Foundations of English and English I
Course Syllabus: English I
Teachers: Ms. Sandra Kendall
Room: MC210
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://sandrakendall.weebly.com/
Contact: 980-343-6900
Mobile: 704-886-7087
Course Description: Foundations of English and English I
English I is a course designed to provide students the basics of higher level literature comprehension and writing skills. The course contains a critical and analytical overview of all literary genres, which include fiction (novels, short stories, folk tales, and drama), non-fiction (essays, speeches, articles, and other), and poetry (sonnets, epic poetry, ballads, blank-verse, metered, unmetered, and other). Another main focus of the course is grammar, including parts of speech, sentence structure, recognizing grammatical errors, and constructing grammatically correct and effective sentences. To combine the skills of literary analysis and effective grammar, students will often be asked to express their thoughts in written forms, such as fiction, poems, essays, or other formats. In order to make sure all English I skills are covered in 18 weeks, students should be prepared to move through topics briskly.
Springboard
Springboard is a program designed by College Board (the company that makes AP exams and the SAT) to help prepare students for AP classes. Last year, 10th grade English classes adopted the program and saw massive growth in student achievement. In the hopes of seeing the same improvement (as well as to prepare students for the 10th grade curriculum), Springboard will be used in all 9th grade English classes this year. All students will be required to purchase a Springboard book by Friday, January 30. The cost is $23.
Course Outline
In order to give students the best possible education, I use what I learn about them to inform and alter my instruction. Due to this, I prefer to present topics to be covered in class in order, but without specific dates, because it often causes more confusion when those dates inevitably change.
Literature Schedule
1. Narrative Structure, Diction, Syntax
2.Characterization, Point of View, Tone, Author’s Voice
3. Setting and Imagery
4. Theme and Symbol
5. Author’s Purpose
6. Argument and Persuasion
7. Poetic Language
8.Author’s Style and Voice
9. Context (historical, authorial, and other)
10. Shakespearean Drama: Romeo and Juliet
11. The Epic Poem: The Odyssey
12. Power of Research (Including Essay)
Grammar Schedule
3. Subject/Verb and Pronoun/Ant. Agreement
4. Simple Sentences (identifying the subject and verbs)
5. Compound Sentences
6. Complex Sentences
7. Compound-Complex Sentences
8. Fragments and run-ons
9. Parallel structure
10. Essay
Homework, Quizzes, Tests, Mid-Terms, and Final Exam
1. Homework: Time is given in class to complete most assignments, and homework will be announced and assigned as needed.
2. Quizzes: Literature and vocabulary quizzes will be given as needed, and may be pop quizzes to check for completion of outside reading assignments.
3. Tests: Tests will be announced no less than a week before they are given.
4. Mid-Term: Dates for the school’s mid-terms are to-be-determined.
5. Final Exam: The final in this class will be the NC Final Exam for English I. This test will be 20% of your final grade. Springboard, as well as assignments requiring high-level reading and thinking skills, will prepare you for this test.
Supplies/Materials Grading Scale
#2 Pencils A 90-100
Highlighter B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 0-59
Grade Weights
70% Formal assessments (tests, major quizzes, major writing assignments, and projects)
30% Informal assessments (classwork including warm-ups, notebook checks, quizzes, and homework)
Retesting
Students will have the opportunity to retest on common assessments if their score is less than an 80%. In order to retest and receive the best possible grade, students MUST complete an application for retesting. Retests will only be given when all required fields of this application have been appropriately and honestly filled out. Before the application for a retest can be considered, students MUST complete at least 45 minutes of in-school remediation or tutoring. Retests will only be given within TWO WEEKS of the time the student receives the original score. After that time frame, NO retest is possible.
Tutor Times
I will be present for tutoring from 2:30-3:30 on Tuesday each week after school. If I am unable to tutor one week, another Freshman English teacher is tutoring during that time slot and will happily help my students with their work.
Attendance and Make-Up/Late Work
Missing class results in missing information and instructor input, so each student is highly encouraged to be in class each school day. However, illnesses and emergencies do occur, and the following are the procedures for when they do.
Make-Up Work (for full credit)
-Upon returning to class, a student must ask me for make-up work and present me with a note from a guardian or school official. I will not remind the student to do this.
-The student will have double the time of his/her absence to complete the make-up work at home (absence of 2 days = 4 days to complete make-up work) before it will be considered late.
-If a student is absent and there is no note from a guardian or school-official, all make-up work will be treated as late work.
