LITERATURE I
SYLLABUS
SCHEDULE:
Monday:
Lit. I-1: 8:15-8:55
Lit. I-2: 9:05-9:45
Lit. III-1: 9:55-10:35
Chapel: 10:40-11:20
Lit. III-2: 11:30-12:10
Lunch: 12:20-1:10
Lit. III-3: 1:20-2:00
Lit. I-3: 2:10-2:50
Tues./Thurs.:
Lit. 1-1: 8:15-9:10
Lit.III-1: 10:50-12:20
Lunch: 12:25-1:15
Lit. III-3: 1:20-2:50
Wed./Fri.:
Lit. I-2: 9:15-10:45
Lit. III-2: 10:50-12:20
Lunch: 12:25-1:15
Lit. 1-3: 1:20-2:50
Ms. Mayo
Room: 202
Email: erin.mayo@tcslions.org
COURSE OVERVIEW
9th Grade Literature and Composition focuses on a study of
literary genres including short story, the novel, poetry, drama,
and nonfiction. Students will continue their development of
vocabulary and apply effective reading strategies to a wide
variety of literary and informational texts. They will work to
establish effective writing habits and refine their language skills
as they apply to listening, viewing, thinking, and
speaking. Students will practice the writing process and
produce works that include literary and character analysis,
compare/contrast, persuasive, narrative, and research
examples. Assignments, activities, and assessments will
provide practice in developing the skills necessary to succeed in
college and beyond. Although our reading will include a variety
of different worldviews, learning to read critically and look at
literature through a Christian worldview will be applied to all
reading and writing assignments.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
My goal as your English teacher is to humbly build a temple of
truth within my classroom that builds students up according to
his or her needs so that hope can illuminate and alter the
trajectory of each student’s life. I believe each student
possesses talents that contribute to the success he or she can
obtain. As your teacher, I desire each student to work on both
strengths and weaknesses in order to develop into the individual
God created them to be. In Jeremiah 29:11, God promises a
plan of prosperity for each person’s life. I believe this promise
over each student. Throughout the duration of my class, it is my
goal to help each student discern various aspects of God’s plan
for their life.
REQUIRED TEXTS
-
Rick Riordian’s The Lightening Thief
Holt Elements of Literature
CLASS WEBSITE
This year, each student will be responsible for checking my class website for any class notes,
assignments, announcements, external links and discussion questions. Most assignments will take
place in class, but occasionally some will be required for homework. If a student is absent, he or she
can keep track of class notes and assignments missed through viewing the website – this is each
student’s responsibility! The link to my website is: eamayo.weebly.com
Grade Distribution
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


Test and Quizzes: 40%
Essays and Projects: 40%
Homework/Classwork: 20%
Grading Scale:
o A: 90-100%
o B: 80-89%
o C: 75-79%
o D: 70-74%
o F: 69 and lower
Writing and Grammar
Learning to write well is one of the most important skills we will work on this year. Our goal as an
English department is to help students become confident, effective writers who write both critically
and creatively. Developing college preparatory writing skills is the focus for ninth grade as students
produce narrative, informational, persuasive and analytical writings. Students will practice timed
writings and learn to use research and technology to support reading and writing.
Procedures
Each day when you enter the room, you will need to have your Chromebook and composition
notebook. You will also need the basic writing utensils and extra paper for mini writing assignments.
Be in your seat ready to begin work by the time class begins. Once class starts, you will read and
respond to the bell work that will be displayed on the whiteboard or the television screen.
Composition notebooks: These will be used to answer bell work questions, mini writing prompts
and various discussion questions. Each entry should be dated on the left hand side of the journal.
You will have an entry for each day. Occasionally, there will be entries for homework, but more often
they will be classwork.
Chromebooks: These are a requirement for each class. You may only use your Chromebooks. Any
other device is NOT permitted to be used in class – including cell phones.
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
– Aristotle
ABSENCES
Contact Me:
Email: erin.mayo@tcslions.org
Office Hours:
- Monday: Before or after school
-Tuesday-Friday: 8:15-9:10
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to check my website
for any information that you have missed. After checking my
website, please feel free to come ask me questions after class not before or during class. For each day you are absent, you
have the same number of day(s) to make up your work. In
order to make up work, you must have an excused absence.
If your absence is not excused, you will not be able to make up
any work. In order to have an absence excused, a note must be
submitted to the front office. If you miss class on a day a
project or essay is due, your assignment will not be accepted
unless you have turned it in prior to the absence or
communicated with me about your absence.
