Language Arts Syllabus



Intensive Reading Norman S. Edelcup Sunny Isles Beach K-82018-2019 School YearTeacher:? Mrs. Shannon GreenPhone:? 305-933-6161 E-Mail:? scgreen@Description of Class/Purpose of Course:Intensive Reading is designed as a class to help student develop and mater basic reading skills. This class is primarily for students who have scored below mastery (Level 1 or 2) on the state FSA Language Arts Assessment. ? Learning correct grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and how to write in various to answer comprehension questions in various forms of literature will help you to better understand what you read.? In this class, you will learn all types of writing styles and techniques as well as read various types of text and novels. This year we will focus on personal writing, editorials, and persuasive essays.?Students in Intensive Reading can expect to spend a substantial amount of their own time reading independently, mastering answering FSA style questions, and developing comprehension skills. Although there will be other work required throughout the academic year, I have briefly outlined four components that will be a major part of the learning experience in Intensive Reading:In-Class Essays Students will practice different forms of writing. To determine student mastery, we will practice writing skills with in class essays to build up mastery for FSA writingVocabulary/ Terminology:? Students will be responsible for studying and familiarizing themselves with literary terms and, which will be provided in class.? Students are expected to use these terms in the context of writing and discussion. Students will be assessed on vocabulary/terminology.Novel Studies During the course of the year we will participate in a class novel study. The title, duration and any projects will be announced approximately one week before we begin reading. Poetry, Autobiography, and Written Projects:? Students will write various pieces for class throughout the year.? These pieces will include research papers, narrative essays (e.g. memoirs), persuasive essays, an autobiography, and a poetry project.During the grading periods we will focus on the following Core Content Standards:?Students will establish and maintain a focused purpose to communicate with an authentic audience.Students will support main ideas and deepen the audience’s understanding of purpose.Students will learn to engage an audience and complete an effective conclusion.Students will communicate clearly.Students will create effective sentence structures.Students will learn to use the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing).I. Home LearningA. Home learning is a method of reinforcing skills and material taught in the classroom. The amount of home learning is carefully considered. Home learning is not assigned to be busy work. It is assigned because of its vital importance to the learning process. Therefore, students are expected to complete all assignments by the due date. Home learning will be posted on the board daily. Please note that home learning assignments are subject to change if the instructor deems it necessary. Home learning assignments may be graded include, but are not limited to:Online learning (example: Iready)Reading/journaling assignmentsProjectsNovel studiesB.Late work- LATE WORK IS NOT ACCEPTED UNLESS THERE IS AN EXCUSED ABSENCE. IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTACT MS. GRREN ABOUT LATE WORK. Students who missed receiving an assignment that will be graded should pick it up immediately upon their return to class. It should be turned in within 3 school days for grading. C. Generally, class time will be given to students to complete their assignment(s).? If work is not completed in class, then it is to be taken home, finished, and turned in the next day.? In my room, students are to record the home learning they have each night in their planner (or journal if planners are not available) under the respective class.? Please refer to your planner if there are any questions about home learning.? I will not remind students to record their home learning. Each assignment given is due the next school day unless otherwise stated.D. “Iready” is a required part of home learning. Students are required to complete 75-minutes per week. It is to be understood that Iready is homework every week. This time is NOT in ADDITION TO BUT INCLUDED IN WHATEVER TIME STUDENTS MAY HAVE FOR IREADY WITH THEIR ELA TEACHER. Students who do not have internet access should make themselves available to school open computer lab hours (TBA).E.During the course of the school year, we will use novel studies for classroom activities, projects, and home learning. The title and cost of the novel will be provided to parents with adequate (usually 2 weeks) time for the students to purchase the novel. II. Absentee WorkStudents will be allowed the same number of days as he or she has missed to complete assignments and make up any missed tests. Work must be turned in within the time allowed. If it is not turned in or the test is not made up by the designated time, the student will receive a ZERO for the assignment or test. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule a time with the instructor to make up the test and they will not be reminded. If the student fails to show on the scheduled time the student will receive a zero and not be allowed to make another appointment.Work assigned prior to an absence is due on the day the student returns to school. If a major project is assigned prior to an absence and is due on the day the student returns, the student must make arrangements for the project to be turned in on the day of return.C. Each student is personally responsible for requesting information and assignments that he or she missed while absent, as well as, making up any test missed within three days of returning to school or a zero will be given. All assignments available for student pick up at a designated area in the classroom. The rules for missed assignments still apply if the student fails to request the missed work.III. Tests and QuizzesTest days are usually FRIDAY or MONDAY depending on the timeframe needed for the standard being covered. Tests assigned prior to an absence will be administered when the student returns to school. It is the student’s responsibility to contact Mrs. Green to schedule a make-up assessment. B. Every attempt will be made to schedule major projects to be due on Fridays. However, if the assignment is a presentation, time will not allow every student to present on one day. In these instances, the final project must be turned in to Mrs. Green on the due date, however due to time restrains the student’s presentation will be on a different day. IV. Grading ProceduresStudents are graded on home learning, quizzes, assessments, projects, and class work/journals.? Usually tests are given over a chapter’s worth of material and quizzes are over bits of material over a small amount of time.?A rubric will be handed out with every project outlining what is to be expected with said project. Students will be given notice of upcoming assessments. Grades are as follows:???????? 