Language Arts 9 Course Syllabus
Miss Redaja
School Year 1998-1999
Welcome students! My name is Miss Redaja. You may also call me
Miss R. or Ma'am. If you haven't already guessed, this is ninth
grade Language Arts. In this class you will learn to become
better communicators. How will you do that? By becoming better
speakers, listeners, readers, and writers, you will improve in
your communication skills. You can expect a lot of writing
assignments ranging from poetry to short stories to book reports.
You can also expect various projects such as shorts skits which
you will be required to present in front of you classmates. We
will look at a variety of literary works from various authors.
You will also be given a chance to choose your own novels for
your book reports. You will be given more information regarding
these different assignments as the year progresses.
Why Study Language Arts?
Spoken and written language was developed for the primary
purpose of communication. Without language, we would not be able
to express ourselves to each other in a way that enhances our
lives; we would not be able to share ideas and be aware of other
cultures. We would not know how to follow instructions and well,
face it. Without language arts, the human race would be one big
misunderstanding after another. In short, we need language arts
to better our lives and ourselves.
What book will you be using?
"Wordskills", Orange Level by Coomber, James E.
&Howard D. Peet. Illinois: McDougal, Littel & Company,
1991.
"Reading Literature", Orange Level. New York:
McDougal, Littel & Company, 1985.
"Prentice Hall Literature", Gold Level. New Jersey:
Prentice Hall Inc., 1991.
*Other resources will be used as deemed necessary.
What else will you need?
Black or Blue ink pens ONLY
Filler paper
Binder of 3-prong folder
Notebook exclusively for journals (preferably Composition
notebooks)
You will need other materials such as markers, crayons,
colored pencils, or any other supplies needed to complete your
various projects.
What I expect from you:
If you do all your assignments and turn them in on time, then
you should have no problem passing my class. There are some rules
I expect you to follow. This class has three "golden"
rules: 1. Come to class prepared! Not only must you bring paper,
your writing tools and assignments, you must also bring your
mind. This class is not a one way street--it is a three lane
highway. 2. Give respect and get respect. We are here to learn
and not to belittle. Ideas will be welcomed openly. If it doesn't
belong to you, don't touch it without first asking permission. 3.
Know the school rules and observe them. That is what your student
handbook if for.
What happens if a rule is broken?
If a rule is broken, the following procedures will be
followed:
1st Offense--Verbal warning
2nd Offense--Offense will be documented
3rd Offense--Lunch detention
4th Offense--Disciplinary Referral
Assignments/Make-up:
Turn assignments in on time. Late assignments will be
accepted, but penalized. Sometimes I will not personally collect
assignments. You must turn them in. It will be your
responsibility. There are a set of trays on my desk. Your
assignments are to be placed in the tray marked with the period
number you have this class. If you are absent, it is your
responsibility to make-up any work you may have missed. There
will be another set of trays on my filing cabinet marked with the
days of the week. In each tray you should find some worksheets
(if any) that you will need to make up. In addition, there is a
calendar of assignments on the bulletin board. All make-up
quizzes and tests are to be held during lunch, before or after
school. It is your responsibility to make arrangements with me.
What if I don't understand the assignment?
If you don't understand the assignment, raise your hand and
ask questions. You may also talk to me after class of during
break of lunch, if you wish.
Classroom Daily Agendas:
Everyday there will be an agenda written on the board. There
are routines you will need to know. Every Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday, you will be writing in your journals for about 5 to 7
minutes. Every Tuesday and Thursday you will have silent reading
for 5 minutes. Every other Thursday, starting August 20, you will
work on the Vocabulary workbook and every other Friday, starting
August 28, you will take a vocabulary test.
Attendance:
If you are not in your seat by the time the tardy bell rings,
you will be considered tardy. If you are absent, you must bring
me an admit slip. If you were on a field trip, regardless if I
signed the form, you must show it to me. Otherwise, your field
trip absence will be counted as an unexcused absence. Attendance
requirements should be found in your student handbook. Look over
them carefully.
Corridor Passes:
Corridor passes will not be given to use the phone, go to your
locker or visit friends in other classes. Corridor passes are
given for emergency purposes only (for example,
if you absolutely, positively have to use the restroom or see the
nurse.) I don't especially like giving corridor passes to
students who are just starting the day (homeroom or first
period), or have just returned from break or lunch.
Progress Reports:
I will try to provide progress reports at least twice per
quarter. These reports will be sent home to your parents via you.
It is your responsibility to show your report to your parent of
legal guardian and bring it back signed. I may also ask your
parent to sign various assignments, tests, or quizzes you have
done in class.
Tentative Course Schedule:
The following outline offers a tentative schedule of what will be covered throughout the year. This outline may be altered according to the allotment of time.
1st Quarter
I. Vocabulary
A. Wordskills Workbook
1. Synonyms
2. Antonyms
3. Context clues
4. Roots/Affixes
5. Various Definitions
B. Reading Vocabulary
II. Grammar
You will be learning grammar by correcting various grammatically incorrect sentences found in:
A. Daily Oral Language (DOL) workbook
B. Assignments written by classmates
C. Various media
III. Study skills
A. Time Management
B. Study place
C. Note taking
D. Prioritizing
E. Library skills
IV. Poetry
A. Elements of poetry
B. Interpretation of poems written by different authors
C. Student Poetry Book
2nd Quarter
I. Vocabulary
II. Grammar
III. Public Speaking
A. Introduction
B. Oral Presentation
IV. Short Stories
A. Elements of a short story
B. Interpretation of various short stories
C. Student-written short stories
V. Class Novel: "The Outsiders"
3rd Quarter
I. Vocabulary
II. Grammar
III. Book Report
Students will select a book to read for their book reports. However, the books must be approved by the teacher.
A. Written
B. Oral presentation
IV. Myths and Legends
A. Greek, Chamorro, Other
B. Student skits based on any myth/legend
4th Quarter
I. Vocabulary
II. Grammar
III. Writing
IV. William Shakespeare: "Romeo and Juliet"
Grading:
Grades are based upon a point system. In other words, you are
given a total number of possible points per assignment. At the
end of each quarter, the total number of points you earned is
divided by the total number of points possible to get a
percentage grade. For example, if you earned 750 points of a
possible 900, the following formula will be used to calculate
your percentage grade: 750/900 = 750 divided by 900 = .8333 = 83%
The grade scale is as follows: 90% and up = A
80%-89% = B
79%-70% = C
69%-60% = D
59%-0% = F