Freshman High School-English 9 Third Course
"Now, I return to this young fellow. And the communication I have got to make is, that he has
great expectations."
—Charles Dickens, “Great Expectations” (1861)
Instructor Information
Rebecca Phillips
bnphilli@access.k12.wv.us, Room 136
Office Phone: 304-229-1950
Office Hours: 7:00-3:00 Mondays – Friday
Conference and Planning 11:16-12:41
Website: http://webpages.shepherd.edu/rphill03
Required and Recommended Novels
REQUIRED FIRST SEMESTER
Night by Elie Wiesal
Wish You Well by David Baldacci
Necessary Roughness by Marie G Lee
REQUIRED SECOND SEMESTER
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
Nothing But the Truth by Avi
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Suggested Readings for Summer/Possible requirements
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland
Anthem by Ayn Rand
The War of the Worlds by HG Wells
Something wicked this way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Required in-text reading
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
*Possible additions to this list throughout the school year
*Students will also complete a minimum of (1) book review each nine weeks
Purpose of Course
This course is designed to familiarize ninth grade students with a rich variety of literature by exploring the many literary genres in depth,
primarily in short story format with selections of poetry. Students will read works by a number of writers: poets and novelists, essayists and
autobiographers, men and women, multi-cultural and era specific. The literature selections come from the earliest recorded writings to
contemporary authors and poets. Students will explore collections of literature throughout the school year with each collection having a
specific genre theme.
Required Texts
The required texts are Elements of Literature and Language, 3rd courses, by Holt Rinehart & Winston . From time to time, you will be
given selected readings from the textbook and course website. Please note that I have usually specified the order in which items for a
particular day are to be read. Before you read the assigned texts for each class period, please make sure that you have read the introductory
material on each author; this material will provide you with helpful background information as you read. All assigned reading is to be
done by the beginning of class for the day assigned. Occasionally, you will also need to complete a specific, brief assigned activity in
addition to the reading. You will have a much better chance at success in this course—and you will enjoy the course more—if you keep
up with the reading and activity assignments. Don't fall behind!
Course Website
For assistance with this course website, go to http://webpages.shepherd.edu/rphill03 go to the help desk and then to the
textbook website this is a wonderful tool to use as well as additional postings on the third course webpage also located at this
address. If you DO NOT have access to the internet on a daily basis PLEASE see me as soon as possible so we can make
alternative arrangements in the event that you need additional assistance with an assignment.
Directions for submitting a WebQuest essay, for submitting WebQuest extra credit responses, and for posting messages to
the course bulletin board are included on this site." Essay guidelines, extra credit guidelines, sample essays and extra credit
responses, exam guidelines, PowerPoint presentations, and other class materials will also be available at the course website
from frequently. In the event of inclement weather or other disruption of our schedule, I will post a notice on the course
website.
Learning Goals
In the third course of Elements of Literature and language you should come to the course already having received some
instruction in how to render clear, cogent ideas, how to structure well-developed essays, and how to correctly employ
standard written English. This course will provide further practice—but not specific instruction—in all skill areas.
This course will provide you with the opportunity to develop new skills and strengths. Specifically, you will:
 Develop an understanding of the “literary genre” and have a fuller sense of how short stories and poetry fit the larger
schematics in each genre.

Understanding that types of literature is diverse, rich, varied, complex and develop a fuller sense understanding the
literary genre and literary terminology.
 Understand how literature is connected to history and culture and be able to tune into the conversations writers have
with each other and with American society at large;

Explore the ways in which literature reflects and shapes our self-understanding and collective social identity;
 Learn effective strategies for reading literature (poetry, fiction, autobiography, drama) and be able to develop and
learn to use your own “poetry (literature) decoding ring”;

Enjoy reading literature, want to read more literature on your own in the future, and be open to becoming a
lifelong reader;
 Strengthen your learning skills—with particular emphasis on preparing for class, taking effective notes during class
(both lecture and discussion), making connections between ideas, and reviewing and synthesizing material after class;
 Strengthen your ability to pose a significant question, explore relevant background information, and then construct a
possible answer; and
 Begin to learn how to use literature as a tool for human meaning-making—that is, begin to develop the ability to see
connections between the literature you read and the issues and experiences you confront in your own life and in your
community.
 Strengthen your writing skills by learning to write an appropriate five-point essay in accordance with WVDE writing
rubrics, as well as learning how to write style specific and creating well written essays, analysis, criticisms, speeches and
research papers.
In addition: the West Virginia State Department of Education and Berkeley Co. Schools have developed SPECIFIC CSO’s
designed for this course that will coincide with the above classroom goals. You may visit this website and read specific
information by going to http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/csos.html
Additional Help
Students are ALWAYS encouraged to ask for assistance when needing additional instruction with an assignment. Students are asked to
contact the teacher for conferencing before or after school or during the planning time provided to the teacher. Students can also email
the teacher or post bulletin board posts on the classroom bulletin board for assistance both from the instructor and classmates.
