Stranahan High ( Enter Department Name Here) Department



|McFatter Technical College & High School |

|English Department - ELA |

|2015 – 2016 Course Syllabus |

Teacher: David A. Wood, NBCT Phone: 754-321-5700 x3108

Subject: English I Honors Email: david.wood@

Room: 370 Planning: Period 4

Course Description:

Students are expected to enter this course with general knowledge of grammar conventions, critical analysis, writing techniques, literary terms, poetic devices, and some reading strategies. Language Arts (English I Honors) is a required course for all 9th grade students, the first of four Language Arts required for the completion of the four year program at MTCHS. The curriculum draws from a number of Collections which include short stories, autobiographies, epic poems/poetry, Shakespearean works, personal narratives, character sketches, non-fiction, etc. In addition, students will be engaged in reading novels, working on vocabulary, partaking in research writing, analyzing text, and brushing up on grammar. The course will be built around thematic units that end with culminating activities/projects which will often require collaborative work.

All students will be engaged in a variety of challenging real-world projects and assignments to show the importance of language arts and all of its components, including reading, grammar, organization, writing, literature, poetry, etc. They will be held to high expectations regarding their quality of work and personal behavior. On occasion, students will be given the opportunity to redo major assignments until they meet standards. Literature Circles, Thinking Maps, and Socratic Seminars will be consistent components of this course and students are expected to be completely familiar with these concepts. Students will often work in groups, but will be expected to complete individual assignments in relation to the team’s work or on individual projects. There will be opportunities to use technology, as students will have access to school laptops and other resources when completing their research based activities.

Resources:

Texts:

• HMH Florida Collections by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (online access required)

• Grammar for Writing

• Writing Research Papers

Supplemental resources:

• HMH Close Reader (available online only)

• Springboard Level 4 Workbook by College Board

• Novels: To be selected by student and/or assigned by teacher (4-6 throughout the semester)

Websites:

• (gradebook)

• beep. - Broward School’s Website for Online Textbook Access (Student Portal)

• - Academic Social media site for students/parents to join for weekly updates, assignments & docs. Registration codes: Period 1 - dp7nz8; Period 2 - mmkq2i; Period 3 - pb24in.

• – Official School Website.

Recommended Materials:

• 1” or 1 ½” three ring binder (for English)

• 4-5 notebook dividers

• Reinforcements and page protectors (optional)

• several #2 pencils

• Flash Drive/Jump Drive (can share with other classes)

• several pens (blue or black ink only) & highlighters

• one colored pen (for peer grading – not blue or black)

• College/wide ruled loose leaf paper (please no spirals)

• Earbuds/headphones (for testing and online access)

• Index cards (any size) – leave at home until needed

Evaluation:

|Broward County Grading Scale: |Mr. Wood’s Description of Quality Work |

|90-100% - A |Consistently demonstrates an exceptional level of quality and effort. Having all work in on time and completed to |

| |exceed expectations of instructor. Shows mastery in analysis of subject, command of language, providing support of |

| |arguments. Writing exhibits few, if any, conventional errors in mechanics and usage. Speaking /Presentation meets |

| |and/or exceeds requirements of PIPES (Pacing, Inflection, Projection, Eye Contact, Stance) Presentation rubric (to |

| |be addressed in class). |

|80.0-89.9% - B |Consistently demonstrates proficient knowledge with good effort and quality of effort. All work is complete and on |

| |time. Demonstrates the ability to analyze subject, exhibits some command of language, provides support of |

| |arguments. Writing exhibits some conventional errors in mechanics and usage. Speaking/ Presenting may lack some of |

| |the key components addressed in the PIPES rubric used for scoring in class presentations. |

|70.0-79.9% - C |Demonstrates knowledge with average effort. Work is erratically submitted, late, or incomplete. May show ability |

| |to analyze and apply principles of course but is lacking depth in other areas. PIPES rubric reflects average or |

