class_syllabus_20112012
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http://www.houstonchristian.org/data/files/gallery/ClassFileGallery/Class_Syllabus_20112012.pdfTRANSCRIPT
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Welcome! Welcome to Houston Christian High School and Writing and Declamation class! All of us here at HCHS are excited you are here with us and cannot wait to start an excellent year! This document is designed to tell you about the basics of our class—what will be covered, grading, supplies and other pertinent information.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a
future.” -Jeremiah 29:11 Contact Information Mrs. Allison Morris Room 126 [email protected]
Tutorial Times: A Days: 3:45-‐4:45 p.m. B Days: 2:15-‐3:15 p.m.
Course Content I feel passionate about the skill of writing, and I can’t wait to teach you about all the things great writers do and bring out the inner writer in you! Writing produces revelations, creates a deeper understanding of self, and allows us to explore and evaluate some of the most critical questions of humanity. Further, in a world where success in college is essential, writing skills are of utmost importance in preparing you for college work. I recently had a former HCHS student come visit me after his first year in college. As we talked, he revealed that he was amazed by the amount of writing he had to do in his first year of college. Laughing, he told me about the copious amounts of writing he even had to do in his math class! Writing is everywhere and is a part of everything we do (even math!). By the end of the year I feel confident you will be a better writer and one step closer to success in college and life . This year, you’ll become more confident not only in the written word, but the spoken word. “Declamation” is a fancy word for public speaking and we’ll do lots of that this year too.
Writing and Declamation Writing and declamation Writing and Declamation
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Below is an outline of the concepts we will cover this year: How Great Writers Teach Us How to Write: Using Models to Inform Writing
Decisions Tools of Style: Diction, Imagery, Details, Language, Syntax and Figurative
Language Tone and Theme The Personal Narrative The Art of Rhetoric and Persuasion Rhetoric in the Media Persuasive Appeals: Pathos, Logos and Ethos Making Arguments in Writing Stylistically Sophisticated Rhetorical Decisions in the Written Word Using Other Genres of Writing to Persuade-‐The Visual Argument Writing Poetry Writing Short Stories Writing Error-‐Free, Grammatically Correct Work Varying Your Sentence Structure
Course Books
1. Sentencing Composing for High School: A Workbook on Sentence Variety and Maturity by Don Killgallon
a. ISBN-‐10: 0867094281 b. This book is a set of practices to teach different sentence frames that
students can use to add variety to their writing. We will use this book to add unique sentence beginnings, interrupters and closings that provide a layer of sophistication and interest to student sentences.
2. Personal Reading Selections a. Each quarter, students are required to do reading in the genre in
which we are writing. Research shows that the more students are exposed to great writing, the more their writing improves. At the beginning of the quarter, students are given a list of readings to choose from and one of their major grades for the quarter is a test on that reading. For quarter 1, students will choose one memoir from the list below to read:
i. Other Side of the Sky by Farah Ahmedi 1. ISBN-‐10: 141691837X
ii. Hope’s Boy by Andrew Bridge 1. ISBN-‐10: 1401303226
iii. War Child by Emmanuel Jal 1. ISBN-‐10: 0312602979
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Supplies Needed
1. You have one of three choices for a notebook. Choose the one that best fits your learning and organizational style. However, there are SEVERAL handouts in this class, so a three ring binder is encouraged if you are undecided:
a. A section for Writing and Declamation in a large three-‐ring binder for your A or B day (depending when your Writing and Declamation class is)
b. A three-‐ring binder specifically for Writing and Declamation (should be at least three inches, 1 ½ will not be big enough)
c. An accordion file folder with space for each class
2. Required Class Books (See Above) 3. Two Red Pens 4. A Set of 4-‐5 Different Colored Highlighters 5. Five Dividers for Writing and Declamation for
the Following Sections: a. Grammar b. Sentence Variety c. Readings and Notes d. Graded Papers e. “Keepers”
Grading Percentages You will have several grades over the course of a quarter; however, these grades are weighted differently depending on the type of assignment. Here are the weights for grades in this course and the types of assignments in this class for each category:
Major Grades-50% Minor Grades-30% Daily Grades-20% Major Writing Assignments Personal Reading Examinations Timed Writing Assignments Speeches Grammar Exams
Grammar and Sentence Variety Quizzes Short Timed Writes Reading Quizzes Concept Quizzes
Homework Assignments Class Participation
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Email Availability and Etiquette I encourage you to come ask me any questions you have about the course so that you can achieve your best. However, I have a few guidelines about email and tutoring.
