Teacher: Ms. Nicole Hayes	(hayesn@fulton.k12.ga.us)

Course Title: English Literature and Composition, 2008-2009

Grade Level: 10th

1. Textbooks and Replacement Prices

Prentice Hall Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes	$70

Prentice Hall Grammar and Writing	$60

Hardback supplementals	$15

Paperback supplementals	$10

Students are financially responsible for all books issued by CHS. Textbooks may not be left in classrooms and teachers are not responsible for the whereabouts of your book. The copy which was issued must be turned in at the end of the course. You will not receive credit for turning in another student’s book and may not turn in replacement books. The cost of replacement will be assessed to any student that fails to turn in the book they were issued or turns in a damaged book.

2. Course Overview

Tenth Grade Literature and Composition will continue to build on the reading and language curriculum established in ninth grade. Throughout this year-long course, students will have opportunities to develop and expand their knowledge of literature and language and demonstrate their mastery level of new learning through performance tasks and assessments.

In 2004 the Georgia Department of Education adopted new Georgia Performance Standards for grades 9-12. Consistent with state curriculum, the Fulton County Schools English language arts curriculum implementation aligns with state standards. The content standards for this course are clustered by strands: Reading and Literature, Reading Across the Curriculum, Conventions, Writing, and Listening/Speaking/Viewing.

Reading and Literature

Focusing on a study of literary themes, students develop an understanding that the theme of a work of literature is what relates literature to life, and that common themes recur across diverse works of literature. Students will read, interpret, and analyze informational material such as newspaper articles, editorials, and magazine and journal articles. They will also analyze themes and structure in fiction, including short stories, novels, and drama. The study of poetry provides a level of rigor that surpasses ninth grade. Through extensive reading, students will acquire new vocabulary specific to the study of literature and apply that knowledge in their writing.

Reading Across the Curriculum

To encourage students to become life-long readers, the curriculum includes standards that address both academic and personal habits of reading. Students will read approximately one million words per year from a variety of subject disciplines including language arts. In the English language arts classroom, students will learn the vocabulary of literature, writing, and listening, speaking, and viewing.

Writing

Persuasive writing is the focus for tenth grade; however, students will continue to produce narratives, poems, informational essays, and technical documents. Students will practice timed writings and continue to use the stages of the writing process to develop compositions and writings that demonstrate an understanding of tone, point of view, style, organization, author’s purpose, and audience. Students will continue to use research and technology to support reading and writing.

Conventions

Students will increase their knowledge of the conventions of language in reading, writing, and speaking. They will demonstrate their control of the rules of English, focusing on the correct use of clauses, phrases, and the mechanics of punctuation. Sentence construction and usage will continue to be a focus for tenth graders. They will apply their knowledge of the conventions of format when producing technical writing, workplace writing, and research-based papers.

Listening/Speaking/Viewing

Students will continue to develop their critical listening skills. Through presentations and interactions with the teacher and other students, they will apply effective speaking techniques in small and large group settings. The viewing standards will enable students to develop media literacy skills through the careful examination of contemporary texts including television, radio, film productions, and electronic media.

**All reading selections and writing assignments are designed to address the student learning described in the course description. For a more detailed description of the new Georgia Performance Standards for English Language Arts, you may access www.georgiastandards.org or www.fultonschools.org/fcgps/

3. Classroom Management

Students are expected to have the appropriate materials, arrive promptly, and behave in a respectful manner towards teacher and fellow students. Continuous disruptive behavior will result in contact with the parents. Depending on the severity of an offense, detention, office referral, and possible suspension may be necessary.

4. Grading Scheme

Homework/Class work: 15%	90-100 = A

Tests:	30%	80-89 = B

Major Writing/Projects:	25%	70-70 = C

Final Exam:	15%	69 and below = F

Quizzes:	15%

6. Homework Expectations

Homework is crucial to the mastery of skills taught in the classroom. Please note that late Homework will not be accepted late. Incomplete homework will only receive partial credit of 50% or less. Major assignments (writings or projects) will be accepted late with a penalty of 10 points per day and will not be accepted after 3 school days.

7. Provisions for Improving Grades

a. Opportunities designed to allow students to recover from a low or failing cumulative grade will be allowed when all work required to date has been completed and the student has demonstrated a legitimate effort to meet all course requirements including attendance.

Students should contact the teacher concerning recovery opportunities. Teachers are expected to establish a reasonable time period for recovery work to be completed during the semester. All recovery work must be directly related to course objectives and must be completed ten school days prior to the end of the semester.

Teachers will determine when and how students with extenuating circumstances may improve their grades.

c. Recovery Policy

Recovery is available to students with a cumulative grade below 74% after a minimum of two (2) major grades. The maximum grade a student can earn for a recovery activity is 70%. There will be only one recovery opportunity per failed major assignment or test. The individual teacher will determine the means of recovery. THE STUDENT MUST INITIATE THE PROCESS WITHIN FIVE (5) DAYS OF NOTIFICATION OF A FAILING GRADE ON A MAJOR ASSIGNMENT/TEST.

8. Scheduled Help Sessions

Students are responsible for scheduling help sessions with me.

