Language Art 9
Mrs. C. Santos
SY 1998-1999
Welcome to a journey into the world of Language Arts. Just think of me as your tour guide. My purposes of taking you on this adventure of the mind are to (1) educate you aon some of the conventions of literature; (2) to aid your in devleoping and improving reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking skills; (3) and to encourage you to use these skills effectively in your lives. There is no tool greater than your own mind - no computer program, no video game, no music cd - that enables you to be free, to soar to great heights, to be expressive, and to have freedom.
In my class it is a right that you express your ideas, opinions, and interpretations of the topic at hand - I urge you to exercise on that right. Let me know what you think! Your voice in the classroom is as important as mine! Be an active member of this class, and you may learn to be an active member of the community.
I believe that a classroom must have unity in order to be effective. Although each person in unique in personality and behavior , we must learn to work together. UNITY in the sense means that everyone cooperates with one another, respects one another, and is responsible for one another's behavior. Please help each other maintain this unity. I need your full cooperation. Please observe the following rules.
In this class we will....
1. Remain in class for the full 53- minute period. Exceptions will be made only if you have an emergency situation.
2. Respect the teacher, the other students, and yourselves.
3. Remain silent at any time the teacher is talking.
4. Help maintain a healthy learning environment.
5. Remain seated until the teacher dismisses you.
6. Observe and obey all school rules.
If you fall to uphold these rules, you can expect the following consequences:
1st offense- verbal warning
2nd offense- lunch detention/parents are to be informed.
3rd offense- referral to an administrator
*Any extreme behavior will result in an immediate referral to an administrator.
Materials required
1. College-ruled loose leaf paper.
2. A one inch, 3-ring binder.
3. Blue or black ink pens only! Pencils and pens of another color are not permitted for writing assignments.
Grading is based on a point system.
Example: If you get 225 points out of a total 300 points for the first quarter, then to figure your grade divide 225 by 300. Your percentage would be 75%
90% and above = A
80% - 89% = B
70% - 79% = C
60% -69% = D
59% and below = F
Assignments
1. All assignments must be neat and presentable.
2. Certain essays and reports must be typed and must follow a given format.
3. Mini-oral presentations can not be made up. Major oral presentations can be made-up provided that there is a valid excuse brought in by the students.
4. Points will be deducted from late work on major assignments. They will be accepted providing that there is a valid excuse. Minor assignments will not be accepted after the due date.
Tests and Quizzes- students with unexcused absences will not be able to make up quizzes or tests.
Course Outline
I. First Quarter
A. Literature and Reading
1. Myths (Greek, Nose, Chamorro, American, and myths from other lands), Legends, Folklore's, and Fables selections wil be given at a later time.
2. Short stories (Point of View, Character, Suspense, Setting, Plot)
3. Sustained Silent Reading will take place at the beginning of class each week
4. Comprehension skills and exercises
B. Writing
1. Focus: Sentences (Simple, compound) and paragraphs (narrative).
2. The writing process steps (prewriting, writing, revising, editing.)
3. Grammar: Subject/Verb agreement, Spelling, Capitalization, Punctuation
4. The Oral Language Program: Students are to evaluate and correct given sentences which contain grammatical errors. This exercise will take place each week.
5. Journal writing will take place in class for fifteen minutes every Tuesday and Thursday of each week. Selected topics will be given.
C. Oral Communication Skills
1. Speech delivery
2. Listening
3. Class discussions and small group interaction
D. Vocabulary
1. Word origins, roots, affixes, syllabication
2. Words selected from reading selections
3. The Wordskills workbook
E. Study Skills
1. Note taking
2. Following directions
3. Dictionary skills
4. How to study
5. Library orientation
II. Second Quarter
A. Literature and Reading
1. Poetry (Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Onomatopoeia, Alliteration, Hyperbole, Rhyme Scheme) Selections will be given at a later time.
2. Biography/Autobiography
3. Sustained Silent Reading will take place at the beginning of class each week
4. Comprehension and interpretive skills and exercises
B. Writing
1. Students will be asked to write their own poems.
2. Students will be asked to write a biography and and autobiography
3. Sentences (complex, compound-complex) and paragraphs (descriptive)
4. The Oral Language Program
5. Journal writing. Selected topics will be given.
C. Oral Communication Skills
1.Poetry readings and group presentations
2. Biography presentations
3. Class discussions and small group interaction
D. Vocabulary
1. Words selected from poetry selections
2. The Wordskills workbook
E. Study skills
1. Test taking strategies
III. Third Quarter
A. Literature and Reading
1. Drama (Plot, Theme, Soliloquy, Playwright) Students will read Romeo and Juliet
B. Writing
1. Reader Response
2. Persuasive paragraphs. Essays: Students will be given essay assignments to write in response to issues and topic related to the reading.
3. How to support your opinions and finding; quoting and paraphrasing.
C. Oral Communication Skills
1. Dramatization and role-playing
2. Group presentations
3. Class discussions and small group interaction
D. Vocabulary
1. Words selected from the play (Romeo and Juliet)
2. The Wordskills workbook
E. Study skills
1. Outlining
2. Summarizing
IV. Fourth Quarter
A. Literature and Reading
1. The Novel: Students will read The Outsiders as a class.
B. Writing
1. Reader Response
2. Unified paragraphs; transitional words; the writing process reinforced; Essays: Students will be given essay assignments to write in response to issues and topics related to the reading.
3. How to support your opinions and finding; quoting and paraphrasing reinforced.
4. The novel review: Students will be assigned to write a report on a novel another than the one being read with the whole group. A list of novel, from which students may choose, will be given.
C. Oral Communication Skills
1. Dramatization and role-playing
2. Group presentations
3. Class discussions and small group interaction
D. Vocabulary
1. Words selected from the reading
2. The Wordskills workbook
E. Study skills
1. Previous skills will be reinforced