| |lacking abilities in presentations. |

|60.0-69.9% – D |Shows minimal effort, many assignments are late or not submitted. Demonstrates a basic or insufficient |

| |understanding of concepts; student has the ability to recall information, but not apply or analyze. Student scores |

| |toward the lowest end of the PIPES rubric for speaking/presentations. |

|59.9% and below - F |Understanding is below basic in relation to language arts principles. Work is of poor quality and does not meet |

| |standards or expectations. Student clearly offered little effort or insight into his/her work. Appears sloppy, |

| |incomplete, and insufficient on every level for Honors work. |

|Approximate Grading Breakdown: |

|Instructor will/may assign any combination of these projects/assessments in large group, small group, pair, or individual form for each quarter of the school year. |

|Overall assignment point totals for each quarter will range widely based on the length of the quarter and the nature of the unit being covered. NOTE: The Breakdown |

|below is a general guideline and may be adjusted as necessary. |

|Minor Assignments and Smaller Homework – 15-25 pts |

|Periodically, minor assignments, including classwork and minor homework assignments will be collected. These grades can add up. The difference between one grade and|

|the next could be just a point or two. |

| |

|Daily Exercises/Warm-Ups and Larger Homework – 50 pts (binder checks), 10-20 pts (spot checks), 25-50 pts (HW) |

|Warm-up exercises will be performed daily, at the beginning of each class. They will consist of a variety of subjects including grammar correction, short |

|responses, journal entries, etc. These activities will be periodically checked by the instructor for a class work grade (binder checks). Homework is assigned once|

|or twice a week and due dates are posted on the board. NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED. Due dates are posted well in advance, and students are given frequent reminder |

|opportunities. |

| |

|Literature Circles – 50 pts (weekly roles), 100 pts (peer evaluation), 150 pts (, project, MWDS) |

|Depending on the unit being studied, students may participate in a group reading (4-6 students per group) of an assigned novel. They will discuss, analyze, and |

|respond to the elements of the story. At each circle meeting, they will be assigned a changing role and participate in a culminating project when the book is |

|complete (to be determined by the instructor). Students will be graded on their participation by their peers, on the project by the instructor, and on an essay |

|response test based on their knowledge of the work. |

| |

|Independent Book Reads – 50 pts (weekly follow-ups), 100 pts (Novel Essay Exam) or 200pts (project & MWDS) |

|In addition to completing literature circles, students may be asked to select a “free-read” book approved by the instructor for use during Sustained Silent Reading |

|and at home. Students will be responsible for pacing their reading, completing the book on time, creating a final project from a list of book report options, or |

|taking an alternative assessment, as well as a Major Works Data Sheet. |

| |

|Essay Writing (Synthesis & Literature Appreciation) – 100 pts (Full Essay), 30-50 pts (Short Responses) |

|Students will be responding to prompts in long/short essay form which will be graded in accordance with the new ELA LAFS Rubric to be provided to students at the |

|beginning of the school year. Plus, students will write character analyses, informational essays, personal narratives, literary/poetry analyses, argumentation |

|papers, etc. in accordance with HS 6 Traits of Writing and English Language Arts Florida State Standards (LAFS). |

| |

|Tests/Quizzes/Mini-Assessments – 100 pts (tests), 40-60 pts (quizzes) |

|Quizzes are given periodically once unit material has been covered, ranging from short response, T/F, MC, to Cloze Procedures (fill-in-the-blanks). Unit Tests are |

|usually given when a larger unit has been completed. Semester exams are cumulative and mostly skill-based. |

| |

|Culminating Projects/Activities – 100-200 points |

|As needed, students will complete a culminating activity/project to show evidence of understanding the concepts studied in the recently completed unit. These |

|projects may include group work, research, presentations, visual poster boards, etc. They will be assigned as needed and students will have sufficient advance |

|notice. |

NOTES:

• All school and county policies will be followed as per the Broward County Student Code of Conduct.

• Due to a heavy grading workload associated with English, grading time turnaround & feedback may be longer than students expect.

• All material and timelines in this syllabus are subject to modification by instructor, if deemed necessary.

• The instructor reserves the right to administer a different version of a test/quiz from original when a student needs a make-up.

| |

|2015-2016 COLLECTIONS BREAKDOWN |

|Topic |Activities |Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS) |

| | | |Strand: READING STANDARDS FOR LITERATURE |

|Collection One: | | |LAFS.910.RL.1.1: Cite strong/thorough text evidence to support analysis of |

|Thematic Link “Finding Common Ground” |Quizzes on Literary Devices: Plot, | |explicit/implicit inferences drawn from text. |

| |Character, Conflict, etc. | |LAFS.910.RL.1.2: Determine theme/central idea of text; analyze development |

|A Quilt of a Country (argument) | | |over course of text, provide objective summary of text. |

|Once Upon a Time (short story) |Socratic Seminars: Status Symbols in | |LAFS.910.RL.1.3: Analyze how complex characters develop, interact with other |

|from Rituals of Memory (essay) |Culture, Themes of War, Resolving | |characters, and advance plot or develop theme. |

|The Gettysburg Address (speech) |conflict, etc. Literary Analysis/Discuss | |LAFS.910.RL.2.4: Determine meaning of words/phrases in text, including |

|Views of the Wall (photo essay) | | |figurative/connotative; analyze cumulative impact of word choice on |

|The Vietnam Wall (poem) |Panel Discussions | |meaning/tone. |

| | | |LAFS.910.RL.2.5: Analyze how author’s choices concerning structure of text, |

|Collection Two: |Miscellaneous Homework | |order of events, and manipulation of time create mystery, tension, etc. |

|Thematic Link “The Struggle for Freedom” |Assignments/Thinking Maps Activities | |LAFS.910.RL.2.6: Analyze particular POV/cultural exp. reflected in work of |

| | | |literature from outside the USA, drawing on wide reading of world lit. |

|I Have a Dream (speech) |6 Traits Activities/Writing | |LAFS.910.RL.3.7: Analyze representation of a subject/key scene in 2 different|

|from Nobody Turn Me Around: A People’s |Drills/Elaboration Warmups | |mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment |

|History of the 1963 March on Washington | | |LAFS.910.RL.3.9: Analyze how author draws on/transforms source material in a |

|(history writing) |Argumentative/Informational/ Personal | |specific work. |

|AMERICA The Story of Us: March on |Narrative Writing | |LAFS.910.RL.4.10: Read/comprehend 9-10 literature proficiently, including |

|Washington (video) | | |stories, dramas, and poems, with scaffolding as needed at high end of range. |

|from Cairo: My City, Our Revolution (diary)|Literature Appreciation Paper | | |

|from Reading Lolita in Tehran (memoir) | | |Strand: READING STANDARDS FOR INFO TEXT |

|from Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return |Analytical Essays & Accompanying Research | |LAFS.910.RI.1.1: Cite strong/thorough textual evidence to support analysis of|

|(graphic novel) |Components/Citation | |explicit/implicit inferences drawn from text. |

|The Censors (short story) | | |LAFS.910.RI.1.2: Determine central idea; analyze dvlpmt over course of text, |

| |Assigned Novels- Literature Circles; Group| |including how it emerges, is shaped, refined by specific details; provide |

|Collection Three: |Projects & Presentations | |objective summary of text. |

|Thematic Link “The Bonds Between Us” | | |LAFS.910.RI.1.3: Analyze how author unfolds analysis/ series of ideas or |

| |Cultural Literacy Projects/Presentations | |events, including order in which pts are made, how introduced/developed, and |

|When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine (short story)| | |connections drawn between them. |

|Monkey See, Monkey Do, Monkey Connect |Group Multimedia Presentation/Individual | |LAFS.910.RI.2.4: Determine meaning of words/phrases in text, including |