90-100%-A 80-89%-B 70-79%-C 69-60%-D 59-below-F A student must have a passing average for the year (60%) in his/her basic classes to proceed to the next grade level. Students will receive a Z (zero) in the grade book for any assignments that are not turned in. A blank or X grade will be changed to a Z if the student did not schedule to make up the assignments. The ELA grade is weighted, meaning that some assignments may be worth more for towards the final grade than others. The grade is weighted as follows:Assessments 60% (Test, projects, or any assignment that has been deemed to be used as an assessment)Classwork 30% (journal entries, group work, worksheets)Participation 10% (home learning, I-ready)V. Classroom Rules and ProceduresA. Students are expected to be young men and women of integrity. Every action should reflect this idea, and the student should constantly evaluate himself/herself. The student should ask of himself or herself, “Am I preserving my integrity when I …?” At the start of school, as a class, we will review classroom expectations, rewards, and consequences for failing to follow class rules. B. Being young women and men of integrity includes adhering to the following standards:1. Be prompt A student is considered tardy if he or she is not in his or her assigned seat by the time the bell rings. Students should quietly enter the room and write down all homework assignments on the board immediately from their assigned seats.2. Be prepared with all supplies. Students will not be allowed to leave the room for supplies.3. Be kind and respectful. All actions and words should reflect kindness and respect for both the instructor and all other students.4. Be honest. Honesty is an important part of integrity. Cheating will not be tolerated. Cheating includes sharing home learning answers, looking at another student’s test or quiz, and talking (even whispering) during a test or quiz. Students caught cheating on test or quizzes will receive a zero for the assessment. C. Your behavior in the classroom reflects not only on your performance, but also on every other student’s.? It is imperative that each student follows not only the school rules, but the classroom rules as well.? The classroom rules are as follows:Respect in all ways in all directions!? This means:→???? Student to teacher→???? Teacher to student→???? Student to student→???? Student to the rest of the schoolThe number of infractions students commit during class will lower their conduct grade. If the teacher has to speak with a student for tardiness, talking, disrespecting another student, not paying attention, sleeping in class, or any other infraction, the teacher will have a conference with the student..? Parents will be notified of continued classroom infractions. This data over nine weeks will determine the student’s conduct and effort grade.?? Each nine weeks, the slate is wiped clean for all students. Each time a student fails to turn in a written assignment; this will lower the student’s effort grade and will also be noted in the grade book. Note: If a student receives 3 or more conduct cuts in a week they will be required to write a 250-word essay about something we learned about in class for that week and must be turned in on the following Monday. If the essay is not received it will affect the student’s effort and participation grades. Classroom Rules and ExpectationsRespect yourself, your fellow students, and most of all, your teacher. This means strict adherence to the Student Code of Conduct. You have a right to an education, and so does everyone else in the class. Please respect those rights.No eating, drinking, or chewing gum in class. Any food items that find my sight will be thrown away immediately and your parent may be contacted. This includes any water bottles both reusable and disposable. No talking out of turn. Every student has something valuable to say, but only one individual must make comments at a time. If you have anything to contribute in a discussion or any questions to ask, raise your hand. Students who don’t do so will not be recognized.Avoid unnecessary conversation. Occasionally, we will divide up into groups for class work. On other occasions we will have class discussions. In every other instance, keep your voices in the “off” position, especially when I am conducting a lesson. And even when talking is allowed, always keep your volume to a minimum.Respect school property. Do not touch or play with any property that does not belong to you. Take your seat and begin the warm-up immediately upon entering the room. Any student not in his/her seat at the time the bell rings and who does not have a hall pass from a teacher or administrator will be considered late and will be subject to a detention and/or a phone call to his/her parent.Stay in your assigned seats unless you have permission to stand. By now, everyone in Mrs. Green’ class has an assigned seat. If you absolutely need to get out of your seat, raise your hand and ask permission before doing so.No personal communication devices are to be used in class. This includes cellular phones, 1- and 2-way pagers, two-way radios, and smart watches. Laptops, tablets and the like are NOT allowed in the classroom. If you own one of these, keep it turned off and in a bag, purse. If I see or hear any of these for any reason, I will take it away and it will be returned only to a parent.Any items not used exclusively for school purposes should be left at home. This includes, radios, toys, CD players, iPad, tablets, iPhone, smartwatches, etc. If you’re not sure if the item is allowed, it is best not to bring it to class. As with the communication devices, if I see or hear it, or if it is distracting the class, I will take it Class ends only when I have said so. At the end of class, students must make sure the room is in order before being allowed to leave. Individual students will periodically be given duties to ensure that the room is in good condition. Others should remain in your seats until the bell has sounded and I have said