I answer emails during the day between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. However, after 4:00 p.m., I do not check my school email. Make sure that if you have an urgent question you have emailed me before 4:00 p.m. I also do not check email on the weekend. If you email me over the weekend, I will respond on Monday. Make sure that you use proper email etiquette when you email me. When you email me, make sure that you 1) give a greeting, 2) write in complete sentences with appropriate punctuation, 3) have a closing, 4) use an appropriate and respectful tone. An example email might look like this:
Dear Mrs. Morris, I was wondering if I could use contractions in our personal narrative because it is a less formal form of writing. Thanks, John Jeffers
I will not respond to emails that do not follow this etiquette. Emails such as this will be sent back to you:
whats the homework?
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Tutoring Please come see me if you have a question! Sometimes, five minutes can clear up something you were confused about in class. Because I have a pre-‐block class, I am not available for tutoring in the morning. However, I do hold tutorials for an hour after school and there is a sign up sheet inside my room for tutorial times. If you would like to meet for a tutorial, sign up for a time slot; if all time slots are full, I will try to meet with you, but first preference is given for those with an appointment. If you make an appointment to meet with me, make sure that you honor that meeting by showing up. If you need to reschedule a meeting, do so A.S.A.P. I may issue a detention for wasting my time and taking away another student’s tutoring opportunity. During the time of a paper due date, tutorials can fill up quickly. If you would like me to work with you on a paper, make sure you sign up for a tutorial time in advance.
Reading Drafts Any excellent writer goes through a process of revision and editing to make his or her work extraordinary. I highly encourage you to submit one draft (or many!) to me to read before a major deadline. However, here a few guidelines for submitting drafts to me:
1. If you would like me to read your paper, sign up for a tutorial time and bring your paper into me. I will then read the paper and give you some comments.
2. Close to a major deadline, be sure to sign up for a tutorial before the due date. I will not read drafts the day a paper is due.
3. Be prepared to tell me what you are struggling with in the tutorial so I can focus my feedback on that.
4. I do not accept papers to revise by email. You must come to my classroom with your paper for me to give your feedback.
5. Do not simply expect me to rewrite your paper—instead, I will help you to brainstorm different approaches to the struggle you are having in the piece and I will ask you questions to guide you to focus and improve the piece.
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Late Work Policy It is the official policy of HCHS that assignments not turned in on the day due at the beginning of the class period may be turned in BY THE NEXT CLASS for a maximum of 50% credit. After this, the assignment will not be accepted. This applies to both major and minor assessments. NO EXTENSIONS ARE GRANTED. You will receive one homework pass per quarter. If you do not finish a homework assignment, you may turn in this pass for a hundred on that assignment. If you do not use that homework pass, you can turn it in at the end of the quarter for extra credit. Use your pass wisely!
→Make sure you are always ahead of the game on your assignments this year
Printing Work for Class Frequently, you will need to print a paper for class. Anything assigned to be printed (papers, research, charts) must be printed BEFORE class to be considered on time. Having your papers ready in hard copy is something you should do ahead of time. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you print all assignments at home. The classroom printers are only available for teacher use and the library is not always open before class for printing. Further, on due dates, there is often a line at the library printer. Save yourself the stress…print at home.
