Contact Information:

Teacher: Jennifer Roberts

Co-Teacher: Andra Morrow (period 6)

Student Teacher: Christina Nielsen (period 7)

Voicemail: 619-223-3121 x4864

Email: jroberts4@sandi.net or jrobertsPLHS@gmail.com 

Room: 864

Class Blogs: http://9thEnglish.blogspot.com/ (periods 3&6)

                   or http://NielsenEnglish.blogspot.com (period 7)

Required Materials

• Literature Textbook (keep at home for assignments)
• Various short stories, class novels, essays, and the article of the week            
• Planner (paper or digital calendar)
• Independent Reading Books: 12, two per grading period. (available in class)
• A Google Account

Course Content:

The purpose of the class is to practice reading a variety of materials and writing for different audiences and purposes. Fiction and non-fiction pieces by professional, as well as novice writers, will be used to promote discussion and serve as models for further writing. Students will learn to work independently and in groups in order to analyze and infer information from text, refine their writing and use of language to communicate to a variety of audiences. The course also emphasizes communication skills both orally and through the use of new forms of digital literacy.

Goals:

• read for pleasure
• read actively to understand, explain and analyze complex texts
• appreciate the writer’s craft and explain, interpret and analyze the significance of a writer’s use of rhetorical techniques;
• write about literature in a variety of forms, including expository, analytical and argumentative essays;
• produce creative writing and visual interpretations to understand, explain, interpret and/or analyze various pieces of literature;
• exhibit elements of stylistic maturity in their own writing, including:  sophisticated vocabulary; a variety of sentence structures; logical organization; balance of generalization and specific detail; and effective use of rhetorical devices.
• understand and employ the steps in process writing (pre-writing, drafting, revising, rewriting, editing, final draft) in their own writing;

Classroom Expectations:

In addition to following all PLHS policies, students are expected to:

• Arrive on time

• Be prepared to learn with required materials  
• Respect yourself and others (no food or hats; electronic devices at teacher’s discretion)
• Uphold the Academic Honesty Policy  

• Be ready to contribute to classroom discussions and activities

Expected Student Learning Results (ESLRs):

Complex Thinkers: Students pose questions based on their readings and research, engage in thoughtful discussions, analyze works of literature, and critically evaluate their sources. They compare various texts and media types and write arguments based on collected evidence.

Effective Communicators: Students speak and write clearly for a range of audiences near and far. They display appropriate digital etiquette when communicating with adults and peers online. In person, students listen closely to others and respond appropriately and thoughtfully.

Responsible Self-Directed Learners and Workers: Students engage in long term self directed research projects, meet due dates for assignments, create high quality products and adhere to expectations of academic honesty and integrity.

Involved Citizens: Students will contribute their scholarship on various topics to public forums. They will learn the value of even a single voice to create change in our community and reflect and act upon various topics of social justice.

Healthy Lifestyle Advocates: Respectful behavior toward others and oneself is the foundation of our course; the classroom will be a positive environment where the ideas of others are valued. Topics related to health and healthy lifestyles are also included in course readings.

Grades:

Assessments and Assignments:  Students will be expected to:

• Engage in short term and long term research projects and writing assignments
• Read assigned whole class readings.
• Read two books per grading period independently. Books may be self-selected, but choosing teacher recommended books or other high quality literature will positively affect book review grades.   Write a review of each book in Goodreads. (Due three days before the end of each six week grading period.)
• Participate in class discussions and activities
• Take required assessments both written and multiple choice
• Complete supplementary assignments as they are announced
• Grading is based upon proficiency with common core standards as approximated by a weighted cumulative point system each semester. Demonstrating proficiency and/or mastery of skills and knowledge required by the standards on a variety of assignments and assessments is key, but preparation, participation and assignment completion may also impact a student’s final grade.

English Journals are digital and used frequently in class for warm-ups, short writing, reading notes, etc. Notebooks will be reviewed regularly by the teachers for comprehension, completion, and organization.

Course information is available online at http://9thenglish.blogspot.com/ and grades are regularly updated and available online through Power School.

• Citizenship grades are determined by a student’s preparation for class, punctuality (see school-wide tardy policy), class participation, and interaction with classmates and instructor.  To ensure individual student success and create a dynamic and challenging intellectual environment, it is essential that students are willing to make a personal commitment to be prepared to participate in class each day.  See also the Point Loma High School Citizenship Rubric.

• Plagiarism: Copying or “borrowing” someone else’s writing and This is a serious offense and will not be tolerated. Suspected cases of plagiarism will be investigated and no credit will be given for the assignment, citizenship grade will be lowered, parent and counselor will be contacted.  (See p. 6-7 of planner)

Late Work:

If there is an issue with an assignment deadline please communicate with me in advance before the due date. I may also request that your parents/guardians contact me before accepting late work. I reserve the right to accept or reject late work based on the nature of the assignment and my judgment of the circumstances.

Absences: If you have an absence from class, it is your responsibility to check the class blog for what you missed.  Unexcused absences affect citizenship and also often impact academic grades.

Communication

I am available after school for phone meetings and student/parent meetings via appointment. Please feel free to call and leave a message or email me with any questions. I will do my best to get back to you within 24 hours. (E-mail generally gets a faster response because I do not have remote access to my school voice mail.)

• Tutoring: After school, by appointment (available most days) or during Advisory.