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
nickolas_dawkins@dpsk12.org
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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:
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Unit 1: Coming of Age
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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 3˝ 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
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