Additional assistance is available weekly in after school tutoring.
Please note: Homework and writing assignments may be submitted via email.
When preparing for your WebQuest essay, you are strongly encouraged to view the website for assistance.
If you have questions about assignments or course requirements, I am available during the school day, by email or bulletin board. DO
NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME PERTAINING TO ANY CLASS ASSIGNMENT
Assessment and Evaluation
Your work in Elements of Literature and Language will be assessed in the following ways:
Your Nine-weeks Grade: Grades are based on accumulated point value by specific assignment. Typically within the nine weeks students
will accumulate you will have an accumulated point average of between 1500 and 2000 points. Each assignment is worth as specific
number of points and the accumulated points are averaged to receive the final grade.
Reading checks AKA Pop Quizzes: On occasion (and without prior announcement), “spur-of-the-moment” questions will be asked at
the beginning of the class period. These questions will be designed to gauge the care with which you have completed the day’s assigned
reading and to prompt further learning during the upcoming class discussion. I will drop the lowest reading check scores (including
“zeros”). Reading checks are typically worth 10-20 points each. Reading Checks cannot be made up, however students that have excused
absences will simply not have the points added into their average, in other words it is not calculated into their grade.
Unit/Author reviews: At any time during a unit, but particularly at the end of a unit, you can post potential “review questions” to the
course bulletin board. “Unit review” questions will be chosen from those posted to the bulletin board and will be given in quiz form at the
beginning of the next class period (see course calendar for specific unit review dates). Students must make reviews up within the allowed
time or the student will receive a “0”.(See BOE attendance policy for details on excused absences) There will be 5-6 unit reviews within
each nine weeks, with scores being recorded at 100 points each. Occasionally students are given take-home essays the night before the
test to complete as part of the Unit Review. Take Home essays are worth 50 points.
Response Papers and Homework Assignments: Daily students will be given homework assignments that are generally brief and are a
purposeful exercises that pertain to the current assignment. Generally students will not receive homework on weekends and holidays,
although it is ALWAYS suggested that the students read something EVERYDAY. Students will ALWAYS have an assigned novel
throughout the school year. Most stories and all novel assignments will include a response paper that is well written and discusses a specific
topic. The paper should be either well written or typed and be at least 200 words with a clear introduction, thesis statement, body and
conclusion. Homework includes but is not limited to: vocabulary, reading logs, graphic organizers, character analysis, and literary
readings or decoding and in-text assignments. Homework point accumulation varies, however each assignment is typically worth 20-50
points each with writing assignments generally being worth more points.
Bulletin board participation: You should submit a substantive comment to the course bulletin board at least once per week. Each post
must be at least 100 words long. Whenever possible, include specific quotes from the relevant literary text(s). Most weeks, I will post
specific bulletin board questions to prepare for or follow up on some topic of class discussion. I will also include specific deadlines for
posting your bulletin board contribution (by midnight on a Sunday). Take your time, and be thoughtful about the contributions you
make to the bulletin board. THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO GET BONUS POINTS AND EXTRA CREDIT
Midterm exam/ 9-weeks/semester exams: There will be two semester examinations, each test lasting one to two class periods. Each exam
will include a short-answer portion, as well as an essay question. Although we will read and discuss a large number of works, you will be
responsible for a limited selection of works on each exam. I will provide a list of works to be covered approximately one week prior to
each exam. These works will be those we have discussed most fully. In addition, potential essay exam topics and the essay exam rubric will
be distributed one week prior to each exam. The class will work collectively to brainstorm an essay outline in response to a sample topic.
Both the midterm and the final exam will be worth 15% of the final course grade (for a total of 30%). NOTE: If you must reschedule an
exam (due to field trip, excused absence etc.), you must inform me as far ahead of time as possible.
WebQuest essay: For each of the 9-week quarters, there will be a WebQuest with an accompanying essay assignment. This essay will be
worth approximately 200 points. A “WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is
drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners’ time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to
support learners’ thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.” You choose one of these WebQuests/Essays to complete,
and you submit the essay, Works Cited page, and pages visited list promptly at the beginning of class on the due date. You MUST submit a
"WebQuest" checklist along with the essay: it should serve as the cover sheet to your essay. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR
ANY REASON, AND EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GIVEN.
Bell Ringer/Ticket Out/Portfolio/Journals: Students will be required to maintain a portfolio (3 ring 2 in binder with slide view windows
and a journal (standard composition book) contained within the portfolio should be ALL work completed in the classroom during each 9
weeks. In the journal should be ALL journal responses dated and legible. Students will be required to include ALL bell ringers and tickets
out in their portfolio regardless of absence as well as journal entries. Students missing school for any reason should see another student
for the daily BR/TO. Portfolios are to be kept neat and orderly at ALL times and well organized. Random Portfolio checks and Journal
checks will occur a minimum of two times in a nine-week. Portfolio checks are worth 50-100 points. Advanced notice may not be given.
