Language Skills 11D
INSTRUCTOR: E. Dailey
(810)225-5758
TEXT BOOKS: Ellen Foster Gibbons; Animal Farm Orwell; The Things They Carried O’Brien; Vocabulary Workshop Level E Shostak; Teacher Selected Short Stories
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Students will participate in reading and analyzing teacher selected materials to understand literary structure, theme, author purpose and tone as well as literary content in historical and social contexts. Students will practice applying grammar and conventions to their writing and will expand their vocabulary. Reading, writing assignments, class activities provide practice and application of critical thinking for school, career and life-long skills.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Quizzes, tests, reading logs, essays, in-class exercises, and homework will comprise course content. Students will study vocabulary, read novels and other literary selections. They may participate in large and small group discussions compose essays illustrating thematic concepts from units of study. For successful completion of the course, students are expected to participate and contribute to the learning atmosphere particularly in the following:
Literature Circles: Student discussion of the assigned literature is an important component of this class. Students are responsible for active participation in the literature circles. Students will receive a grade for participation in their groups.
Reading/Study Logs: Students will keep a reading/study LOG which is a record of student responses to the literature studied. Reading logs reflect ACTIVE reading of the assigned literature.
Writing Assignments: Students will complete a variety of writing assignments during the course of the semester. Essays are considered MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS. They are worth 200 points. The essays will be graded on content (100 points) and mechanics (100 points). Students are expected to become proficient in the use of proper punctuation and grammar.
Quizzes/Tests: There may be one or more quizzes/tests in any given unit depending on the material studied. If a student is absent on the day of an ANNOUNCED QUIZ/TEST, the student MUST TAKE the quiz/test on the day he/she returns to class. UNANNOUNCED QUIZZES cannot be made up; however, the next quiz taken will count a double grade.
GRADING: Grading is based on a point system. Your marking period grade will
be calculated by adding your total accumulated points and dividing them by the
total possible points.
Grade Percentage of total possible points
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
E 0-59
The final exam will count for 20% of the final grade and each marking period will count for 40% of the final grade. You must pass 2 out of 3 grades.
v Late assignments will receive a “D-“ grade.
v Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any student who allows his/her work to be copied or copies the work of another student will receive a zero for the assignment. Any student who plagiarizes by submitting work that is clearly not authentic will receive a zero for the assignment.
v Non-participation is unacceptable behavior in the class. Your contributions will be considered when determining the final mark.
FEEDBACK: Students will receive feedback by comments and grades on their
returned work. Students who receive low grades on assignments are
encouraged to set up a conference to discuss individual problems. I discuss
grades AFTER SCHOOL, NOT DURING CLASS TIME.
MAKE-UP WORK: Students will regularly receive a syllabus, a schedule of the
week’s lessons. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule his/her time so that all assignments are completed. Also it is the RESPONSIBILITY of the student to review the syllabus when absent and complete the assignments that are due. Minimally, the student must complete any reading that has been assigned.
Students are responsible for taking announced quizzes and tests and turning in major assignments on the date of return to class. Because all tests, quizzes, and major assignments are announced several days in advance and noted on the class syllabus, students who are absent the day BEFORE a test or major due date are expected to take the test or hand in the major assignments on the announced date.
If a student is absent on the due date of the assignment, he/she MUST turn in the assignment ON THE DAY that he/she returns to class. The assignment will be counted as LATE otherwise.
If a student is absent on the due date of an ESSAY ASSIGNMENT, he or she must have his or her parent/guardian contact me on the dated of the absence by voice mail or e-mail; OTHERWISE, the assignment will be considered late. IF A STUDENT IS IN SCHOOL ANY PART OF A DAY ON WHICH AN ESSAY ASSIGNMENT IS DUE, IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO TURN IN THE ASSIGNMENT. IF THE STUDENT DOES NOT TURN IN THE ASSIGNMENT ON THE DUE DATE, IT WILL BE COUNTED AS LATE.
PRE-ARRANGED ABSENCES: Students who have pre-arranged absences must
turn in all the work that was assigned during their absence on the DAY OF
RETURN to class. Additionally, any test or quiz give during the absence must
be taken on THE DAY OF RETURN.
EXTRA HELP: By appointment before or after school.
EXTRA CREDIT: Extra credit is NOT a substitute for required work. Some
assignments will be designed as extra credit in addition to the regularly
assigned work.
SPECIAL MATERIALS: one subject spiral notebook and computer access for
writing assignments. It is strongly recommended that a dictionary be used to assist in reading.
CLASSROOM RULES, CONSEQUENCES & EXPECTATIONS: Please see refer
to the PHS Student Handbook. ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES
OTHER THAN WATER.