Course Syllabus
Language Arts/Communication II
Rocklin High School
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a tenth grade course that exercises and expands all four realms of language arts: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will be reading assigned literature as well as outside books. Writing will be developed through a variety of techniques and styles. Students will also be engaged in activities that advance speaking, listening, and presentation skills.
II. COURSE OUTCOMES: Students will focus on (ESAs) Essential Skills and Concepts to successfully complete writing, reading, and speaking projects including Figurative Language Assessments, Analysis Essays, a Persuasive Essay, Narrative Writing, and the Career Research Presentation.
Course Essential Skills and Concepts:
1. Demonstrate appropriate manuscript requirements such as title page, pagination, and spacing margins
2. Demonstrate a variety of sentence constructions with proper punctuation
3. Show control of paragraph structure
4. Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of punctuation and capitalization
5. Create an accurate works cited page with multiple sources
6. Determine character traits
7. Identify and use multiple examples of figurative language
8. Identify and use a variety of narrative strategies
9. Write a clear and consistent thesis within an analytical essay
10. Develop main idea with supporting evidence
11. Integrate citation into a written text and use appropriate documentation
12. Students progress through the stages of the writing process including evaluation and revision
13. Use classic speech form (introduction, body, and conclusion)
14. Use props, visual aids, graphs, or electronic media to enhance the appeal and accuracy of presentations
15. Demonstrate comprehension of core literature
III. GRADING POLICY: To successfully pass any course at Rocklin High School, the student must accomplish two tasks. The first task is to maintain a minimum of 70% of all work assigned during the semester. The second task is to show proficiency in all skills tested. Failure to accomplish either of these tasks will result in a no credit.
Grading Scale as follows:
Excellent Commendable Mastery
100 A+ 89-88 B+ 79-78 C+
97-92 A 87-82 B 77-72 C
91-90 A- 81-80 B- 71-70 C-
Any Essential Skills Assessment (ESA) that does not meet mastery must be resubmitted within a predetermined, agreed upon time: after the agreed time frame has gone by the score received will be a zero.
IV. LANGUAGE ARTS COURSE GRADE WEIGHT:
70% ESAs (Essential Skills Assignments)
20% Prep Work for ESAs (homework, class work, participation, etc)
10% Outside Reading/Accelerated Reader assignments
V. INSTRUCTOR POLICIES: ESA assignments must be turned in on the assigned due date (by 3:00 pm) to receive full credit – late papers will receive a grade no higher than a C. Students may place the assignment in the teacher’s box in the front office or send the assignment as an email attachment if absent.
***If there are special circumstances, the student must email me (or leave a voice mail) explaining the circumstance or the assignment will be considered late).
If, for some reason, the student misses a due date, he/she will have no more than three weeks to submit the ESA assignment. If this date passes, then the student cannot turn in the assignment, and I will have to assign a score of zero for that assignment. An assignment that is turned in late must be complete and meet all mastery requirements to receive credit. Students may earn half credit for Non-ESA late work within a limited time frame for each unit.
It is very important for students to be prepared on their assigned presentation day in order maintain the class schedule. Students must be responsible on their assigned day: If the student is absent/ill, please notify the instructor (email or voice mail) as soon as possible to reschedule.
Students must make up missed work within one week of an absence to receive full credit. Please email for missed work.
ESA assignments must be submitted to turnitin.com
Using material from another source without citing the source is plagiarism an d will result in disciplinary action (RHS policy). When in doubt…ask for help!
VI. LITERATURE: *Sophomore Core Literature (required sophomore reading)
*To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee) *Night (Wiesel) Animal Farm (Orwell)
Twelve Angry Men (Rose) Selected Short Stories and Poetry Accelerated Reader Novels
VII. MATERIALS: USB removable device (memory stick) advised
Students are not required to buy their own books