Lithia Springs High School
770-651-6700
www.lithiasprings.dch.schoolinsites.com
10th Grade Literature and Composition Syllabus for School Year 2016-2017
Instructor: Petrina Warren
Contact:
Course Description: Focusing on a study of literary genres, the student will develop an initial understanding of both the structures and meanings of works of literature. The students will develop an initial understanding of the way the form of a work of literature affects the meaning of the work and of the process of interpretation of a text or texts. The students will read thoughtfully and purposefully, continually checking for understandings of the author’s intents and meanings in order to determine sound interpretations.
Based primarily on a thematic approach, students will further develop reading, writing, speaking/listening, and critical thinking skills through the study of a variety of genres and writers unique to the literature of the prescribed course. Emphasis on developing control in technical writing, refining personal narratives, building research skills, and integrating grammar and mechanics skills usage runs throughout the course. Persuasive writing and the writing process are the primary models and outline for writing projects. Students are encouraged to write to communicate to specific audiences, including personal reflection and evaluation, with a view to problem solving and argumentation.
Anticipated Classroom Format: All students are expected to be active participants in their learning experiences. Active participation requires regular attendance, attention to class assignments and discussions, and a commitment to learning. Each class session will include activities that are specifically related to the unit of study. The overall goal of the course is for students to enjoy studying literature and to understand how it affords them connections to real world experiences. Students will have opportunities to exhibit levels of mastery and understanding of the concepts and units. Carefully designed assessments will include writing, performing, speaking, listening, and reading.
Performance Standards/Objectives: The students will be expected to accomplish tasks that meet the objectives and performance standards (CCGPS) as outlined by the state and county for the course listed above. The standards may be viewed online at https://www.georgiastandards.org/Common-Core/Common%20Core%20Frameworks/CCGPS_ELA_9-10_Standards.pdf
Assessments/Evaluations/Required Student Products: The final course grade will be a combination of class work, special projects, tests, quizzes, portfolio contents, and some homework assignments. Throughout the semester, students will be assessed, both formally and informally, by various devices and observations. All work assigned in the course will contribute to the overall learning of concepts that should be mastered by students by the end of the course. All work will contribute to students’ final grades. The year is comprised of four units of study. At the end of each unit, a unit test, or Common District Assessment (CDA), will be administered to all students. This CDA will be common to all students in common courses across the county.
Strategies for Student Learning: Each student will be expected to work both independently and collaboratively with others in order to complete assignments and enhance learning. A combination of student-centered activities (group teams, individual, class, and homework) will include key strategies for a learning environment and atmosphere.
Required Readings and Writings: During the course, students will read various literature selections which include short stories, poems, novels, plays, and informational texts. In addition, students will experience essays, articles, advertising, and other media. Students are required to read all assigned readings and will participate in all discussions, assignments, writing, and assessments.
Students with disabilities or special needs: Differentiated assignments and assessments are always considered a vital part of communicating with and instructing students. All students will be given an equal opportunity to excel, and students will be given the individual attention they need to succeed. Special considerations and services are given to those students in various programs and strains of study. Any special issues should be addressed by parents/guardians directly to the teacher via reasonable communication established by protocols and individual student IEPs and other accommodations.
Communication: Household support for students is an important part of their education. Communication between parent and teacher is a necessary support structure and can provide help and direction. Contact between the home and the school can be maintained by letters, notes, calls, or emails. The email system through LSHS is the fastest and most efficient way to contact teachers.
Parent Portal: Parents may monitor their student’s grades and attendance by using their personal computer from home. To sign up for Parent Portal, contact the front office at (770) 651-6700 or go to the following website: https://campus.douglas.k12.ga.us/campus/portal/douglas.jsp.
You will need your student's 6 digit lunch number. This is the same as the student ID that prints on the schedule. You will also need the social security number and birthdate.
Video Permission: Lithia Springs High School will be engaging in a professional learning opportunity with teachers during the school year. This may include videoing in their classroom in an effort to increase research-based teaching practices. Each video will be used for professional learning and will only be viewed by certified school personnel. By signing to acknowledge your review of this syllabus, you understand that during videoing, your child may be included in the video and you also understand that the video will not be published.
Lost Book Policy: Books and/or textbooks may be assigned and sometimes checked out. Books may be checked out to students to make up assignments or to perform other work or projects. The students will be responsible for the replacement cost of a book that is damaged or lost, regardless of the condition of the book at the time it is taken out. Please see student handbook for further explanation and specifics.
Late Work and Make-Up Assignments: Students will be given one (1) day, for each day absent, to complete and turn-in makeup work. Students are expected to contact their teachers to obtain make up assignments. Students shall receive a “zero” for any assignment or test not made up in the allotted time. Within this framework, the maximum time allowed shall be determined at the discretion of the teacher and building level administrator.
Late work is defined as “work not turned in on time but not due to excused or unexcused absence.” The penalty is 10 points taken off per day. After 3 days the assignment becomes a zero.
