Ms. Ackerman

My name is Angela Ackerman. I have been teaching high school English for six years, am a certified Advanced Placement teacher through College Board, and I am also certified to teach Speech/Communications. My passion is teaching. High school is an important time in life and I believe that AAEC’s program helps to see that your child succeeds. That is why I chose to be a part of their team. I teach English I, English II, and English IV. I also teach Reading Enrichment and on Fridays, Introduction to the Writing Process.

Email: aackerman@aaechighschools.com

Phone: (480) 854-1504

Office hours: M-R 3:00-3:50 (please call to schedule an appointment)

English I

Students will explore contemporary young adult fiction, classics, and an overview of literature from other cultures and nations. This course at A.A.E.C. High School is designed to improve students’ reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking skills.  Students will strengthen their vocabulary skills through daily exercises and challenging reading. Basic grammar skills will be reinforced on a weekly basis, and students will compose a variety of writing assignments. The English I curriculum follows the Arizona State Standards for this subject and grade level. 

Books and Other Instructional Materials

All of the novels student will read in English I will be provided by A.A.E.C. High School.  However, if parents/guardians would like a disposable text for their son/daughter to use, please feel free to purchase copies. This can be very helpful for students as they then will be able to write notations in the margins, highlight important details, and define difficult vocabulary. Please note than A.A.E.C. High School will not reimburse parents for books purchased for English I.

TITLE                                                AUTHOR

Fahrenheit 451                                    Ray Bradbury                                    

Farewell to Manzanar             Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston    

Much Ado About Nothing                   William Shakespeare                                      

The House on Mango Street                Sandra Cisneros                                             

To Kill a Mockingbird                         Harper Lee     

A Separate Peace                                John Knowles

*This list may be modified through the year.

Other Texts and Media

A variety of non-fiction works, short stories, poetry, and videos also will be part of the English I curriculum, as selected by the instructor.

English II

Students will explore contemporary young adult fiction, classics, and an overview of literature from other cultures and nations. This course at A.A.E.C. High School is designed to improve students’ reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking skills.  Students will strengthen their vocabulary skills through daily exercises and challenging reading. Basic grammar skills will be reinforced on a weekly basis, and students will compose a variety of writing assignments. The English II curriculum follows the Arizona State Standards for this subject and grade level. 

Books and Other Instructional Materials

All of the novels student will read in English II will be provided by A.A.E.C. High School.  However, if parents/guardians would like a disposable text for their son/daughter to use, please feel free to purchase copies. This can be very helpful for students as they then will be able to write notations in the margins, highlight important details, and define difficult vocabulary. Please note than A.A.E.C. High School will not reimburse parents for books purchased for English II.

TITLE                                                                             AUTHOR_____________________

Night                                                                                 Elie Wiesel

Midsummer Night’s Dream                                              William Shakespeare

Mythology                                                                         Edith Hamilton

The Odyssey                                                                      Homer

The Canterbury Tales                                                       Geoffrey Chaucer

Frankenstein                                                                     Mary Shelley

Antigone Sophocles

Beowulf                                                                             Anonymus

*This list may be modified through the year.

Other Texts and Media

A variety of non-fiction works, short stories, poetry, and videos also will be part of the English II curriculum, as selected by the instructor.

English IV

Students will explore contemporary young adult fiction, classics, and an overview of literature from other cultures and nations. They will also survey a variety of essays, speeches, editorials, and nonfiction texts. This course at A.A.E.C. High School is designed to improve students’ reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking skills.  Working on college writing skills is a major focus of the English IV curriculum.  Students will strengthen their vocabulary skills through regular exercises and challenging reading. Basic grammar skills will be reinforced on a weekly basis as students compose a variety of personal, expository, and functional writings. The English IV curriculum follows the Arizona State Standards for this subject and grade level. 

The Senior Portfolio is an accumulation of what the student has accomplished at A.A.E.C. High School.  It contains an updated resume, employability skills information, attendance record, grade record, awards and certificates, career exploration information, recommendations, and samples of best works. The Senior Portfolio assists students in providing information for scholarship and job seeking endeavors.

Books and Other Instructional Materials

Most of the novels and non-fiction books student will read in English IV will be provided by A.A.E.C. High School.  However, if parents/guardians would like a disposable text for their son/daughter to use, please feel free to purchase copies. This can be very helpful for students as they then will be able to write notations in the margins, highlight important details, and define difficult vocabulary. Please note than A.A.E.C. High School will not reimburse parents for books purchased for English IV. The following texts are what will be read and provided by the school. This list may be added to during the course of the year.

Title	Author
Hamlet	William Shakespeare
Tuesdays with Morrie	Mitch Albom
A Lesson Before Dying	Ernest J. Gaines
I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings The Poisonwood Bible Angela’s Ashes The Hound of Baskervilles	Maya Angelou Barbara Kingsolver Frank McCourt Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Other Texts and Media

A variety of non-fiction works, short stories, poetry, and videos also will be part of the English IV curriculum, as selected by the instructor.

Materials:

1. Notebook paper.
2. One subject notebook for daily journaling activities. (This notebook is to be used for English only.)
3. Pens and pencils.
4. Post-it notes for annotating.
5. Two 1 ½ inch binders. (Students will need to keep all of their essays, writing guidelines, and other writing tools from the semester in one binder for a portfolio.)
6. Flash drive.
7. Planner.

Classroom Expectations:

• Students must arrive on time and be ready to work.
• Students must show respect for others, their opinions, and ideas within the classroom environment.
• Students must participate in all class activities and discussions.
• Students must bring all necessary materials to class.
• It is the student’s responsibility to understand classroom assignments and their due dates.  Please ask for clarification at any time.
• Students must maintain knowledge of their grades at all times. Please arrange a time to discuss any matter concerning your grades.
• Students must contact the instructor immediately about any concerns.

Consequences of Failing to Follow Classroom Rules:

1st time:  Verbal warning from instructor.

2nd time: Verbal warning and phone call to parent

3rd time: Verbal warning, call to parent, referral to school administration.

4th time: Verbal warning, call to parent, referral to administration and possible             suspension.           

Attendance:

It is vital for each student’s success to attend all classes and arrive on time. Tardiness is a disruption for the entire class. Students will be allowed three tardies for the semester. Any tardies after three will result in detention from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m.  As a reminder, students must check in the front office before they may be admitted to a class if they are late.  Students with excused absences will be allowed the same amount of time they were absent to turn in make-up work. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain and complete all make-up work.

Assignments:

• Homework is due at the beginning of class. Students will not be permitted to turn in homework after it has been collected for the class period. Students who are tardy are responsible for turning in homework as soon as they come to class.
• Final drafts of essays must be typed and double-spaced with the appropriate heading after all revisions have been completed.
• If a student misses a day of school, it is his/her responsibility to obtain and complete all make-up work.
• Students will not receive credit for any plagiarized work; furthermore, student will be referred to the principal for further discussion of the incident. .

Examinations

A variety of tests, quizzes, and graded learning activities will be administered as part of the course.  Advanced notice is given for most examinations.  Students who have been absent the day(s) tests were given examination will be required to complete the exam on the day they return to school unless there are extenuating circumstances and prior alternative arrangements have been made.

Grading:

      A= 90%-100%

      B= 80%-89%

      C= 70%-79%

      No credit will be earned for grades below 70%.

Percentage of Grading:

Daily Work and Homework = 25%

Quizzes                                 = 30%

Exams, Major Projects and

Final Papers                          = 35%

Finals                                    = 10%