English 9 – Course Description and Syllabus
Ms. Elizabeth Radcliffe Room E-138
2014-2015
e-mail: e.radcliffe@laschools.net Phone: 505.663.2510
Welcome to English 9! Here is the important information you need to know in order to have a great
year in this class.
Course Description
During this class you will have the opportunity to learn the following concepts:
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How to improve your reading comprehension and analysis of short stories, poems, plays,
novels and non-fiction (Common Core Reading Literature Strands)
How to cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support your analysis of the text
(Common Core Reading Literature and Informational Text Strands)
How to improve your grammatical skills (Common Core Language Strands)
How to improve your writing abilities, not only in content but also in punctuation and
spelling (Common Core Language and Writing Strands)
How to improve your media analysis and research skills (Common Core Writing Strands)
How to improve your discussion skills, including listening to others, formulating your own
opinions and defending them, and defending others’ opinions (Common Core Speaking and
Listening Strands)
Overview of Course
Short Stories: “The Open Window” by Saki, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, and
other short stories
Novella: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Mythology: Heroes, Gods and Monsters by Bernard Evslin, and excerpts from Homer’s The Odyssey
Drama: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Poetry
Writing (MLA Formatting): Literature Analysis, Research, Persuasive, Creative
Grammar
Discussion Skills and Practice: Socratic Method
Word Study: Homophones, SAT/ACT Prep, Vocabulary related to our reading selections
Presentations and Public Speaking
Media and Rhetoric
Texts and Workbooks
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Literature, published by McDougal Littell (On-line access will be made available after the first
few weeks of school.)
InterActive Reader and Writer for Critical Analysis, published by McDougal Littell (Use will vary.
There will be assignments in this book.)
The Elements of Language, Third Course, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Language Skills Practice,
published by Holt (Students should always bring to class.)
Vocabulary Workshop Level D, published by Sadlier (Students do not write in this book and
should always bring to class.)
The Elements of Language, published by Holt (We use a class set of this text. This is not a text
students are to check out from the Text Book Center.)
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (We will be reading this later in semester one. Students will
go to the Text Book Center to get the text closer to when we read it.)
Heroes, Gods and Monsters of Greek Myths by Bernard Evslin (We will read this second semester.
Students will go to the Text Book Center to get the text closer to when we read it.)
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (We will read this second semester. Students will go to
the Text Book Center to get the text closer to when we read it.)
Materials
Requirements:
Paper
Binder with tabs (DOL, Writing, Reading/literature, Grammar, Projects, Other)
Writing utensils (pens, pencils)
Independent reading book
A flash drive
Index Cards
Appreciated Donations:
Kleenex (or other type of tissue)
Hand sanitizer
Sanitizing wipes
* Please do not feel you need to bring in all three! One of the above would be much appreciated.
Classroom Expectations
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Value Your Time - Be on time: Be prepared to work and do your best work
Be Respectful - Respect each other and each other’s property and learning process: Personal
electronics are for personal time, not class time: Water only in the classroom: Listen to and
encourage others: Follow instructions and safety rules
Be Responsible - Bring planners and class materials to every class: Assignments are
expected to be turned in on time: Know and follow your teacher’s make-up policy
Protect your integrity - Do your own work: Avoid plagiarism – your work should reflect
your thoughts: Give credit where credit is due
The student handbook is very clear about what is and is not allowed in school. In particular, please
remember:
 Safety is very important in the classroom. All students will be expected to follow safety
procedures at all times during this class. This includes signing in and out of class during
class time.
 Absences and tardies will be handled according to school policy.
Grading
Assignments and tests will be awarded a point value according to their degree of difficulty. Here is a
general point range:
Type of Assignments
Long Term Assignments (essays, projects, etc.)
Exams
Reading Reflections and Quizzes
In Class Work, including group work and discussions
Homework
Point Value Range
100-200 points
100-200 points
25-50 points
10-50 points
10-25 points
Overall grades are based on the percentage of possible points earned.
A+
A
AB+
97% - 100%
93% - 96%
90% - 92%
87% - 89%
B
BC+
C
C-
83% - 86%
80% - 82%
77% - 79%
73% - 76%
70% - 72%
D+
D
DF
67% - 69%
63% - 66%
60% - 62%
Below 60%
Semester grades are 45% the first nine weeks, 45% the second nine weeks, and 10% the semester
exam score.
