English Honors Course Outline
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 Purpose and Outline of the Course
• The ninth grade English program is designed to provide a variety of writing, reading, speaking and basic skills activities that will prepare students for the study of more advanced literature and writing.
• The Christensen Rhetoric Program is introduced for the first time with an emphasis on writing the effective sentence. All writing begins with an understanding of how to write an effective sentence and the goal of this course is to teach students how to write great sentences.
• Students maintain a writer's notebook in conjunction with their study of writing. They use the notebook to take notes, to practice implementing writing concepts, and to write final drafts demonstrating their understanding of our studies and their ability to write.
• The literature program exposes students to literary elements through various genres, including the short story, poetry, drama, the novel and others. Expository essays, technology-based projects and oral presentations, among other projects, are assigned as part of the study of literature.
• Skill work in vocabulary, grammar, and spelling is presented as problems are identified during the year. All ninth grade students are involved in completing writing activities and a wide variety of technology projects in the computer lab.
• All students are expected to read, on their own, at least one book every seven weeks, and then demonstrate that the book was read by writing a book review. The book review genre is studied throughout the year with the ultimate goal of publishing book reviews at FindMeABook.com, which is maintained by students in the ninth grade honors class.
• Students, as part of the honors class, also create and maintain additional content for the FindMeABook.com, a teen book news and reviews website.
Book Review Due Dates
Friday, September 23
Friday, November 11
Friday, January 6
Friday, February 17
Friday, April 6
Friday, May 25 |
Materials You Need for English Class — all year long
Required
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Required |
Required
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Recommended |
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| 1.5- or 2-inch binder OR a folder for English work |
A notebook for use as your writer's notebook |
Pens and pencils — a supply to last all year |
A flash drive on which to save computer work |
Buying Your Writer's Notebook
Your writer's notebook is an important purchase, not just because it needs to be a sturdy notebook that can withstand everyday use, but because it also has to represent you as both a person and a writer. So, select one you like based on shape, size and design.
BUT...
No writer's notebook is permitted to be less than 9.5 x 6 inches. Here are a few different notebook sizes to help you judge which size might suit you best. Please note that just because you fill a small notebook before the year is through, it doesn't mean you are done. You'll have to purchase a second or even third writer's notebook to continue our class work.
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Units of Study in English Class 
Christensen Rhetoric Program
Parts of Speech
Parts of the Sentence
Levels of Generality
The Verb Phrases
- present participle phrase
- past participle phrase
- infinitive phrase
The Noun Phrase
The Prepositional Phrase |
Literature
The Short Story — Listen to some stories
The Novel —The Pearl, To Kill A Mockingbird
Drama — Romeo and Juliet
The Epic — The Odyssey
Memoir
Ongoing Units & Lessons
Acacemic and Creative Writing through Writer's Notebook
Independent Reading — book reviews
FindMeABook.com content creation and maintainence |
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Your Grade in English Class
Grading:
Your grade will be based on your tests, projects, presentations, quizzes, homework, essays, book reviews, writer's notebook and class participation.
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Typical English Class Assignment Values:
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• Tests, Essays, Projects and Presentations
• Writer's Notebook
• Class Participation
• Quizzes
• Book Reviews
• FindMeABook.com Duties
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35 percent
20 percent
10 percent
20 percent
10 percent
5 percent |
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Grade Maintenance
You, as an honors student, must maintain an English average of 85. If you fail to meet this grade point average, you will be removed from this honors course and enrolled in English 9. There are two exceptions to this rule:
(1) The five week progress report;
(2) Serious illness or some other reasonable excuse that keeps you out of school for an extended period of time. Each case will be considered on an individual basis.
How Your Class Participation is Scored
Your class participation score, which is 10 percent of your quarter grade, is measured daily based on the five categories below. Those scores are then translated into a weekly grade. The two lowest weekly grades each quarter are dropped. Very short weeks are also dropped. Most studetns earn between 4 and 5 points every day.
Attendance / Promptness
Measures the level at which a student is in class for the whole period and in his seat when the bell rings.
Preparation
Measures the level at which a student is prepared for class with required materials and assignments. This area also measures how quickly a student gets necessary materials ready at the start of class and at other times deemed necessary.
Engagement
Measures the level at which a student proactively contributes to class by offering ideas and asking necessary questions that keep the class discussion insightful and on topic. This area also measures how well a student uses class time to complete tasks that have been assigned by the teacher.
Listening Skills
Measures the level at which a student listens when others talk and builds off of the ideas of others in order to contribute to class. Also, this area measures how well a student can complete simple tasks without having to ask the teacher to repeat the task.
Behavior
Measures the level at which a student avoids displaying disruptive, rude, insubordinate or inappropriate behavior during class. Also, this area measures how well a student can avoid being disrupted by a classmate’s bad behavior, including, but not limited to, laughing at the misbehaving student.
Scoring Your Writer's Notebook
Your writer's notebook is an important score in English class. Each quarter we will assess the contents of the BACK (notes, warm-ups, drafts), the FRONT (writing), and ONE OR TWO PUBLISHED PIECES, which are your best and most polished pieces typed and turned in as a demonstration of not only what you know, but how well you express that knowledge in writing. |
Late Work in English Class
• LATE WORK WILL NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY in English class.
• You will receive a 20% reduction for late work up to 3 days.
• After the third day, the assignment becomes a ZERO.
• No excuses will be accepted for late work.
• Check the Homework page for weekly assignments. |
Absent from Class for Some Reason?
• If you miss class for any reason, you are responsible for the work you miss.
• Always come to class before going to music lessons or leaving school, and ask for your assignment.
• Missing class for a reason other than illness does not mean you can't do the homework.
• If you miss class Wednesday because of a dentist appointment, for instance, you are still responsible for work due Thursday. Remember that Wednesday's task was assigned on Monday — the day the assignment sheet was handed out. The "I wasn't here" excuse doesn't apply in cases like these.
• If you are unsure about an assignment, check the Homework page.
• Good students are responsible and resourceful, which means they know how to find what they're looking for and then they take care of business once they've found it. You can get what you want if you can navigate this site.
• If you are home sick from school, you have three days to make up missed work. This is your reminder.
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Find Mr. Stratton
Marking Periods 1 and 2
- Period 1 — Rm. 230 (English 9H)
- Period 2 — Rm. 230 (English 910)
- Period 3 — Rm. 230 (FREE)
- Period 4 — Rm. 230 (FREE)
- Period 5 — Rm. 230 (English 9)
- Period 6 — Staff Lounge or Rm. 230 (Lunch)
- Period 7 — Rm. 230 (English 9)
- Period 8 — Rm. 230 (English 9)
- Period 9 — Rm. 230 (Study Hall)
Marking Periods 3 and 4
- Period 1 — Rm. 230 (English 9H)
- Period 2 — Rm. 230 (English 910)
- Period 3 — Rm. 230 (FREE)
- Period 4 — Rm. 230 (Journalism)
- Period 5 — Rm. 230 (English 9)
- Period 6 — Staff Lounge or Rm. 230 (Lunch)
- Period 7 — Rm. 230 (English 9)
- Period 8 — Rm. 230 (English 9)
- Period 9 — Rm. 230 (Study Hall)
- Email Mr. Stratton from this site or sstratton@nvcs.stier.org
- After school appointments can easily be set up as well. |
