Common Core English 9 - Syllabus

Instructor Mrs. Annie Watson E-mail awatson@fusd1.org

Phone 928-773-8100 Office Mon-Thurs 2:30-3:30
Room # 405 Hours Other times by appointment

Description:
Welcome to Common Core English 9. I’m very excited to be teaching you this year, and I know we will have
an engaging and productive term. You have already shown commitment to your education by choosing to take
this early morning class to strengthen your literacy skills, so you are off to a great start in high school already!
Common Core English 9 is designed to be a class that creates a foundation in literature and composition in
preparation for upper level high school English courses. Extra emphasis is placed upon academic rigor and
preparation for post high school reading and writing requirements. We will read and analyze a variety of texts,
both literary and non-fiction, to facilitate our discussions and provoke meaningful writing and research. You
should expect to encounter higher-level questions, and you will learn how to use text-based evidence to support
your writing claims.

Goals:
 To improve and develop skills in both reading and writing through the insightful analysis of texts.
 To gain personal and educational growth through the reading of literary and non-fiction texts.
 To improve skills in reading, composition, rhetoric, listening, speaking, grammar, usage, vocabulary,
and spelling.
 To work collaboratively with other class members to enhance appreciation and comprehension of
complex texts.
 To analyze and improve individual writing and reading by keeping an ongoing portfolio of work.
 To prepare students for AIMS testing and assessment of state standards in the areas of both reading and
writing.

Major Units of Study:

Areas of Study and Texts:

Course Texts:
Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare)
To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee) Speak (Anderson)
The Language of Literature (Textbook for
Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck) English 9 by McDougal Littell)
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time America Now (Atwan)
Indian (Alexie)
In addition to the above list, students will be studying a variety of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction
texts; working on computer-based reading programs that will be differentiated to meet their specific needs; and
choosing fiction and nonfiction books for independent reading. This will all be explained, in more detail, later
in the course.

Writing:
Students will study and practice the modes of writing: narration, description, exposition, and
argumentation. Extensive time will be spent on the development, organization, and clear articulation of student
ideas and analysis. Students will also continue to search for authentic voice, expand stylistic techniques, and
refine grammatical and writing skills.

Evaluation: Standards Based Assessment

Measurement (e.g. tests) 60%
Performance (e.g. papers, projects, demonstrations) 20%
Practice (e.g. quizzes, homework, class work, lab work) 20%

Throughout the semester, this is how the assignments will be categorized. At the end of the semester, the total of
the above categories will count for 85% of the total grade. The final exam will count for the remaining 15%.

The grading scale is standard:

A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = 59% or below

Note: Students who are actively involved in their own learning and are willing to sacrifice some personal time
after school will be allowed to conference with the teacher and redo some assignments and assessments in order
to master the material and improve their grades. I am typically available to work with students from 2:30-3:30
Monday through Thursday and at other times by appointment.

Teacher/Parent Communication
Behavior – I will make every effort to handle discipline issues in the classroom, giving your student every
opportunity to correct his or her behavior on their own. Situations that cannot be handled in class will be
addressed in the RTC or by the administration per school policy. Parent conferences will be scheduled when
these disciplinary approaches are in need of your support.

Academic Progress – Any grade less than a C in this course is unacceptable and will incur interventions
ranging from “a student-teacher conference with an action plan” to “a student study team including parents,
counselors and administrators.” Progress reports are sent home by mail every three weeks per school policy.
You are also able to monitor your student’s grade by acquiring a parent/guardian username for ParentVue.

Homework/Make-up Work – The following website is your best resource for daily homework information and
make up work. You can go to this website to find out if there is homework for the evening or, if your student
was absent that day, what the student needs to do to get caught up in class. This website does not post
information in advance and is updated each day by 3:00 PM.

Instructions:
 Go to http://www.fusd1.org/fhs
 Click on staff pages
 Click on Watson, Annie
 Click on Course Calendar
 Bookmark this page for easy access.

Classroom Rules—
1. Be respectful and be KIND. 4. Do your own work! No cheating or
2. Be prepared and on time. plagiarism.
3. Sit in your assigned seat.
 5. No drinks, except water or bottles with 7. No phones or i-pods.
screw on lids. 8. Follow all other school policies.
6. No loud or messy snacks.

Policy on Plagiarism – Plagiarism is the use of the words, facts, ideas, or opinions of someone else without
specific acknowledgement of their source. It is the attempt-deliberate or unintentional-to pass off as one’s own
what in fact has been borrowed. To fail to indicate sources of information and/or to fail to identify them
constitutes plagiarism. Any work which has been plagiarized will receive a 0 and the student will forfeit the
right to re-do the assignment for credit. Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated.

Further instructions – Students should keep this syllabus in their 3 ring binder as a reference. For parents, a
copy of this syllabus is also available online at the website that contains the course calendar.

Parents: Please provide an e-mail address and a daytime telephone number that you
would prefer I use to contact you regarding your student’s progress and/or
behavior. Please sign below and send back with your student indicating that you
have seen this syllabus. Also, please feel free to provide any additional
information you would like me to have regarding your student or future
communication in the space provided. Thank you.

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Print Student Name Student Signature Date

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Print Parent/Guardian Name Parent/Guardian Signature Date

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Parent/Guardian Daytime Phone Number Parent/Guardian E-mail Address

Additional Information:

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