2013-2014 SYLLABUS
ENGLISH I HONORS & IB PREP
MAJOR GILLOTTE, ROOM 23
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
INITIAL: _______
Students will review previous language arts content and master new content through a
variety of integrated educational experiences in the Language Arts strands of reading,
writing, listening, viewing, speaking, language, and literature. The curriculum will
correlate with Common Core Standards, Florida Sunshine State Standards, FCAT
benchmarks, and Sarasota County School Board Standards. To access more detailed
information related to the implementation of Common Core Standards in the Language
Arts classroom, access: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10
As with all Honors and advanced course offerings, work will be enriched and extended
via reading and writing assignments, as well as greater in-depth analysis of course work
materials. As students are exposed to increasing text complexity, they will be expected to
demonstrate increasing independence in the application of required skills and strategies.
IB prep students will receive additional assignments, assessments, and instruction as
needed to prepare them for the IB experience in their Junior and Senior years.
TEACHING AND LEARNING:
INITIAL: _______
A variety of teaching methods and projects will be utilized throughout the course to
address the various learning styles of students. Using a variety of materials, students will
apply reading strategies to construct meaning from informative, technical, and literary
texts. Systematic word study will accompany the reading process, enabling students to
acquire new vocabulary designed to further improve reading and writing skills. Students
will learn to apply process writing strategies to a variety of writing assignments and
successfully use language in both oral and written communications that are designed to
impact readers, listeners, and viewers. Access to technology, along with instruction on its
use, will be provided students in conjunction with research assignments that incorporate
both formal and informal presentations in class. Students will apply critical listening and
thinking skills to these assignments and learn to distinguish between reliable and
unreliable information sources.
TEXTBOOKS:
INITIAL: _______
We will be using the Florida edition of McDougal/Littell’s The Language of Literature,
as well as Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature (Third Course). In addition to
completing weekly vocabulary units in Sadlier-Oxford’s Vocabulary Workshop (Common
Core Enriched Edition), students will be expected to read The Week, a current events
periodical throughout the term, as well as numerous thematic non-fiction selections from
Perfection Learning’s Literature & Thought series. Numerous fictional novels will also
be read and analyzed throughout the academic term.
MATERIALS REQUIRED:
INITIAL: _______
Students are required to have and maintain the following materials in class throughout the
semester (unless otherwise indicated):
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(1 ½ -2”) three ring binder with ten divider pages devoted to these categories:
- Mythology
- FCAT/Critical Analysis skills
- Vocabulary
- Reading Assignments
- Grammar
- Writing Assignments
- Journaling
- Literary Terms & Examples
- Poetry
- Miscellaneous
No. 2 pencils; blue or black ink pens (erasable is acceptable)
1 erasable whiteboard pen (EXPO) and 1 regular highlighter
Independent reading material (MUST BE BROUGHT TO CLASS DAILY!)
college-ruled notebook paper
Edith Hamilton’s Mythology
Pack of multicolored pencils or crayons (for project use)
dictionary and Thesaurus (for at-home use by student)
pack of 4 x 6 ruled index cards (smaller is not acceptable)
thumbnail or jump drive for writing assignments
$10.00 consumable supply/activity fee
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
INITIAL: _______
A variety of assessment methods to monitor student progress and proficiency will be used
throughout this course. In addition to tests, quizzes, and cumulative assessments, students
will be assigned homework, projects (group and individual), writing and reading
assignments, and oral presentations. Employability will also factor into a student’s
performance in the course and will include attendance, punctuality, homework, uniform,
classroom decorum, attitude, and preparedness for class, etc.
GRADING CATEGORIES/ GRADING SCALE:
Employability Skills
Notebook, Journal, Homework, Classwork
Tests, Quizzes
Major Projects
Mid-term/Final Exam
90 – 100
80 – 89
70 – 79
60 – 69
0 – 59
A
B
C
D
F
INITIAL: _______
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
DAILY PROCEDURES:
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INITIAL: _______
Students are expected to respect and comply with my directives throughout the
semester, as well as follow the classroom procedures established by SMA.
As each class period begins, students should remove required materials from their
backpacks and then place backpacks under their desks/tables and away from any
aisle space. If necessary, pencils should be sharpened at the beginning of class.
