Ms. McCallum
Senior English
281-5471 mccallumm@billings.k12.mt.us
Open Disclosure
1. Basic Course Content and Skills Taught: Core Requirements and Literature Guide for World Literature and Humanities.
a). The World Literature offerings are selected from: The Aeneid, The Apology, The Bhagavad Gita, The Ilaid; Odyssey; Inferno, One Hundred Poems from the Chinese; One Robe, One Bowl; Siddhartha, Tao Te Ching, Oedipus Rex, and Macbeth.
b) The Humanities canon includes: Allegory of the Cave, Book of the Dead, Canterbury Tales, Death of Socrates, Divine Comedy, Doliah's Myth; Folklore, Myths, and Legends; Hammurabi's Code, Inferno, and Macbeth.
2. Grading:
a). SPELLING COUNTS in this English class. Use a dictionary (conveniently located in a bookcase near the front door.) A lot is two words.
b). Points possible are accumulated by daily assignments, quizzes, tests, homework,essays, participation, and extra credit.
c). Compositions and formal writing assignments are typed in MLA format*. Six Trait Writing and Holistic rubrics are used to grade compositions.
d). Participation points are earned by actively and positively participating in the class and demonstrating a willingness to improve the general atmosphere. Participation points are lost by asking pointless, time-wasting questions, whining, and interrupting other speakers. Ten points per day are deducted for lining up at the door or not being in your seat when the bell rings. Sleeping/talking during videos (or anytime) will earn you 0/10 participation points for the day. In other words, your grade is determined by the amount of effort YOU put forth. English class time is not available for homework completion or studying other subjects.
e) Before or after school is the best time to find out your marks. KEEP your homework until you are satisfied that it is accurately recorded on the computer.
f) Plagiarism is an automatic zero, with no rewrites permitted.
"Plagiarism - [ < L. plagiarize, kidnapper ]: To take (ideas, writings, etc.) from (another) and pass them off as one's own" (Webster's Dictionary).
g) Extra Credit cannot "save" you. It can help you recover some points, but will not lift your score an entire letter grade. An easy way to "cushion" points is by filling out the daily assignment journal. This can be done up to four times during each grading period for a maximum of 20 pts. Additionally, patronage of the arts is encouraged. If you attend a theatre, dance, or musical presentation, fill out a review form for extra credit.
h) Absences and Make-up work are the responsibility of the student. Do not expect the teacher to remind you to make up your work. Make-up work is done after school. Unexcused absences and suspensions result in a "0" for the day. Late papers will result in point deductions and a grade of "0" if the assignment is not made up within the week. After graded homework is returned to the class, it is too late to make up the assignment.
i) Please attend to personal needs during the eight minute passing time. Hall passes are reserved for emergency use.
3. Classroom Rules:
a) Come prepared and ready to learn. Class begins when I start talking. Please be in your seats when the bell rings. You will need a notebook, writing paper, a pen with blue/black ink, and a pencil every day. Purses go under the desk.
b) Respect your rights and the rights of others. Respect is shown through face, voice, and words. Cursing and discussing illegal acts is unacceptable. Follow the dress code. Be aware of audience. Be aware of boundaries. You are here to learn.
c) Ask for support (from the teacher, not each other). Sharing answers will result in a zero for all parties involved unless it is group work.
d) The bell does not excuse you, I do. Do not line up at the door.
Name
Ms. McCallum
English 12 Period 1
30 August 2008
Title of Your Paper
(Not the name of the book! Your very own creation)
Text is indented five spaces for each paragraph, and written in a
"normal" font (12-14). It is also double-spaced. Margins are 1" on the sides and 1-1/2" on the top and bottom.