MR. RESTAD
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English III
Open Disclosure


PURPOSE

This English course is designed to promote thought and practice expression and argument. Through the analysis and discussion of literature, students will build their own ability to critically analyze writing across multiple genres; develop personal expression in writing, thinking, and discussion; and ideally, give students the necessary tools and practice to become informed, aware, and communicative citizens.

Basic Course Content and Skills Taught 
Passing this course is required for graduation of Senior High. This course will cover major American literary works of fiction, poetry, and essays. Among other assignments, students will be expected to write essays and literary analysis, complete a research paper, and use various digital tools to complete assignments. Above all, we will focus on developing the ability to comprehend and critically think paired with effective/advanced communication.

Legal notice

Required instruction (including but not limited to lessons, readings, texts, discussions, etc.) is part of our district curriculum, Billings Public Schools continues to follow Senate Bill 99 as well as board policy 2310 procedure 2 which states that when selecting materials, teachers, and administrators must review their content and consider the issues of violence, profanity, prurient subject matter, cultural concerns, and historical accuracy in the selection process. Objections to lessons and/or materials must be brought to the teacher's attention in writing, using the District Alternative Material Request Form. Alternatives may be available within district guidelines. If an objection is submitted, the teacher will then select an alternative option from the appropriate course/grade level guidelines to provide the students with an independent study opportunity as allowed by state law and local policy. The approved reading list, courses, and units of study are available on the District webpage under curriculum.


GRADING

​Late/Missing Work
As learning rates differ from student to student, Mr. Restad does not believe in late work or one-and-done assignments, only work that has yet to be mastered. Assignments, tests, or essays may be turned in for full credit (see below for details)  until 3:15 on Jan 9th. After this date no late or redone work will be accepted. NO  EXCEPTIONS.
HOWEVER,
  • Completing classwork by the scheduled due date is important in progressing in this class and getting timely, relevant feedback. Get assignments in by their due date. You can do this.
  • I’m a human too and understand that life gets in the way of learning sometimes. I am willing to grant extensions for essays under extenuating circumstances so long as a student communicates with me before a deadline.

Redos
  • In order to retake a quiz, exam, or reattempt an essay students must meet with Mr. Restad to discuss how they studied or edited in order to improve their grade from the previous attempt.
Proficiency Scales
Assessment 
This course will base assessment and grades off of proficiency of skill, not only by completion and % correct on tests, papers, and assignments. Instead students will be given a proficiency score (F - not enough evidence, D - beginning, C - developing, B - proficient, A - advanced) on the learning targets outlined below based on their performance on in class assignments, tests, essays, and projects. In class assignments will be given as a way to practice skills, assess where students are in their progress to proficiency in learning targets. However, these assignments won't be traditionally recorded in the gradebook. They will be used to provide evidence of growth, learning, and proficiency.
Letter grades will be assigned using the following translation
  • A = Mostly Advanced (As), no Cs
  • B = Mostly Proficient (Bs), no Ds
  • C = Mostly Developing (Cs), no F’s
  • D = Mostly Beginning (Ds), no 0’s
  • F = Missing evidence of learning

Classroom Expectations

Learning comes first
  • Be Prepared: Come to class with all materials (pencil, notebook, and any additional requested reading materials).
  • Be Present: Come to class on time and ready to read, write, discuss, and most importantly, think.
  • Be Polite: Respect your classmates and teacher in ideas, in action, and in your work. Violence, hate, bullying, profanity, or discrimination/disrespect will not be tolerated. Students are liable for any damages done to classroom materials, computers, or books checked out to them.

Academic Integrity, Plagiarism 
Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in education. Academic assignments exist to help students learn; assessments exist to show how far we have come in our learning process. Plagiarism is any copying of information from any person or place (classmates, books, the internet, even yourself) without proper citation and submitting it as your own ideas.

Therefore, all work and all grades should result from the student's own understanding and effort. All assessments, assignments, and papers must be the original work of the student. Studens who submit assignments that are plagiarized or not the student's original work will be required to redo the assignment or similar assignment and be referred to the assistant principal’s office for detention until the new assignment is completed. Don’t cheat.