|(science writing) |Speeches | |figurative/connotative/technical; analyze cumulative impact of specific word |

|The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket (short| | |choices on meaning/tone |

|story) |Independent Free Read Novels & Book | |LAFS.910.RI.2.5: Analyze how author’s ideas or claims are developed/ refined |

|With Friends Like These… (informational |Reports or alternative assessments | |by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of text. |

|text) | | |LAFS.910.RI.2.6: Determine author’s POV or purpose in text; analyze how an |

|At Dusk (poem) |Incorporated Springboard works and | |author uses rhetoric to advance that POV or purpose. |

|Count on Us (public service announcement) |activities that correspond with the theme | |LAFS.910.RI.3.7: Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different |

| |of the unit. | |mediums, determining which details are emphasized in each account. |

|Collection Four: | | |LAFS.910.RI.3.8: Delineate/evaluate argument and specific claims in text, |

|Thematic Link “Sweet Sorrow: |Mini-Assessments as needed to track | |assessing whether reasoning is valid, evidence is relevant/sufficient; |

| |student performance on skills studied. | |identify false statements/fallacious reasoning. |

|Love’s Vocabulary from A Natural History of| | |LAFS.910.RI.3.9: Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical/literary |

|Love (essay) |In-depth study of complex extended texts | |significance, including how they address related themes and concepts. |

|My Shakespeare (poem and video) |through literature circles or book talks | |LAFS.910.RI.4.10: Read/comprehend 9-10 literary nonfiction proficiently, with|

|The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (drama) | | |scaffolding as needed at high end of range. |

|Pyramus and Thisbe from The Metamorphoses |Short research projects/in-depth | |Strand: WRITING STANDARDS |

|(myth) |comparison of complex texts | |LAFS.910.W.1.1: Write arguments to support claims in analysis, using valid |

|Duty (short story) | | |reasoning/relevant and sufficient evidence: Introduce claim(s), distinguish |

| |Quizzes on cultural literacy | |claim(s), create org. that establishes clear relationships among claim(s); |

|Collection Five: | | |supply evidence. Use words, phrases, clauses to link major sections of text, |

|Thematic Link “A Matter of Life or Death” |6 Traits Writing Focus: Ideas, | |create cohesion, clarify relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between |

| |Organization, Voice, Conventions, Sentence| |reasons and evidence, between claim(s) and counterclaims. Establish/maintain |

|from Night (memoir) |Fluency, Word Choice | |formal style/objective tone while attending to norms and conventions. Provide|

|Is Survival Selfish? (argument) | | |concluding statement that follows from and supports argument presented. |

|from Deep Survival (science writing) |Grammar Drills/Conventions practice | |LAFS.910.W.1.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine/convey complex|

|The Leap (short story) | | |ideas, concepts, and info. clearly and accurately through effective |

|The End and the Beginning (poem) |Additional short story, poem, speech, | |selection, org., analysis of content. Introduce topic; organize complex |

| |close reading, non-fiction work, and | |ideas, concepts, and info. to make important connections/distinctions; |

|Collection Six: |excerpt assignments as needed in the Close| |include formatting, graphics, multimedia. Develop topic with well-chosen, |

|Thematic Link “Heroes and Quests” |Reader (online only) | |relevant, sufficient facts, concrete details, quotations, or other info. and |

| | | |ex. appropriate to audience’s knowledge of topic. Use appropriate/varied |

|from The Odyssey: | | |transitions, create cohesion, clarify relationships among complex ideas and |

|Part One: The Wanderings of Odysseus | | |concepts. Use precise language/ domain-specific vocab to manage complexity of|

|Book 1: A Goddess Intervenes | | |topic. Establish/maintain formal style/objective tone while attending to |

|Book 9: New Coasts and Poseidon’s Son | | |norms and conventions. Provide concluding statement that supports info or |

|Book 10: Circe, the Grace of the Witch | | |expl. |

|Book 11: The Land of the Dead | | |LAFS.910.W.1.3: Write narratives to develop real/imagined experiences/ events|

