Literature Seminar Policies
Assessment
You will be assessed in a variety of ways: class presentations; class participation (see below); tests; quizzes; essays; and written assignments.
Participation
Seminar is our time to work through texts together. While I usually give a framework for our discussion, the real work depends on you. If everyone reads and comes in with questions and comments, seminar may well be your favorite hour of the day, and tests and essays will be that much easier. If students don’t do this, seminar may be awkward, boring, and fruitless, and you will have no one to blame but yourselves! To encourage you toward this end, I will count participation as 20% of your grade. This will include:
Late Assignments
I do not accept late homework or notes (barring excused absences of course). Late major assignments (essays, etc.) are marked down 5% per day late, including each weekend day or holiday.
Absences, Tardies, and Make-up Work
Because we meet only twice a week, missing one seminar means you’ve missed half the classes for that week. To make up for missing valuable class discussion, absent students need to answer three questions for that day’s reading on the Humanities Moodle site. Questions will generally reflect the backbone of any discussion occurring in seminar for that reading. (If you are having Moodle difficulties, you may email me responses to the questions.) These are due within one week of the seminar.
Be responsible for making up any additional work missed due to excused absences. You will have the number of days absent plus one within which to make up work assigned during those absences. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHICH SEMINAR YOU HAVE THAT DAY! GET YOUR ASSIGNMENTS TO ME!
Planned absences due to extracurricular activities do not excuse you from turning in assignments on the days they are due. A pattern of absences on due dates and test dates will be followed up by phone calls home.
Make-Up Exams and Tests
Unless you were absent multiple days, you will generally be required to take make-up exams the day you return to school, on the scheduled make-up day (generally during Humanities Office Hours on Tuesday), or, under extreme circumstances, by appointment during lunch or after school. If you miss your appointment, you will fail the exam. Expect that the make-up exam may be different from the original (e.g. short answer rather than multiple choice, different essay question, etc.).
Outside Sources and Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is passing off someone’s else’s work as your own. If you use another source for quotations, cite your source. If you discuss the ideas of another person, or use them in any of your own writing, again, cite your source. In accordance with school rules, plagiarized work – even partially plagiarized work – receives no credit, and the plagiarizer will be subject to school rules. See Ethics handout.
Grading
You will receive a Humanities Literature grade that will be based entirely on your performance in literature seminar. Participation is worth 20%, all other assignments 80%.
Humanities Literature is an honors level class and does receive a third of a letter grade boost (+.33) for GPA purposes.
You will be assessed in a variety of ways: class presentations; class participation (see below); tests; quizzes; essays; and written assignments.
Participation
Seminar is our time to work through texts together. While I usually give a framework for our discussion, the real work depends on you. If everyone reads and comes in with questions and comments, seminar may well be your favorite hour of the day, and tests and essays will be that much easier. If students don’t do this, seminar may be awkward, boring, and fruitless, and you will have no one to blame but yourselves! To encourage you toward this end, I will count participation as 20% of your grade. This will include:
- bringing the appropriate reading material to seminar;
- bringing questions, notes, and comments in writing to each seminar. These will be written in a composition book designated for that purpose that you will use for both history and literature seminars. Please acquire a composition book by Monday, September 9. You will have one "grace day" per quarter in which I will not dock your grade for you not having your book and notes. I will not accept late notes.
- contributing comments and questions;
- being engaged (obviously, this includes not working on other assignments, napping, etc.)
- leading discussions when assigned;
- listening and responding respectfully and appropriately to your classmates;
- upholding seminar norms
Late Assignments
I do not accept late homework or notes (barring excused absences of course). Late major assignments (essays, etc.) are marked down 5% per day late, including each weekend day or holiday.
Absences, Tardies, and Make-up Work
Because we meet only twice a week, missing one seminar means you’ve missed half the classes for that week. To make up for missing valuable class discussion, absent students need to answer three questions for that day’s reading on the Humanities Moodle site. Questions will generally reflect the backbone of any discussion occurring in seminar for that reading. (If you are having Moodle difficulties, you may email me responses to the questions.) These are due within one week of the seminar.
Be responsible for making up any additional work missed due to excused absences. You will have the number of days absent plus one within which to make up work assigned during those absences. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHICH SEMINAR YOU HAVE THAT DAY! GET YOUR ASSIGNMENTS TO ME!
Planned absences due to extracurricular activities do not excuse you from turning in assignments on the days they are due. A pattern of absences on due dates and test dates will be followed up by phone calls home.
Make-Up Exams and Tests
Unless you were absent multiple days, you will generally be required to take make-up exams the day you return to school, on the scheduled make-up day (generally during Humanities Office Hours on Tuesday), or, under extreme circumstances, by appointment during lunch or after school. If you miss your appointment, you will fail the exam. Expect that the make-up exam may be different from the original (e.g. short answer rather than multiple choice, different essay question, etc.).
Outside Sources and Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is passing off someone’s else’s work as your own. If you use another source for quotations, cite your source. If you discuss the ideas of another person, or use them in any of your own writing, again, cite your source. In accordance with school rules, plagiarized work – even partially plagiarized work – receives no credit, and the plagiarizer will be subject to school rules. See Ethics handout.
Grading
You will receive a Humanities Literature grade that will be based entirely on your performance in literature seminar. Participation is worth 20%, all other assignments 80%.
Humanities Literature is an honors level class and does receive a third of a letter grade boost (+.33) for GPA purposes.