Course Syllabus

English 1 Honors Course Syllabus                                                                        Instructor: Ms. Marisa Ramos

Course Blog: wordswithramos.wordpress.com                                                         Email:  mramos@syvuhsd.org

Classroom: C-4                                                                                                         Phone: (805) 688 - 6487 ext. 2339

Course Description:

English 1 Honors is a demanding course which is designed to improve students’ critical thinking, reading, and writing skills, and to allow students to practice verbal and written articulation. This advanced course will require students to study varied styles of texts, including novels, short stories, poetry, plays, visual media, and auditory media.

Students will be pushed to articulate their ideas about these diverse texts in varied ways. This honors course is enhanced with opportunities for more critical analysis, and will encourage students to broaden their comforts with communication tools.

Course Goals

• Every student will cultivate their critical thinking practice through a critical writing practice. Students will be writing often, because they will be thinking often. These two operations are very intertwined, and students will practice a variety of writing styles in order to practice a variety of thinking styles.
• Every student will find growth in their literacy skills, and become more adept in the art of communication.
• Every student will deepen their knowledge of literature, and be able to enter into ongoing conversations about historically monumental texts.

Required Materials

The following materials are expected to be with students every day:

• A binder with a section dedicated to English for notes and handouts.
• Writer’s Notebook (more information on next page)
• A spiral notebook (college ruled) for homework and reading notes
• Blue or black pens (no colored ink please) and/or pencils
• College-ruled, loose leaf paper
• Current course text

Writer’s Notebook

Every week, students will be required to write journal entries in their writer’s notebooks. This notebook will be an ongoing homework assignment for the entire year. The Notebook is a physical, spiral bound notebook that will be provided by Ms. Ramos. Journal entries will relate to the class reading, often challenging students to make external connections between literature and real life. Students will have many opportunities to be creative, as they will practice a variety of entry styles.

This Notebook will be collected bi-weekly.

*A Notebook will be provided for you, or you can provide your own.

Outside Reading

During 3rd & 4th quarter all students are required to select an outside reading book. Outside reading serves to increase your reading fluency and comprehension, and helps you develop an advanced vocabulary.

For questions about class scheduling and for further information, please visit the course page on Canvas, the course blog, or contact Ms. Ramos directly.

Course/Assignment Overview

For a downloadable copy of this syllabus -- HonorsSyllabus.pdf