| HIGH
ADVANCED READING Spring 2011 Monday & Wednesday 1:30-2:20 Science & Tech II 228 Class website: http://mason.gmu.edu/~llmiller/Syllabi/AR/start.html |
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Instructor:
Laurie Miller |
- Improve your comprehension of academic texts in various formats (non-fiction, fiction).
- Improve your reading rate of academic texts in various formats (non-fiction, fiction).
- Identify main idea (implied included)
- Distinguish
supporting ideas and details
- Distinguish
fact from opinion
- Infer
meaning of new vocabulary
- Draw
conclusions
- Draw
inferences
- Identify
organization, purpose, and tone of text
- Meet these specifc goals:
- Read 15 pages of
fiction within one hour with moderate difficulty and adequate
comprehension (70%)
- 7.5 pages in 30 minutes
- Read 15 pages of
non-fiction academic text within two hours with moderate difficulty
and adequate comprehension (70%)
- 3.75 pages in 30 minutes
- Outline what you have read, noting main ideas or events and supporting material or significant details
- Write a summary of a text (fiction or nonfiction) without plagiarizing
- Read 15 pages of
fiction within one hour with moderate difficulty and adequate
comprehension (70%)
DESCRIPTION: Most every class session will include in-class reading to practice a reading skill that is being introduced or has already been introduced. This means you should bring your books or other assigned reading materials to each class session. Practice of skills will include silent reading, reading out-loud, pair work, small group work, and class discussions. Skills will be presented in our textbook or by the instructor in class.
| MATERIALS: |
All
materials are available at
the Mason
Bookstore in the Johnson Center
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· Reading journal (25%)
· In-class and homework assignments (15%)
· Quizzes and Tests (30%)
· Book Projects (30%)
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
Reading Journal: You will use the Blackboard section of the class website to keep an electronic reading journal. You will make several journal entries a week. Your journal will have two parts.
Part One Journal Entries will be records of the thoughts that "pop" into your mind while you are reading. Of course these thoughts are often related to the content of what you are reading, but there are other types of thoughts that pop into your head while you read such as, "What does that mean?!" or "Oh, yes! I agree completely," or even "This is really boring ... I'm getting sleepy ...." This second type of thought, a "meta thought," is the type you should write about in the Part One Journal Entries. You can write about any reading you do ... it can be an assignment for this class, another class you are taking, something you read in the newspaper ... but the key is to focus on the "meta" messages that pop into your head while you read. Each entry should begin with
- the title of what you are reading,
- the pages it covers as well as
- the date, time and
- place of the reading experience itself.
Refer to the first Part One journal entry we do in class. Write at least one Part One Journal Entry every week & post it to the Blackboard section of the class website (we'll do this together for the first entry).
· a brief summary of the part of the story you read in your own words
· at least one question you have about the story
Post your Part Two journal entries to the Blackboard section of the class website.
You will receive a -, X, or + for your journal entries. Journals will be turned into the instructor approximately every three weeks, starting the third week of class (see schedule page).
In-class and Homework Assignments: To help you practice and enhance the skills we study in class, I will present you with assignments that you will complete as an individual or with a partner. For example, as a homework assignment you will be asked to find a newspaper article on a specific topic, read and highlight it and write a summary of it. The next class session, I will ask you to tell the class about your article in regard to its content, structure and vocabulary. I will grade your highlighted article and summary as a homework assignment and your discussion with the class as an in-class assignment. An example of an in-class assignment is that you will be asked to read a passage and write an outline or summary of it within a specific time period. In addition, you will add three new vocabulary terms to the class wiki each week while we are reading To Kill a Mockingbird and then three new terms a week in a private folder during the second part of the semester. Grades for assignments other than the To Kill a Mockingbird vocabulary are given on a 5 –10 scale (TKM vocabulary is graded as completed =10 or not completed = 0).
Quizzes and Tests: You will take quizzes every two or three weeks (see class schedule for exact dates) on information and skills covered in class or homework assignments, including vocabulary. You will take a midterm at the midterm and a final the last week of class (see schedule page). The midterm and final tests summarize the skills we have studied in class and are cumulative. Grades for quizzes and tests are given on a 1 – 10 scale.
Book Projects: You will read To Kill a Mockingbird throughout the the first half of the term, but you should follow the assigned reading schedule (of course, you are welcome to read ahead of the schedule). During the second half of the term, you will read a pleasure book of your own choice.Participation , Attendance and Other Policies:
- I will give you questions for the chapters you read in To Kill a Mockingbird. You will complete these as an individual and turn them into the instructor for an -, x, or + mark. At the middle of the term, you will use information from all the worksheets to help you write a summary review of the novel. Your summary review will be graded on a 5-10 scale.
- Additionally, you wil work on a presentation about a topic that will help our class better understand To Kill a Mockingbird. I will give you a list of topics to choose from. For example, one topic you may choose to investigate is a summary of US history from 1864 to 1917. You will be put into a group to evaluate and improve a presentation on your topic. You will use the class wiki to work on the project. At the end of the fourth week of class, your group will post its presentation to the class. Your version of the presentation will be graded on a 5-10 point scale.
- I will give you a handout to help you make an analysis of the book you choose. You will complete this handouts as an individual and turn them into the instructor for -, x, or + marks. At the end of the term, you will use your handout to help prepare for you spoken summary review of the book. Your summary review will be graded on a 5-10 scale.
Participation and Attendance: You will be doing many things in this class, often as part of a group. Therefore, it is extremely important that each student come to class each day and fully participate in discussions and activities. If you are late to class (more than 10 minutes), this will count as a half absence. If you have four or more absences, you will receive a grade of NG for the class. You are responsible for finding out what work has been assigned in your absence. Missed quizzes CANNOT be made-up.
Honor Code: All work on all on all assignments must be completed by you and based on your own ideas in accordance to Mason's Honor Code “Student members of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize, steal, or lie in matters related to academic work.” See: http://academicintegrity.gmu.edu/honorcode
Cell Phones, Computers and Electronic dictionaries: Please turn off (or put into silent mode) all cell phones before class begins. Electronic dictionaries should be used in silent or reduced volume mode.
Class Materials: Please bring your book, paper and something to write with to each class.
