Independent Reading Requirement
For English II you must read three books outside of class, one first semester and two in the second semester. Each book report will be worth 300 possible points, a significant portion of your grade. Your book:
?must be cleared by me. Make certain I have OK’d it before you read.
?must be one you have not read before or reported on for another teacher.
?must be appropriate for your age level and reading ability.
?may be fiction, biography, or autobiography (except for book #4).
You can obtain your book from anywhere. Some possible sources include me, your friends, your house, CHS Library, Carson City Library, a bookstore, or the supermarket.
If I deem your choice to be of questionable subject matter, I may request a note from your parent giving you permission to read it.
Book reports are due on specific dates. If you are absent on that day, the report must be done the next scheduled class day in order to be considered on time. You will not be given time in class to do a make-up report (with the exception of oral reports), so it is imperative that you schedule a time with me for that same day when you return from your absence.
You need to be reading your book all the time. Do not wait until the last minute or you may not have time to complete your book. Do not depend upon me to remind you to read your book: I am telling you now. Try to read every night for at least a little bit. We will be reading other works as a class, but this should not prove to be a problem for you. (You can watch two television programs or movies without getting them confused, right? Two books should be the same.) You may want to keep a reading log so that you can recall specifics from your book later without having to look them up in the book itself. If you are lucky enough not to get homework from me, you should automatically read more of your book. At a minimum, you should read 50 pages per week. At this pace you will have ample time to read 400 page novel.
Grading
Book reports are worth a minimum of 300 possible points each. 20% of that grade will be based upon the number of pages of your book. The points awarded for the number of pages are:
(300 pt. scale) Pts. Pages Highest Total Points Possible
60 - 400+ pages 300 (100% - A)
51 - 350 - 399 pages 291 (97% - A)
45 - 300 - 349 pages 285 (95% - A-)
39 - 250 - 299 pages 279 (93% - A-)
30 - 200 - 249 pages 270 (90% - A-)
0 - <200 pages 240 (80% - B-)
As you can see, reading a shorter book does not preclude achieving a decent grade; however, most students will not score perfectly on the remaining 80% of the grade. It is to your advantage, therefore, to read the maximum number of pages. (E.g. Let’s say you read a 410 page book. You get 60 points, an “A” for pages read. On the written portion you don’t do so well, and score 190 points or a “C.” Your total score, however, would be 250 points or 83%, a solid “B-.” The same written score for a book less than 200 pages would be a total of 63%, an “D-.”)
A book that has been into movie may have the page value reduced to 30 points at my discretion. For instance, if a novel was made into one film in 1935 and I feel you do not have easy access to this version, I may choose to give you full page credit. However, if you choose to read a book like Jaws, the film version of which is available in video stores and shown frequently on television, I will reduce the page value in spite of the actual book’s length. If your book is subject to this type of reduction, I will inform you at the time you clear the book with me.
80% of your grade will be based your score on a written or oral report which will change for each report (see below).
Format & Dates
(Exact dates & points will be announced for each book report closer to the due dates.)
Book Report #1 will be November 18. It will be a written report.
Book Report #2 will be March 12, 14, & 16. (Students will reserved a specific date after checking in a book.) It will be an oral report presented to the entire class. The report will be a “book report in a bag;” that is, you will remove items from a bag in a logical order and discuss how they represent the important elements of your book: plot, setting, characters, conflict, resolution, theme, and your opinion. You will be graded on your speaking skills and how well you address the literary elements listed. The report should be at least two minutes, but not more than five minutes.
Book Report #3 will be in May. For this book, everyone will read either a biography or an autobiography. It will be an oral report presented to the entire class. You will be graded on your speaking skills and how well you address the elements that will be given to you at the start of the fourth quarter. The report should be at least two minutes, but not more than five minutes.
For English II you must read three books outside of class, one first semester and two in the second semester. Each book report will be worth 300 possible points, a significant portion of your grade. Your book:
?must be cleared by me. Make certain I have OK’d it before you read.
?must be one you have not read before or reported on for another teacher.
?must be appropriate for your age level and reading ability.
?may be fiction, biography, or autobiography (except for book #4).
You can obtain your book from anywhere. Some possible sources include me, your friends, your house, CHS Library, Carson City Library, a bookstore, or the supermarket.
If I deem your choice to be of questionable subject matter, I may request a note from your parent giving you permission to read it.
Book reports are due on specific dates. If you are absent on that day, the report must be done the next scheduled class day in order to be considered on time. You will not be given time in class to do a make-up report (with the exception of oral reports), so it is imperative that you schedule a time with me for that same day when you return from your absence.
You need to be reading your book all the time. Do not wait until the last minute or you may not have time to complete your book. Do not depend upon me to remind you to read your book: I am telling you now. Try to read every night for at least a little bit. We will be reading other works as a class, but this should not prove to be a problem for you. (You can watch two television programs or movies without getting them confused, right? Two books should be the same.) You may want to keep a reading log so that you can recall specifics from your book later without having to look them up in the book itself. If you are lucky enough not to get homework from me, you should automatically read more of your book. At a minimum, you should read 50 pages per week. At this pace you will have ample time to read 400 page novel.
Grading
Book reports are worth a minimum of 300 possible points each. 20% of that grade will be based upon the number of pages of your book. The points awarded for the number of pages are:
(300 pt. scale) Pts. Pages Highest Total Points Possible
60 - 400+ pages 300 (100% - A)
51 - 350 - 399 pages 291 (97% - A)
45 - 300 - 349 pages 285 (95% - A-)
39 - 250 - 299 pages 279 (93% - A-)
30 - 200 - 249 pages 270 (90% - A-)
0 - <200 pages 240 (80% - B-)
As you can see, reading a shorter book does not preclude achieving a decent grade; however, most students will not score perfectly on the remaining 80% of the grade. It is to your advantage, therefore, to read the maximum number of pages. (E.g. Let’s say you read a 410 page book. You get 60 points, an “A” for pages read. On the written portion you don’t do so well, and score 190 points or a “C.” Your total score, however, would be 250 points or 83%, a solid “B-.” The same written score for a book less than 200 pages would be a total of 63%, an “D-.”)
A book that has been into movie may have the page value reduced to 30 points at my discretion. For instance, if a novel was made into one film in 1935 and I feel you do not have easy access to this version, I may choose to give you full page credit. However, if you choose to read a book like Jaws, the film version of which is available in video stores and shown frequently on television, I will reduce the page value in spite of the actual book’s length. If your book is subject to this type of reduction, I will inform you at the time you clear the book with me.
80% of your grade will be based your score on a written or oral report which will change for each report (see below).
Format & Dates
(Exact dates & points will be announced for each book report closer to the due dates.)
Book Report #1 will be November 18. It will be a written report.
Book Report #2 will be March 12, 14, & 16. (Students will reserved a specific date after checking in a book.) It will be an oral report presented to the entire class. The report will be a “book report in a bag;” that is, you will remove items from a bag in a logical order and discuss how they represent the important elements of your book: plot, setting, characters, conflict, resolution, theme, and your opinion. You will be graded on your speaking skills and how well you address the literary elements listed. The report should be at least two minutes, but not more than five minutes.
Book Report #3 will be in May. For this book, everyone will read either a biography or an autobiography. It will be an oral report presented to the entire class. You will be graded on your speaking skills and how well you address the elements that will be given to you at the start of the fourth quarter. The report should be at least two minutes, but not more than five minutes.
