Course Outline

English 9

Course Outline

Ms. Tish Silvers
asilvers@vsb.bc.ca

Learning Goals:

This course provides a framework for students to experience language in its full range of literary and informational contexts and purposes. It encourages students to comprehend a wide range of literary and informational communications and facilitates knowledgeable and critical responses.

 In this course we seek to develop the skills required of informed citizens prepared to face the challenges of a changing world, continuing education and a transforming work life. Students are invited to consider matters of purpose, voice, style, perspective, and to make original connections among print and non-print texts. Further, we seek to foster a love of language, literature, and ideas that will continue beyond school.

Students are working towards mastery of three cross-curricular Core Competencies, as well as subject-specific content/skills. Assessment of student learning is based on the extent to which students develop mastery of their learning goals. Please see the learning goals/core competencies links below for more information and suggestions for how to self-assess progress/growth in these areas.

• COMMUNICATION (reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, representing)
• THINKING CREATIVELY   AND  CRITICALLY (critical, creative, reflective)
• PERSONAL AND CULTURAL IDENTITY (self-awareness, self-understanding, self-management)
• PERSONAL AWARENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY(relationships, respect for others, empathy)
• SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (contributing, problem solving, valuing diversity, building relationships)

Course Content:

We will work with a variety of written forms this year. 
Forms we will study include some of the following: 
•    writing process/ paragraphing/essay structure/research and citation
•    reading/studying/comprehension strategies
•    non fiction reading/writing/responses
•    short  stories/novels/plays/poetry/ Informational texts/non-fiction
•    dialogue/characterization/narrative/theme/description/persuasion/personal and creative
•    grammatical structures/literary terminology/vocabulary/punctuation
•    media/visual literacy/ interpretation and use of print and non-print texts
•    oral presentations/individual and group projects

“By the time they graduate, students should be prepared to read and analyze many of the types of written, visual, and digital texts they will encounter after graduation. To that end, the texts selected for use in the Graduation Literacy Assessment will range in complexity, as they do in school and in life. Texts selected for assessments will include newspaper and magazine articles, online opinion blogs, social media feeds, anecdotal testimonials, instructions, websites, brochures, maps, charts, graphs, tables, and infographics. Texts will be of both continuous and non-continuous nature and will include literary and informational texts.” (Graduation Literacy Assessment Specifications. BC Ministry of Education 2018)

MARKS FOR EACH TERM REPORT  (each term is worth 1/3 of the year)

     

                                                                                                             % OF TERM

Participation/learning readiness/homework                                         20% 

Formative assessments/Quiz weight                                                    35 %   

Unit tests/major projects                                                                      45%

                                                                                                           ____

                                                                                                             100%

Late assignments will be penalized 5% per day late.

Expectations:

•      Reading: In addition to work assigned, regular extra-curricular pleasure or informational reading is expected.

•       Phone policy: At the start of each class (unless otherwise directed) students shall deposit their telephones into the class 'phone box'. Students may collect their phone at the end of the block or with the permission of the teacher (when needed for a class activity.)
•       Spoken work/participation: When learning a language, there is no substitute for using that language to encourage improvement.  English shall be the language used in the English classroom. This course often functions in a seminar format. You are required to participate orally on a day to day basis.
•       Attendance: Each student is expected to arrive on time for class and ready to participate. If a class is missed it is your responsibility to find out what you missed, to bring a note from home and to catch up in a timely fashion. This blog is a great resource for this.

•       Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Students will receive zero and will be subject to discipline according to school policy. Please see school agenda for policy. For additional information concerning plagiarism and possible repercussions in post-secondary institutions, I have provided a link that should offer some clarity. http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/resource-guides/avoiding-plagiarism/
•    IF YOU HAVE A TUTOR:
         Ideally, your English tutor should assess your comprehension and composition skills and endeavour to assign his/her own original assignments.   Grammar and usage problems can be addressed through the tutor’s own original lesson plans and resources.  Composition skills can be improved through extracurricular novel reading, writing response and discussion.   It is inappropriate for a tutor to help with school homework by writing a student’s essays or editing drafts to the point where it becomes the tutor’s work.  If your tutor is not providing you with original lesson plans that are tailored to your learning style and needs, you are NOT getting your money’s worth."(L.Kwan)

I am looking forward to spending the year learning with you. TS