Welcome to 10th Grade English Literature and Composition!

Mr. Velez Gonzalez, M.Ed.

Englishteacher4012@yahoo.com

1) Textbooks and Replacement Prices

• Prentice Hall Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes $61.00
• Prentice Hall Grammar and Writing $26.00
• Supplementary Novels $15.00

2) Course Description
The purpose of this course is to build on the reading and language
curriculum established in the tenth grade. Students will be able to
develop and expand their knowledge of literature and language and
demonstrate their mastery level of new learning though
performance tasks and assessments.

In 2004 the Georgia Department of Education adopted new Georgia

Performance Standards for grades 9-12. Consistent with state
curriculum, the Fulton County Schools English and Language Arts
curriculum implementation aligns with these standards. The content
standards for this course are clustered by strands: Reading and
Literature, Reading Across the Curriculum, Conventions,
Writing, and Listening/Speaking/Viewing.

The complete list of all the Performance Standards for the course are
available online at http://www.georgiastandards.org/langart.asp under
Literature and Composition. All reading selections and writing
assignments are designed to address the student learning described in
the course description. For a more detailed description of the new
Georgia Performance Standards for English Language Arts, you may
access www.georgiastandards.org or www.fultonschools.org/fcgps/

GA. High School Objectives

The following Georgia High School Graduation test objectives are covered in
this course:
1) Learns that English operates according to grammatical systems and
patterns of usage
2) Writes Standard American English sentences with correct sentence
structure; verb forms; punctuation, capitalization, possessives, plural
forms, and other mechanics; word choice and spelling
3) Learns that English has several different levels of usage and that language
appropriate in some situations may not be appropriate in others
4) Learns that words gather meaning from their context and carry
connotation
5) Uses literal comprehension skills (e.g., sequencing, explicitly stated main
idea)
6) Uses inferential comprehension skills (e.g., predictions, comparisons,
conclusions, implicitly stated main idea, propaganda techniques)
7) Recognizes different purposes and methods of writing; identifies a writer’s
point of view and tone
 8) Comprehends a variety of written materials
9) Reads critically; asks pertinent questions; recognizes assumptions and
implications; evaluates ideas
10) Gains insights into human behavior from the study of literature
11) Reads, discusses and analyzes American literature representing diverse
backgrounds and traditions*
12) Develops effective ways of telling and writing about literature, using
appropriate literary terms
13) Judges literature critically on the basis of personal response and literary
quality
14) Develops an understanding of the effect of history on American literature
(e.g. literary movements and periods)*
15) Uses the features of print materials appropriately (e.g., table of contents,
preface, introduction, titles, and periods)
16) Distinguishes between fact and opinion
17) Comprehends, develops and uses concepts and generalizations
18) Creates hypotheses and predicts outcomes
19) Draws reasonable conclusions from information found in various sources
20) Invents solutions to problems using non-linear thinking techniques (e.g.,
creating metaphors, construction analogies and models, brainstorming
and role-playing)
21) Defends conclusions rationally
22) Tests the validity of an assertion by examining the evidence
23) Understands logical relationships
24) Constructs logical sequences and understands the conclusion to which
they lead
25) Detects fallacies in reasoning
*not covered in this course
3) Classroom Management
Students are expected to be prepared for class. This includes: bringing
appropriate textbook(s) to class, having necessary writing utensils, and
bringing completed assignments. Students are expected to arrive on time to
class each day, and behave in a respectful manner towards their teachers
and fellow students. Continuous disruptive behavior will result in contact with
the parents. Depending on the severity of an offense, detention, office
referral, and possible suspension may be necessary. Students are expected
to arrive to class on time. We will follow the current Chattahoochee Tardy
policy:

In all Chattahoochee classrooms, instruction occurs from bell to bell. If a

student is not in class before the tardy bell rings, a Tardy Pass or Check-in
Pass will be required in order to enter class. This policy is designed to
encourage prompt arrival to class in order to minimize disturbances that
occur when students arrive late. Tardies to class will be tracked by the
Administration on a weekly basis, and they may result in the consequences
shown below. Excessive tardies to the same class over the duration of the
semester may also initiate an administrator’s response. Students will not be
admitted into any class without a Tardy Machine Pass, Teacher Pass, or
Check-in Pass.
# of tardies: Administrative Response:
1 warning
 2 1 day of Public Detention
3 2 days of Public Detention
4 or 4th to same class 1 day of Saturday School
th
5 or 5 to same class 1 day of Public Detention + 1 day of
Saturday School
6 or 6th to same class 2 days of Public Detention + 1 day of
Saturday School
7 or 7th to same class 1 day of ISS + Step/FCS Discipline
Cycle
8 or 8th to same class 2 days of ISS + Step/FCS Discipline
Cycle
9+ or Excessive to same class Step + FCS Discipline Cycle response to Insubordination
A class cut occurs when a student is absent from class for more than ten minutes without
having permission from their assigned teacher or authorization from the office to do so.