|Book 12: The Sirens; Scylla and Charybdis | | |using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event |

|Part Two: The Homecoming | | |sequences. Engage/orient reader by setting out problem, situation, or |

|Book 17: The Beggar at the Manor | | |observation, establishing one or many POV(s), introducing a narrator and/or |

|Book 21: The Test of the Bow | | |characters; create smooth progression of experiences/events. Use narrative |

|Book 22: Death in the Great Hall | | |techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple |

|Book 23: The Trunk of the Olive Tree | | |plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. Use variety of|

| | | |techniques that build to create coherent whole. Use precise words and |

|from The Cruelest Journey: 600 Miles to | | |phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey vivid picture of |

|Timbuktu (travel writing) | | |experiences, events, setting, etc. Provide conclusion that follows |

|The Real Reasons We Explore Space | | |from/reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over course of |

|(argument) | | |narrative. |

|The Journey (poem) | | |LAFS.910.W.2.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which development, |

| | | |organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. |

| | | |LAFS.910.W.2.5: Develop/strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, |

| | | |rewriting, trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most |

| | | |significant for specific purpose and audience. |

| | | |LAFS.910.W.2.6: Use technology, including Internet, to produce, publish, and |

| | | |update individual or shared writing products. |

| | | |LAFS.910.W.3.7: Conduct short/more sustained research projects to answer |

| | | |question or solve problem; narrow or broaden inquiry when appropriate; |

| | | |synthesize multiple sources on subject, demonstrating understanding of |

| | | |subject under investigation. |

| | | |LAFS.910.W.3.8: Gather relevant info from multiple authoritative print/ |

| | | |digital sources, use advanced searches effectively; assess usefulness of |

| | | |source in answering research question; integrate info into text selectively |

| | | |to maintain flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism, following standard citation |

| | | |format. |

| | | |LAFS.910.W.3.9: Draw evidence from literary/informational texts to support |

| | | |analysis, reflection, and research. |

| | | |LAFS.910.W.4.10: Write routinely over extended time frames/shorter time |

| | | |frames for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. |

| | | |Strand: STANDARDS FOR SPEAKING AND LISTENING |

| | | |LAFS.910.SL.1.1: Initiate/participate effectively in range of collaborative |

| | | |discussions with diverse partners on topics, texts, and issues, building on |

| | | |others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. |

| | | |LAFS.910.SL.1.2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in |

| | | |diverse media or formats evaluating credibility/accuracy of each source. |

| | | |LAFS.910.SL.1.3: Evaluate speaker’s POV, reasoning, use of evidence and |

| | | |rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning, exaggerated, distorted |

| | | |evidence. |

| | | |LAFS.910.SL.2.4: Present info, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, |

| | | |concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow line of reasoning and|

| | | |org, development, substance, style are appropriate to purpose, audience, |

| | | |task. |

| | | |LAFS.910.SL.2.5: Strategically use digital media in presentations to enhance |

| | | |understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. |

| | | |LAFS.910.SL.2.6: Adapt speech to variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating|

| | | |command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. |

| | | |Strand: LANGUAGE STANDARDS |

| | | |LAFS.910.L.1.1: Demonstrate command of conventions of standard English |

| | | |grammar and usage when writing or speaking -use parallel structure, various |

| | | |types of phrases and clauses to convey specific meanings and add variety and |

| | | |interest to writing or presentations |

| | | |LAFS.910.L.1.2: Demonstrate command of conventions of standard English |

| | | |capitalization, punctuation, spelling when writing-use a semicolon, with or |

| | | |without conjunctive adverb, to link two of more closely related independent |

| | | |clauses; use colon to introduce a list or quotation; spell correctly. |

| | | |LAFS.910.L.2.3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language |

| | | |functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or |

| | | |style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. Write/edit |

| | | |work that conforms to guidelines in style appropriate for discipline and |

