McIntosh High School Syllabus for Grade 9 Literature and Composition 2016-2017

Teachers:
Ms. Alysa de la Torre email: delatorre.alysa@mail.fcboe.org
Mr. Darren Delfosse email: delfosse.darren@mail.fcboe.org
Materials needed: Folder (to be left in the classroom), folder or section in binder (to go back and forth
between school and home), paper, pens, pencils, agenda, computer with internet access (If needed,
computers with internet access are available in our school library and at our local library)
Text: Houghton Mifflin, Georgia Collections, Grade 9; other books and articles as assigned
If you lose your text, you will need to play for replacement ($97.95). Please be very careful!
Course Description: This course integrates the study of writing, grammar and usage, literature, and
speaking and listening. Students will participate in daily grammar exercises, will also develop grammar
and usage skills in the context of their writing, and will read and analyze a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts.
The course will cover the GSE ELA 9-10, and will, therefore, focus on communicating effectively through
the study of the following works:
First Semester

Second Semester

Unit One: Heroes and Quests:

Unit Three: Sweet Sorrow:

Our Life Journey

Our Struggle with Mortality

Anchor Text: Homer's Odyssey

Anchor Text: William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Additional Texts: Ego Tripping and The

Good Soldiers

Additional Texts: Pyramus and Thisbe, Loves

Vocabulary

Unit Two: Finding Common Ground:

Unit Four: Struggle for Freedom:

The Individual and Society

Gender, Race, and Class in Society

Anchor Text:George Orwell's Animal

Farm

Anchor Text: Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird

Additional Texts: Once Upon a Time,

The Vietnam Wall

Additional Texts: "Hanging Fire," "Barbie Doll," "I Have

a Dream"
Research Project

Research Project
The teacher reserves the right to modify these plans as deemed necessary.

Assessment:
Student grades will be calculated in the following manner:
Research Project/Paper 20%
Formative Assessments (quizzes, classwork) 20%
Check and Preparation 5%
Summative Assessments 35% (tests/projects and essays)
Semester Exam/ Milestone 20%
NO last minute extra credit will be given to facilitate passing. NO extra credit will be given for
individuals. Students must pass both semesters with at least a 70 average each semester to proceed to the
tenth grade. Individual tutoring is available before and after school by appointment.
Credit Recovery: Options for credit recovery following the conclusion of the semester may be available
should credit for the course not be obtained. Requirements and criteria, including a minimum failing
grade, will be determined at the end of each semester and must be satisfied in order to participate in
credit recovery.
Absences and Make-up Work: Students with excused absences may make up all missed work.
(Excuse note must be submitted to the office within three days of the absence.) Make-up work is the
students responsibility. All make-up work must be completed within five days of the students return
from an excused absence. All make-up tests and quizzes will be scheduled at the teacher's convenience
with the student having at least 24-hours notice. Field trip absences only get one day for make-up work.
Major writing assignments and projects that are announced in advance are due regardless of absence.
Students who are present the day an assignment, test, or quiz is announced will turn in the assignment
(take the test/quiz) on the first day of their return.
Exam Dates: Please be aware that MHS will administer semester and final exams on December 14, 15,
and 16 and on May 24, 25, and 26. Please plan accordingly.
Late Work: Late work will be for major assignments only, not for homework.
Homework and daily assignments: To receive full credit on homework and daily assignments,
students must turn in assignments on the day they are due. If a student does not have the assignment on
the due date, he/she will receive a zero for that assignment.
Major projects and essays: Essays and major projects lose 10% off the final grade for every day the
assignment is late for up three days after the due date per county policy. After that, no more than half

credit will be awarded. Please be aware that any written assignment may be submitted to an online
grading and evaluation site.
Behavior Expectations: Refer to the Student Handbook in front of the Student Agenda for information
on behavior expectations. If a students behavior interferes with classroom instruction, the behavior may
require a teacher conference, teacher detention, parent contact, or administrative referral.
BYOT Policy: You will use your personal technology to help keep you organized and to complete projects
on specifically approved days. You will be directly prompted to use your technology if it is appropriate to
do so. Otherwise, you should not be handling your technology in any way, including to check the time.
You should not have direct access to your technology during class unless your teacher has told you to do
so.
Below you will find the county Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy. Please read it carefully and let
your teacher know about your questions.
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy
Fayette County Secondary Schools Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty Statement
Rationale: Plagiarism and academic dishonesty are serious violations of the principles of academic
integrity. They represent a form of theft rather than genuine learning, and undermine the learning
process. Plagiarism and academic dishonesty demonstrate a breach of character that is at odds with the
values and goals of Fayette County Public Schools as an agency of college and career readiness. Students
must become adept at gathering information, evaluating sources, citing material accurately, reporting
findings from their research, and analyzing sources in a clear and cogent manner. Plagiarism and
academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty include the:

representation of anothers ideas or writing as ones own, by withholding credit through the omission of

parenthetical documentation and/or a works cited page

submission of work copied in part or whole from the work of someone else and submitting it as ones own,
by withholding credit through the omission of parenthetical documentation, specific source citations on a

works cited page, and/or works cited page

use of materialcopied directly, cut and pasted, summarized, or paraphrased--without providing the

authors name and title of source

submission of purchased papers or papers downloaded from the Internet as ones own
submission of papers written by some other personincluding tutors, parents, siblings, or friends--as
ones own
provision of ones work in any discipline or subject matter to others, whether one believes the work will be
copied or not unless the teacher has given specific permission for collaborative effort
stealing of examination or course materials or cheating on an examination

falsifying of records, laboratory results, or other data

assistance of another student in any of the areas above, including assistance in an arrangement whereby
any work, classroom performance, examination, or other activity is submitted or performed by a person
other than the student under whose name the work is submitted or performed.
Penalties for Plagiarism:

1.

A student who has plagiarized all or any part of a major writing assignment in any class will receive no

credit for the assignment. No substitute assignment will be given.

2. A student who submits an assignment that requires documentation with no parenthetical citation and/or
works cited has effectively and purposefully committed plagiarism; therefore, the student will receive a
grade of zero for the entire research or writing assignment. No substitute assignment will be given.
3. A student who allows another student to copy his or her assignment in any discipline, or assists in the act
of plagiarism or academic dishonesty, will be subject to disciplinary action and will receive a grade of zero
for the assignment. No substitute assignment will be given.
4. All incidents of plagiarism will result in a disciplinary referral, parents will be notified, and the
assignment will receive a grade of zero for the assignment. No substitute assignment will be given.
NOTE TO PARENTS: County Guidelines for Student Behavior outlines the punishments for academic
dishonesty; plagiarism is academic dishonesty. Teachers give instruction orally, in writing, and through
specific examples as to what constitutes plagiarism to all students.