4) Grading Scheme
Homework/Class participation: 15% A=
90-100
Quizzes: 15%
B = 80-89
Tests: 25% C=
70-79
Major Writing/Projects: 30% F =
69 and below
Final Exam: 15%

5) Provisions for Improving Grades

a. Opportunities designed to allow students to recover from a low or
failing cumulative grade will be allowed when all work required to date
has been completed and the student has demonstrated a legitimate
effort to meet all course requirements including attendance.
Students should contact the teacher concerning recovery
opportunities. Teachers are expected to establish a reasonable time
period for recovery work to be completed during the semester. All
recovery work must be directly related to course objectives and must
be completed ten school days prior to the end of the semester.
b. Teachers will determine when and how students with extenuating
circumstances may improve their grades.
c. Recovery Policy
Recovery is available to students with a cumulative grade below 74% after a
minimum of two (2) major grades. The maximum grade a student can earn for a
recovery activity is 70%. There will be only one recovery opportunity per failed
major assignment or test. The individual teacher will determine the means of
recovery. THE STUDENT MUST INITIATE THE PROCESS WITHIN FIVE (5)
 DAYS OF NOTIFICATION OF A FAILING GRADE ON A MAJOR
ASSIGNMENT/TEST.

6) Extra Help
I will be available most mornings beginning at 7:15 and most
afternoons until 4:30. Students can make an appointment to meet with
me for individual help. Students are also free to come by without an
appointment.

7) Teacher/Parent Communication
I check the above listed email periodically throughout the school day.
This is the most efficient way to contact me.
Parent Connect: I encourage all parents to sign up for Parent
Connect, a website in which you can view your child’s grades,
attendance, discipline, etc. Sign up is available online at
http://chattahoocheepc.fultonschools.org.

8) Absences/Make-Up Procedures
STUDENTS will be responsible for making up missed work. Each class
has a designated folder containing handouts and instructions for
assignments. Students should check this folder and collect these
materials the day that they return from an absence. Make up work is to
be completed within the same amount of time as the student was
absent (i.e. if the student misses two days of class, the work is
expected to be turned in two days upon returning). Refer to the CHS
Student Handbook for more information. If a student is absent
prior to an announced test or presentation, but returns on the
day of the assessment, the student will be expected to
participate. Cases of extended absence will be dealt with on an
individual basis.
9) Policies and Procedures
English department plagiarism statement:
Plagiarism is the use of another’s words or ideas and the representation of
them as though they are entirely one’s own. Acts of plagiarism might
include, but are not limited to:
• USING WORDS OR IDEAS FROM A PUBLISHED SOURCE WITHOUT PROPER
DOCUMENTATION (INTENTIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY)
• USING THE WORK OF ANOTHER STUDENT (E.G.COPYING ANOTHER
STUDENT’S HOMEWORK, COMPOSITION, OR PROJECT)
• USING EXCESSIVE EDITING SUGGESTIONS OF ANOTHER STUDENT,
TEACHER, PARENT, OR PAID EDITOR
Plagiarism on any project or paper will result in a zero for the assignment
and an Honor Code Violation. Unless strictly stipulated by the teacher,
collaboration on written work is not acceptable. Students who willingly
provide other students with access to their work are in violation of the
Honor Code.
 A NOTE ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES “EXCESSIVE EDITING”: Students
learn to write well by writing well. Struggling independently through the writing
process produces growth (as well as a certain amount of agony), and eventually the
student’s own voice. When well meaning parents, siblings, tutors, or others
contribute their own ideas, words, phrases, revisions, etc. to students’ writing,
student writers miss the opportunity to achieve literary self reliance. So, what is
helping, but is NOT excessive editing? The answer is: questioning and cueing. For
example—“Is this word strong enough? Interesting enough? Specific enough?” “Can
you think of another word that means the same thing?” “Does this sentence seem
awkward?” “What exactly do you mean here?” “I don’t understand what you are
trying to say; can you say it more clearly?” “This sentence is interesting.” “That is a
forceful verb; can you find one as forceful for that other sentence?” These kinds of
questions and statements are powerful helpers, yet allow the students to think and
write independently. Please help students to achieve their own voices and to
develop their writing skills by allowing them to write and revise independently.
10) Materials: Students need to have a composition book (or a spiral
notebook) and a 3-ring binder for English class divided into 5 sections:
1) Warm-ups/Bell work 2) Writing Assignments 3) Notes 4) Quizzes
5) Handouts
Notebook Requirements: Students should keep this syllabus inside
their binder. Students can put the binder sections in any order they
choose. This binder will be checked for content and organization
periodically during the school year as part of the students’ participation
grade. Stowing papers inside the cover of your English book is not an
acceptable method of organization. It is important that students learn how
to organize and manage their work, as this is a life skill.

I have read and understand all of the information outlined in Mrs.

Clements-Keith’s syllabus including the recovery and tardy policies.

Parent Signature_________________________________________Date________________

Student Signature________________________________________Date________________

Video Permission

It is possible that I may show films in class to enrich student understanding of the texts we will be
reading and discussing in class. I need parental permission in order for students to view these films.
Occasionally, I may also use music or audiotapes from the school media center. All selections are
pertinent to the curriculum and are used solely for enrichment, not as substitutes for reading.
Please indicate by initialing in the blanks below that your child has permission to view the films listed.
Be assured that should you choose not to allow your child to view a film, he or she will be allowed to
complete an alternative assignment.

The films we may show in class, if time allows, include but are not limited to:

____Lord of the Flies: R for violence and language

____Riding the Rails: NR (excerpts of this documentary to be shown before reading Of Mice and Men)

____Of Mice and Men: PG-13 for mature themes, some language and violence

____ Macbeth: Franco Zeffirelli, dir. R for violence

____ Awakenings: PG-13 for mature themes

Your signature on this form indicates consent for viewing the above selections. Should it occur that a
film I plan to show is not on the above list, I will send home an individual permission form.

Parent Signature:_______________________________________

Child’s Name:____________________________________ Date:_______________