Course Description
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This one-year course (Foundations in Composition, Language, and the Elements of Text) provides instruction in the English Language Arts strands identified by the Common Core State Standards as reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language. The English 9 Honors course is designated as honors level by the accelerated instructional pacing and depth of content. Both courses are designed to build on knowledge and skills acquired in earlier grades but in more sophisticated ways such as mastering the language, grammar, structure, and rhetoric of text; completing more complex writing assignments; reading and analyzing a range of literary and informational discourse, both classic and contemporary; delivering more extensive oral presentations; and participating in a variety of conversations and collaborations with peers. Instructional practices incorporate integration of diversity awareness including appreciation of all cultures and their important contributions to society. The appropriate use of technology and digital media are integral parts of this course. This course fulfills one of the English credits required for high school graduation.
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Course Scope and Goals
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Textbooks
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Student Supplies
ONLINE INSTRUCTION |
NOTE: The following supplies are needed for ONLINE instruction.
NEED HELP? Many students need technological assistance or help with getting Chromebooks. Please talk to your counselor if you need these necessary tools. |
Student Supplies
IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION |
NOTE: The following supplies are needed for traditional in-person instruction.
Students are expected to have and maintain the following supplies all year:
Binders Students are expected to bring all notes, notebooks, necessary texts, and work with them on a daily basis. The binderwill contain homework, notes, returned work, and class handouts. In the event of a grade dispute, the student's graded work is proof that s/he has completed the work and received a grade. Without that proof, the student may be required to resubmit or redo an assignment. |
Remind and Gmail
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Student Responsibilities
Remind.Com
Gmail
Homework Page - IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION ONLY
NOTE: If you are absent, the responsibility of coming to class already prepared is your responsibility. |
Tardy Policy
In-Person and Online |
Tardy Policy - IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION ONLY
Tardiness is a serious disruption to the educational program. Every student is required to be in his/her seat when the tardy bell rings. With that in mind, the Legacy High School Tardy Policy will be strictly enforced. Tardy Policy - ONLINE INSTRUCTION ONLY
Since we will be conducting distance education, tardiness is obviously less of an issue. :D However, we will be having scheduled Google Meets or Google Hangouts for all students each week in order to have valuable student-to-student discussion and exchange of thoughts and ideas. Many of the details are still in the planning process and will change over time. That said, the plan at this time is as follows:
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Grading Policy
Speaking and Listening
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Grading Scale
● 90-100% = A ● 80-89% = B ● 70-79% = C ● 60-69% = D Description of Grading Procedures Grading Policy:
Description of Grading Procedures
More About Speaking and Listening -- ONLINE INSTRUCTION
A crucial element of any English course in composition and literature is the discussion of texts and ideas. Without frequent, active engagement in discussion, comprehension tends to suffer. It is not sufficient to listen politely to others without responding to their ideas. Speaking and listening may include any or all of the following examples:
Google Meets and Google Hangouts
More About Speaking and Listening -- IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION A crucial element of any English course in composition and literature is the discussion of texts and ideas. Without frequent, active engagement in discussion, comprehension tends to suffer. It is not sufficient to listen politely to others without responding to their ideas. Speaking and listening may include any or all of the following examples:
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Appropriate Online Discussion Behavior
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While I welcome student participation and commentary, your behavior must obviously reflect the professional demeanor expected of high school students. This applies for all forms of written and spoken communication including...
However, inappropriate language or continued outbursts will result in more pointed consequences including some or all of the following:
What Behaviors Are Inappropriate in Online Discussion? In a new environment such as online learning, it is not always easy to know what's considered appropriate or not. The following behaviors are not acceptable at any time:
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Normal Grade Expectations
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In a course taught at an appropriate level of challenge for correctly-placed students, the average grade for the class will tend to be a mid-range C. This “bell curve” distribution means that most students in the class will receive a grade between C-minus and B-minus. A class whose average is substantially higher or lower may not be providing an appropriate level of challenge for the students and/or may not be following the intent and rigor of the Common Core State Standards.
A student’s previous grade in a less-difficult class or a different school may not necessarily be an accurate predictor of her or his performance in English 9 or English 9 Honors. Please be aware that the level of this course may be more challenging than previously-taken courses. |
Extra Credit
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Please do not anticipate that I will give extra credit. I would far prefer for you to do the regular credit. If you need additional credit, please feel free to ask whether or not it would be possible to redo an essay or project for higher credit.
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Standards of Preparation
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Default Format for Essays and Projects
Work will not be accepted until it has met preparation guidelines. If you are here on a due date, but your work is not ready to be turned in, you very well might receive a “0” if I am assessing preparation points that day, and your work will be returned to you for revision. If there are serious extenuating circumstances (e.g., family emergency) that prevented you from being fully prepared, please have your parents contact me at [email protected], and I will be happy to speak to them. Grammar, usage, mechanics, spelling, clarity, and observance of MLA style will count on most assignments. |
Make-Up and Late Work
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Make-up Work/Late Work/Retakes:
Teacher Office Hours:
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Attendance
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Attendance
A student is considered present/participating for an attendance day and course based on the following definitions:
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Behavioral Expectations
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Essential Rules
Recording of Lessons All synchronous lessons will be recorded. Students are not permitted to download the sessions, take screenshots, or share the videos from the sessions. The viewing permissions will be set to only be viewers with CCSD Google accounts. By signing the course expectations below, students and guardians acknowledge they will be recorded and NOT record or take screenshots of any session they are viewing/attending. Digital Classroom Conduct for Google Meets and Canvas:
Behavior During Class
Procedure If Absent
IN-PERSON: Corridor and Bathroom Pass Procedure
IN-PERSON: Nurse Passes
IN-PERSON: Routine Behavior During Class
IN-PERSON: Ending Class
IN-PERSON: Care of School and Personal Property
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Electronic Devices and Nuisance Items
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Electronic Devices, Cell Phones, mp3 Players
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Behavioral Consequences
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Consequences
Consequences for a student’s choice to violate classroom or school rules will proceed according to CCSD and school policy.
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Food and Drink
IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION |
IN-PERSON: Food, Drink, Candy, or Gum
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Substitutes, Guests, Visitors
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Substitute Teachers, Guests, and Visitors
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Classroom Care and Cleaning
IN-PERSON |
Classroom Care
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Citizenship
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O = Outstanding
S= Satisfactory
U = Unsatisfactory
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Items Unique to This Classroom
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Evaluation of Written Work
Redone Work
Please be aware that I am happy at any time to go over a student’s paper with him or her in detail and explain issues or areas of improvement. Regrettably, it would not be possible for all errors or problems to be pointed out in writing during paper evaluation. If a student is unsure of how to fix a problem, she or he is eagerly encouraged to seek help after or before school or through email. Mandatory Make-Ups Mandatory make-ups may be issued for students who are missing work. Mandatory make-ups are held for approximately an hour after school or during office hours or until the student has completed work sufficient to raise their grade. Students will be given notice prior to mandatory make-ups. If students cannot attend, they may reschedule. If students miss the appointment, parent contact will be attempted and the appointment rescheduled. If the mandatory make-up is missed more than once, further disciplinary consequences may occur. Mandatory make-ups exist in order to help students learn and succeed. |
Academic Honesty
Consequences of Academic Dishonesty
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Plagiarism
Academic dishonesty, also known as plagiarism, can be defined as taking credit for, presenting as one’s own, or putting into one’s own words the words, ideas, concepts, analyses, thought, creative products, or data of another person or organization without giving appropriate written credit to that person or organization in the form of both internal citation and a works cited list provided in one’s own document. Plagiarism also includes improper or incorrect citation. Cheating can be defined as a form of plagiarism (above) or as using the products of another person’s mind or an external source of data to provide answers on an examination, a written assignment, a project, or other coursework or activity. For a full definition of academic dishonesty, please see the CCSD Honor Code in your classroom planner. Consequences Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Any student caught cheating will receive a zero on his or her work with no possibility of make-up, a parent conference, and (if the academic dishonesty continues) a U in citizenship for the quarter based on failure to follow classroom rules. No recommendations for college, scholarship, employment, or other recommendations will be given by me for any student who cheats or plagiarizes. At any point, your written work may be submitted to a plagiarism detection service such as Turnitin.com. Please be advised that if there is similarity between a student's paper and information contained within the Turnitin.com database, that student will be presented with the data, the teacher will attempt to contact the student's parents, and a grade of "0" will be given on the paper with no possibility of make-up. Academic Honesty in Classwork, Tests, Homework Please presume that all work done for this class, unless clearly specified otherwise, is to be the product of an individual student's mind working alone. If you are not sure whether it would be okay to work with someone else or get help from someone, ASK ME. If you cannot ask me, then WORK ALONE. "Getting help" from another person to the point where the integrity of the student's own work comes under question is not advised in the least and may lead to the teacher's decision that the work violates the academic honesty policy. Copying, "borrowing," or "getting help" from another student when the work is expected to have been done individually may possibly result in consequences for academic dishonesty. I will almost never have group projects, group grades, or group products. Please do not assume that you should be working together on a graded piece of work, especially writing. |
Preventing Bias
IN-PERSON |
IN-PERSON
In order to prevent potential positive or negative bias, much of your work (including but not restricted to papers, compositions, essays, tests, projects, or other work) will be submitted under classroom-appropriate pseudonyms of the student’s own invention. A grade will assigned before I am aware of the student’s true identity. Students are advised not to use the same pseudonym over and over or it stops being a pseudonym and becomes a nickname. Also, students are advised to please keep track of all pseudonym because if I don't know that a piece of writing was completed by a particular student, I have to mark the work as a "zero" in my grade book until the writing is claimed. Please be aware that your pseudonyms are to be classroom-appropriate. Use of profanity, innuendo, hate speech, racist/sexist/discriminatory/offensive language is prohibited at all times and may require intervention with parents, counselors, or administrators. |
Citizenship
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Citizenship will follow the standard Legacy High School citizenship rubric. In brief, grades of "O" (Outstanding) are given for those students who are consistently and especially helpful, industrious, and optimistic. Grades of "S" (Satisfactory) are given for those students who do the work and follow classroom rules in a reasonable fashion. Grades of "U" are given for those students whose behavior necessitates intervention or consequences.
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