Language Arts Syllabus - Birmingham City Schools



Teacher: Mrs. Murphy

Email: murphyLteach@

Phone: 205-231-5370

Room: #15

Hello Parents and Students,

I am the 7th grade Language Arts/Reading teacher for the 2014-2015 school year. I am looking forward to a spectacular year with you. My number one goal for this year is to motivate you to become life learners.

Classroom Rules:

• Be Respectful

• Be Responsible

• Be Resourceful

Consequences: If you CHOOSE not to follow the rules, consequences can include any combination of the following depending on the frequency and severity:

• Verbal Warning to stop the misbehavior

• Written Warning to document the misbehavior

• Phone call to parent and/or parent conference

• Office Referral that includes a visit with a principal.

Class Routine and Organization:

Upon entering the class, students will sharpen pencils and turn in homework before class starts. It is your responsibility to sharpen your pencil at the beginning of class. Every day there will be an assignment to complete for your Daily Warm-up Activity and/or Journal Entry.

You must be in class on time. If you are late, I will mark you tardy. If you continue to be tardy without proper written documentation, you will be written up. The bell does not dismiss you from class. I will dismiss you. Students are not allowed to walk around the classroom without permission. If you need to throw trash away, it must be kept with you until the end of class and only when permission is given to line up for dismissal.

Restroom breaks will be taken at specific times during the duration of your day, outside of the classroom instruction. You will be allowed to use the restroom during class, but only in cases of an emergency. Locker breaks are given twice a day, NOT DURING CLASS CHANGE. You can and will lose locker privileges if you are caught at your locker at any other time.

Finally, keep your area clean. At the end of class, remove all of your supplies and books from the desk. No food or gum is allowed in the room. I am not responsible for items left.

Materials:

You are required to have a Language Arts/ Reading binder. It must me brought to class every day. I will show you how to organize it; however, you are responsible for keeping it organized. There will be a notebook check throughout the year, which is worth 50 points. Students must have at least one independent reading book with them at all times. When a student does not have these materials, they are unable to fully engage in the prepared educational experience and may lose points from final grade.

Daily, you are required to bring the following items:

• Language Arts/Reading – 1 inch binder w/ 4 dividers

• 2 Pencils/Pens- Blue or Black only

• Composition notebook

• Pencil sharpener (Must have a covering and can’t make any noise)

*ALL students will be reading two novels this year and will need to purchase their own copy. The books are titled The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins and Double Dutch, by Sharon Draper.

Assignments, Homework, and Absentees:

• Assignments: When assignments are given you are responsible for turning them on the due date.

• Homework: My expectations for my students are simple. Students should use daily planner to record when homework is given. All assignments are expected to be turned in on time. Work should be written in a neat and legible fashion to receive credit. Homework not done in this manner will have points taken off and/or not be accepted.

• Absentees: If you are absent, you are responsible for your own makeup work. You will have two school days (for every day you are absent) to complete and turn in the missing assignments (e.g. if you are absent two days, you will have four days to complete and submit your makeup work). If you miss a test, come see me to make arrangements.

Curriculum, Grades, and Progress Reports:

1. CURRICULUM: All assignments are based on Alabama Course of Study: English Language Arts.

2. GRADES: A standard percentage system and grade categories are used (see charts below). Rubrics are also incorporated regularly to evaluate everyone on the same criteria.

|Grade |Percentage | |Grade Categories |

|A |100 – 90 | |Homework |20% |

|B |89 – 80 | |Quizzes |10% |

|C |79 – 70 | |Class Work/Participation |30% |

|D |69 – 60 | |Major Test/Projects |40% |

|F |59 – Below | | | |

3. PROGRESS REPORTS: Parents and students can check student progress through STI on the Internet as often as you’d like. (Passwords can be obtained in-person through the office).

4. Unsatisfactory grades may not be changed at the last minute OR near the end of the quarter. Students are expected to do their best on all assignments.

|Reading Syllabus |

|3rd Nine Weeks (January 6 – March 13) |

|Mrs. Murphy |

|Common Core Standards: |

|Reading Standards for Literature |

| |

|RL.4-Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the|

|impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sound on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama. |

|RL.5- Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure contributes to its meaning. |

|RL.6- Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text. |

|RL.7- Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects |

|of techniques unique to each medium. |

|Reading Standards Information Text |

| |

|RI.4-Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.|

|RI.5- Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the |

|development of the ideas. |

|RI.6- Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that |

|of others. |

|RI.7- Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the |

|subject. |

Accelerated Reader (AR) - Students will be required to read independently for each nine week grading period. The books they read must be on their reading level and must be chapter books. NO PICTURE BOOKS! However, students are encouraged to read more. After completion of each AR book, students must take and pass the test. If students do not test on book or do not read an AR book, it will not count as a book you have read.

Reading Projects- Students will be required to complete 2 major projects one per semester and several mini projects throughout the course of the year. Projects are 40% of students grades and must be completed by due dates, if not it can result in failing the course.

Homework- Students are required to read a minimum of 20 pages per night of their AR book every night regardless of any other homework assignments.

Reading Requirement:

*Percy Jackson and The Olympian: The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan (Each student will need their own copy) ________(Parent Initials)

|Language Arts Syllabus |

|3rd Nine Weeks (January 6 – March 13) |

|Mrs. Murphy |

|Common Core Standards: |

|Writing Standards |

| |

|W.2- Write informative or explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ides, concepts, and information through the selection, |

|organization, and analysis of relevant content. |

|W.5- With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, or trying a|

|new approach focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. |

|W.6-Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing. |

|W.9-Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. |

|Language Standards |

| |

|L.1-Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. |

|L.1a-Demonstrate knowledge of subject-verb agreement when interrupted by a prepositional phrase, with inverted word order, with |

|indefinite pronouns as subjects, compound subjects joined correlative and coordinating conjunctions, and collective nouns when verb |

|form depends on the rest of the sentence. |

|L.4a,c,&d-Use context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase; Consult reference; Verify the preliminary determination of the |

|meaning of a word |

|L.5c-Distinguish among the connotation and denotation of words |

Daily Warm-up Activity- At the beginning of each class period, students will complete a Daily Warm-up activity. The Warm-up Activity will be checked every week and is worth 5pts per day. Students will not receive credit for incomplete work or unattempted assignments.

Essay- Students will be given various essay topics to complete throughout the year some will be related to books we have read and others about various topics discussed in class. All essays will be handwritten in class and then typed on independent time. Final copies of essays must be typed in order to receive full credit. No Exceptions!

Vocabulary- Students will have a vocabulary log to use as a resource throughout the year. Students will use their composition book for their vocabulary log. The vocabulary log will entail literary terms, vocabulary from different stories read in class, and any other topics taught in class. They will be tested on vocabulary, so it is imperative that students study and use this resource effectively.

Parent Signature:____________________________________ Date____________

*Homework credit for 25pts when signed!

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Huffman Middle School

7th Grade Language Arts/Reading

Motto: “Everything we do, we do it in Excellence!”

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