Introduction to Literature & Composition 2007-2008

Semester II Syllabus

A Wise Woman's Tale Once there was a wise old woman who lived in a small village. The children of the village were puzzled by her—her wisdom, her gentleness, her strength.
One day several children decided to fool the old woman. They
believed that no one could be as wise as everyone said she was,
and they were determined to prove it.
So the children found a baby bird and one of the little boys
cupped it in his hands and said to his playmates, "We'll ask her
whether the bird I have in my hands is dead or alive. If she says
it is dead, I will open my hands and let it fly away. If she says
it's alive, I'll crush it in my hands and she'll see that it is dead."
And the children went to the old woman and presented her with
this puzzle. "Old woman," the little boy asked, "this bird in my hands—is it dead or alive?"
The old woman became very still, studied the boy's hands, and
then looked carefully into his eyes.
"It's in your hands," she said.
—Author Unknown

Course Information

Instructor: Ms. Courtney WickhamCredit: 10.00/semester (Double-blocked)

Course Title: Introduction to Literature & CompositionDepartment: Language Arts

Room: 117Grade Level: 9th

Office Hours: Monday-FridayGraduation Information: Required

6:45-7:15; 11:02-11:25; 3:00-3:30 and by appointment

E-mail:

Phone: 303-375-5700, extension 35849

Fax: 303-375-5801

Course Introduction: Why Are We Here?

Introduction to Literature & Composition (ILC) aims to empower you with the language to express complex, critical thought, preparing you for the demands of high school and beyond. In ILC we will seek to cultivate a questioning stance. That is, we will encourage each other in questioning language, literature, and life. We will read and celebrate a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres. Through the study of these texts, the relationship between writing and life will be examined. Each unit will help us think about important matters and develop intellectual curiosity. Ultimately, we will work to build a culture of strong readers and writers. In order for our community to flourish, all members are expected to share ideas and be supportive of one another. Following are the kinds of questions that we will consider and grapple with in ILC this semester:

  • What is “Coming of Age?”
  • How can improving our English skills empower our futures?
  • Why do humans write? Why do they read?
  • How can reflection and introspection be fostered through writing?
  • How does story help us understand the human condition?

Semester II Texts

English Textual Power: Level IV (SpringBoard)
  • Poetry, prose, and film clips that highlight various perspectives on “Coming of Age”

EMPOWERING Standards

  • Apply thinking skills to your reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.
  • Read and understand a variety of materials.
  • Read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.
  • Read to locate, select, and make use of relevant information from a variety of media, reference, and technological sources.
  • Write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences.
  • Write and speak using conventional grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

Course Materials (Please make sure you bring these every day)

  1. Notebook –(One A4 –size, lined 120 sheet notebook)
  2. Journal (any size--any style-- to fit your personality). This must be a separate book.
  3. Pencils, erasers, highlighter
  4. Planner
  5. Binder or folder for hand-outs

Grading Policy

To keep it simple, please remember that everything counts, everything.

Grades will be based upon the following weighted system:

  • In-class work (includes collaboration with peers, participating in English): 30%
  • Homework: 15%
  • Quizzes/Tests: 15%
  • Formal Writing Assessments/Final Portfolio: 40%

The following grading scale applies: A=90-100%; B=80-89%; C=70-79%; D=60-69%. Please note that ZEROS ARE NOT ACCEPTED. Missing work will result in a student receiving a ZAP stamp in their planner, which will require them to report to ZAP detention to complete missing work. Failure to do so will result in ISIR (in-school intervention where the student will be supervised while completing work).

Always do your best and good things will come to you.

Attendance Policy

Come to class every day! Ms. Wickham will follow the Attendance Policy stated in the student handbook for all excused and unexcused absences. It is your responsibility to make up missed work (see assignment folder and/or Ms. Wickham’s website). If you have an excused absence, you will receive full credit for your work as long as you promptly hand it in after you return to class. You will have two days to make up work for every excused day. If you are not excused for your absence and you hand in work within one week of its due date, Ms. Wickham will grade it for 80% credit. After one week, the only way you may obtain up to 60% credit for your work is to attend Saturday tutoring and/or after-school tutoring (under Ms. Wickham’s guidance).

Community Agreements for Our Classroom:

To help create the kind of environment where everyone feels valued and safe, able to take intellectual and emotional risks, there are community agreements that are important for us to adhere to. These are: “Kindness, Respect, Responsibility, Safety.” These agreements will help us create an environment where people feel valued for what they bring to this learning community.

Pull the rope from your end

and we’ll pull the rope from ours.

If there’s a conflict,

We can fix it when we see things

from the other side.

Important Additional Information—Read these important points, sign the bottom of this page, then bring this syllabus to class each day.
  1. It is important to do all assignments on time. This way Ms. Wickham and peers can give you timely feedback. If you are absent due to illness, make sure you ask Ms. Wickham what you missed immediately upon your return. You may also consult her website.
  2. You will do multiple revisions of your assignments in this course. Often Ms. Wickham will allow you to revise a piece of writing after it is graded so that you can become a more skillful writer and improve your grade; however, if you hand in a revision for a higher grade and you have not used the teacher’s feedback, points will be taken off from your previous draft.
  3. Lateness is unacceptable in this learning community; it is disrespectful to your own learning, your peers’ learning, and the teaching. It is your responsibility to come to class on time every day.
  4. Bring all the appropriate materials (pencil, notebook, journal, All Read text, etc.) because you may not leave the classroom to gather up materials since valuable learning time is lost going to your locker after class has started.
  5. As your teacher writes on the board, you must write in your notes so that you are engaged in the ideas and have a record of them. (These notes are invaluable not only for discussions in the present and future, but also for quizzes, tests, and essays.)
  6. As your teacher speaks or your peers speak, write down important ideas so you are engaged and have a record of the ideas that we have discussed. (These come back to play on formal assessments.)
  7. All final draftsto be completed in Introduction to Literature are to be typed to these standards:
  8. Proper header at top
  9. 12 point font
  10. Times New Roman font style
  11. No color, no bold, no underline, no clip art, etc.
  12. Double-spaced

Note: additional rules and procedures may be added to this syllabus throughout the year. This solely depends on the needs of the class.

If you have a concern about anything, please do not hesitate to speak to Ms. Wickham. You may also email her with any questions or concerns at any time. ().

I have read all the important information and understand my responsibility in this classroom.

Student’s signature: ______

Parent’s signature:______

Date:______

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