As soon as the tardy bell rings, students will be called to attention for a uniform
inspection and the taking of attendance. When a student’s name is called, he or
she should respond with “Here, Ma’am!” Any cadet who does not arrive to class
by the sounding of the tardy bell must go to the Tardy Tank to secure an
admission pass back to class.
Once seated following attendance, students should immediately begin any “bell
work” that is posted on the white board or displayed on screen. This should be
done daily without prompting from me and without socializing with other
students. When bell work includes a quote or other reflective writing prompt,
students should complete the work on college ruled notebook paper in the
journaling section of their notebooks as follows:
10-15 minutes of journaling, consisting of thoughtful commentary related
to the inspirational quote-of-the-day. Journaling must be in ink and in
cursive. Each entry must include the quote itself and be dated in order to
receive credit. Journaling work will be graded based upon the student’s
effort. Although points will not be deducted for errors in spelling or
grammar related to this particular task, students are encouraged to use
classroom dictionaries as needed.
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Journaling and bell work will be periodically collected for grading.
Students are responsible for copying each day’s homework assignment and
logging it into their planners or on one of the Homework Log sheets that I have
available for their use. They should keep their planners/logs in the front of their
notebooks for both their convenience and your access and viewing. The purpose
of this is to encourage students to develop good daily habits and become selfreliant as they face the challenges of young adulthood.
Failure of a student to follow this procedure or maintain a record of daily
homework assignments will not excuse a student’s failure to submit assigned
homework when due.
Students will have a weekly vocabulary assignment throughout the term
consisting of one unit (plus any 3 unit review) per week. With the exception of
weeks incorporating major holidays, vocabulary assignments are almost always
due the last day of every scholastic week. A comprehensive test of the
corresponding vocabulary unit is then administered the first day of the following
week. Students who do not achieve a minimum of 75 on any unit assessment will
also be required to complete additional vocabulary prep work (“Vocabutoons”)
for the following unit. This additional work will be graded.
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All additional major assignments and accompanying due dates will be posted on
CrossPointe, which you are encouraged to check regularly.
Binders will be checked and graded periodically without notice.
Unless assigned to group activity, students should remain quiet and attentive
during class. If necessary or appropriate, a series of chime tones will be used to
bring the classroom back into order and focus. Any student who is still standing,
talking, or otherwise behaving disruptively after the third prompt will be subject
to a disciplinary action. Please note that students may be asked to be responsible
for using a daily index card system to record conduct errors as a process of selfawareness and self-management.
No student should speak or leave his/her desk without first raising his/her hand
and receiving permission.
No student shall be permitted to leave the classroom without permission and an
accompanying Hall Pass or Student Planner verification signature.
Students are responsible for cleaning the areas around their desks prior to the end
of each class period and may not leave the classroom (bell tone notwithstanding)
until they have been properly dismissed by me.
ABSENCES:
INITIAL: _______
Absences will be marked unexcused until and unless student provides the requisite
excused absence verification from SMA administration. Please note that a written excuse
from a parent/guardian is required for any absence - regardless of whether or not the
parent called or contacted the school prior to or on the day of a student’s absence - and
must be submitted within three days of the student’s return to school.
Students are responsible for ensuring that they make up missed work and assignments.
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student is responsible for picking up missed work from his/her personal folder
located at the front of the room
work should be picked up on the first day of student’s return
for each day of an excused absence, student will have one day to make up work
exceptions will be granted due to extraordinary circumstances only
absence from school the day prior to an exam, test, quiz, etc., will not excuse a
student from taking the exam or test if sufficient advance notice has been given
full credit for homework can only be given if the assignment is turned in on the
date due (unless delayed by excused absence); depending on the assignment and
the circumstances, late work may be accepted for up to five days, with a 10 point
deduction for every day it is received late
Please note that homework that is not turned in is a “zero” toward your mid-term or
final grade. Unfortunately, it takes two “100’s” on another assignment to pull a “zero”
up to a mid-D; three “100’s will pull the same “zero” up to a mid “C.”
HOMEWORK/CLASSWORK:
INITIAL: _______
The proper heading is required for full credit on all collected work. The following must
appear in the top right corner of your paper:
Line 1:
Line 2:
Line 3:
last name, first name
class period
date assignment due
Writing assigned in class should be in ink and in cursive unless otherwise authorized.
After the first several weeks of the semester, written assignments should be free of any
run-on sentences or sentence fragments, and students will be penalized for grammar
errors that have already been covered in class.
