Lassiter High School

Reaching Excellence and Climbing Higher

Language Arts Department

Fall Semester 2013

COURSE TITLE: Tenth Grade Literature and Composition 122 Instructor: Dottie Saye

See blogs on following school website: http://www.lassiterhigh.org/ Phone #: 404-431-2817

Co-Teacher: Pam Diersen

COURSE DESCRIPTION BASED ON GEORGIA STATE COMMON CORE STANDARDS:

This course will focus on reading and writing about thematic literary and informational texts. Students will develop an understanding of texts from American and World literature. Writing will incorporate the use of information, explanation, and argument. Students will use the adopted textbook and supplementary materials (some of which will be accessible through the use of this blog). Vocabulary lessons are derived from the Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop books that were purchased on GO DAY and which are still available for purchase. Pertinent notes and deadline reminders will be available on Ms. Pam Diersen's (co-teacher) blog. Because this syllabus will be in published blog form, there is no need to return a signed page. Please send a note or email if there are any questions or need for clarification.

GRADING POLICY: Major assignments…………………………………………....50%

Minor assignments…………………………………………….30%

Vocabulary 10%

Final Exam………………………………………………….....10%

TEXTS/READINGS: Prentice Hall Literature: Language and Literature

PARALLEL READINGS: Julius Caesar (available in above textbook)

FILMS: We will periodically watch content related films. None of these films will exceed a rating of PG-13 without notification/permission.

MATERIALS NEEDED: Notebook

§  # 2 pencil

§  Blue or black pen

§  Paper

§  Flashdrive

ATTENDANCE AND MAKE-UP POLICY: See the Student Handbook for details. Generally speaking, an absence is

considered unexcused if a note is not presented to the Attendance Office within three days of absence. Make-up

days for excused absences will be announced in class on a weekly basis as needed.

LATE WORK POLICY: Minor work will not be accepted late. Major assignments will be accepted up to three days

after the original due date. A 10% deduction will be applied to the assignment grade for each day it is late.

TARDY POLICY: A tardy ticket must be produces upon late entrance to class. Consequences are outlined in the Student Handbook.

EXTRA HELP: Provided in conjunction with make-up times; can also be arranged between student and teacher.

MANUSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS:

§  All work should be completed with care and reflect grade level insight. Illegible work and papers without the proper identification will receive a zero.

§  Student name, date, teacher name, and hour should appear in the upper left-hand corner of all assignments per MLA style.

§  All final draft essays should follow the standard MLA manuscript format for written composition.

§  All essays must be submitted to Turnitin.com.

§  Major writing assignments should be typed. For your convenience, the writing center (Room 333) and the media center computers are available before and after school for word processing.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

Cheating is considered a serious matter. The parents of a student who has been involved in cheating will be notified and the student will receive a grade of zero for the test or evaluation period, and a grade of U in conduct.

For this course, cheating is defined as, but is not limited to, the following acts:

¨  Copying anyone’s answers to questions, exercises, study guides, classwork, or homework assignments

¨  Taking any information verbatim from any source, including the Internet, without giving proper credit to the author, or rearranging the order of words and/or changing some words as written by the author and claiming the work as his or her own, i.e., plagiarism.

¨  Looking onto another student’s paper during a test or quiz.

¨  Having available any study notes or other test aids during a test or quiz without the teacher’s permission.

¨  Collaborating on assignments when independent work is expected.

¨  Students displaying cell phones, PDA’s, calculators, or digital cameras during tests and/or quizzes will be written up and will receive a zero for the assignment.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Georgia’s adoption of the Common Core standards require students to read increasingly complex texts with increasing independence as they progress toward career and college readiness.