Incomplete Grades: Incompletes are rewarded to students who did not complete their Milestone Test and/or have major grades missing due to an illness or unexpected absence. For finals, incompletes will be converted to a numeric grade once it is completed by the student. For missing exams or major grades, students have ten days to complete the missing items.
Extra Credit: These opportunities are left to the discretion of the individual teacher and are offered through the school year.
Transfer Grades: The teacher will assign each grade in the grade book with the transfer grade.
Appeals: A student/parent has five (5) business days from the date report cards are issued to appeal the final grade. The principal’s ruling is final.
Academic Honesty: Assessments are intended to represent a student’s knowledge or skills and to reflect the way in which he or she obtains that knowledge or those skills. When a student submits work, it should represent his or her own effort. Students should neither accept nor provide any unauthorized information that would give an advantage unavailable to all others in the class.
Academic dishonesty, in any form, will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, any act that involves use of improperly acquired information, unauthorized collaboration with another student, submission of material that is identical to another student’s work, claims of completing work done by another person, giving false statements to teachers, and forging or altering a document.
Additionally, students should make every effort to avoid accidental plagiarism. Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional use of another person’s work (including graphics or audio clips of any sort), or ideas, without giving credit. The words of others must be placed in quotation marks and the original source(s) must be cited. Citations must be used whenever the ideas of others are referenced, even if the ideas are paraphrased. The English Department requires students to use in-text, parenthetical documentation following MLA guidelines. If you are unsure about how to cite quotations, there are a number of on-line resources you may wish to consult including the following: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/02/
Students guilty of an act of academic dishonesty will receive a zero on the assignment, receive a discipline referral, and have his/her parent notified.
Grading Plan: A numerical grade will be recorded for all student grades. Teachers utilize the Portal on-line program to update grades, and will update grades every week.
Summative Assignments (projects, presentations, CDAs/CUAs, essays) 50%
Formative Assessments (quizzes, classwork, homework) 30%
State Mandated End of Course Test (Milestone Assessment) 20%
Letter grades will be given on report cards and posted on all permanent records using the following scale:
A=100-90, B=89-80, C=79-71, D=70, F=69-0.
Tardies to Class: The faculty of LSHS values the instructional time of each and every student. Therefore, every tardy will be documented and detention will be assigned. Failure to serve any detentions will result in further disciplinary action. Multiple missed detentions may result in increased disciplinary action.
Tardies only pertain to the first 5 minutes of class. Arrival to class with a tardy greater than 5 minutes constitutes skipping unless he/she had just arrived to school. In that case, they will have an excuse/pass from the attendance office. Students are responsible for telling parents/guardians about tardies. If a teacher sees a consistent pattern of tardiness to his or her class, parental contact will be attempted, but will not change any disciplinary action issued by the LSHS administration.
ELA Departmental Tutoring: 7am-8am OR 4pm-5:30pm every Monday (individual teachers may offer additional opportunities for tutoring)
LSHS House Rules:
· Always be on time and prepared to learn.
· Passes will not be issued during the first and last 10 minutes of class.
· Hats, hoods, headbands, and/or head garments of any kind are not to be worn in the school building.
· Electronic devices, including phones, iPods, ear buds, etc., are not permitted during the school day. All electronic devices must remain turned off and out of sight, or they may be confiscated. Confiscated items will only be returned to legal parent/guardian.
· Please stay in your class and in your seat until the bell rings.
· Thank you for assisting in keeping our high school clean by picking up around your area and throwing your trash away. This is particularly vital in the cafeteria area.
Nuisance Items and Cell Phones: Any electronic device visible in class is subject to a discipline referral. Consequences will result in detention, ISS, and OSS, depending on the number of infractions.
The use of cell phones, unless directed to do so by the teacher for instructional purposes (BYOT), is prohibited. Cell phones are not allowed to be used for any reason during the school day. If a cell phone is visible, LSHS reserves the right to confiscate it. All confiscated cell phones will be turned into the office before the end of the school day. Classes will not be interrupted in order to retrieve a cell phone. A parent/guardian must come to the school before 4:00 in order to retrieve any confiscated cell phones. Other nuisance items such as iPods, head phones, etc. do not serve an instructional purpose. Possession of these items during school hours is inappropriate and should not be in the learning environment. These items will be confiscated and held until a parent/guardian retrieves them.
LSHS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY AND ALL CONFISCATED ITEMS.
LSHS Schoolwide Discipline Protocol:
1st Offense: Department Detention and Parent Contact
2nd Offense: Department Detention and Parent Contact
3rd Offense: Department Detention and Parent Contact
4th Offense: Administrative Referral
CDA Policy: Douglas County Schools has established an assessment plan to provide a consistent measure of student progress across the county. Each subject has common district assessments (CDAs) that students are required to take as part of their assessment grades. The CDA scores will be counted as a CDA/ CUA test grade. Students will be provided retests that will also go into the CDA/CUA category; this assessment will be similar to the original CDA’s content.