Morgan Park High School



Morgan Park High School

1744 West Pryor Avenue

Chicago, Illinois

(773) 535-2550



Topics in Literature

Parent Letter/Course Syllabus

2009/2010

Instructor: Ms. Maya Patel

Credentials: B.A., Loyola University Chicago

M.Ed., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Room: 317

Email: mmpatel@cps.edu

Greetings Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

I am very pleased to be teaching your child this year. I would like to take this opportunity to share some information about the course that I hope you will find helpful.

School Website:

All homework assignments, project instructions, and class announcements can be found on our school website at . Parents can also access student attendance and class grades through the IMPACT parent portal.

Course Title and Description

Topics in Literature is an English elective and serves as a foundation for further English coursework. Many of the fundamental skills learned in freshman and sophomore year will be sharpened through various learning strategies. This enriched semester long course emphasizes critical thinking, reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammatical skills. Students will examine literature in the broader context of a global society and will complete considerable work with literary analysis. In addition to studying literature, students will also prepare to take the PLAN. PSAE and, ACT tests important components of junior English.

Texts: PSAE Work Book.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Students will be required to leave all books in class every day.

Course Objectives

The objectives of this course are clearly defined in the ACT College Readiness Standards which can be accessed at standard/ and in the Illinois Learning Standards below:

Illinois Learning Standards

State Goal 1: Read with understanding and fluency

State Goal 2: Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras, and ideas

State Goal 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes

State Goal 4 Listen and Speak effectively in a variety of situations

State Goal 5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess, and communicate information

Supplies:

Students should be prepared for class each day with the following supplies:

• folder

• college ruled loose-leaf paper

• pens & pencils

• pocket dictionary

Classroom Expectations

Students are expected to:

• wear IDs at all times.

• be in class on time with all materials.

• use appropriate language and demonstrate respect for others at all times.

• refrain from eating, drinking, or chewing gum in class.

• refrain from bringing cell phones or other electronic devices into the classroom (in accordance with Morgan Park’s Uniform Discipline Code).

• complete all homework and class assignments on time (NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS ACCEPTED).

• dress appropriately (in accordance to Morgan Park’s Uniform Discipline Code).

Course Syllabus ***

|UNIT/DURATION |TEXTS |

|Unit 1: Reading Comprehension |PSAE Workbook, The Secret Life of Bees, and nonfiction |

|and Vocabulary | |

|(9 Weeks) | |

|Unit 2: Grammar, Writing, and |PSAE Workbook, The Secret Life of Bees, and nonfiction |

|Vocabulary | |

|(10 Weeks) | |

*** The topics, readings, writing activities and assignments are subject to change due to

time constraints, students’ progress and other variations.

Grades:

Grades are a reflection of the quality of each student’s performance in the classroom and will be based on

daily bell ringers, classwork assignments, and bi-weekly quizzes.

classwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30% The grading scale is as follows:

quizzes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15% A 90-100

tests,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15% B 80- 89

projects/special assignments . . . . . . . . . 15% C 70- 79

midterm/semester finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15% D 60- 69

homework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10% F 0- 59

Remediation/Assistance Policies

Students who need grade remediation or assistance can see the teacher.

Homework Policy and Missing Work

In order to foster responsibility in our students, no late work will be accepted. In the case of absence, a student will have one day per day of absence to submit missed work. It is the student’s responsibility to determine what work has been missed by checking the website, consulting a classmate, or seeing me before or after class. Arrangements to take missed quizzes/tests must be made by the student on the day he/she returns from an absence. If a student does not comply with this policy, any missed assignment will be recorded as a zero.

Attendance Policy

Students should report to class on time. After 3 unexcused absences or 5 unexcused tardies, parents will be contacted and disciplinary action will be taken. When students arrive late to class they will also miss the daily bell ringer points.

I am looking forward to working with you and your child this year, and I hope to meet you on Report Card Pick-Up days – Thursday, November 19, 2009, and Thursday, April 22, 2010. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns.

Maya Patel

School: 535-2550 e-mail: mmpatel@cps.edu

Topics in Literature

Parent Letter/Course Syllabus

2009/2010

Parental Agreement

Student Name____________________________________Division____________Class Period________

________I have read and discussed with my son/daughter the expectations and guidelines of Topics in Literature.

_______________________________________ __________________________________________

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Signature Student Signature

Questions or Comments: _____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day Phone (__ )___________________

Evening Phone (___)____________________

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