2015-2016
Pre-AP Ninth Grade Literature
Policies, Procedures, and Syllabus
Mrs. Hope Boswell
Room 310
(706)748-2534
boswell.priscilla.h@muscogee.k12.ga.us
Dear Students,
Welcome to Pre-AP Ninth Grade Literature! I am looking forward to working with you this school year. Please
read the following policies and procedures carefully so that we will have the best possible year together.
CLASS RULES: WHAT ARE THEY?
1. Respect yourself by completing the assignments in a manner that indicates you take responsibility for your work.
2. Respect others by remaining open to their ides and differences as well as being courteous at all times and
honoring their rights.
3. Respect your school by following all codes addressed in the student and county handbook.
4. Respect your teacher by actively listening, politely speaking, and enthusiastically engaging in all activities to the
best of your ability.
5. Behaviors that breach the atmosphere of mutual respect will be dealt with quickly, directly, and severely.
Depending on the offense, consequences include detention, parent phone calls, hallway conferences, discipline
referrals and/or removal from the classroom.
*All rules and policies are in accordance with Columbus High School and the Muscogee County School District
handbooks.
MATERIALS: WHAT DO I NEED?
1. You will need a large three ring binder (at least 1”) with plenty of paper and section dividers as follows:
a. Bellringers: When you come into class, there will be an assignment on the board related to our unit of study.
You must respond to the prompts fully and thoughtfully based on the assignment given. Bellringers are
subject to be checked at any time.
b. Vocabulary: You will receive vocabulary words and literary terms throughout the semester. You will be
expected to use these words as frequently as possible in oral and written assignments. Knowledge of these
terms will be verified in various assessments including but not limited to tests, writing assignments, and class
discussion.
c. Grammar and Composition: This section will contain grammar notes and assignments, timed writes, rough
and final drafts of writings, and handouts related to this area. All final drafts must be typed according to
Modern Language Association (MLA) standards. You must keep up with all drafts of your writing in this
section of your notebook.
d. Literature: Devote this section to notes, handouts, assignments, tests, etc. directly related to the study of
literature.
*Each item in your notebook must have your name on it, dated, hole-punched, and inserted in chronological
order. Notebooks are subject to be checked for completion, maintenance, or neatness at any time. DO NOT keep
information from your other classes in your English notebook.
2. You must bring your assigned textbook and any supplemental novels to class everyday or as specified. It is
imperative to have your book(s) in class every day. Failure to bring your materials to class will result in detention.
In addition to the literary works presented in your textbook (Prentice Hall: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes),
we will cover John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men as well as Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.
3. You should acquire blue or black ink pens and two different colored highlighters. You will be required to
write in blue or black ink pen on all assignments turned in unless otherwise specified. We will use highlighters
frequently for various composition assignments.
4. I highly advise that you purchase a personal academic planner to keep up with assignments and upcoming due
dates and a flash drive to store all electronic assignments. Having this will ultimately keep you prepared,
2015-2016
organized, and on track with all on-going and upcoming assignments. Please refer to the edmodo class website for
the class calendar as well as ongoing and upcoming assignments.
5. You need to have an email address and internet access from home to complete some of the class assignments. If
you do not have an email address, you can easily create one through various websites such as gmail or hotmail. At
times, you will be responsible for posting a response online via the edmodo website or turnitin.com website. You
must have a working email in order to join and submit assignments here.
6. Edmodo will be our class website (www.edmodo.com). You will need to create an account ASAP! I will give
you your group code on the first class day. Make sure you keep up with your login information and set up to
receive alerts via phone or email for class updates and reminders.
CONTENT: WHAT WILL WE COVER?
1. In this class you will study the elements and characteristics of literature in all genres: fiction, nonfiction, drama,
and poetry. The textbook provided for you is Prentice Hall’s Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. The units for the
course in chronological order include: Fiction: short stories and novels, Nonfiction: various selections, Drama:
Romeo and Juliet, Poetry: The Odyssey and other selections, and GAMS review/Final novel study.
2. You will practice and polish effective composition and written communication skills including timed writings as
well as narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository forms of writing, with an emphasis on literary analysis.
You will write, revise, and refine your thoughts, ideas, and knowledge for a variety of audiences and purposes.
3. Through the study of grammar and usage, you will learn how to edit common errors in both written and oral
communication.
4. Speaking and listening skills are practiced throughout the course in activities such as class discussions,
collaborative group assignments, role playing, and debate.