If you miss my class when we have a timed essay, quiz or test
but return to school that same day, you must stay after school
and take the test. A copy of the test will be in the front office and
you must sit outside of Mr. Schock’s office and complete the
test.
HOMEWORK
I am very committed to keeping homework to a minimum. We will have vocabulary each week as well
as some reading and writing on occasional projects. In order to encourage students to be life-long
readers, students will also be required to read portions of texts outside of class. Upon reading texts
for homework, there will be a reading quiz at the beginning of the next class.
Late Work: If, for any reason, an assignment is turned in late, you will lose TEN PERCENT of your
final grade for each class day that it is late. The assignment can be turned in up until a week
late. After that, the assignment will count as a zero.
EXPECTATIONS
Be respectful of your classmates, your teacher, and yourself. I will always treat you with respect in
my class and I expect the same courtesy for myself and your classmates. This includes not touching
one another’s stuff. My desk is off limits as well.
Be prompt and prepared for class. Be on time with all required materials for each day.
Be quiet while I am talking. If you are talking, it means you are not listening or learning. It is also
disruptive of others and disrespectful of me.
Be alert! Sleeping and/or lying down is not acceptable in my class. If you are sick, you should check
out and go home, or visit your doctor. If you are caught sleeping, you will be given a task to help
keep you awake. (i.e. standing up, reading aloud, recording notes on the board, etc.)
Be unplugged! Electronic devices other than your Chromebooks are not permitted and will be
collected upon misuse within the duration of class. If your device is collected, it will be turned in to
the front office - NO EXCEPTIONS! I will not use my electronic devices within class and expect the
same from you.
Be nourished. Food and drinks are not permitted so make prior arrangements before coming to my
class. Gum is allowed as long as I do not hear or see it.
Be positive! I am a positive person and strongly believe in and encourage the best for each
student. No negative attitudes or name calling in class! Words are powerful and are to be used to lift
one another up - including yourself.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
1st Semester:
Week 1: Introduction to class
Week 2: Ancient World; One True Myth Intro.;
Summer Reading
Week 3: Summer Reading/The Ancient
Greeks/Fairytales
Week 4: IEW Writing Camp/Compare Contrast
Essay/ Homer’s The Odyssey
Week 5: The Odyssey
Week 6: The Odyssey
Week 7: The Odyssey
Week 8:The Odyssey
Week 9:The Odyssey
Week 10: Ruth and Psalms
Week 11: Eastern World / “Arabian Nights”
Week 12: “Arabian Nights”
Week 13: Haiku poetry
Week 14: Eastern poetry
Week 15: African folktales
Week 16: Golden Kite
Week 17: Review for midterms
Week 18: Midterm Exams
2nd Semester:
Week 1: Middle Ages / Tolkien’s Sir
Gowen and the Green Knight
Week 2: Sir Gowen and the Green Knight
Week 3: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Week 4: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Week 5: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Week 6: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Week 7: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Week 8: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Week 9: Shakespeare essay/ Romeo and
Juliet final test
Week 10: Research paper
Week 11: Research paper
Week 12: Research paper
Week 13: Mark Twain’s The Prince and
the Pauper
Week 14: Mark Twain’s The Prince and
the Pauper
Week 15: Renaissance poetry
Week 16: Renaissance poetry
Week 17: Review week for finals
Week 18: Finals
*Note: This is a tentative schedule that is subject to change depending on the nature of each class.
PLAGIARISM
Many people think of plagiarism as copying another’s work, or borrowing someone else’s original ideas. But
terms like “copying” and “borrowing” can disguise the seriousness of the offense.
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to plagiarize means:
 to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own
 to use (another’s production) without crediting the source
 to commit literary theft
 to present as new and original an idea of product derived from an existing source
In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else’s work and lying about it
afterward. Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided by properly citing the source. Simply acknowledging that
certain material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the information necessary to find the
source, is usually enough to prevent the plagiarism.
As part of TCS’s policy, students must read and understand this clause for every assignment:
I, _____________________, pledge that all written and presented work I submit in this class will be of both
original thought and design. I submit myself humbly to the judicial process if my work shows evidence of
plagiarism, either direct or indirect.
Student Signature
__________________________________
Date:____________________
Please complete and return to Ms. Mayo by Monday, August 17th:
Student/Parent Syllabus Acknowledgement Contract:
I have read and clearly understand the syllabus from Ms. Mayo’s 9th grade Literature and Composition course.
I agree to comply with all rules and procedures listed in the syllabus. If I have any questions or concerns, I will
immediately contact Ms. Mayo.
Student Name: ________________________________
Student Signature: ________________________________
Date: ________________
Parent Signature: ________________________________
Date: ________________