Class Participation: The first and foremost requirements of the course are preparation for class (doing the reading!), attending class
regularly, and participating actively. To receive high marks for class participation, you must participate actively in class discussion and/or
on the course bulletin board. In other words, to do well on this portion of the course (and to boost your overall grade), you should
attend every class period, participate actively in the discussion, and do the reading carefully and conscientiously. You should respect the
teachers, other students and yourself at ALL times and not be a disturbance or distraction to the classroom environment. Poor attendance
typically results in a MUCH lower grade as students loose valuable class discussion that CANNOT be made up.
Book Reviews: Students will complete a minimum of one book review each nine weeks on an assigned genre. Students will have ample
opportunity to obtain a book either from the school library or on their own at the local libraries, private purchase, borrowing or other
means. Books are to be approved by the teacher for the review and are not to be changed without prior approval. Students will complete
a well-written book review and additional supplements required for the book review such as: poster, advertisement, author profile,
bookmark etc. Book reviews are to follow specific format given and students WILL NOT receive an extension without prior approval.
Students have the opportunity before and after school and during lunch to go to school library as well as some opportunity in class. Book
reviews are generally worth 200 points and students have the opportunity to revise reviews for a better grade within a specific amount of
time.
Extra Credit: If you wish to earn extra credit, you may complete up to three WebQuests and, rather than completing the related essay
assignment, complete all WebQuest steps, prepare an annotated list of sites visited, sketch out a one- or two-paragraph answer to the
essay topic or question, and fill out a WebQuest extra credit checklist. Submit the list of pages visited, the paragraphs, and the checklist
promptly at the beginning of class on the due date--no exceptions. You MUST submit a "WebQuest extra credit" checklist along with the
extra credit submission: it should serve as the cover sheet to your submission. NO LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR ANY
REASON, AND EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GIVEN. Each of the extra credit WebQuest activities are worth up to 5 points (on a 100point scale). Successful and thoughtful completion of three extra WebQuests could thus boost your final course grade by as much as 15
points—or the equivalent of more than half of a letter grade. For more on extra credit, see the course website.
OCCASIONALLY: Extra credit is given to those students who choose to attend plays, performances, movies, etc. pertaining to a literary
work of merit. Advanced notice will be given about such opportunities. Students are expected to write an essay pertaining to the event
and attach the ticket stub to the essay. The teacher reserves the right to decline opportunites for extra credit. Students are expected to
complete ALL assignments and Extra Credit will NOT be given to those students who have simply chosen NOT to do assignments.
Course Policies
All work should be your own and should not be borrowed from another student, from a published source, or from your own work done
in another course. Plagiarism or academic dishonesty of any kind will result in SERIOUS consequences. (See Berkeley Co Schools Student
Code of Conduct for more details)
I will regularly post additional course materials on the course website (see instructions above for gaining access to this website). You
should always find there a copy of the syllabus, occasional handouts, all additional readings, all essay and exam guidelines, and all
WebQuests. If you are unable to attend a particular class for ANY reason the easiest way to get information during off school hours or to
find out what’s happening is to check the website. I will let you know as I post additional materials on the web.
Late Work Policy: Late work for excused absences will be in direct accordance with Berkeley County board of education
attendance/make-up policies. All other make-up work will receive a 10% deduction each day the assignment is late after two-weeks the
assignment is no longer worth any accumulation points and will receive a “0”. Occasionally assignments such as book reviews will be
given a deadline and extensions will NOT be given. However, students often have the opportunity to revise writing assignments for a
better grade.
If you have a documented learning disability (IEP, 504, etc.) and will need additional time for quizzes and exams, please let me know as
soon as possible. We may need to make alternate arrangements for you to complete these activities outside of regularly scheduled class
time or provide additional assistance or modifications when needed. REMEMBER: THIS IS YOUR RIGHT UNDER (IDEA) for more
information go to this website http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004.html
Class rules and discipline issue
School rules, expectations and discipline will be followed in direct accordance with BC BOE and WVDE.
Expectations for Mrs. Phillips classroom:
PARENTS WILL BE CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY DUE TO POOR BEHAVOR OR FAILING GRADES
1. Come to class prepared on time with textbook, novel, assignment, portfolio and something to write with.
2. No Gum, Food or Drink with the exception of water. No toys, games, cell-phones or electronic equipment (See BOE Policy)
3. Sit in your assigned seat. And respect those around you. Do not get out of your seat while teacher is talking. Be Polite and
courteous. You may sharpen your pencil, turn in papers etc. when the teacher /students are not talking.