*Refer to the class syllabus for a more detailed account of the semester as a whole.
GRADES: HOW WILL I BE GRADED?
1. Graded assignments are scored according to the MCSD standard grading rules of:
100-90=A; 89-80=B; 79-70=C; 69-0=F
2. I grade on a total points system that includes grades for various projects, quizzes, exams, etc. Each assignment is
given a total points value appropriate for the length and difficulty of the assignment. You will be provided with
grading rubrics or standards for composition assignments and projects, so you know ahead of time approximately how
many points each assignment is worth. Quizzes may or may not be announced.
3. You will be provided with grading rubrics or standards for composition assignments and projects, so you know
what I am looking for to earn an exemplary grade.
4. In accordance with MCSD policy, all missed assignments due to an EXCUSED absence must be turned in within
(3) three days of your return to class. If this is not done, your grade becomes a (0) zero. This does not apply to
assignments that are given far in advance of their due date. You must get these larger assignments in on time or they
will NOT be accepted.
5. Grades for assignments turned in late are dropped (30%) thirty percent for each day late. An assignment is
considered late if not turned in when requested by the teacher.
6. There will be opportunities for EXTRA CREDIT offered each 9 weeks; pay attention to these opportunities and
their due dates. In addition, you will have the opportunity to earn bonus points on various assignments throughout the
year. Please note, however, extra credit is only available for those students who complete the “credit” first. Extra
credit assignments will not be extended to those who neglect to complete their homework or classwork.
7. Cheating or plagiarism, of any kind, is NOT acceptable. The taking of ideas from other persons without giving
them credit will result in a grade of (0) zero, a discipline referral, parental notification, honor council referral, and
permanent documentation on your school record.
8. All Pre-AP Ninth Grade English Literature students are required to take CUAs (Curriculum Unit Assessment) at
the end of each 9 week grading period (4 total for the school year). Students will also take a two-part Georgia
Milestones Exam (consisting of several multiple choice questions, 5-8 shorter constructed responses (1-2
paragraphs), and 1 longer constructed response (multi-paragraph)) at the end of the school year in May. The CUAs
and the GAMS will be calculated as part of your grade for this class.
2015-2016
MAKE-UP WORK: WHAT DO I DO IF I AM ABSENT?
In this class, everyone is responsible for pulling his or her own weight. You alone are responsible for getting the
information and assignments you need when you are absent – not me, not your parents, not your classmates. These are the
steps you should take if you miss any part of this class:
1. Do not ask me if we did anything important while you were gone. Everything we do in this class is important so
the answer is and will always be a resounding “YES”! If you were absent, you missed something important.
2. Check the sample Pre-AP Ninth Grade Literature notebook. This notebook will serve as a guide for any student
who has missed a class or has trouble keeping his or her notebook organized. It will contain handouts, assignment
sheets, and notes from class each day in its designated section. Before the end of class, it is your responsibility to
copy down notes or locate the handouts missed so that you may request a copy and have it completed in your
notebook.
3. Make sure you check with me about completing make-up work. You must approach me about obtaining and
completing any work you have missed. I will not hunt you down or remind you of your responsibilities.
4. In accordance with MCSD policy, all missed assignments due to an EXCUSED absence must be turned in within
(3) three days of your return to class. If this is not done, your grade becomes a (0) zero.
TESTS & QUIZZES: If you miss a test or quiz, you may schedule a make-up in the morning or afternoon in which you
can take an alternate version of the test or quiz. If you cannot come before or after school within (3) three days of your
absence, you must contact me directly to make other arrangements.
HOMEWORK: You may make up homework on your own outside of school, as long as you turn it in to me within (3)
three days of the absence. Homework that is gone over in class is NOT eligible to be made up if you are present in the
classroom. There will be times when we go over various homework assignments in which you will be able to simply
record and verify answers as we go over them as a class. The missed homework grade will not count for you, but it will
not count against you. It is marked as X = exempt, neither increasing nor decreasing your average.
PROJECTS & EXTENSIVE ASSIGNMENTS: The (3) three day make-up policy does not apply to assignments that are
given far in advance of their due date. You will know about these assignments well ahead of time and will not receive
“extra” time by being conveniently absent on the day that the assignment is due. So, if you are absent the day a project or
formal writing assignment is due, you must have it ready the day you return to school, NOT (3) three days later. For each
day that the assignment is late past the day of your return, your grade will be dropped (30%) thirty percent. This means
the highest grade you can earn is a 70/C. If you are working with a group, you must notify at least one member of that
group of your absence.
