Course Syllabus

Course Expectations for ALL students: (In person and Virtual students):

Students in this class are expected to develop writing skills, keep up with reading assignments, and are expected to be prepared and to complete assignments on time.

Course Outline

Unit 1: Written In Bone

Students read literary and informational texts about the stories of our past to understand how different texts offer unique historical perspectives and how authors sometimes alter details of history to serve a purpose. Students express their understanding by corroborating details of the past, deciphering an author’s purpose, and writing their own fictionalized version of a historical account.

Unit 2: The Giver

Students read dystopian literature and related informational texts to understand how individual perspectives are shaped by knowledge and memory and to determine whether perfection is worth the sacrifice. Students express their understanding by analyzing how a theme is developed through characters and their contrasting points of view and also comparing and contrasting the themes of similar texts.

Unit 3: Behind the Scenes

Students read literary and informational texts about the Civil War, a tumultuous period in our country’s history. Students understand that by examining different perspectives through various accounts, real and fictional, they can gain a deeper understanding of the time period and express their understanding through identifying and then comparing and contrasting different accounts of people, events, and ideas of the time.

Unit 4: Memoir

Students read various memoirs and texts about a writer’s craft to understand the importance of memoirs and “coming of age” literature. Students express their understanding by exploring their own voice and style as a writer, observing the firsthand connection between reading and writing, as they write their own memoir.

Course Policies:

Student Work:. All students are expected to read class material, think critically and write effectively. Students are expected to use complete sentences, proper grammar and correct spelling in every written performance.

Make up Policy: If a student is absent, it is HIS/HER responsibility to get all late work from the teacher and return it in a timely manner.

Class Rules:

The student is expected to treat the teacher and other students with respect at all times. Offensive language and hatefulness is NOT acceptable in this class. Our students know what is right and wrong and you will be expected to act accordingly.

Students are expected to be in their seats and prepared for class when the bell rings. Being prepared for class means having all materials out and ready. All virtual students must log in to oncourse by 9:00 am and have classwork completed turned in by 3:00 pm each day.

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism is defined as “the process of copying another person’s idea or written work and claiming it as original”. students are expected to demonstrate honesty and integrity in regard to their academics. They are expected to submit original work that is not falsified or plagiarized.

Cheating, which is considered a serious offense, includes: copying another student’s assignment, sharing answers during a test or independent assignment, or any other act deemed dishonest by the instructor. Any student caught cheating will receive an automatic “0” as a grade on that assignment