Syllabus

ELA 9 Course Syllabus 2023-2024 

COURSE DESCRIPTION 

     This course introduces basic literary genres: short story, novel, poetry, drama, nonfiction, and the terminology necessary for discussing each type. The course also emphasizes essay development through thesis, support, elaboration, and conclusion. Editing and revision skills are accentuated. Writing assignments are linked to academic standards to encourage personal writing and literary analysis. Oral speaking, listening, and vocabulary skills are developed throughout the course. In addition to classroom reading, there is an outside reading requirement. Students will write creative pieces of fiction and poetry in addition to expository papers using the 5 step writing process. These writings will establish knowledge of standard grammar and usage as well as a sense of audience.

ENGLISH 9 OBJECTIVES 

Students will be able to: 

• Students will demonstrate listening, writing, and reading through a variety of short stories.  

• Students will demonstrate persuasive speaking skills dealing with a current topic of reform.  

• Students will demonstrate speaking, reading, and research skills while studying To Kill a Mockingbird.  

• Students will demonstrate speaking, listening, writing, reading, and research skills while studying Animal Farm.  

• Students will demonstrate listening, writing, and reading through various poetry forms.  

• Students will demonstrate speaking, listening, reading, and research skills while studying Mythology.  

• Students will demonstrate speaking, listening, writing, reading, and research skills while studying Romeo and Juliet.  

PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT 

     You must have a three-ring binder with four dividers (grammar, literature, spelling, vocabulary, and writing). I will check notebooks periodically. We will constantly revise and discuss our progress as academic writers throughout the year. By the end of our year together, you will have created a final, finished portfolio that will include relevant examples of your ninth-grade writing experience and growth. 

Your portfolio will remain in the classroom in a designated area. Rewrites may be required as part of your portfolio requirement. 

TEXTS, READINGS, and INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES  

Required Text: My Perspectives – Grade 9 – Savvas 

Supplemental Texts: Assigned Outside Novel Readings 

• To Kill A Mockingbird 

• The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare 

INDEPENDENT READING

     IR is an entry task that will occur every day in the 1st 10 minutes of class. First, students will answer the three recurring questions in Google Slides. Next, read a grade-appropriate novel of your choice. This reading time is part of your vocabulary acquisition and Independent Reading Projects. Reading is a critical part of your grade. 

Class starts when students enter the room, do not wait for the bell to start working.

HOMEWORK POLICY 

     Homework assigned in this class will allow you to practice a particular standard to gain proficiency in that standard. You are expected to arrive at class having completed any assigned homework.

ATTENDANCE and LATE WORK 

     Every moment of class time is precious. Class starts when students enter the room. The daily assignments are posted on Google Sites at the start of the week, so It is your responsibility to find out what you've missed by going to our website and/or Google Classroom and staying on course with the lessons and assignments. You have as many days absent to make up any work as long as these are "excused." Work assigned before an absence is due the day you return to class. 

     Late Work Policy: Late papers will lose 50% of the possible grade. Late papers will only be accepted through the end of the assigned six weeks. If a student is absent on the day an assignment is due, the work is due the day the student returns. If the absence is unexcused, the work will not be accepted as work turned in on time.

      It boils down to this: be punctual–these are critical habits that are very important to be successful in LIFE–as every effort is being made to ensure that over 95% of your coursework can be done in class. 

     This policy differs from my middle school's late work policy because the level and complexity of work is more sophisticated, and it is easier to fall behind. Additionally, near the end of your 10th-grade year, your (hopefully) final ELA SBAC will be taken; answers like "I dunno" will not be sufficient when total credits are now a much more punitive matter, unlike middle school. I cannot ethically create learning shortcuts–students must finish and turn in their work in a timely fashion. 

ESSAY and TECHNOLOGY POLICY 

     Students shall submit all final essay drafts to Google Classroom on the given due date, or their essays will not be scored. Students must turn in the digital final draft and all four of their initial hand-written drafts (outline, rough draft, revision, and edited drafts to the turn-in tray. 

     This protocol is to mitigate the use of AI to shift the focus of effort to the developmental writing process instead of a singular result. You will be using class-assigned Chromebooks all year. 

     Chromebooks are only to be used for school-related purposes. If you use it for any other purpose, you will earn one of the consequences listed in this syllabus's "Consequences" section. 

     Other personal electronic devices are to be put away in the phone caddy hanging on the door to the right as you enter the classroom. Failure to do so may result in a consequence as listed in this syllabus's "Consequences" section.

A Note on AI: 

     Any work written, developed, created, or inspired by artificial intelligence (AI) is considered plagiarism and will not be tolerated. While the ever-changing (and exciting!) new developments with AI will find their place in our workforces and personal lives, in the realm of education and learning in my classroom, this kind of technology can be counterproductive. This is because the use of AI robs us of the opportunity to learn from our experiences and each other, play with our creative freedoms, problem-solve, and contribute our ideas authentically. School is a place for learning, and this class is specifically a space for learning how to improve our writing. AI simply cannot do that learning for us.  

