College Prep English I
Dr. Kucharski -- Period 1 – Room 6
Contact information
thomaskucharski@claytonschools.net
Room 3D – conference hours 2-7, before and after school
What is College Prep English I?
This course will build upon the middle school literacy program by reading
challenging texts, delving into interesting topics, writing a variety of essays, giving
formal and informal presentations, and discussing ideas about literature and life. The
point is to not only continue your preparation for college, but to encourage your
examination and shaping of self.
What are our essential questions?
Who am I? How does my learning help build my sense of self?
How does reading expand my world? What role does storytelling play in my
understanding of the world?
How can I best express myself?
What will we do together?
This class provides opportunities to further understand our world through reading
and writing. Our specific goals include enhancing our ability to understand:
--the role of figurative language in poems, stories, and life
--the structures and purposes of narratives, including mythology, epic poetry, short
stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction
--how to create an argument through an effective thesis
--the traits of effective writing and oral communication
--how to participate within a learning community, supporting everyone else in class
What will we read?
Poems, myths, short stories, plays, films, art works, and non-fiction articles along with
the following books:
The Tipping Point, The Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet, Lord of the Flies, and Raisin in the
Sun
What should our class climate be like?
This is a Safe Zone. To encourage our best work, we must create a safe environment
for all. That means that we will respect each other and that we will identify and
address disrespectful comments or gestures in our classroom. When I am focused on
teaching I can’t always see, hear, or understand all the layers of what is going on in
the classroom. If any student feels that our classroom is in any way uncomfortable,
he or she is expected to speak with me as soon as possible. Together we will create
an environment in which each of us can grow and learn, a safe place for everyone
regardless of gender, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, class, level, or
physical or mental ability.
What are the rules of the room?
--Come to class on time.
--Bring supplies (a pen, a notebook, an assignment notebook, and whatever text we
are reading).
--Learn everyone’s name. Respect their opinions. Offer to help others.
--Keep your phone off. We may be utilizing your phones at some point (perhaps the
camera feature), but I will let you know if you need to take the phone out. If you use
your phone inappropriately (or if it rings in class) the phone will be confiscated.
How are grades determined?
Keep in mind that we are here to learn and not simply to earn a grade. Obsessive
grade checking detracts from the learning process, and wastes time better spent
actually reading or writing. That said, grades can be broken down in the following
way:
Major grades (typically out of 50 to 100 points): Final drafts of essays, rough drafts of
essays, and exams.
Minor grades (typically out of 10 points or fewer): Practice assignments in and out of
class along with conference attendance.
And now….
Your first writing prompt!
Pick a song lyric, poem, movie scene, or other work of art that helps explain who you
are. Write a short essay (1-3 pages) that explains the relationship between this work
of art and you. Here’s how I would go about doing this assignment:
1. Find a work of art (you might want to start with several) that particularly speaks to
you. What is it about that work that you find so attractive? How might that work
reflect either some aspect of you, or some area of great interest for you? Is it the tone
of the work that is most important? The imagery? The characterization? What
makes it so?
2. Think about your own identity. How does the work of art support or somewhat
represent that identity? What does your choice of this art work say about you?
3. Once you’ve taken notes on the above questions, you are ready to write. Monday
next week we will take the whole period to write (by hand) a response to the prompt.
Be sure to bring a copy of the work of art (lyrics if it is a song) to use while you are
writing and to hand in at the end. Your response will become the subject matter of
our first conference and the basis for our first formal essay. The response will be
graded (liberally), and will count for 20 points.
4. Tuesday will be our first conference day, and I expect to have spoken to all of you
by Friday, the 23rd. Use the conference to think more deeply about what you would
like to say. Think about a structure for your essay as well as a deeper point. Always
consider your audience!
5. You have until September 4 to complete your final draft. Use MLA format; you will
see a very clear example before the essay is due.
Grading and Expectations
This essay, like all your work in this class, will be graded, at least in part, holistically. I
will be giving a written reaction with a grade. In general, here’s what the grades
mean:
A – Your essay was wonderful. The ideas and evidence suggested significant
thoughtfulness, creativity (or at least intellectual flexibility and nuance), and insight.
B – Your essay did a solid job of fulfilling the assignment.
C – For whatever reason, your essay did not completely fulfill the assignment.
Perhaps you were missing something, or the evidence was not particularly
convincing, or your writing was difficult to decipher.
D – Your essay was unconvincing or incomplete.
F – Disastrous. You either completely misunderstood the assignment or did not hand
it in.
I grade holistically because I believe writing to be your part of a serious conversation
between the two of us. While my part of the conversation will be necessarily more
informal than yours, I want to react directly to what you are saying both in
conferences and in writing. Still, rubrics can help us focus on particular areas for
improvement, and I will use them in that spirit. We are just getting started in our first
paper; thus, our rubric categories are quite general:
Thesis – Does it exist? Is it nuanced or qualified in some way? Does it demonstrate
insight?
Evidence – Does the evidence fit the thesis? Is the evidence sufficiently analyzed?
Does the analysis display a degree of insight?
Organization – Does the paragraphing make sense? Do transitions between
paragraphs make sense?
Grammar – Are the sentences clear and correct? Are they varied?
Diction – Are words used thoughtfully and correctly?
Overall effect – Was the essay convincing? Did the essay demonstrate concern for the
audience?