COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Information
Class name: Language Arts
Grade: 7th
Room: 201
Instructor Information
Name: Sara Ott
Email:
sott@usd259.comPhone:973-9000 school office
Course Text
Other Materials
Bring your binder to class everyday (with pens and pencils, your planner, your note paper). You will be issued a writing notebook that you will leave in class.
Attendance Policy
If you miss class, you will lose 10% of the points for that day’s work. To recover those points, you’ll need to do an optional assignment. I will send you a homework assignment or a note describing to you what you need to write and read to catch up with the rest of the class. The next day in class, I will provide you with an optional assignment to make up for the points you missed on the day you were gone.
Instructor Expectations
Our classroom will be built on mutual respect and my belief that we all have something to teach each other. Please communicate your needs and concerns to me, and we will work together to meet those needs. We’ll work hard together to create new writings that we will collect into a magazine at the end of each quarter.
Late Assignment Policy
Late assignments turned in without any form of communication with me will automatically drop one letter grade per week that they are late.
Proper Use of Ears Policy
Listen: to me: I will listen to you
to your partner: he will listen to you
to your group: they will listen to you
and then we will all be heard.
Grading Policy
We will do much of our writing in class; you’ll do much of your reading at home. Your grades will be based on each quarter’s reading, writing, class participation and attendance, and contribution to our class magazine.
Writing Notebook completed each day: 200 points
Author’s Chair participation: 100 points
Reader’s Chair participation: 100 points
Class Magazine contribution: 200 points
Homework: 200 points
Attendance: 200 points
Total: 1000 points
900 points and above = A
800 points and above = B
700 points and above = C
600 points and above = D
0—599 points = F
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is defined as honesty in the acknowledgement of ideas, words, data, written work, and solutions. All work submitted by students must represent their own original work. All forms of student dishonesty, including cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, violation of copyright laws, and facilitating any academic dishonesty, are forbidden. Consequences of academic dishonesty may include a failing grade for a paper.
Classroom Conduct
Respect: To take notice of; to regard with special attention; to regard as worthy of special consideration; hence, to care for; to heed. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Sample Paper
Student Name
Class Name (Language Arts 1st hour)
Teacher Name
Date Paper is Due
Title
Be sure to indent the first line of each new paragraph you write. Each paper you write should have a beginning, middle, and end. You’ll always have at least three paragraphs in your paper—and sometimes many more! I want to tell you a story to illustrate the format of the papers you will be writing. While drinking orange juice recently, Cort asked, "Mom, what's that spicy taste on my tongue?"
"That's acid. Orange juice is very acidic. We call that taste tangy." He listened thoughtfully and then declared, "I love it!"
That same day, he had cheese and crackers for snack. I laid the crackers out in a neat row on his plate. He ate all but two, which is unusual because he loves cheese and crackers. Normally, he eats all of them.
"Did you get full, Cort?"
"No, Mom. Those crackers are dull."
What? I thought to myself. Oh, stale!
Marshall’s School-Wide Binder Expectations
Students will purchase their own binder – We would prefer a dark color
No stickers, writing, pictures, embellishments of any kind (including inside covers)
Students will be asked to remove embellishments or buy a new binder
Name may be written in a neat fashion on front cover and/or spine
A minimum of 5 dividers will be used (Math-Red, LA-Clear, Sci-Blue, Soc-Orange, Explo-Yellow)
Students may subdivide sections to aid in their organization with more dividers or folders as needed
Binders must be carried to every class, including exploratory
Agendas (planners) are to be kept in the binders
There should be no orphaned papers – every paper should have a home (in the rings)
Binders will be checked weekly during 7th hour and will be a part of their grade
National Geographic for kids: You've read the magazine, now view the website. Videos, pics, stories and more!
Pic Lits: drag and drop words into pictures to create visual poetry.
