De Anda
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Alliance Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School
English 9
Class Expectations and Requirements
Ms. De Anda
1. Class Overview:
Reading List—Major Works:
1. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men
2. Frederick Douglass’ Narrative
3. Eli Wiesel’s Night
4. Luis Rodriguez’s The Republic of East LA
5. Tomas Rivera’s And the Earth Did Not Devour Him
6. U.S. Documents of historical and literary significance
7. Select poems and short stories from Prentice Hall textbook
8. William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
9. Select articles from The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, and the
Chicago Tribune
PORTFOLIOS – You are required to keep an English Portfolio. The English Portfolio will help
you keep your work organized. The portfolio will also be a way for you to keep track of your
work and reflect on your needs/successes. Follow ALL directions on the Portfolio Directions
Sheet. DO NOT THROW AWAY ANY ENGLISH HOMEWORK, ASSIGNMENT, TEST, etc.
YOU WILL NEED IT LATER ON!
Writing
Semester 1
1. Narrative/Descriptive Essay: 5-7 pages (Sensory Detail) – Focus on detailed writing.
2. Persuasive Paper: 5-7 pages. Focus on Argument and Counter Argument. Persuasive Thesis.
Strong verbs. Use of rhetoric and elements of argumentation. –Essay must focus on analyzing
themes on race and identity, gender, racism, human strive for utopian society, BIG BROTHER,
privacy, etc.
3. Expository Essay: 5-7 pages
4. Writing Poetry- Poetry Portfolios- You will write 15 different types of poems: Sonnets (using
Iambic Pentameter), Haiku, Narrative Poems, Lyric Poems, Pastoral Poems, Concrete Poems,
etc.
5. Explication (Poetry Unit): 3 pages
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6. Persuasive Speech Writings: 2 pages (On Controversial Issues: Gay Rights, Immigration,
Capital Punishment, Animal Cruelty, etc.) – One speech every other month.
6. Timed Writing: (At least once a month)- Prompts provided- 50 minute timed essay 3 pages:
Structured Essay with strong Thesis, structure-topic sentences, support/detail.
7. Along with daily Analytical Notes, you will write weekly DQ-Summary/Analysis Cards. You
will turn in 5x8 Index cards with a summary on one side and an analysis on the other side.
Structured Analysis notes on readings and DQ cards WILL BE A BIG PART OF YOUR
OVERALL GRADE for the entire year.
8. Daily Journal Writing: At least 8-10 sentences
9. Daily grammar using SENTENCE TREE to learn subject/verb agreement, tenses, run-on
sentences, diction, syntax, vocabulary, descriptive/detailed writing focusing on sensory
detail.
10. Practice identifying Appeals of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos when reading and incorporating it
into your writing.
11. Practice using SOAP (from SOAPSTone: Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject,
Tone) in persuasive writing.
Semester 2
1. Letter Writing Standards: Business Letters—Formal Letter Writing—Using Persuasion
2. Research Paper: 5-6 pages- Focus on Research – HOW TO RESEARCH- online databases,
MLA FORMAT/CITATION. Students will research a genocide other than the Holocaust and
write an expository research paper on selected genocide (ex. Darfur, Armenian Genocide,
Cambodia, Rwanda).
3. Analysis Notes on readings and DQ/Summary Analysis cards.
4. Timed Writing: (At least once a month)- Prompts provided—50 minute Timed Essay
5. Daily Journal Writing- At least 8-10 sentences.
6. Daily grammar practice using SENTENCE TREE to learn subject/verb agreement, tenses,
run-on sentences, diction, syntax, vocabulary, descriptive/detailed writing focusing on
sensory detail.
7. Practice using SOAPS (from SOAPSTone: Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject,
Tone) in persuasive writing.
8. Practice identifying Appeals of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos when reading and incorporating it
into your writing.