Non Academic Policies
  • Cell phones - Much research has been done determining the potential distraction and benefit a digital device provides to an educational environment. If you'd like to earn the right to use a cell phone RESPONSIBLY (e.g. listen to music, look something up, etc.) complete and turn in the linked cell phone essay. Otherwise, just keep your phones out of sight. I promise not to have mine out either.
  • Tardiness - I'd much rather have you in class than the sweep room. Don't be late though.
  • Food and Drink - We use chromebooks a lot and I don't want them to be crumbbooks, or Flaming Hot Cheetos books for that matter. Please consume food and drink outside of class, but close topped water bottles are okay.
  • Bathrooms - Being an adult sometimes means controlling or predicting your bladder. I will allow you to use the restroom in cases of extreme emergency with the use of my hall pass. Don't make a habit of it though.

UNITS, REQUIREMENTS & SKILLS

Fall Semester

Spring Semester

Fall Reading list
  • Selections from district approved textbook My Perspectives
  • “Everything Stuck to Him”, Raymond Carver
  • Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
  • “Half-Hanged Mary”, Margaret Atwood
  • The Crucible, Arthur Miller
  • “I Have a Dream”, Martin Luther King Junior 
  • “The Blessing and Liberty of Education”, Frederick Douglass
  • “The Yellow Wallpaper”, Charlotte Perkins Gilman
  • “Preface to Leaves of Grass”, Walt Whitman
  • “Self-Reliance”, Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • “Civil Disobedience”, Henry David Thoreau

UNITS
1 Citing Textual Evidence and The Great Gatsby
  • I can support my analysis of a text with strong and thorough, explicit evidence. 
  • I can make a complex and insightful inference drawn from the text
  • I can identify strong and thorough textual evidence
2 Textual Development with The Crucible 
  • I can analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of key terms over the course of a text.
    • I can analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone. 
    • I can identify explicit and implicit meanings of a text using context clues
    • I can identify and explain figurative language
    • I can summarize and paraphrase main ideas
3 Living a Good Life // Word Choice
  • I can analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of key terms over the course of a text.
  • I can analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone. 
  • I can identify explicit and implicit meanings of a text using context clues
  • I can identify and explain figurative language
  • I can summarize and paraphrase main ideas
    • ​TEXTS: The Tide Rises, Self-Reliance, Civil Disobedience, The Yellow Wallpaper, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, and others.
4 Grammar
  • I can identify and punctuate dependent and independent clauses
  • I can identify and utilize simple, compound, and complex sentences
  • I can identify and utilize parallel sentence structure 
  • I can use a comma to separate dependent clauses correctly, compound sentences, lists, non-essential phrases, quotations, and appositive phrases
  • I can use a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb to link two or more closely related independent clauses
  • I can use a colon to introduce a list, clarification, and quotation
  • I can use a dash to add emphasis to non-essential phrases
5 Argumentative Writing
  • I can write arguments to support debatable claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts 
  • I can develop claim(s) and counterclaim(s) fairly and thoroughly, supplying valid reasoning and relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both 
  • I can clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims
  • I can provide a concluding statement for the argument presented​​
Spring Reading list
  • Selections from district approved textbook My Perspective
  • "I Am Where I Come From" - Cinnamon Spear
  • Literary Circles book options
    • Into Thin Air - John Krakauer
    • The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
    • Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
    • In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
    • The Road - Cormac McCarthy
    • The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien
    • Truth and Bright Water - Thomas King

UNITS
1 Academic Skills

2 Research Skills
3 Research Project
4 ACT Prep - Reading, Language, and Writing
5 Literary Narratives

READ A BOOK!


Telephone

406-281-5457

Email

[email protected]
  • Classroom Blog
  • Eng III - Spring Units
    • 1 Academic Skills
    • 2 Research Projects >
      • Choosing a topic
      • Research Resources
    • 3 ACT Prep
    • 4 I Am Where I Come From
    • 5 Catcher in the Rye
  • Journalism
    • Newspaper >
      • Blogging about news
      • Senior Podcast Project
      • Person Profile Article
      • Classroom Spotlight
      • In-Depth Journalism
      • Event Journalism
      • Gardiner Special
    • Yearbook >
      • YOURbook
      • Weekly Photo Hunt
      • Photojournalism
      • Magazine Cover
      • Yearbook Open Disclosure
      • Reflective Writing
    • Journalistic Writing Unit
    • Design Module
    • Writing Module
    • Photography Module
    • Magazine Feature Assignment
  • About
  • Contact