Savannah Early College High School 2015-2016
Savannah Early College High School 2015-2016
9th Grade Composition & Literature
Mrs. McCray
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Textbook: Prentice Hall Literature: Gold Level 9 & Writing and Grammar
Course Description:
Honors Ninth Grade Literature and Composition will continue to build on the reading and language curriculum established in middle school. Throughout this year-long course, students will have opportunities to develop and expand their knowledge of literature and language and demonstrate their mastery level of new learning through performance tasks and assessments. At the completion of this course, students will take the Georgia Milestones Assessment required by state law. This new test will replace the End of Course Test. The Georgia Milestones will be aligned to the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) and will require more from students than the EOCT it replaces, in order to better prepare students for college and careers. Plainly put, it will provide a “realistic picture of academic progress”. The new testing system will include open-ended questions to better gauge students’ content mastery.
Honors English is not necessarily more work, but different work. Students will employ strong, thorough, and explicit textual evidence in their literary analyses and technical research. They will understand the development of multiple ideas through details and structure and track the development of complex characters and advanced elements of plot such as frame narratives and parallel storylines. Students’ writing will reflect the ability to argue effectively, employing the structure, evidence, and rhetoric necessary in the composition of effective, persuasive texts. Students will be able to construct college-ready research papers of significant length in accordance with the guidelines of standard format style MLA. Students will have built strong and varied vocabularies across multiple content areas, including technical subjects. They will skillfully employ rhetoric and figurative language, purposefully construct tone and mood, and identify lapses in reason or ambiguities in texts. Students will recognize nuances of meaning imparted by mode of presentation, whether it is live drama, spoken word, mass media, or art.
Note: Students will be expected to take notes in Cornell Notes style daily. Implementation of this technique will be further discussed and modeled during class.
Common Core Georgia Performance Standards
In 2012 the Georgia Department of Education adopted new Common Core Georgia Performance Standards for grades 9-12.Consistent with state curriculum, Chatham County Schools English language arts curriculum implementation aligns with state standards. The content standards for this course are clustered by strands: Reading (Literary and Informational), Writing, Speaking/Listening, and Language. The complete lists of the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards for the course are accessible through this link: https://www.georgiastandards.org/Common-Core/Common%20Core%20Frameworks/CCGPS_ELA_9-10_Standards.pdf.
Reading Literary: ELACC0-10RL1 through ELACC9-10RL3 (Key Ideas and Details)
ELACC9-10RL4 through ELACC9-10RL6 (Craft and Structure) ELACC9-10RL7 through -ELACC9-10RL9 (Integration of Knowledge and Ideas)
ELACC9-10RL10 (Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity)
Reading Informational: ELACC9-10RI1 through ELACC9-10RI3 (Key Ideas and
Details)
ELACC9-10RI4 through ELACC9-10RI6 (Craft and Structure)
ELACC9-10RI7 through ELACC9-10RI9 (Integration of
Knowledge and Ideas)
ELACC9-10RI10 (Range of Reading and Level of Text
Complexity)
Writing: ELACC9-10W1 through ELACC9-10W3 (Text Types and Purposes)
ELACC9-10W4 through ELACC9-10W6 (Production and
Distribution of Writing)
ELACC9-10W7 through ELACC9-10W9 (Research to Build and Present Knowledge)
ELACC9-10W10 (Range of Writing)
ELACC9-10SL1 through ELACC9-10SL3 (Comprehension and Collaboration)
ELACC9-10SL4 through ELACC9-10SL6 (Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas)
Language: ELACC9-10L1 throughELACC9-10L2 (Conventions of Standard Language)
ELACC9-10L3 (Knowledge of Language)
ELACC9-10L4 through ELACC9-10L6 (Vocabulary Acquisition and Use)
*Each Unit correlates with the corresponding marking period.
Unit Timelines:
(Unit 1) Trials and Triumphs: The Hero’s Journey
· Extended text- The Odyssey
· Short text- Mythology by Edith Hamilton
· Short Informational text (Primary and Secondary Source Document)-“Back From War, but Not Really Home” by Caroline Alexander from the New York Times
· Movie- The Odyssey
· You Tube- “The Hero’s Journey”
· Argumentative/Narrative Essay
· Literacy Circles/ Video Project
(Unit 2) Defining Courage
· Extended text- 1984 by George Orwell
· Short text- “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst & “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
· Short Informational text- “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr.