Quarter grades are calculated on a total points basis.
PowerSchool – Grades will be updated on PowerSchool (available through the school website) every
week. Please be aware that I enter zeros to alert students, parents, and myself that an action needs to
be taken to get an assignment turned in. A zero can be entered for the following reasons:
1. The assignment was not turned in when it was due.
2. The student was not in class on the day the assignment was due.
Occasionally I make a mistake when entering grades. Papers stick together, I make a typo, etc. You
are responsible for double-checking everything I do in the gradebook. Do not throw away past
assignments for this class. You can have your grade corrected by showing me the paper that I
entered incorrectly.
Attendance, Make Up Work, and Late Work
Being in class is crucial. We will frequently do activities, group work and have class discussions. This
makes it difficult to make up work, and your classmates will miss out too. All absences, whether
school-related or for personal reasons, must be documented through the attendance office.
 If you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed and make
arrangements for making it up. All handouts given in class are located in a folder crate in the
room. Help yourself to what you missed, look over the handouts, then ask the teacher to
clarify anything you did not understand.
 Review planbook.com for the day’s activities. Check my teacher webpage for due dates
 Copy notes from a classmate as soon as you get back to class.
 Excused absences get one day to make up assignments for each day of class missed. Makeup work for absences longer than three days will be discussed on an individual basis.
 Work from excused absence may be turned in during class work time. Do not try to turn
things in during instruction or the first few minutes of class.
 Late work may only be turned in during Academic Time or Saturday School. Late work
turned in during Saturday School is still late and will be assessed as normal late work.
 As the year progresses, the late work policy will become more strict and final due dates will
become more common. Please expect to come to a point in the year where any assignment
turned in late will be eligible for only half credit and late projects or papers will have a 10%
point deduction. This is to ease the transition from the middle school to the high school.
Tardies
Class will start when the bell rings. If you enter or leave after the bell rings (arriving late, leaving for
an appointment, using the restroom) sigh the hall pass log and quietly take your seat. Tardies will be
handled according to school policy. Remember being on time is not only an important habit to build,
it is also crucial for your, and others’ learning.
Hall Passes
Be sure to ask your instructor before leaving the room. You must also take the hall pass and sign out.
Honor Policy/Plagiarism
Cheating/Plagiarism includes (but is not limited to) the following:
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Unauthorized collaboration
Exchanging assignments with another student, whether you believe the assignment will be
copied or not
Submission of all or part of another’s work as your own
Students submitting two identical or extremely similar papers
Distribution of test information (verbal or written)
Misuse of any periodical, literary, or internet source
Using summaries/commentaries (Cliff Notes, Spark Notes, etc.) in lieu of reading the
assigned materials or as a basis for your own analysis
Using your cell phone to text or download information from the internet
Consequences for cheating/plagiarism will follow the student handbook.
Academic Time
Academic Time will be held Monday through Friday from 2:40 to 3:10. You will need to come to
Academic Time (or Saturday School) to turn in late assignments. Academic Time is also an excellent
time to come and seek assistance or ask any questions.
If you are earning a D or F in my class, I will encourage you to attend Academic Time with me to
improve your grade.
You can also come to Academic Time for a place to work. You do not have to work on English work to
attend my Academic Time.
Saturday School
Saturday School is another option for turning in late assignments. You also get a block of time to
work on schoolwork with teachers available to help you. More information about Saturday School
can be found on the high school website. If you sign up earlier in the week before the Saturday
School session, you should have work from your teachers at Saturday School.
Writing Center
I encourage you to take papers to the Writing Center. The Writing Center staff can help you improve
your writing. At various times, extra credit may be earned on papers taken to the Writing Center.
This will be included in the assignment information.
Special Considerations
Communication is key to solving any issues. Please speak with me concerning and modifications
needed for an IEP or 504. Also, if there are outside issues making school difficult for you, please let
me know and we can work on ways to help you be successful.
Contact Information
Monday through Friday I will be available for student from 7:30 to 7:50 and from 2:40 to 3:10.
Occasionally, I will not be available during these times for a variety of reasons.
E-mail is the best way for parents to reach me. I read and respond to e-mails on school days from
7:30 to 3:15.
Conferences can be scheduled during Academic Time and require at least 24 hours prior notification.