Springboard Level IV/ Introduction to Literature 1X

Course Syllabus

Mr. Dawkins
Fall 2008
Room 221
Phone: (720) 423-6231
Planning and Tutoring: 8:20 am-9:50 am Purple Days and 1:20-2:50 pm White Days


Mr. Dawkins	Mr. Dawkins in Bath, England.

Course description

In Level IV, the units focus on the concept of "Coming of Age," as well as presenting a traditional genre study. The units begin with an introduction to the idea of "Coming of Age" and then follow this topic by presenting units focused on short stories, poetry, drama, film, non-fiction, and a novel that present incidents that are significant milestones in the lives of young people. Specific elements of genre study and writing skills are emphasized. Students are expected to learn and apply reading, writing, oral and collaborative strategies to their own learning styles, strengths and weaknesses. Students in the Introduction to Literature 1X course will also participate in a unique learning experience with students from overseas. The International Book Sharing Program is a unique project that is based on Israeli students and students from other countries working together on an assigned text. More information on this project will be presented later on in the semester. The following are the units covered during the first semester of the course:

· Unit 1: Coming of Age

· Unit 2: Short Story

· Unit 3: Poetry

This course will cover the Colorado Model Content Standards for reading and writing. For a complete description of these standards you can visit the following website:

http://curriculum.dpsk12.org/standards/read_writing.pdf

Materials

Pencils
Blue or black pens
Spiral notebook
Three-ring binder

Loose leaf paper
Student planner
Springboard Level IV Textbook and other reading texts (provided)

Responsibilities

Students will come to class prepared to work every day with no exceptions. Cell phones, pagers, CD players, and other similar electronic devices will not be permitted in class. If these devices are visible or audible during class, they will be confiscated and turned over to a Dean. Soda and candy will not be permitted in class; however, bottled water will be allowed. All South High School polices will be followed in class, and each student will be respectful to his or her self and others in the classroom.

Course Requirements

In each unit, you will participate in a student-centered, active learning environment. Within the different activities, you will complete embedded assessments that will require you to create, present, write and perform. You will also be required to create and maintain an assessment portfolio. The assessment portfolio is an important tool for organizing your work in this course. It also provides another form of assessment to demonstrate how successfully you have met the course objectives. The portfolio will include items that illustrate a wide range of work, including examples of reading, writing, oral literacy, and collaborative activities. You will be given opportunities to revisit those pieces, revise them and reflect on the strategies used and successes and challenges encountered.

Attendance and Tardy policy

Regular classroom attendance is required to be successful in this course. On the third unexcused absence a parent/guardian conference will be required with the Counselor and the Academic Dean. Students may be assigned to the Academic Fitness Center to complete missing course work and obtain tutoring assistance. Students with habitual attendance issues may be placed on an attendance contract, face legal intervention through State attendance laws or may be referred to an alternative school. Students who fail courses and do not obtain credits will be required to attend after-school credit recovery courses. Habitually truant students over the age of 16 may be withdrawn from school by an administrator. The Assistant Principal of Teaching and Learning will notify the parent/guardian by phone and mail. Also, it is the student’s responsibility to find out what materials have been covered in class when an absence occurs. It would be advisable to get at least one classmate’s phone number in order to find out what material has been covered in class.

All students will be granted three tardies in each class per grading period. On the second tardy, I will inform parents of the current tardy status and the next consequence. On the fourth tardy, a referral will be given to the Dean of Students listing the dates of the tardies and the date of parent contact. The student will then receive an assignment to Saturday School. On the fifth tardy, the student will receive an in-school suspension and a parent conference for re-entry into school.

Grading

Grades will be based on participation in class, homework assignments, embedded assessments, essays, creative writing assignments, and the assessment portfolio. Grades in my course will be broken down into three levels based on Costa’s Model of Intellectual Functioning in Three Levels. Level One (Information) assignments make up 20% of your grade, Level Two (Processing) assignments make up 30% of your grade, Level Three (Application) assignments make up 50% of your grade. We will go into more detail about this grading process as the semester moves on. This is an attempt to provide a more authentic assessment of a student’s learning experience in my class. Grades will be measured by the standard letter grade scale. The following is the grading scale adopted by the Denver Public School District for the 2008-2009 school year:

A     – 93-100%
A-   – 90-92%
B+   – 87-89%
B     – 83-86%
B-   – 80-82%
C+ – 77-79%
C    – 73-76%
C-   – 70-72%
D    – 60-69%
F    – 59% and below

A note on submitting assignments in electronic format or via e-mail

Since I am a firm believer in students learning how to function in an increasingly digital environment, I gladly accept written assignments saved on USB drives, CDs (no 3½ disks, please) or via e-mail; however, if your document will not open on my computer and is submitted at the last minute, the assignment will be considered late. If your e-mailed assignment does not show up in my inbox or the attached file will not open, it will be considered late. Check with me for Word format compatibility questions and possible blocking issues of e-mailed assignments.

Also, please remember that I am here to help you. I am available 30 minutes before school, during lunch and during my planning periods. You may also contact me via e-mail with any questions you may have and I will respond as soon possible. I want each and every one of you to be successful in this class!

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Student Signature Parent/Guardian Signature