COURSE DESCRIPTION & PHILOSOPHY: Language & Literature is an (approximately) hour long class of reading and writing. Through the lens of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IBMYP), the curriculum will emphasize the integration of listening, speaking, reading and writing to help students become more avid and proficient readers and writers. During Reading Workshop students will practice various strategies to increase their comprehension, improve critical thinking skills and promote in-depth discussions. Writing Workshop will focus on developing students into proficient young writers, mostly through mini-lessons, read alouds, & independent writing, conferencing, small group instruction and revision. We will spend most of our time on the following units:
International Mindedness Unit (Introduction to IBMYP)
How Does Our Garden Grow? Unit
“What’s Your Read?” (literary analysis essay)
Social Issues Book Club
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) LEARNER PROFILE: The aim of all IB programs is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. The learner profile provides a long-term vision of education. It is a set of ideals that can inspire, motivate and focus the work of schools and teachers, uniting them in a common purpose. IB learners strive to be balanced, caring, communicators, inquirers, knowledgeable, open-minded, principled, reflective, risk-takers and thinkers.
HOMEWORK (Independent Work): I will do my best to not assign work outside of class. Assuming students use class time efficiently, generally the only outside work will be independent reading, and I recommend at least 25 minutes a day. We will be visiting our school library every other week so students have up to date independent reading books to keep them reading!
ABSENCES & MAKEUP WORK: When students are absent, please have them reach out to me via e-mail if they have any questions. Most of the content will be accessible via Google Classroom. Students are strongly encouraged to access the daily agendas and work via Google Classroom. Students should complete missing assignments in a timely manner so they do not fall behind and become overwhelmed. (e.g., if a student is absent on a Monday and returns to school Tuesday, they should complete the missing classwork/homework Tuesday night and return it Wednesday).
GRADING: Academic grades may be based on a variety of assignments and pieces of work: journal responses, final writing pieces, exit slips, etc. However, summative assessments are more heavily weighted than formative assessments since they represent an accumulation of knowledge from the unit.
Because we are an IB school, grading in Language and Literature is based on the following four criteria (A-D):
Analysing: i. analyze the effects and purposes of the content, context, language, structure, technique, and style of texts created by others ii. analyze the effects of the creator’s choices on an audience iii. justify opinions and ideas, using appropriate examples, thorough explanation and accurate terminology iv. compare and contrast works v. connect literacy and non-literacy features across and within genres or texts.
Organizing i. employ organizational structures that serve the context and intention ii organize opinions and ideas in a sustained, coherent and logical manner with ideas building on each other iii. use language-specific conventions to show the reason for the order of their ideas iv. acknowledge sources according to a recognized convention v. use a presentation style suitable to the context and intention
Producing Language i. create works that demonstrate insight, imagination and sensitivity ii. make choices that serve the content, context and intention, and which are designed to have an impact on an audience iii. select relevant details and examples to justify ideas iv. employ a range of literacy techniques v. explore and reflect critically on new perspectives and ideas arising from personal engagement with the creative process
Using language: i. Use accurate & varied vocabulary, sentence structures and forms of expression ii. Use an appropriate register and style that serves the context and intention iii. Use correct grammar, syntax & punctuation iv. Use correct spelling (alphabetic languages) or writing (character languages and pronunciation)
Daily assignments are worth 4 points. Summative assessments (for example, a final essay at the end of a unit) are worth more points, based on the class time spent on the project. Note that in IB, grades are proficiency based, not compliance based. This means that while your child’s citizenship grade may be very high because they are diligent, respectful, participate regularly, etc., their academic grade may not be passing if they are not writing/reading at grade level standards.
Additionally, I strongly encourage students to revise their work for increased credit. As writers, revising our work is how we improve. As a result, I work hard to make personalized comments on my students’ writing through Google Docs & Classroom. My hope is that the students will take the time to read my comments and use them to improve their writing. When they do revise, I expect them to let me know (via e-mail) that they have done so so that I may re-grade it. Also, I will be teaching them how to e-mail me (and all their teachers) in the first week of school.
