Course Outline for Fall/Winter 2009-10
Section – D2/P8; D3/P2; D5/P6&P7; D6/P7
a) Course Description:
This course is about reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and representing. All these skills are essential for survival and success in your life during and after high school.
Be prepared to work hard and use time wisely in order to guarantee success in attaining a credit. Let’s work together to ensure this goal is met.
b) Content
Note: This course will be instructed by 3 teachers. You will be with Mr. Kaplan for term 1 and 2, then you will have different instructors for term 3 and 4.
Curricular Objectives:
i) Essay Writing & Research Methods
ii) Short Stories
iii) Novel Studies (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
iv) Poetry
v) Participation
Enrichment (Time Permitting):
vi) Story Telling
c) Assessment and Evaluation
Each unit will reflect the evaluation worth in proportion to the unit size and difficulty.
Major assessment will be derived from four areas:
a) Term projects
b) Course Work
c) Tests and Quizzes
d) Participation
d) Expectations
This course is designed to improve your understanding of the six major English language art outcomes at a grade 8 level.
You will have various opportunities to relate your understanding and growth of these outcomes.
Participation: Class attendance will be taken and participation recorded. To receive full marks for this element requires 100% attendance (medical absence excluded), active participation in each class attended, active participation that consistently demonstrates prior preparation, and active participation in group assignments.
Late assignments will NOT be accepted. Instead, students will be provided with 3 late coupons. Each coupon will represent ONE late (school day) that the assignment is not submitted during the designated class period. Late assignments submitted without a coupon will be reviewed and commented upon, but will receive a mark of ZERO.
Extensions are given as long ample notice is given (3 school days); eligible extensions must be accompanied by an EXTENTION FORM which must be stapled and submitted with completed assignment to receive full marks.
No one gets hurt:
1) Respect people, their views, opinions, choices, and property
2) Racism and racist comments/jokes, sexism and sexist comments/jokes will NOT be tolerated!
Plagiarism: Please be advised that any aspect of an assignment that is plagiarized will mean a zero on the entire assignment, and there are no exceptions to this. Should you be unfamiliar with the plagiarism rules, please see me as soon as possible. Repeated acts of plagiarism may result in suspension or expulsion.
Note: Many assignments will be submitted electronically and if students are unable to access a computer and the internet please contact me as soon as possible. Furthermore, a certain percentage of electronic submissions will be cross referenced on the web. All word combinations exceeding 3 words can be linked to similar online material. Students will have to defend their submissions likeness to any online content that is not properly cited.
Books: Materials received in class are the property of the school. Please return all books to the teacher only. Lost books will need to be replaced at the expense of the students. Failure to return a text without a replacement will result in a freeze on the student’s borrowing ability.