      -Adapted and modified from the work of the University of Colorado Institute of Teaching and Learning- 

GUEST TEACHER AGREEMENT 

     Occasionally, I cannot be in the classroom, and you will have a guest teacher. It is expected and required that you show any guest the same level of respect you would show me or any other staff member. You will also be expected to use your time wisely and work on the assignments given for the day. Not completing or turning in work when required will result in a "0" and cannot be made up for any credit. We need to treat all with dignity and respect.

MATERIALS NEEDED 

❏ #2 pencils ❏ sticky notes ❏ index cards ❏ 2 inch 3 ring binder (portfolio) ❏ 3 Hole Punch, Loose Leaf Notebook Paper ❏ notebook paper (not from a spiral notebook) ❏ highlighters in multiple colors (yellow, orange, blue, green) 

GRADING POLICY 

     Students: You are no longer in middle school. The grades you will receive in high school MATTER and will be a significant determining factor in your life (whether you like it or not). PLEASE go over this information carefully:  

A student portfolio is 60% of the quarterly grades. The other 40% of grades will be made up of daily assignments, quizzes, tests, and reading requirements. In short, your academic grade will be based upon your ability to successfully demonstrate proficiency in each Common Core State Standards required by the state of Washington. 

     There is no extra credit. However, you are encouraged to ask for more opportunities to assess your standard proficiency after attempting all required assignments. Your grade is based on your level of mastery of the Common Core State Standards via portfolio work and my evaluation as your teacher according to your overall performance in class. 

SKYWARD

     Skyward is the primary means of communicating timely information concerning student grades. I encourage all stakeholders to check the status of student grades frequently. Some additional information concerning Skyward:

• Grades posted at the end of grading terms and end of semesters are FULLY accurate grades. These grades reflect all assignments turned in and graded during that grading term.

• Progress reports are available when the office posts them on the web.

• Please remember I have limited time to prepare for classes and grade assignments. It will take several days to assess projects and enter the grades in Gradebook.

• I sometimes divide the class into groups to allow students to work on assignments better suited to their progress. You may see "no count" assignments when you are in a different group and doing a different assignment.

• Parents, please check with your child first when you have questions about missing assignments. I want them to be conversant with you concerning their academic situation.

OUTS  

     Bathroom and locker visits need to be attended to before class. If an emergency arises, students will SIGN OUT before going to the bathroom or locker. Remember that students should do these things between classes, so only go in emergencies. Students have three free-outs per semester. If someone is over the three outs per semester, they will have one week [from the time they received their succeeding out(s)] to serve their 15-minute overage detention. PLEASE KEEP TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF OUTS YOU HAVE! 

TARDIES 

    Being on time is an important life skill to learn to be successful at school and in the workplace. The classroom tardy policy is to help teach our students the importance of punctuality and responsibility. The consequences for tardies are the same as the “OUT’s”policy:

If someone is over three tardies per semester, they will have one week [from the time they received their succeeding out(s)] to serve their 15-minute overage detention. PLEASE KEEP TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF TARDIES YOU HAVE!

DETENTIONS

     Missed detentions result in additional consequences and additional classroom or lunch detentions. Let's stay off of a negative spiral. 🥺 

USE OF PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES   

    All personal electronic devices (PED), including wearable electronics (headphones and earbuds), shall be out of sight during the school day except when used for an agreed-upon instructional reason or other school-related purposes as determined by the teacher.

     As students enter the classroom, all will turn off or mute their phones and place their PED's in the classroom PED (phone caddy) hanger. The PED hanger use is mandatory.   

CLASSROOM DISCIPLINE PROGRESSION   

     With a renewed focus on the district's discipline structure, I have placed the following classroom interventions as the primary sequence of events before a written referral is entered into the system and mandatory parental contact is initiated:

1. A (soft) immediate direct verbal warning to the student—awareness that their behavior is disruptive. 

2. A (hard) immediate redirect in the form of a seat location or seat orientation change—a second point of awareness that their behavior is disruptive. 

3. A 100 to 150-word reflective/corrective essay the student will immediately start to work on— an immediate physical (writing) and mental redirect.

     Conversely, time-outs, lunch detentions, after-school detentions, and Saturday school are additional options when the primary consequences are ineffective.   

     These interventions are in keeping with the district's policy of inclusionary disciplinary practices, which allows all students to remain in the educational environment without losing access to instruction. Be BRAVE - Bold, Responsible, Attitude, Valued, and Empathetic    

PLAGIARISM POLICY 

     Plagiarism of any kind will result in an automatic zero for the assignment. Any recurrences will also result in a zero for that quarter, a referral, a conference with your parent/guardian, and/or administrative consequences.

CONSUMABLES

     No gum, candy, or drinks (except water) is to be consumed in class. Over time, students may earn gum and food privileges by showing that they are meticulous and considerate of others. I have to be mindful of the workload of our excellent custodians. As with anything, there are exceptions, birthday treat days, class potlucks, and designated special occasions.

ORGANIZATION WILL SET YOU FREE

     Organization really does help you throughout life if you develop the self-discipline to organize things systematically and reasonably and follow that system even on hectic days. In fact, you'll find solid organizational skills and discipline act as a vaccine against hectic days. To this end, there will be notebook quizzes. Fear not; if you have followed directions in class and keep an organized portfolio, these are easy A's.