· Audio Clip- “I Have a Dream” speech
· Informational/Explanatory Essay & Narrative/Research Paper
· (Extensions) Multimedia Presentation- “The Hero’s Adventure”
· Poetry- “I Hear America Singing” Walt Whitman & “I Too” Langston Hughes
(Unit 3) Paradoxes of Life and Language
· Extended text- Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare
· Short text-“My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun” William Shakespeare & Excerpt from Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Chapter 12 + 18)
· Short text- “The Ring of Time” EB White
· Argumentative & Narrative/Research Essay
(Unit 4) The Importance of Places in Life and Literature
· Extended text- Black Boy Richard Wright
· Short literary text- The Scarlet Letter (chapter 1)
· Informational text- Preservation Nation (article available through Galileo)
· Argumentative & Narrative/Research Essay
Classroom Expectations:
• Each student is expected to be on time.
• Bring all necessary materials (textbook, writing utensils [pencils & blue or black ink only], journal notebook, and paper).
Note: -Books go in the tray, never on the floor. Book bags should remain out of the walkways.
· Always look productive by having materials on your desk. Remember there is always something to do (homework, notes, studying, etc.).
• Respect the teacher, other students, property of others and school policies.
• Participate and pay attention in class.
• Complete all assigned work in a timely fashion.
20pts a day will be deducted on all late work assignments.
• Peruse student handbook for explanation of school rules and consequences.
· Students are permitted to use the restroom after the first 30 minutes of class.
Classroom Procedures:
· All graded papers are to be filed and stored in the filing cabinet.
· Turn in all class work (after the bell) in the tray unless otherwise stated. Never walk up to the teacher’s desk without permission.
· Turn in journal notebooks on Fridays.
-Late journals may only be submitted during tutorial hours after school. Students must have logged-in for a total of 15 minutes to be considered present at tutorial.
· Sharpen pencils/throw items in the trashcan as needed. Privileges will be denied if students are disruptive!
Grading System
Class work/ Homework-40% Tests/projects-60%
Grading Scale: 100-90 = A; 89-80 = B; 79-70 = C or D; 69-0 = F
*All approved honors courses will have three (3) bonus points added to the final semester numerical grade of 70 or higher.
Plagiarism Statement
Plagiarism is the use of another's words or ideas and the presentation of them as though they are entirely one’s own. Acts of plagiarism might include, but are not limited to:
1. Using words or ideas from a published source without proper documentation;
2. Using the work of another student (e. g. copying another student's homework, composition, or project);
3. Using excessive editing suggestions of another student, teacher, parent, or paid editor.
**Plagiarism or “copying” on any project or paper will result in a zero for the assignment.
Unless directly stipulated by the teacher, collaboration on written work is not acceptable. Students who willingly provide other students with access to their work are in violation. Students guilty of cheating will receive a grade of "0" on the assignment or test. The assignment may not be made up.
Tutorial:
*GRADE RECOVERY may be arranged for attending tutorial. A record of attendance will be kept. Tutorial will be held on Wednesdays and Fridays from 2:30-3:00p.m.
Note: Late work acceptance/denial will always be considered under the following guidelines: student’s productivity during tutorial, student’s constructive use of class time prior to late submission, student’s quality of work, & student’s attitude.
*INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES can be found in the “Shared Documents” section of my website: http://internet.savannah.chatham.k12.ga.us/schools/ec/faculty/mccray/default.aspx
***Important note: PowerSchool’s Parent Access provides parents or guardians round-the-clock access to real-time information about their child’s attendance and grades. Please see the Information Specialist for an access ID, password, and other account information. State-issued photo identification is required. Students also may track their academic progress for college and career through PowerSchool’s Student Access. Students may see the Information Specialist for an access ID and password.
*Attendance: Please be aware that students are only allowed four (4) unexcused absences per semester for a block class.
*Make-up Policy: Students are given five days upon their return to class, to make up new assignments.
Student Signature: Home Phone:
Parent Signature: Work Phone:
Date: Parent Email: