Mrs. Gutierrez’s Syllabus
6th Grade Pre-AP
2015-2016
Contact Information:
E-mail: hdelac@sisd.net
Phone: 915-937-6800
Conference Time: 10:24-11:14
Course Overview
Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP) classes give students the opportunity to practice, at the appropriate level,
skills that enable them to be successful in Pre-AP and AP classes at the high school level. These advanced
classes expose students to the type of expectations and activities required by the AP program. Pre-AP
classes lay the groundwork and foundation for success, not only in the AP program at the high school level,
but also ultimately in college course-work. In this course, students read complex texts with understanding
and write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers.
(Source- The College Board). The goal of Pre-AP courses is to give motivated students the opportunity to
experience a more rigorous curriculum that will prepare them for success in advanced coursework in middle
high. This leads to better preparation for college-level coursework taken in high school.
The Pre-AP student
Emphasis here is placed on the caliber of students who will succeed in the Advanced Placement Program in
English: He/She is expected to:
 Eagerly accept any and all course work as assigned by the teacher.
 Learn independently, as well as through teacher instruction, spending time in class and outside of
class on the task assigned, observing without fail all deadlines assigned.
 Need no instruction or redirection from the teacher regarding paying attention, wasting time, or
disturbing the class.
 Finish all work within the time limit given.
 Make every effort to attend class without being late except in the rarest of emergencies, and in such
an event, to accept responsibility for getting "caught up"
 Understand that success in a Pre-AP course requires critical thinking and independent study skills,
thus creating a level of difficulty far greater than that of other courses.
Class Expectations
The student will:
 Come to class prepared, on time, and ready to think.
 Be respectful to your peers, to me, and everyone's property.
 All students participate openly in the discussion of the material presented to them
 All students follow procedures and directions for various individual and group tasks
 All students give their best effort in all of the work assigned
Standard Classroom Policies & Procedures
Grading System
 The grading percentages are as follows: 60% of average consists of daily assignments, classwork,
special assignment; 30% consists of unit tests and projects; and 10% consists of 9 Week
Assessments.
 In case of absence, students will have one day per absence to complete the assignment without
penalty. After two days, missed assignments will be considered late work.
 Late work will be considered as a redo assignment therefore the initial grade is recorded as a zero.
Late assignments must be turned in the next school day which will be averaged out with initial grade
resulting in a maximum grade of 50.
Academic Dishonesty Policy
 Grades shall not be reduced for non-instructional reasons except in the case of academic
dishonesty or late assignments. Academic assignments are not to be used as discipline
measures. [EIA ( LOCAL)]
 B. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY (PK – 12) Students found to have engaged in academic
dishonesty shall be subject to grade penalties on assignments or tests and disciplinary penalties
in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. Academic dishonesty includes cheating or
copying the work of another student, plagiarism, and unauthorized communication between
students during an examination. The determination that a student has engaged in academic
dishonesty shall be based on the judgment of the classroom teacher or another supervising
professional employee, taking into consideration written materials, observation, or information
from students. [EIA (LOCAL)]
Monitoring Grades & Parent/Teacher Communication
In order to foster independence in our students, if a question arises regarding a particular grade,
communication between the parent and student should be the first step, rather than bypassing the student
and initially contacting the teacher.
Students will receive a 3rd week and 6th week progress report during the nine week grading period, as well
as the report card. You may check your child's grades at any time using the Tyler Munis parent portal. If
you are unable to login into Tyler, please contact the media specialist for your username and password and
always feel free to contact me at any time.
Edmodo
Edmodo is an online educational community that will be used daily. Daily assignments, notices, and
announcements will be posted here. Students will receive a group code to access their class information.
Parents will be given individual parent codes that will allow you to receive alerts, notices when assignments
are posted, and access to monitor your child’s progress. Work posted on Edmodo as an assignment will be
required to be turned in online. Edmodo work will be due by 11:59 p.m. on the due date posted. Edmodo
can be accessed online, and there is also a free app for Edmodo that you can add to your smartphone.
