English 10 Course Description

Friendly High School

English/Language Arts 10

Course Syllabus

Ms. C. Sanders, Teacher

Room 109

Statement of Purpose
The English/Language Arts program is committed to enabling all students to become lifelong readers, writers, listeners, and speakers.  All of these processes are recursive, which necessitates an understanding that growth and development are never-ending.  Systematic instruction that focuses on the development of attitudes, strategies, and processes empowers students to become active listeners, proficient speakers, and independent readers, writers, and thinkers.
The course objectives are aligned with Maryland’s State Curriculum for English and with the English Core Learning Goals as prepared by the Maryland State Department of Education (M.S. D.E.), which are as follows:

• Goal 1: The student will demonstrate the ability to respond to a text by employing personal experiences and critical analysis.
• Goal 2: The student will demonstrate the ability to compose in a variety of modes by developing content, employing specific forms and selecting language appropriate for a particular audience and purpose.
• Goal 3: The student will demonstrate the ability to control language by applying the conventions of standard English in writing and speaking.
• Goal 4: The student will demonstrate the ability to evaluate the content, organization and language use of texts.

Course Description
This course fulfills the English 10 requirement and is designed to facilitate learning outcomes appropriate to the instructional needs of students.  This course continues development of and improvement of students’ skills in reading, writing, and communication.  Students study various forms of literature, with emphasis on selected, literary classics.  Instruction and remediation are provided for students preparing for the High School Assessment.  Modified course content will be delivered in whole and small instructional groupings to diverse learners.

Required Materials

1. 2 inch 3-ring binder
2. 6 dividers
3. 3-ring loose-leaf notebook paper
4. 2 pens – blue or black
5. 2 No. 2 pencils
6. One highlighter
7. One travel drive
8. 2 packs of Post-it Notes

Required materials and issued textbook(s) must be brought to class daily.  On the inside cover of the book should be the student’s name, teacher’s name, issued school-year with teacher’s initials.  Report any lost book immediately.  You will be charged for any lost book as soon as a replacement book is issued.

Notebook Sections

1. Notes
2. Warm-ups
3. Quick-Writes/ Journals
4. Classwork
5. Homework
6. Assessments

Grading Factors

The goal of grading and reporting is to provide students with feedback that reflects their progress towards mastery of the indicators and objectives found in the Reading/Language Arts Curriculum Framework.

Classwork              This category might include all work begun and/or completed                                  25%
                                in class, class discussions, group activities, student journals,
                                warm-ups, and other assigned tasks.
Homework              This category might include all work completed outside of the                                   25%
                                class setting. Assignments might include readings and/or
                                accompanying tasks, written assignments, and practice
                                exercises; occasionally assignments that are not completed in class.

Assessments        This category might include tests, quizzes, and quarterly                                           50%
                                assessments. Some assessments will be in the selected
                                response format or include short answer responses and essays which evaluate
                                student performance in writing or presentation of ideas.

Student Attendance

• Students must attend class daily and arrive on time.
• According to P.G.C.P.S. Administrative Procedure 5113, Pupil Attendance and Absence, “5 days of unlawful absence per semester in a semester course, or 10 days of unlawful absence in a full-year course shall result in a no grade (N) for the course.”
• When absent, a student has 2 days in which to bring in a note that excuses him/her for the absence.  After 2 days, the absence becomes UNEXCUSED.
• For excused absences, the student is responsible for acquiring his or her make-up work.
• According to P.G.C.P.S. Administrative Procedure 5121.2, Assessment and Grading for All Secondary Schools Programs, “students who are considered lawfully absent from school will have the opportunity to make-up missed work in a timely fashion (a maximum of three days for each day’s absence).”
• Students who fail to complete work in a timely fashion will receive a “zero” (0) grade for those assignments.
• Students are responsible for notifying teachers ahead of time if their absence will be due to a school sponsored activity.