Late Work (partial credit)
-Definition: work turned in after the due date with no note from a guardian or school official to explain why
-If work is turned in the day after it is due, the work can receive up to 75. All late work turned in two days or more after the due date cannot earn more than a 50. If the work is not complete, the grade will be lower. These rules includes if a student misses tests or a project due-date.
Silent Sustained Reading/Book Talk Project
To increase reading comprehension and develop higher level reading/critical thinking skills, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in class, we will have 25 minutes of silent reading. Students are encouraged to find reading material that is interesting to them and will keep them motivated to read for the entire assigned time. Students will be also be assigned an independent reading project in connection to their SSR reading material.
Classroom Procedures
Procedures:
*Be in seat when the bell rings and ready to begin work.
*Come to class on time, prepared with pencil, notebook, and all classroom materials.
*Follow all teacher instructions.
*Show respect for other’s feelings, possessions and space at all times.
*Be responsible for your materials and your actions.
*NO food or drinks inside the classroom at any time. NO EXCEPTIONS!
*Electronic devices MUST be powered “off”, and are not permitted for use inside the classroom.
*Do not talk or get out of assigned seat for any reason without permission.
*Profanity or inappropriate remarks are not permitted at any time.
*Keep a positive attitude.
*Follow all student handbook rules.
Consequences for Violating Procedures:
*1st offense Warning (with regard to severity)
*2nd offense Conference* and parental contact/detention
*3rd offense Conference* and parental contact/referral
*4th offense and beyond Referral
Severe Clauses:
Any student creating a severe classroom disturbance will immediately be sent to an administrator.
Cell phone and electronic devices policy:
Students are permitted to bring cell phones and electronic devices at their own risk, and it is NOT the responsibility of the teacher for any lost/stolen devices. Students will NOT be permitted to use devices during instructional time. If the student is using a device in class, the teacher has the right to confiscate the device until the end of the class period or school day. If student does not willingly give confiscated phone to the teacher, an administrator will be immediately called.
Cheating:
Any student caught cheating on a test or quiz, copying an individual assignment, or talking during a test or quiz, whether the student is finished or not, will receive a grade of zero for the assignment. The grade of zero will not be changed in any way.
Tardy Policy:
See the student handbook.
Rewards for Following Procedures:
*Phone call home
*Verbal and written praise
Teachers: Ms. Sandra Kendall
Room: MC210
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://sandrakendall.weebly.com/
Contact: 980-343-6900
Mobile: 704-886-7087
Course Description: Foundations of English and English I
English I is a course designed to provide students the basics of higher level literature comprehension and writing skills. The course contains a critical and analytical overview of all literary genres, which include fiction (novels, short stories, folk tales, and drama), non-fiction (essays, speeches, articles, and other), and poetry (sonnets, epic poetry, ballads, blank-verse, metered, unmetered, and other). Another main focus of the course is grammar, including parts of speech, sentence structure, recognizing grammatical errors, and constructing grammatically correct and effective sentences. To combine the skills of literary analysis and effective grammar, students will often be asked to express their thoughts in written forms, such as fiction, poems, essays, or other formats. In order to make sure all English I skills are covered in 18 weeks, students should be prepared to move through topics briskly.
Springboard
Springboard is a program designed by College Board (the company that makes AP exams and the SAT) to help prepare students for AP classes. Last year, 10th grade English classes adopted the program and saw massive growth in student achievement. In the hopes of seeing the same improvement (as well as to prepare students for the 10th grade curriculum), Springboard will be used in all 9th grade English classes this year. All students will be required to purchase a Springboard book by Friday, January 30. The cost is $23.
Course Outline
In order to give students the best possible education, I use what I learn about them to inform and alter my instruction. Due to this, I prefer to present topics to be covered in class in order, but without specific dates, because it often causes more confusion when those dates inevitably change.
Literature Schedule
1. Narrative Structure, Diction, Syntax
2.Characterization, Point of View, Tone, Author’s Voice
3. Setting and Imagery
4. Theme and Symbol
5. Author’s Purpose
6. Argument and Persuasion
7. Poetic Language
8.Author’s Style and Voice
9. Context (historical, authorial, and other)
10. Shakespearean Drama: Romeo and Juliet
11. The Epic Poem: The Odyssey
12. Power of Research (Including Essay)
Grammar Schedule
- Basic Parts of Speech (noun, pronoun, verb, adjective,
3. Subject/Verb and Pronoun/Ant. Agreement
4. Simple Sentences (identifying the subject and verbs)
5. Compound Sentences
6. Complex Sentences
7. Compound-Complex Sentences
8. Fragments and run-ons
9. Parallel structure
10. Essay
Homework, Quizzes, Tests, Mid-Terms, and Final Exam
1. Homework: Time is given in class to complete most assignments, and homework will be announced and assigned as needed.
2. Quizzes: Literature and vocabulary quizzes will be given as needed, and may be pop quizzes to check for completion of outside reading assignments.
3. Tests: Tests will be announced no less than a week before they are given.
4. Mid-Term: Dates for the school’s mid-terms are to-be-determined.
5. Final Exam: The final in this class will be the NC Final Exam for English I. This test will be 20% of your final grade. Springboard, as well as assignments requiring high-level reading and thinking skills, will prepare you for this test.
Supplies/Materials Grading Scale
#2 Pencils A 90-100
Highlighter B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 0-59
Grade Weights
70% Formal assessments (tests, major quizzes, major writing assignments, and projects)
30% Informal assessments (classwork including warm-ups, notebook checks, quizzes, and homework)
Retesting
Students will have the opportunity to retest on common assessments if their score is less than an 80%. In order to retest and receive the best possible grade, students MUST complete an application for retesting. Retests will only be given when all required fields of this application have been appropriately and honestly filled out. Before the application for a retest can be considered, students MUST complete at least 45 minutes of in-school remediation or tutoring. Retests will only be given within TWO WEEKS of the time the student receives the original score. After that time frame, NO retest is possible.
Tutor Times
I will be present for tutoring from 2:30-3:30 on Tuesday each week after school. If I am unable to tutor one week, another Freshman English teacher is tutoring during that time slot and will happily help my students with their work.
Attendance and Make-Up/Late Work
Missing class results in missing information and instructor input, so each student is highly encouraged to be in class each school day. However, illnesses and emergencies do occur, and the following are the procedures for when they do.
Make-Up Work (for full credit)
-Upon returning to class, a student must ask me for make-up work and present me with a note from a guardian or school official. I will not remind the student to do this.
-The student will have double the time of his/her absence to complete the make-up work at home (absence of 2 days = 4 days to complete make-up work) before it will be considered late.
-If a student is absent and there is no note from a guardian or school-official, all make-up work will be treated as late work.
Late Work (partial credit)
-Definition: work turned in after the due date with no note from a guardian or school official to explain why
-If work is turned in the day after it is due, the work can receive up to 75. All late work turned in two days or more after the due date cannot earn more than a 50. If the work is not complete, the grade will be lower. These rules includes if a student misses tests or a project due-date.
Silent Sustained Reading/Book Talk Project
To increase reading comprehension and develop higher level reading/critical thinking skills, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in class, we will have 25 minutes of silent reading. Students are encouraged to find reading material that is interesting to them and will keep them motivated to read for the entire assigned time. Students will be also be assigned an independent reading project in connection to their SSR reading material.
Classroom Procedures
Procedures:
*Be in seat when the bell rings and ready to begin work.
*Come to class on time, prepared with pencil, notebook, and all classroom materials.
*Follow all teacher instructions.
*Show respect for other’s feelings, possessions and space at all times.
*Be responsible for your materials and your actions.
*NO food or drinks inside the classroom at any time. NO EXCEPTIONS!
*Electronic devices MUST be powered “off”, and are not permitted for use inside the classroom.
*Do not talk or get out of assigned seat for any reason without permission.
*Profanity or inappropriate remarks are not permitted at any time.
*Keep a positive attitude.
*Follow all student handbook rules.
Consequences for Violating Procedures:
*1st offense Warning (with regard to severity)
*2nd offense Conference* and parental contact/detention
*3rd offense Conference* and parental contact/referral
*4th offense and beyond Referral
Severe Clauses:
Any student creating a severe classroom disturbance will immediately be sent to an administrator.
Cell phone and electronic devices policy:
Students are permitted to bring cell phones and electronic devices at their own risk, and it is NOT the responsibility of the teacher for any lost/stolen devices. Students will NOT be permitted to use devices during instructional time. If the student is using a device in class, the teacher has the right to confiscate the device until the end of the class period or school day. If student does not willingly give confiscated phone to the teacher, an administrator will be immediately called.
Cheating:
Any student caught cheating on a test or quiz, copying an individual assignment, or talking during a test or quiz, whether the student is finished or not, will receive a grade of zero for the assignment. The grade of zero will not be changed in any way.
Tardy Policy:
See the student handbook.
Rewards for Following Procedures:
*Phone call home
*Verbal and written praise