English Language Arts Pre-AP Course Description
The 6th grade English Language Arts Pre-AP course is designed for the students who are above the sixth
grade level in reading, composition, and language skills. Advanced level vocabulary words will be studied
and several novel projects and extensions will be completed throughout the year. Students will use
computers, other information technology tools, and supplemental texts to support literary goals. Students
will participate in small groups such as literature circles and class discussions, annotate and summarize
literary texts, as well as create their own products which will represent their individual comprehension and
understanding.
Student Writing Goals
The student will:
 Use critical thinking and active-reading techniques to read, understand, apply and synthesize
complex text for higher-order thinking.
 Study word origins in order to build vocabulary, and oral/written fluency.
 Write for a variety of purposes to expressively communicate ideas.
 Continue to develop the use of the English language through study of language conventions,
including grammar and spelling.
 Use acquired knowledge and understanding to communicate individual creativity.
Math Pre-AP Course Description
6th Grade Pre-Ap Math is designed to help students build a foundation of basic understandings in number
operations and quantitative reasoning; patterns, relationships, and algebraic thinking; geometry and spatial
reasoning; measurement; as well as, probability and statistics. Classroom activities provide students the
opportunity to develop concrete understanding of concepts before moving to the abstract. Develop problem
solving strategies for non-routine problems, make connections between math and real world applications
and communicate understanding of mathematical concepts.
Student Math Goals
The student will:
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enjoy mathematics and to develop curiosity as well as an appreciation of its elegance and power
develop an understanding of the principles and nature of mathematics
communicate clearly and confidently in a variety of contexts
develop logical, critical and creative thinking, and patience and persistence in problem solving
develop power of generalization and abstraction
apply and transfer skills to a wide range of situations including real life, other areas of knowledge and
future developments
appreciate how developments in technology and mathematics have influenced each other
appreciate the moral, social and ethical implications arising from the work of mathematicians and the
applications of mathematics
appreciate the international dimension in mathematics through an awareness of the universality of
mathematics and its multicultural and historical perspectives
appreciate the contribution of mathematics to other areas of knowledge
develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to pursue further studies in mathematics
develop the ability to reflect critically upon their own work and the work of others.
Science Pre-AP Course Description
Pre-AP Science is a rigorous course that emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving and is
recommended for students who have demonstrated an interest in science. Students in Pre-AP Science will
extend their knowledge and apply their scientific skills by solving complex problems. All students in PreAP Science are expected to carry out an independent research project as part of their coursework and
complete scientific lab reports. All students will be engaged in many hands on lab activities each week.
Student Science Goals
The student will:
 learn process skills associated with safe lab practices and ethical behavior in science.
 practice accurate measurement with appropriate tools and design and implement experimental,
comparative, and descriptive investigations.
 Learn the basics of scientific notation and precise measurement within the limitations of the tools given
 analyze labs for systemic errors and justify their conclusions.
 understand the differences between elements and compounds.
 understand potential and kinetic energy and understand the Law of Conservation of Energy
 understand the structure of the Earth, the rock cycle, and plate tectonics.
 understand the structure of our Solar System and the characteristics of the bodies that comprise it.
 know the history of the United States Space program and learn about the Engineering Design Process
while studying the impact technology on society.
 know that all organisms are classified into Domains and Kingdoms and how characteristics allow
organisms to interact with living and nonliving components of their ecosystems.
Social Studies Pre-AP Course Description
Pre-AP Social Studies is a course designed to be integrated with the other Pre AP courses. It will challenge
the students to analyze global patterns and processes over time. Students will be made aware of culturally
diverse ideas and values while discovering human commonalities. This course introduces analysis of
primary sources and formulation of arguments based on evidence. Pre-AP Students will be responsible for
completing readings and projects independently outside of class.
Coming to class without all required supplies will result in disciplinary action. Being unprepared for class
hinders the learning environment for the individual, as well as for the rest of the class. Additional supplies
may be requested throughout the school year.
I sincerely welcome the opportunity to enrich your child with a diversified curriculum. As you can see, the
expectations for your child are high this year. I do look at each child on an individual basis. I will intervene
to help them be as successful as possible.
I look forward to being your child's teacher this year. If you have any further questions, please call the
school for a conference or email me.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Gutierrez
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mrs. Gutierrez’s Syllabus
6th Grade Pre-A
2015-2016
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