2017-18+Language+Arts+Course+Syllabus

2017-18 Language Arts Course Syllabus


 * Download PDF Brochure version **




 * Mr. Sarudi |7th Grade Language Arts – Room 227| Kenwood Academic Center 2017 - 2018 **

https://mrsarudi.wikispaces.com Contact Information

Phone: 773-535-1382

Email: iasarudi@cps.edu

Office Hours: M-Th TBD

Personal Philosophy: Organized chaos is what you might see if you poke your head into my classroom. Lots going on: students conversing with one another; books being read; students presenting projects; students listening to a story or an opinion of another student; students writing, drawing, cutting, coloring a project; and possibly a short lecture by yours truly. A good classroom is a busy classroom and what matters is hopefully your child will leave learning something. I like to relate my philosophy to Walt Disney’s quote:

“Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

Class Profile: 7th Grade Language Arts is a required core class for all Kenwood Academy Academic Center Students. Each semester students will earn .5 credits.

__** Novels: **__
 * Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (Summer Reading)
 * Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen (Student)
 * The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (student)
 * I Am Malalala by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai (student)
 * The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (Student)
 * To Kill A Mocking Bird by Lee Harper (Student)
 * Short Stories (available for download on the wiki)

Course Description and Objectives: This language arts course combines reading, writing, and critical thinking through a variety of genres which include: fiction, non-fiction, novels, drama, and poetry. The course structure will vary between independent and collaborative projects with an emphasis critical thinking, class discussion, and writing (essays, responses, guided questions, and creative writing). Another component of the course includes grammar, which will be taught 1-2 days per week. Throughout the course, students will be developing listening and speaking skills during class activities, discussions, and group work.

Course Outline/Schedule AND Quarterly Objectives:

__** Assignments/Activities: **__ Weekly Calendars will be distributed via the class website, showing daily topics and activities. Assignments and activities in class will be based around the following: 1. Homework (Reading, Grammar, Writing) 2. Group Activities and Projects 3. Class Discussion and Debate 4. Cumulative Exams/Quizzes 5. All genres of writing (Expository, Persuasive, Descriptive, Narrative)

__** Learning Targets/Literacy Strategies: **__ College Readiness Standards will be addressed throughout the year to support achievement and learning. The readiness standards that we will target this year are as follows: Reading (13-15) Assessments Summative assessments will given at the end of each unit in a variety of formats. These formats may include, but are not limited to: Multiple Choice, Essays, and Fill in the Blank exams. These assessments will cover the essential questions of each unit. Formative assessments will correlate with each unit and/or novel that we read. These assessments will take on the form of a small project that highlight the overall objective of the unit and the novel that we studied. In addition, formative assessments will also evaluate writing progress in the form of short answer essays using our writing format MEL-CON.

__** Rules/Class Expectations **__ My expectations are pretty simple. Come to class with a good attitude, a willingness to learn. My rules are pretty simple, too: Come to class on time Come to class prepared to learn (that means with book, paper, pen/pencil, and your homework) Respect the class and Respect yourself No Eating Do not lie, cheat or steal. Live with integrity. This is a rule to live by, not just in this class. All plagiarized work turned in for a grade will receive no credit. Students will be supportive of their classmates at all times.

All standards and policies set forth by Chicago Public Schools and Kenwood Academy will be adhered by in our classroom. Please refer to the CPS Code of Conduct handbook for policies and rules found at http://policy.cps.k12.il.us/documents/705.5.pdf. Please pay close attention to the plagiarism and behavior sections.

__** Class work / Homework Policy **__ The frequency of homework is 3 - 4 times per week. Most homework assignments should take about 30 - 45 minutes. This does not include projects that might be assigned as well. Homework not completed by the due date will be considered “Missing” in Gradebook. Late homework up to 3 days with each day penalized 10%. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what work you missed. No makeup work without a legitimate excuse. Assignments will be available in a designated place. Papers must have your name (last name, first name), period, date due, and the assignment title in the upper right hand corner. (it will not be accepted without) 90 - 100 A 80 - 89 B 70 - 79 C 60 - 69 D 0 - 59 F
 * Grading Policy:**

Formative Assessment 35%* Summative Assessment 30% Participation / Effort 15% * Homework 20%
 * Grading Weight:**

Students receive a possible 4 points per day based on the criteria and their description. If the student acquires possible daily points the week total is 20 points.
 * Participation Criteria **
 * Students will receive a total of 4 points per day (20/week) based on the following criteria: Promptness, Engagement, Behavior, and Preparedness.

Study Tips and Reminders: This class will have homework 3-4 times per week. Homework is not assigned as busy work or punishment, but rather as a reinforcement of what we are learning or an extension of what was not finished in class. Please do the best when completing all assignments. Use resources provided in class (handouts and notes) as well as the internet to help you with your assignments. If there is an assignment that you feel you cannot complete please contact me prior to the collection of the assignment. This can happen before school during office hours or by email, I will do my best to respond to you quickly. You will need to study for your tests and quizzes, make sure to check the Wikispace for additional help. The Wikispace is a valuable tool that can help you if you have misplaced classwork, please refer to it before every test to make sure you have all necessary study documents for the unit. I suggest studying at least 25 minutes every evening for this class to keep concepts fresh in your mind, this can easily be done by reviewing and highlighting your notes and summaries.