4. Leaving class is NOT permitted with the exception of emergencies. Bathroom breaks are available the first five minutes and the
last five minutes of class.
TEACHER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO GIVE STUDENTS LUNCH DETENTION OR AFTER-SCHOOL IN CLASSROOM.
Students will be given a minimum of 2 days notification for after-school detention and will be responsible for transportation from
the school.
Course Calendar and Homework
Weekly assignments as well as future assignments and upcoming due dates are posted every week on the school website:
http://boe.berk.k12.wv.us/bcschools/s503/homework/phillips.htm or @ the classroom and bulletin board
http://webpages.shepherd.edu/rphill03 or http://www.SchoolAndTeacher.net teacher # 1931. Additional assistance with assignments
such as dictionary, grammar assistance, writing labs etc. can also be found on the classroom website.
Paper Heading
It is necessary with EVERY assignment to head your paper properly in MLA format. A 10% deduction of grade is given for
those students not following the format. Please see example below.
Student name
Teacher Name
English 9-Assignment in detail
Date
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Class room supply list
______________________________________________
___ White 2 in” 3 Ring binder with slide window (REQUIRED) BEFORE September 5, 2008
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1 pack sheet protectors
1 pack of dividers
Post-it; either page marker post-it notes or regular post-it note cube
Notebook paper; enough for the entire year (PREFER COLLEGE RULED)
1 pack of multi colored highlighters
Pens BLUE OR BLACK ONLY, NO COLORS OR GEL PENS PLEASE
Pencils
2 composition notebooks (1 for each semester) (PREFER COLLEGE RULED)
Index Card (LOTS)
Assignment book ~Keep it up to date at ALL times
Paper folders with prongs and pockets: (1) each blue, yellow, red, purple, green (Usually at Wal-Mart for 5¢)

Suggested but NOT required;
o Rewritable CD or Jump drive
o Box of Tissues
o Style Guide
Test Taking Policy
 Any student receiving below a 64% on a test MUST have the test signed by a parent or guardian
 Any student receiving a failing grade on a test has the option to retake the test. (No more than 2 weeks following the initial
exam, make-up exams are different from the original test)
 Students needing additional help for testing, testing materials or study aides should see the teacher (2) days prior to the test date.
 Cheating of ANY kind will not be tolerated and a “0” will result as well as parent being contacted.
DISCLOSURE
This syllabus can be changed with or without notice as needed for instruction purposes. Please sign on the next page that you have read
and understand ALL information provided in this syllabus for the 2007-2008 school year.
WELCOME TO A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR AT MUSSELMAN HIGH SCHOOL!
SIGNED COPY
***THIS MUST BE RETURNED BY STUDENT AND PARENT/GUARDIAN BY THE THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL.
This syllabus can be changed with or without notice as needed for instruction purposes. Please sign below that you have read and
understand ALL information provided in this syllabus for the 2007-2008 school year.
WELCOME TO A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR AT MUSSLEMAN HIGH SCHOOL!
Full Name
Preferred Name
Mailing Address
Email Address
Phone number
Cell Phone (if applicable)
Parents/Guardians:
Job/Extra-Curricular Activities/Talents/Interests Etc.:
Future Plans Post High School:
Grade:
Year graduating:
Date of Birth:
Favorite book or author:
What I Like about English/Literature/Language Arts:
What I don’t like about English/Literature/Language Arts:
Students Signature: __________________________________________________Date: ___________________
Parent/Guardians Signature: ____________________________________________Date: __________________
BY SIGNING THIS PAPER I ACKNOWLEDGE I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE SYLLABUS AND CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
FOR MRS. PHILLIPS ENGLISH CLASS IN 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR.
NOTICE: PARENTS WILL BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY REGARDING STUDENTS THAT DISPLAY POOR ATTITUDE, DISRUPTIVE
BEHAVIOR OR WITH FAILING GRADES. PARENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO STAY INVOLVED!
PLEASE WRITE SCHOOL SCHEDULE IN ITS ENTIRETY ON INDEX CARD PROVIDED. Include Teacher, Course Name, and Room #
Occasionally throughout the school year a video, Internet video clip, or other form of media(s) of literary significance and not for the sole
purpose of entertainment will be shown in the class. The media(s) shown may or may not be PG rated, although appropriate for educational
purposes, permission must be granted. Some examples: Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Holocaust Video clips etc. It is necessary for students to
have permission of parents to view the media’s provided in the classroom. Below is a permission form that will be utilized throughout the school
year for this purpose; by signing this form you are allowing your child to view such media(s). If you do not give your child permission please do
not sign the form and an alternate assignment will be given at the time of the media presentations.
I ____________________________________ give my child ____________________________ permission to view media(s) provided for
instructional and educational purposes for the 2007/2008 school year in Mrs. Phillips English Class
.
___________________________________________________
Parent/guardian signature
date