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Absent Work Every once and a while, everyone has to miss class. However, remember that if you are absent, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to get the work you missed and master the concepts covered that day in class. If you miss a day of class, here is what you should do:
1. Immediately go to the portal and click on the date you missed to read the agenda for that day in class to see what we did.
2. Download and print any worksheets or readings for that day in class. These will be posted where the agenda and homework assignments for the day are.
3. Complete as much as you can of the class work and homework before you return to class.
4. Meet with Mrs. Morris to discuss any notes or concepts you missed and clarify what is due that you missed that day.
I will not remind you of the work you missed; you must take the initiative on your own to make up any missing work. However, note that you do not have weeks and weeks to make up work you missed. If you are absent, you must make up work on the following schedule: Day Absent in Class
The Next Day You Go to Writing and Declamation
The Second Day You Go to Writing and Declamation after Absence
The Third Day You Go to Writing and Declamation after Absence
Go to the portal and look up the date you missed. Read what we did in class that day and the homework. Begin working on this. EXCEPTION: EXAMS, PAPERS AND SPEECHES THAT ARE MISSED MUST BE MADE UP THE FIRST DAY YOU RETURN
You should ask Mrs. Morris any questions you have about what you missed and get any class notes. It is best to have your make up work already finished by this day. IF YOU MISSED AN EXAM, PAPER OR SPEECH, IT MUST BE MADE UP THIS DAY
This is the DUE DATE for all absent work. It is due at the BEGINNING of class.
At this point, your make up work is late and 50 points will be taken off your grade. If it is turned in past this date, it will not be accepted for credit and you will receive a zero for the assignment.
Homework We only meet together every other day. That means that it is important for you to continue practicing your writing skills outside of class. For every class meeting, you will have between 30-‐60 minutes of homework. Please put forth your full effort and contact me at anytime if you have questions about the homework. Please know that all homework is due as soon as the bell rings at the beginning of class. This includes work that needs to be printed out. You MUST print out work before class or it will be considered late.
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Plagiarism Better is a poor man who walks in integrity than a rich
man who is crooked in his ways. Proverbs 28:6
Some things are more important in life than a good grade. One of those things is your honor and integrity. When you turn in a piece of written work, I expect that you can turn it in with full integrity because the work is YOURS and yours alone. Also, if you allow others to write your work, you will never become a better writer. Your integrity is also compromised when you choose to not do your reading assignments and rely on others to think and read for you. To ensure this does not happen, there are some clear guidelines that you are required to follow for all written work and reading assignments: Words and Ideas from
Another Source Working with a Tutor or Parent Reading Assignments
You may not copy exact wording from another source without giving proper MLA documentation to the source. You may not copy ideas from another source without giving proper MLA documentation to the source.
A tutor/parent may NOT reword or rewrite any of your sentences. Your sentence formulation and structure must be your own. They may suggest, “this sentence sounds awkward.” But they cannot say, “this sentence sounds awkward, just write __________ instead.” A tutor/parent may NOT change the word choice in your paper to represent words beyond your own knowledge. They can suggest, “you could use a better word here,” but they may not give you a word choice from their vocabulary that is not a part of your vocabulary. It is acceptable to use a thesaurus as a resource for your word choice when you write; however, if you change a word with a higher-‐level word choice from the thesaurus, you must commit the new word to your memory. If I ask you the meaning of that word, you must be able to tell me its meaning to demonstrate that the word choice selection was your own work. A tutor/parent may ask you broad questions to help you clarify your ideas, but they may not give you ideas. For instance, they cannot write an outline for you or tell you what your thesis statement should be, or give you reasons or evidence to support your point. They can ask you some broad questions such as, “what are you thinking about arguing?” or “what evidence do you have to prove that point?” or “what are you really trying to get across to the audience?” or “what reasons do you think back up your argument?” The MOST important part of being a writer is coming up with your own ideas—taking these from others is perhaps the most egregious form of plagiarism. You are required to give a tutor or parent a copy of the tutoring guidelines and have them sign it before you work with them. If you work with a tutor/parent on the paper and do not turn in a signed tutor guideline sheet, your assignment will not be accepted.