9. Teacher/Parent Communication

I check the listed email below most evenings and periodically throughout the school day. E-MAIL IS THE PREFERRED METHOD OF REACHING ME: hayesn@fulton.k12.ga.us

10. Absences/Make-Up Procedures

In my classroom will be an Absentee Folder, where each day’s lessons, notes, assignments, handouts, etc. will be kept. It is a STUDENT’S responsibility to check the binder whenever they return from an absence. Make up work is to be completed within the same amount of time as the student was absent (i.e. if the student misses two days of class, the work is expected to be turned in two days upon returning). Refer to the CHS Student Handbook for more information. If a student is absent on a test day, the test will be administered during class on the next day he or she is present. If a student is absent prior to an announced test or presentation, but returns on the day of the assessment, the student will be expected to participate. Cases of extended absence will be dealt with on an individual basis.

11. Tardiness

In accordance with the Tardy to Class policy, students will NOT be admitted to class without a pass from another staff member, OR a tardy slip from the attendance office.

12. Policies and Procedures

English department plagiarism statement:

Plagiarism is the use of another’s words or ideas and the representation of them as though they are entirely one’s own. Acts of plagiarism might include, but are not limited to:

USING WORDS OR IDEAS FROM A PUBLISHED SOURCE WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION (INTENTIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY)

USING THE WORK OF ANOTHER STUDENT (E.G.COPYING ANOTHER STUDENT’S HOMEWORK, COMPOSITION, OR PROJECT)

USING EXCESSIVE EDITING SUGGESTIONS OF ANOTHER STUDENT, TEACHER, PARENT, OR PAID EDITOR

Plagiarism on any project or paper will result in a zero for the assignment and an Honor Code Violation. Unless strictly stipulated by the teacher, collaboration on written work is not acceptable. Students who willingly provide other students with access to their work are in violation of the Honor Code.

A NOTE ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES “EXCESSIVE EDITING”: Students learn to write well by writing well. Struggling independently through the writing process produces growth (as well as a certain amount of agony), and eventually the student’s own voice. When well meaning parents, siblings, tutors, or others contribute their own ideas, words, phrases, revisions, etc. to students’ writing, student writers miss the opportunity to achieve literary self reliance. So, what is helping, but is NOT excessive editing? The answer is: questioning and cueing. For example—“Is this word strong enough? Interesting enough? Specific enough?” “Can you think of another word that means the same thing?” “Does this sentence seem awkward?” “What exactly do you mean here?” “I don’t understand what you are trying to say; can you say it more clearly?” “This sentence is interesting.” “That is a forceful verb; can you find one as forceful for that other sentence?” These kinds of questions and statements are powerful helpers, yet allow the students

to think and write independently. Please help students to achieve their own voices and to develop their writing skills by allowing them to write and revise independently.

Materials

- 3 ring binder for English only

- #2 Pencils/Pens

- A box of tissue (for the first day of class only)

-5 Dividers

Students are expected to have the above materials in class every day. Paper, pens/pencils will not be provided by the teacher. Dividers should be headed as follows:

Warm-ups

Class work/homework

Class notes

Writing

Assessments

Please see next page…

Please sign and return this page to Ms. Hayes.

I have read and understand all of the information outlined in Ms. Hayes’ syllabus.

Parent Signature_________________________________________Date________________

Student Signature________________________________________Date________________

Video Permission

It is possible that I may show films in class to enrich student understanding of the texts we will be reading and discussing in class. I need parental permission in order for my students to view these films. Occasionally, I may also use music or audiotapes from the school media center. All selections are pertinent to the curriculum and are used solely for enrichment, not as substitutes for reading.

Please indicate by initialing in the blanks below that your child has permission to view the films listed below. Be assured that should you choose not to allow your child to view a film, he or she will be allowed to complete an alternative assignment.

Sincerely,

Nicole Hayes

Teacher

10th grade Literature and Composition

The films I may show in class, if time allows, include but are not limited to:

____Labyrinth: PG for mild language (after reading The Stolen Child)

____ Macbeth: R for mild nudity and violence

____Lord of the Flies: R for violence and language

____Riding the Rails: NR (excerpts of this documentary to be shown before reading Of Mice and Men)

____Of Mice and Men: PG-13 for mature themes, some language and violence

____Merlin: NR (for use during the King Arthur unit)

____ The Veldt NR (for use in the Genre Review unit)

____ Notorious NR (for use in the Suspense Unit)

____Antigone NR

Should it occur that a film I plan to show is not on the above list, I will send home with the student individual permission forms for each film.

Parent Signature:_________________________________________________________________

Child’s Name:____________________________________________________________________

Date:___________________________________________________________________________

Note: Syllabus is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion

10th grade Fall 2008 Semester Plan

Aug 11-15th: Introduction to Classroom Procedures

Aug 15th – Sep 18th: Genre Review Unit

-Unit Test

-Watch Labyrinth

-Watch Veldt House

Sep 19th - Oct 20th: Suspense Unit

-Unit Test

- Elements of Suspense Essay

-Watch Notorious

Oct 21st –Dec 1st: Lord of the Flies

-Unit Test

-LOF Essay

-Face Book Project

-Watch LOF

Dec 2nd –End of Semester: Introduce Of Mice and Men ( winter break reading)

**dates and reading selections are subject to change under the instructor’s discretion.