EXTRA HELP: WHEN CAN I COME TO GET ASSISTANCE?
1. I am available before and after school every day. However, you must come by and schedule an appointment time with
me. At minimum, you should request a time to stay 24 hours in advance. You may do this in person or you may request it
via email. I am here to assist you when you need it.
2. There will be some days when I will be unavailable due to field trips, absence, after school presentations/tests, writing
lab, or other faculty obligations. At these times, I will be unavailable to help. For the most part, however, I will be able to
assist you on any school day. Please be aware of this as I may not be able to fulfill all initial meeting requests.
3. There will be designated days to sign up for extra help after school (one on one conference with me the week before a
paper is due). You are not required to come and conference after school, but you may find it extremely helpful in
preparing your final draft before submitting it for a grade. The sign-up sheet will be placed on the outside of my door and
will be on a first come, first serve basis – meaning that those who sign up for those allotted times first will be given a
personal writing conference with me. Students are allowed to sign up for multiple conference times on different dates.
Thank you for you careful attention to these pages. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may
have regarding this class.
With Anticipation,
Mrs. Hope Boswell
2015-2016
H. Boswell
Room 310
________________________________________________________________Pre-AP Ninth Grade English Syllabus
This syllabus is an approximation of the topics studied during the course of this year. The following document is subject to
change at the instructor’s discretion. Texts needed for the course are also included. All assignments and lessons will be
aligned with the ninth grade Common Core English Language Arts Standards.
Unit Title
Unit 1: Learning the
Lingo
Elements of Literature
Unit 2: In Search of the
American Dream
Perspective, Plight, and
Prejudice in Literature
Genre(s)
Addressed
Fiction:
Short Story
Novel
Nonfiction:
Essay
Speech
Biography
Poetry:
Narrative
Lyric
Unit 3: Bard Knows Best
Sampling of William
Shakespeare
Drama:
Tragedy
Poetry:
Sonnet
Unit 4: Of Poetic and
Epic Proportions
The Odyssey and Other
Selected Poems
Poetry:
Epic
Narrative
Dramatic
Lyric
Unit 5: GAMS
Cumulative Review and
Final Novel Study
All of the
above
Concepts &
Composition Focus
Literary genres;
Analysis &
interpretation; Close
reading skills;
Elements of
literature; Textual
interaction; Freytag’s
pyramid; timed
writings
Rhetorical analysis of
non-fiction piece;
poetry explication;
interpreting film as
text; timed writings
Content
Short Stories: “Cask of Amontillado,” “The
Necklace,” “The Most Dangerous Game,”
“The Gift of the Magi,” “The Secret Life of
Walter Mitty,” and “The Lottery”
Novels: To Kill a Mockingbird (Summer
Reading Review), Of Mice and Men
Film: movie clips from Of Mice and Men
(PG-13)
Poetry: “Where I’m From,” “Ballad of
Birmingham,” “Caged Bird,” “Harlem,”
“Dreams,” “Sympathy,” “I Hear America
Singing,” “Hope Is the Thing with Feathers”
Nonfiction: MLK’s “I Have a Dream”
Speech; Letter from a Birmingham Jail;
Eulogy for the Martyred Children;
Introduction to Why We Can’t Wait; RFK’s
Speech “On the Death of MLK Jr.”
Film: movie clips from Remember the Titans
(PG)
Shakespeare (literary) Poetry: Sonnet 130, The Seven Ages of Man
analysis; dramatic
Drama: Romeo and Juliet
monologue
Film: movie clips from Romeo and Juliet
performance; sonnet
(PG-13), Gnomeo and Juliet (G)
writing; timed
writings
Mapping the hero’s
Poetry: “Casey at the Bat,” “The Road Not
journey through film Taken,” “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,”
and literature; poetry “We Never Know How High We Are,” “The
explication; timed
Raven,” “Jabberwocky,” “Fire and Ice,”
writings
“There Will Come Soft Rains,” “maggie and
milly and molly and may”
Epic: The Odyssey
Film: movie clips from Cast Away (PG-13),
The Odyssey (PG-13)
GAMS Review;
*GAMS for 9th Grade Literature
literary analysis
Novel: And Then There Were None
Film: movie clips from And Then There Were
None (PG)