You may not look up information about a reading assignment on Spark Notes, Pink Monkey, Book Rags or other plot summary or analysis websites unless Mrs. Morris explicitly grants permission to do so. Part of what I’m testing is your ability to read and work through your reading difficulties to increase your reading level. You destroy your progress when you do not do develop your own strategies to work through reading confusion. You may not discuss plot information about a reading or class quiz questions with another student. It is cheating whether you are the one asking or answering You may not watch a movie based on a book assigned. If you haven’t read, take the honorable route and just write me a note on the quiz saying that you did not read. When you do that, you keep your INTEGRITY.
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Progress Reports The school creates official progress reports every three weeks during the quarter. The official dates for these progress reports are: September 2 January 20 September 23 February 10 October 28 April 5
November 18 April 27 However, I know that grades are very important to you (they certainly were to me as a student!) and three weeks can seem like a really long time. Therefore, I encourage you to check your grades online at anytime. Your parents can also log into the portal to see your class grades. Behavior Expectations I expect not only your best academically, but also your best behaviorally. I know that this year will be excellent and I hope you will give your absolute finest; however, in the case you break one of our classroom expectations, there are some consequences to those actions. The chart below will give you a sense of some of the behaviors that result in consequences in my classroom. This list is not exhaustive, but gives examples of misbehaviors and their consequences. Consequences for Breaking Our Classroom Expectations:
1. Verbal Warning: If you commit a minor infraction, you will be given a verbal warning.
2. Detention: If you commit any of the infractions in the detention column, OR if you commit any of the two minor behaviors in the verbal warning column two times in a class period you will serve detention with Mrs. Morris during lunch.
3. Reflection Essay and Parent Call: At this point, you will be asked to step outside the room and fill out a reflection essay on the misbehavior and your steps to prevent it and we will also discuss this with your parent/guardian.
4. Parent Conference and Other Consequences To Be Determined
*Note on Bathroom Policy: You are given one bathroom/hall pass for each quarter. You may use this without penalty to go to the restroom or your locker after class has started. However, if you use your bathroom pass and need to leave the room, you will have to take a detention in order to leave. Use your pass wisely and if you don’t use it at all, you can turn it in at the end of the quarter for extra credit
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Verbal Warning
Detention
Reflection Essay + Parent Call + Detention
Parent Conference + More …
Talking while someone else is talking Getting up without permission Distracting another student in any way Coming to class unprepared Talking/not on-‐task during the first five warm up time Head Down (second time, stand up + detention)’ Packing Up Early
Coming in tardy to class Using computer without permission/Computer on desk without permission Visiting a website that Ms. Morris has not authorized during class Using a cell phone during class/cell phone rings in class (*also taken up) Drawing on tables Asking for hall pass after you already used your one given pass Dress Code Violation Chewing Gum Profanity Working on Something for Another Class (also will be taken up) Committing two verbal warning offenses within the same class period
Disrespect towards the instructor Disrespect towards another student Lying
Multiple of the Previous Behaviors Cheating (including failing grade on assignment) Plagiarism (including failing grade on assignment)
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Syllabus Acknowledgement
1. For the Student: I have read Mrs. Morris’ Writing and Declamation Syllabus. I understand these policies and agree to abide by them. Specifically, I acknowledge and agree to the:
Grading Policy Late Work Policy Tutoring and Email Guidelines Absent Work Policy Plagiarism for Reading and Writing Assignments Classroom Behavior Policies
Name Printed: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Signature: ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. For the Parent(s)/Guardian(s) I have read Mrs. Morris’ Writing and Declamation Syllabus. I understand these policies. Specifically, I understand the following policies:
Grading Policy Late Work Policy Tutoring and Email Guidelines Absent Work Policy Plagiarism for Reading and Writing Assignments Classroom Behavior Policies
Name Printed: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Signature: ____________________________________________________________________________________