building on what you have already learned in English, focusing especially on reading, analyzing, and writing. We will read literature by British authors, including several novels. Vocabulary and grammar skills will be assessed through quizzes, tests, journaling, class work, and writing. 

    Required Materials:

    1. Loose-leaf paper and binder

    2. Number two pencils

    3. Blue or black pens

    4. Textbook or outside reading

    5. MacBook (fully charged) and headphones

    6. Notebook

    Basic Expectations and Procedures:

    Students will:

    • Be Respectful to me, your peers, and yourself.  Your behavior is a reflection of who you are.
    • Be Responsible.  Please come prepared to class with completed assignments and the required materials listed above.
    • Be a Team Player.  During cooperative learning activities, you may or may not choose your group member(s).  Regardless, you are expected to work cooperatively with your peers.
    • Be Aware.  Ask questions when you need something clarified.
    • Class begins when the bell rings.  You are expected to be in your seat.  Please come to class with a pass if you are late.
    • If there is a warm-up assignment on the board, silently begin this assignment on your own.
    • Please be silent during all announcements.
    • You must have a pass to leave the room.  If it is a bad time, you may not be able to leave the room.

    Technology:

    Technological tools are extraordinarily important tools in any classroom, particularly English, and that has never been as true as it is this year. Due to the nature of our current circumstances, I will try to put PDFs to most short stories and poems onto Canvas for homework, but for classwork, we will be using hard copies of the text. On that same note, we shall be taking several tests and quizzes on Canvas to avoid needless touching of paper products. Canvas will have everything we do in class on it, so catching up on what is missed in class should be easier than ever, and if God forbid a student is forced into quarantine (if that is even still a thing) or homebound for a stretch of time, the transition should be relatively smooth. 

    Still, there will be some rules. Since laptops will be used constantly, there needs to be a level of trust on what is used. If I give a 5-minute video and a 15-minute assignment, I expect those things to be done immediately, not after a quick YouTube video. Phones will be kept in the back of the classroom in a cell phone jail. Don't worry. I will give some designated phone breaks. We will be using headphones in class on various projects, but only use them when directed. Halfway paying attention in class while listening to music in one ear is a level of disrespect that I will not tolerate. You can use them when specified, but do not take it upon yourself to make that determination. 

    As the adage goes, "You control your technology; it should not control you." 

    Reading:

    I know some of you dislike reading. I really do understand that. I try my best to keep some audio versions of the works we will be working through and do some classroom readings. But there will be times when I assign you a reading. You must read to be successful in this class. I will be giving reading quizzes without added warning when I give you an assigned reading. This includes when I assign readings in class.

    Tentative Course Outline:

    NOTE: While I would love to have a degree of certainty on what exactly we will be studying at any given time in the proceeding months, the last year has taught me to always be flexible, for we never know what can occur, and I must ask of you all the same flexibility. I intend to use this as an opportunity to explore different texts to find meaning in the world at large. I've left some room in the plan below for maneuvering, and if I believe I have a poem, short story, or section of a novel that feels timely and important, it is likely that I will place it at the forefront of our conversations. Currently, I am reading Emma by Jane Austen. Let's just say that there is a strong chance it comes up in conversation when studying Shakespeare. 

    First Semester- 

    1st Nine Weeks: Overcoming the Monster Within: Pride

    *Summer Reading: The Metamorphosis

    A look at the origin of the English language and its people.

    *Old English epic poetry- Beowulf  trans. by Seamus Heaney 

    Old English elegiac poetry- “The Seafarer”  

    Transition into the Middle Ages.

    Middle English poetry – The Canterbury Tales ("The Prologue," "The Pardoner's Tale," "The Wife of Bath's Tale," and "The Nun's Priests Tale")

    Middle Ages poetry-Excerpt from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 

    2nd Nine Weeks: Truth and Beauty – Life and Death in Drama and Poetry 

    The Revival of the Arts: Renaissance

    A star is born: Shakespeare

    *Drama – Macbeth by Shakespeare (No Fear Shakespeare) 

    Shakespearean sonnets- "Sonnet 18," "Sonnet 30," and "Sonnet 130"

    Renaissance Poetry – “Death, be Not Proud” and “The Sun Rising” by John Donne, “Hero and Leander” by Christopher Marlowe, and “Of Education” by John Milton 

    Second Semester- 

    3rd Nine Weeks: The Burden of Responsibility- Monsters and Movements

    We will kick off the second semester with the: Final Research Paper. This will take four weeks, so you will be asked to work diligently and efficiently.