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Tests
1. Multiple Choice/Fill In Examinations (quizzes) per chapter/ACT on all required readings.
2. Unit Exams at the end of every unit.
3. Greek and Latin Roots/Vocabulary examinations as required (weekly or monthly).
4. Timed Writing Examinations: (At least once a month) – Prompts provided—50 minute Timed
Essay 3 pages: Structured Essay with strong Thesis, structure-topic sentences, support/detail.
5. Additional Outside Reading –Pick one book that you really like—you need my approval—
read the book throughout the year—you will have an in-class Essay Exam on your specific
book in December. Your book must be 200+ pages long. Your book can be fiction or nonfiction. You must purchase this book and have it with you at ALL TIMES—I will give you inclass time to read your book on Fridays.
Projects (Individual and Group) + Student Presentations/Teaching
1. While reading Elie Wiesel’s Night, you will work on an individual project called: Who is
responsible for the Holocaust? Using Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, you will write a short essay
and a do a poster presentation showing the level of responsibility for the Holocaust (ex.
Hitler, The German People, Allied Countries, etc.)
2. PowerPoint and/or Poster Presentation on selected genocide. In addition to writing the
research paper on a genocide other than Holocaust, you will also present to the class using
Prezi/PowerPoint/posters to inform other students about their genocide.
3. Interview Booklets: Throughout the Latino Literature Unit, we will read many stories about
the Latino Experience in America and how some families immigrated to America for a better
life. You will be compiling three different interviews to learn a little more about where you
come from and what it feels like to be an outsider.
4. For many of the books we read in class, you along with a group of students will be
responsible for teaching the class. Your group will be responsible for a section of the book,
and you will prepare a presentation in which you teach the rest of the class the following:
summary, themes, vocabulary, and connections to other parts of the story, and connections to
the outside world.
5. CollegeYES Project: During 2nd semester you will be working on a College and Career
research project through the I3 grant. You will be researching and presenting on the career of
your choice. The majority of this project will be worked on during Advisory though some
time will be allotted during English class for you to work on it. This project will be technology
based.
6. Romeo and Juliet Final Projects-Skits, Creative Writing, music, art, etc.
One goal for this class will be to master the Common Core State Standards for English
Language Arts. Every student will have the opportunity to achieve and excel as you improve
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your reading, writing, speaking, and study skills. More importantly, I want you to leave my
class at the end of June with the knowledge and skills to THINK ON YOUR OWN, RESEARCH
AND INQUIRE, ANALYZE PIECES OF INFORMATION AND COME UP WITH
CONCLUSIONS/SOLUTIONS, AND ARTICULATE YOUR THOUGHTS/IDEAS WITH THE
ART OF WRITING!
2. Required Materials: ALWAYS come to class with the following required materials:
A. Hardbound 3-ring binder (Your final grade will include a Portfolio grade. You must keep all
your work).
B. 8.5” x 11” white college-ruled paper
C. Dividers- You need dividers to organize your portfolio.
D. Black, blue, and red pens (At least 10 pens in total) – NO PENCILS
E. Highlighters (At least 3 different colors) – This will be used for note taking and other
assignments.
F. 5” x 8” Index Cards (5” x 8” index cards come in 100 packs. You will need all 100 index
cards).
G. *****FLASH DRIVES***** It’s very important that you have a flash drive in high school for all
classes.
H. Dry erase markers/white board markers –You need at least 2-3 of these for the entire year
(preferably the skinny ones since the white boards are smaller).
*We will be using most of the required materials on a daily basis. It is important that you come to class
everyday with the required materials. DO NOT COME IN EXPECTING TO BORROW ONE FROM
THE TEACHER OR A PEER. Be prepared!