| | | |writing type. |

| | | |LAFS.910.L.3.4: Determine/clarify meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning |

| | | |words and phrases, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Use context |

| | | |as a clue to meaning of a word/phrase. |

| | | |LAFS.910.L.3.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word |

| | | |relationships, and nuances in word meanings -Interpret figures of speech in |

| | | |context and analyze their role in the text; analyze nuances in meaning of |

| | | |words with similar denotations. |

| | | |LAFS.910.L.3.6: Acquire/use accurately academic/domain-specific words/ |

| | | |phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, listening at CCR level; |

| | | |demonstrate independence in gathering vocab knowledge when considering |

| | | |word/phrase important to comprehension/ expression. |

| |

| | | |

Dear Students and Parents:

Welcome to McFatter Technical High School for the 2015-2016 school year! And welcome to Mr. Wood’s English I Honors class! I look forward to meeting and speaking with each of you and hope that this letter can provide some preliminary information about my class and teaching strategies. This sheet is a brief overview of pertinent class and school rules; a more in depth course syllabus was distributed and discussed in the first days of school.

Class Rules: How to Succeed

• Be on time and manage time wisely.

• Be responsible.

• Be respectful and courteous.

• Be willing to accept what is given (understand limits and boundaries)

• Be self-motivated.

• Be willing to work hard.

• Be willing to risk, grow, and explore.

• Be willing to help others learn.

• Be willing to learn from others.

• Be open to constructive criticism.

Expectation of Organization

All students must come to class prepared and to keep their binders in an orderly/organized manner. Students should come to class with an adequate supply of pens, pencils, paper, etc. for any class work we prepare. I may periodically conduct spot checks of student work; so be up-to-date – it could be a grade! I will provide students with a recommended method for maintaining their folders. Please see the list of recommended materials for this class (on syllabus).

Book Obligations

In accordance with District policies, students may be required to obtain a textbook for this class. Obligations will be issued for any other book the teacher provides that have to be returned to the school when complete. If books are not returned in good condition, the student will be required to pay for them. Students will be reading 4-6 novels in the course; I will assign some of these, but will also build in some choice for students. Please note, students will be able to complete assignments through use of either the hard bound textbook or the online e-book, which offers the entire textbook with supplements (beep.).

How to be Successful in this Class

Here are some quick tips to be successful in this class and in high school: Get an agenda and use it; register for and check regularly; keep up with the due dates on the board; always complete more than the minimum requirements for assignments; recognize that I don’t accept late work, so plan accordingly (makeup work is allowed in accordance with Broward School Board policies); and ask for help when you are confused (I won’t bite!). Also, remember, there is a whole world of knowledge waiting out there for you. Explore. Be daring. Be intellectually brave. Be willing to be wrong...and to admit it. Keep in mind that every misunderstanding presents a chance to learn.

Parent Contact

The fastest way to contact me is through school e-mail at david.wood@. Students can also contact me with specific concerns through the academic media site - for each class. I will do my best to respond to an email/phone call within three (3) school days; often it is much faster. If it is an emergency, please indicate within the message and I will contact you sooner. I look forward to a great year!!

Thank you,

Mr. David A. Wood, NBCT, M.Ed.

Syllabus Receipt - Prior to signing this form, we will discuss and review each policy. If you have any questions, please voice them at that time. After our discussion, please take the documents home, sign, and have a parent /guardian sign next to your name. By signing below, you are acknowledging that you have been provided with/completed/ discussed/understand/and will abide by the guidelines in these documents.

• Mr. Wood's 2015-2016 Welcome Letter and Class Rules (above)

• Mr. Wood's 2015-2016 Approved PHS Syllabus (attached)

| |

|Student Name (print): ________________________________ Parent Name (print): ___________________________________ |

| |

|Student Signature:____________________________________ Parent Signature: ______________________________________ |

GET A SIGNATURE -THIS WILL BE YOUR EASIEST GRADE!!

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