    Romanticism & poetry- Introduction to Frankenstein, The Curse of Frankenstein, "The Lamb" and "The Tyger" by William Blake, "Daffodils" by William Wordsworth, an excerpt from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Lord Byron's “Ozymandias,” Prometheus Unbound by Percy Shelley, and an introduction to H.G. Wells's The Time Machine. 

    *Romantic novel- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 

    Romantic Art- First Generation Romantics vs. Second Generation Romantics 

    4th Nine Weeks: The Continuation and End of the Quest- 

    Frankenstein will spill into the second semester some.

    Modern poetry-“Musee des Beaux Arts” 

    Ethics essay-anchor text, “The Case Against Perfection” 

    Victorian poetry- “The Lady of Shalott,” “Porphyria’s Lover,” and “Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave?” 

    *Postmodern novel- Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane (This could be shifted into a short story unit depending on time)

    (Mis)Communication essay- anchor texts, “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy,”  

    Alone Together, “The Hoax of Digital Life,” “Facebook Sonnet,”  and “Do You Like Me? Click Yes or No” 

    Final look back and forward assignments

    *You must purchase a paper copy of these novels. 

    Assignments and Grading:

    All grades need to be viewed in ActiveStudent (Links to an external site.). Canvas grades are not your final grades. 

    Minor Assignments (quizzes, essays, classwork, homework, journals, and minor projects) 34% 

    Major Assignments (tests and major projects) 66% 

    Homework/Classwork Policy:

    Homework must be turned in at the beginning of class.  If not, then you will not receive full credit for the assignment. It is the student’s responsibility to get all assignments missed and to schedule appointments for make-up work in a timely manner outside of class after returning from an absence. All assignments and day's work from each class will be in the What Did We Do in Class Today module on Canvas. You will have one extra class period per excused absence. Example: You are gone on a Monday to the doctor. Homework is due on Wednesday. You return on Wednesday. Your assignment will be due on Friday.

    Late Work:

    Failure to turn in any assignment on time results in an immediate reduction by 50%. Work more than one class meeting late will receive no credit.

    Example: Homework is due on a Wednesday at the beginning of class. You forgot to do it. It happens. You can still salvage this with a 50 (assuming everything is correct) by bringing it in on Friday, also at the beginning of class. When Friday rolls around, you forgot it again. This will result in a 0 for the assignment.

    Make-up Work:

    We all are forced to miss class from time to time. Chances are my daughter will be sick one day, and I will be with her fearfully waiting on the sickness to hit me. It's okay that it happens. When it does, you are to check the "What Did We Do?" Module for everything you need to catch back up. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THIS. For test and quizzes that need to be made up, email me or come to me during a free time to schedule the make-up quiz/test during Mav Break, my off block, or during a time that works for me. Chances are it will not be during our regularly schedule class block.

    Plagiarism and AI:

    Plagiarism is a big deal to me, and because of that, it should be to you. It will not be tolerated, and you will receive no credit for it. In that same vein, the use of AI as a means of creating work will also not be tolerated. Using AI to answer writing prompts or passing off AI as your own work will result in a 0 for the assignment. I will be speaking a lot in class, but I will be asking you to think just as much. Pick up where I finish speaking and allow your brain to carry you to new heights. Do not repeat back to me everything I say. Answer the questions on exams correctly, yes, but be sure to incorporate your own understanding and ideas into your work. 

    Extra Help:

    I like to have some fun with extra credit, so always check the Extra Credit module on Canvas. There will be some interesting ways to earn points. Example: guess how many books I will read in a semester.

    Students will have the opportunity to earn some extra credit with a writing assignment of my choice near the end of the semester, but that extra credit will only be available to students who have turned in all of their work/homework throughout the entirety of the semester. 

    If you refuse to do the regular work, I will refuse to give you extra credit.

    Students should make an appointment to see me during office hours for extra help. I can be found at the school in person (normally in room 112), and I can also be reached by e-mail at thawkins@madison-schools.com. Students should check assignments on the school website before coming to class to make sure that they are prepared