TESTS/QUIZZES:
INITIAL: _______
Students will be tested weekly on one or more of the following: vocabulary, grammar,
and reading comprehension skills. With the exception of a few pop quizzes, students will
be given several days notice prior to any scheduled test. If a student misses a test due to
absence, he/she will have up to the same number of days absent to make up the test.
PROJECTS:
INITIAL: _______
Students will be assigned several major projects over the course of the term. They will be
given 2 - 4 weeks advance notice of each project and will be expected to present or turn
in the project on the date due. In many cases, a major portion of the student’s grade may
be based upon his/her formal presentation in class. Students cannot receive full credit for
the assignment/project without presenting before the class and, barring exceptional
circumstances, will be heavily penalized for not presenting a project on the date assigned.
EXTRA CREDIT:
INITIAL: _______
I generally do not assign extra credit to make up for missing work as it is my philosophy
that work should be done at the time it is assigned. Granting extra credit is additional
work for me and unfair to others who have turned in their work in a timely manner.
Furthermore, students in my class are often given up to five days to turn in work late and
still get partial credit.
Nonetheless, students will have numerous opportunities to earn extra credit points for
outstanding work, exceptional behavior, or special classroom contests and contributions.
They may also get extra credit weekly by preparing study cards in conjunction with
their vocabulary units.
READING ASSIGNMENTS:
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Students will be assigned various novels or other materials for reading at home. It
is the responsibility of the student to maintain any book assigned in good
condition. Books that are damaged or not timely returned must be replaced at
the student’s expense.
Students must document reading a minimum of 15 pages a day outside their
regular assignments at SMA. For IB Prep students, this may include specific
selections that are accompanied by additional assignments geared toward the IB
Program philosophy. Parents will be provided a reading log to help students keep
up with the amount of time spent reading weekly, which students should turn in
one week prior to the end of every quarter, along with a follow-up project related
to their reading. Students are also encouraged to read the editorial section of the
newspaper and to discuss interesting articles with family members as it will help
them with class discussion and projects.
ESSAYS/WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:
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INITIAL: _______
All written work, to include essays, position papers, etc., must be in ink or typed,
as well as double-spaced, in order to receive credit. Work that does not meet this
requirement will not be accepted. Students are encouraged to have parents
review their written work for suggestions regarding editing, punctuation, etc.;
however, students are responsible for writing their own compositions.
Plagiarism will result in a call to the parent and referral to the administration as an
Honor Code violation. Cutting and pasting material directly from the Web or
transcribing verbatim from any source without citation credit will not be tolerated.
Points will be deducted for errors in grammar, syntax, sentence structure, spelling,
etc., on any written assignment completed at home, as well as neatness. I will
provide specific editing notes for only a portion of the written assignment to
provide clarification as to the nature of the deductions.
Students may check out an English grammar book for use at home throughout the
semester. It must be returned at the end of the semester in good condition.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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INITIAL: _______
INITIAL: _______
I am available for tutoring during lunch, and after school by advance appointment.
Any form of cheating in or out of class - including misreporting vocabulary
homework grades - will not be tolerated and will result in a zero for the
assignment, test, quiz, or project, as well as a referral to the Administration.
All students will begin with 100% on the employability skills portion of their
overall grade. Points will be deducted regularly for failure to follow SMA or
classroom procedures, misconduct, or other inappropriate behavior.
Preliminary and/or moderate misbehavior in the class will be addressed by the
assignment of lunch detention duties in my room or after school.
A student who has not returned or financially replaced a textbook, novel, or
workbook assigned to him/her will not be permitted to take the final exam.
WEBSITE:
INITIAL: _______
You are strongly urged to visit our website at www.sarasotamilitaryacademy.org
to view the many activities and opportunities provided by the Academy. From the Home
page, you may access the Language Arts Department with links to individual teacher
pages, district standards, writing and speaking contests, parenting tips, etc.
Finally, please encourage your students to use our website to access the Student Portal of
the District website, an invaluable link to numerous resources and research tools provided
by the District for students, parents, and teachers.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
INITIAL: _______
Should you need to contact me at any time, I can be reached by phone at school (9261700, ext. 231) on most days between 6:30 a.m. and 7:20 a.m., or between 10:30 a.m. and
noon. You may also contact me via Crosspointe and at the following e-mail address:
sylvia_gillotte@sarasota.k12.fl.us