Secondary Course Syllabus        Traducción en Español

Building: Eastmont High School

Course Title: English 10  

Teacher: Ms. James

Email: jamesj@eastmont206.org                       Phone: (509) 888-1292

Course Description:

This is a benchmark English Language Arts class for 10th graders, and it will prepare  students to take the SBAC ELA/Literacy test in the spring. It also features reading, writing,  and speaking experiences designed to prepare students for success in future English classes  as well as life beyond high school.

Pre-Requisites:

English 9

Textbooks and Instructional Materials:  

There are a variety of instructional materials that support learning in this course. The primary  textbook is Elements of Literature. Technology is integrated in this course through a variety  of supplemental digital media resources.  

Teachers may include units on one or more of the following novels:

The Hunger Games, The Pearl, House on Mango Street, etc.

Grading:  

Students achieve their grade in a points based grading system. Grades are maintained  within the Eastmont School District Student Information System. The secure student  information system including the gradebook for this course, are accessible to students and  parents 24/7/365 through the student and parent portal via our website at  

www.eastmont206.org.

Grades are based on the following percentages and points for GPA calculations: 

Accommodations and/or modifications:  

Appropriate accommodations and/or modifications will be provided for students with  documented disabilities. Accommodations and modifications are types of adaptations that  are made to the environment, curriculum, instruction, or assessment practices in order for  students with disabilities to be successful learners and actively participate with other students  in the general education classroom or in school-wide activities. Specific accommodations and  modifications are determined by the student’s Section 504 team or Individual Education  Program team. If a student with a documented disability is eligible to receive  accommodations and/or modifications their special education case manager will contact me  within the first two weeks of class and provide me with explicit directions and/or resources to 

implementing the accommodations and/or modifications that are included on the student’s  Section 504 plan or Individual Education Program. Communication with me is essential to  the successful completion of course expectations and the implementation of  accommodations and/or modifications.

Attendance, Behavior, and Performance Expectations:  

Student success is dependent upon respecting and following the rules of conduct outlined in  Board Policy #3241 and described in the student handbook. Both are available on the  website at www.eastmont206.org.

Make-up Work:  

Eastmont School District Policy and Procedures #3122 for excused absences and make-up  work apply to this course. Specifically, “If an absence is excused, the student will be  permitted to make up all missed assignments outside of class under reasonable conditions  and time limits…” All the activities and learning opportunities for this course are expected to  be completed. Absences, whether excused or unexcused, cause gaps in learning.  

Late Work - Late work will be accepted for all assignments, including essays, one day after  the due date, and there will be a 25% point reduction. However, there are some types of  assignments where no late work will be accepted. One example is a rough draft essay  where students must have it done on time in order to peer edit in class. Another example  might be an assignment that includes a scheduled presentation. The teacher will let students  know about these exceptions ahead of time.

Long Term Assignments - These are assignments where the students have known about  the due date and worked on the assignment for multiple days. (Examples: a project, an  essay, etc.) In these long-term cases, the assignments are due on the due date even if the  student has an excused absence. The late work policy for these long-term assignments is  ONE extra day with a 25% deduction. This policy may be waived by the teacher in  extenuating circumstances..

Clubs, Activities, and Leadership opportunities:

Miscellaneous: 

• All typed essays must be electronically submitted to Turnitin.com before they will be  graded.

• Any essays that require the use of sources will not be graded unless they include both in text citations and a works cited page.

• Essays will be assessed using the Common Core or SBAC rubrics, depending on the  type of essay.

• Plagiarism - Any cheating and/or plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment. This  rule applies to copying off the internet, copying answers, sharing answers, dividing work  in half and trading halves, etc. All work must be individual and original.

• There will be no extra credit points offered. The students' grades should reflect what  they've earned on the required assignments.

• “Non-negotiables” address the writing skills that every student will be expected to perform  accurately in every English class. Teachers may provide a hard copy of the Non negotiables, or they may post the list on Google Classroom or their teacher website.

• There will be no retakes of objective type tests and quizzes (multiple choice, T/F, short  answer, matching, literary terms, vocab, etc.). There may be rewrites allowed for essays  or extended response questions IF the teacher so chooses.  

Movies - The EHS English Dept. has chosen films that specifically connect to our teaching  units or that may be taught in place of a novel when time is limited. Not all of the movies  listed below will be shown in class, but they are available for all English 10 classes. • Freedom Writers – PG13

• The Ernest Green Story – Not Rated

• Adventures of Greyfriar’s Bobby – PG13

• Julius Caesar – Not Rated (1950s black and white version)

• The Pearl

• Akeelah and the Bee

• The Hunger Games

• Divergent

Weighted Categories for Grading:

• Summative Assessments & Essays – 50%

• Quizzes - 20%

• Daily Work - 20%

• Projects/Presentations - 10%

• Pre-Tests 0%