Writing checklists (grading rubrics) will be shared via Google Classroom at the beginning of each new unit, so please take the time to go over this information with your child and talk to him/her about his/her progress on each writing criterion. These conversations can be very productive for writers, even if you don’t fully understand all the criteria on the rubric; it also gives us all a common language to use to foster the students’ growth as writers.
The following IB scale is used for academic grades:
A (87-100%): 4 7-8 B (62-86%): 3 5-6 C (37-61%): 2 3-4 D (25-36%): 1 1-2 Failing (24% or below): 0
CHEATING/PLAGIARISM: Cheating and/or plagiarism are taken very seriously and are NOT tolerated. Plagiarism is defined as copying the work of another with the intention of presenting the words as your own. We will be teaching students to properly paraphrase and cite any sources used to support their thinking. Any student caught cheating, plagiarizing or voluntarily allowing another to cheat or plagiarize any part of an assignment, test, or project will receive a zero.
CLASSROOM CITIZENSHIP GRADES: Classroom citizenship grades are submitted at the end of each semester. We will be reviewing the “Rough Rider Citizenship Rubric” (a more detailed version of the chart below), and it is located on page 15 of the student planner. It includes specific behaviors that demonstrate Rough Rider PRIDE.
E (Excellent): Demonstrates Rough Rider PRIDE at all times M (Meets): DEmonstrates Rough Rider PRIDE most of the time I (Inconsistent): Demonstrates Rough Rider PRIDE sometimes U (Unsatisfactory) Demonstrates Rough Rider PRIDE rarely
CLASSROOM “RULES” We will be creating an Essential Agreement together during the first days of school. This document will serve as our classroom “rules” and will be the behavior expectations for which I hold students accountable in addition to the Roosevelt Schoolwide Discipline Plan and Expectations. We will share a copy of the agreement once it is finalized.
6th Grade Academic Language Development (ALD) Class Syllabus Jen Peterson
Academic Language Development (ALD) is designed specifically for Long Term English Learners (LTELs) with the goal of improving academic language in order to reclassify students as fully English proficient. Together, we will improve your reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Our ALD Learning Community: I want you to know that you are important. Your voice matters. Please use it to shape the experiences we have together this year. In our class, it’s important to share our thoughts and opinions, voice our concerns, and communicate our needs. Remember, you are capable of doing hard things. Make sure you put effort into every day, but also take our work one day at a time. This classroom is a shared safe space. Please be respectful of one another’s differences. Expectations:
RESPECT: yourself, others, our classroom, and digital forums- be careful of your spoken and written words to classmates and myself.
COMMUNICATION: Use Google Classroom private comments and email to communicate your needs!
RESPONSIBILITY: You are in charge of and responsible for your own choices and actions.
Our Learning: Our daily learning will focus on - *Reclassification goals *Support for everyday life and your other classes - this includes helping you advocate for yourself *Student VOICE (what do you care about & want to learn?) *Student IDENTITY (who are you?) *Celebrating our language abilities and differences *Daily writing reflection and social emotional development
Grades and Citizenship: Please regularly check PowerSchool (https://powerschool.sandi.net/public/). All of our work can be resubmitted and improved on. Your biggest tools are communication & revision ! If you want to make up an assignment, please let me know. All student work will be categorized into one or more of the ELPAC test categories:
Speaking
Listening
Reading
Writing
%GradeIB Range 87 – 100 = A = 7-8 4 Advanced 62 – 86 = B = 5-6 3 Proficient 37 – 61 = C = 3-4 2 Basic 25 – 36 = D = 2 1 Below Basic 24 or ⇓ = F = 0-1 0 Far Below Basic
Citizenship grades are based upon the degree to which students demonstrate the IB Learner Profile and meet the expectations for behavior.
E (Excellent): Demonstrates Rough Rider PRIDE at all times M (Meets): Demonstrates Rough Rider PRIDE most of the time I (Inconsistent): Demonstrates Rough Rider PRIDE sometimes U (Unsatisfactory) Demonstrates Rough Rider PRIDE rarely
REMEMBER… I am here to help you succeed in any way I possibly can. I hope you will always feel comfortable asking me for help. I want to reassure you that I am here as a support to you! Feel free to email me with any questions (this goes for students and/or parents):: [email protected]. I am excited to be your teacher!