the class may leave. Remember: the bell does not dismiss you—I do.VI. Composition Notebook and Journal ChecksKeeping a well-organized notebook is a must. Students will frequently need to refer to papers for review. Nothing should be discarded until the teacher gives permission.Students will maintain all daily journal-writing entries along with every bell-ringer. All journal responses must contain at least ten complete sentences. There will be one or two unannounced journal checks during each grading period. A student not having their journal on the day of a journal check will receive an automatic “ZERO.” If the student is absent, they are required to turn in their journal the day they return. Students will be responsible for keeping their journals and bringing them to school each day. Journal checks are random and graded. There is no make-up work for journal checks. Student are to ensure that the journal is kept neat. Soiled journals or extremely messy journals will NOT be graded. Each student should always be prepared and have a pen and pencil. Supplies will not be provided in class. VII. SuppliesBE PREPARED FOR CLASS. Paretns should keep in mind that we use these items daily and they may run out. Always, always, always bring the following to class:1. Language Arts Composition book2. Wide-ruled, loose-leaf notebook paper (assignments on spiral paper, torn out of the notebook, will not be accepted.)3. Three highlighters (yellow, green, blue) 4. At least two sharpened pencils5. Glue Stick6. The book we are using that day (this will be posted every day, so students must check and see which book(s) they will need).7. Language Arts folder with all hand-outs, notes and paper8. A portable flash drive at least 1 GB is recommendedVIII. Policy on Plagiarism and CheatingDefinitions:?PLAGIARISM:Webster’s Definition:? “the act of stealing and passing off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own; to use (a created production) without crediting the source ~ to commit literary theft:? present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source”CHEATING:Webster’s Definition:? “to practice fraud or trickery: to violate rules dishonestly (as on an examination)… “the obtaining of property from another by intentional active distortion of the truth”Mrs. Green’s Definitions:PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING:1.???????To turn in an essay or other written piece as your own that someone else has written2.???????To copy word-for-word information from other sources (e.g. webpage, novel, newspaper article, encyclopedia, etc.) for your own essay or work without properly citing the original source3.???????To paraphrase (or summarize) information from other sources (e.g. webpage, novel, newspaper article, encyclopedia, etc.) for your own essay or work without properly citing the original source4.???????To copy your classmate’s written work and turn it in as your own (e.g.?answers to home learning questions)5.???????To copy your classmate’s answers on a test or quiz6.???????To give or receive answers to a test, quiz, or home learning to/from a student in another class period7.???????To use information of any kind (notes, books, handouts) that is not authorized by Mrs. Green on a test or quizNote:? Putting something in your own words does not mean rewriting it with a few simple word changes.? This is also considered plagiarism and cheating.CONSEQUENCE FOR PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING:??????????????? You will be given an automatic zero on the assignment with absolutely no chance of making up the points/grade.IX. Proper Heading Requirements for all assignmentsPapers without names/headings will be discarded. The student will receive a zero. Five points will be deducted from the student’s grade if the heading is incomplete.X. Computer and InternetMrs. Green’s class requires the use of a computer and access to the Internet at home. A parent is required to notify Mrs. Green immediately if that student does not have access to a computer and or the Internet. Mrs. Green can assist students that do not have access to the Internet. However, if the student or parent does not make an effort to notify me in a timely fashion, the student will be held accountable for any and all work.Recognition of Course ExpectationsStudent Name_________________________________ Period_________ Grade:____Please sign below to indicate that you and your child understand the responsibilities outlined in the 6th grade language arts syllabus. On occasion I like to reward students with a treat, snack and even sometimes pizza. If you do not want your child having any or certain rewards, please send a note in giving specific information on what is or is not allowed. If there are restriction to what your student can receive as a reward (for example due to an allergy or dietary limit) please submit that information in writing along with this course expectation form. If a letter outlining restriction is not received it will be understood that your student can receive classroom rewards. Please return this signed sheet tomorrow for you first grade. Please check, which applies to your home situation and sign below.______ My child has access to a computer and the Internet.______ My child has access to a computer but not the Internet.______ My child does not have access to a computer and Internet.Student’s Name _________________________________Homeroom Teacher: __________ Student Signature: _______________________________ Date: _______Parent/Guardian(s) Name: _______________________________________Parent/Guardian Signature: ________________________Date: _______ Home Phone _________________________Cell Phone ____________________Parent email (Most communication will be done via email to allow for quick response) Home e-mail: __________________________________________________________Work e-mail: ___________________________________________________________The best way to contact me concerning my child is via (circle one) email phone I am looking forward to having a school year full of learning and fun!! We have read and discussed the course syllabus. We understand the information outlined and my student is prepared to assume the responsibilities set forth for the class. By signing below, I signify that I have gone onto the website and read the syllabus with my student. I understand what the expectations are for this course. ______________________________________ ____________________________ _______Parent/Guardian Signature Student Signature DateMrs. Shannon C. Greenscgreen@ ................
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