3. Reading and Movies- While most of the reading/movies for this class is approved for ninth
grade level curriculum, some of the literature/film may contain graphic adult content and/or
profanity. By signing this paper, you the parent are allowing your student to read/watch this
material without any restrictions. If you have any questions/concerns about the selections,
please contact me anytime. I will also mention this during our Meet and Greet the first week of
school. /La mayor parte de las lecturas /películas de esta clase son aprobado para el grado 9, pero algunos
de la literatura / peliculas pueden contener contenido para adultos gráfica y / o malas palabras. Con la
firma de este documento, el padre está permitiendo que su hijo(a) lea / ver este material sin ninguna
restricción. Si usted tiene alguna pregunta / preocupaciones acerca de las selecciones, por favor póngase
en contacto conmigo en cualquier momento. También voy a hablar de esto durante la junta de “Meet and
Greet” la primera semana de clases.
4. Classroom Procedures: Students are expected to abide by the Stern MASS honor code at all
times (Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Trust, Community, Caring). Honor code violations
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will be addressed by the teacher as appropriate and may involve a student-teacher conference,
phone call home, or referral to administration.
5. School and Class Rules:
A. Wear your Stern MASS uniform at all times.
B. NO CELL PHONES, iPods, or any other electronic devices allowed. Your cell phones and
iPods must be completely turned off during school hours. If teachers SEE or HEAR your
phones and electronic devices, we will confiscate them. Once confiscated, only parents are
allowed to sign out the cell phones at the administration office.
C. Please use appropriate language in class at all times. Be respectful and courteous to everyone
in our class. *Treat others the way you want to be treated*
D. No food or drinks in the class (bottled water is fine). We want to keep our classroom clean
and neat at all times! NO GUM CHEWING ALLOWED.
6. Grading:
It is essential that you complete all assignments in this class. Grades will reflect your ability to
demonstrate proficiency on standards. Summative assessments will be the primary way
through which you demonstrate your progress in mastering these Common Core Standards.
They will come in various forms, including: debates/speeches, research papers and essays, ondemand writing tasks, multiple choice tests and quizzes, short answer tests, and oral
tests/interviews.
Your academic achievement (how well you do on summative assessments) will be tracked
separately from your participation, behavior, group work, and work completion, to give us both
a clear sense of your individual strengths and challenges. All assignments will be graded on a
four-point scale.
A: 4.0-3.4
B: 3.39-2.70
C 2.69-2.00
NP: 0-1.99
My office hours are on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30 pm (Office hours might change on occasion, but
if so, a note will be posted on my door in advance). Please come by if you need any additional
help because I am usually on campus after school.
Class Website: TO BE SHARED AT A LATER DATE
Parents can email me through the school website at WWW.STERNMASS.ORG. Parents and
Students can email me directly at ldeanda@laalliance.org. I encourage all Stern MASS parents to
visit our classroom. I am in ROOM 206. I am available after school everyday (unless there is a
Debate Tournament on Fridays, then I will not be present as I am a Debate Coach). I look
forward to meeting and working with all of you. GO TITANS!! /Los padres me pueden enviarme
correo electronico a través de la página web de la escuela en WWW.STERNMASS.ORG. Los padres y los
estudiantes me pueden enviar directamente a ldeanda@laalliance.org. Animo a todos los padres que
visiten a nuestro salón de clases. Estoy en la habitación 206. Estoy a su disposición después de la escuela
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todos los días (a menos que haya un Torneo de Debate los viernes, entonces no voy a estar presente ya que
soy un entrenador de Debate). Espero poder conocer y trabajar con todos ustedes.
Sign and return the next page by Wednesday, August 7, 2013
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English 9
Class Expectations and Requirements
Ms. De Anda
I (the parent/guardian) Yo (el padre/guardia) of/de _____________________________ have read
and understand Ms. De Anda’s class requirements and expectation for 9th Grade English/ He
leído y entiendo los requisitos de la clase y las expectativas para la clase de Inglés del grado 9.
Parent Signature/Firma: ________________________ Student Signature: _____________________
Parent/Guardian Email/Correo electronico de padres/guardia:
___________________________________________________________________________________
Phone #/ Numero de telefono: ____________________________
Check which forms of communication you prefer. Check all that apply. ¿Que formas de
comunicación prefieren? Marque todas las que apliquen.
☐ Phone call
☐ Text Message
☐ Email
☐ Other:___________________________