Hanford High School

2014-2015

AMERICAN LIT
Mrs. Dickey | erin.dickey@rsd.edu

Reading
What are we going to read this
semester?

The Adventures of Huckleberry

Finn - Mark Twain

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott

Fitzgerald

Macbeth - William Shakespeare

Some of the topics and/or language in

the reading materials may include
strong sexual content, violence, or
profanity. If you have any concerns, you
can address them directly with me. If
requested, alternative readings and
assignments will be provided. If you
want to investigate the contents of the
reading materials, one of my favorite
sites for this purpose is
www.commonsensemedia.org.

Writing
The required pieces for the
junior portfolio are:

Close reading response focused

on authors purpose

Argumentative or persuasive
research paper

Expository or persuasive in-class

essay

Article response

Artifact showing progress over

time

Best work from another class

Reading list

Syllabus

Were here to read better, write better,

and think better.
Our goals (in an abbreviated version):
Read closely to figure things out, and give textual evidence of the conclusions
we come to
Write clear, coherent arguments using solid reasoning and evidence to
back ourselves up
Participate in lots of discussions and group work, building on others
ideas and expressing our own clearly
Use language well, in writing and speaking, to demonstrate our command of
the English language.

Hanford High School

2014-2015

Grading Basics

Technology

My goal is to spend far less time and

energy emphasizing grades and far
more time and energy emphasizing
feedback. This means that you may
turn things in and not receive a grade
the first time, but rather some written
feedback that gives you suggestions
on how to improve. Ultimately, I want
you to learn, not count how many
points you need for a certain letter
grade. That being said, you will still
see traditional grades in the grade
book on PowerSchool. In general, I
approach grades this way:

Technology has its own section on this syllabus because we will be

using it quite a bit, and I want you to understand why and how.

A/95 = you went above and beyond

the expectations
B/85 = you met the expectations
C/75 = you are close to meeting

expectations
D/65 = I can see youre working on it,

but youre not there yet

F/50 = You either didnt turn

something in, or demonstrated a

complete lack of understanding or skill.
Well keep working on it.

LATE WORK: I do accept late work.

Please dont take advantage of my
good nature. Late work is not
accepted after the end of the quarter.
EXTRA CREDIT: Nope.
MAJOR ASSESSMENTS: Major
papers and projects can not be
skipped. If you do not complete
them, you will not pass the course.
Examples include:

Long-form essays (e.g., at the end of

a novel or writing unit)

Portfolio pieces

Major speeches, presentations,

projects

I will make sure you know which of

your tasks are in this category.
See pages 3-4 for more detailed

information about what to expect

in the grade book.

Syllabus

Why use technology?

Its 2015, people, and technology is being infused into just about
every job and career imaginable. I want to help you use it more
and get really good at it.

How will we use technology in LA 10?

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): If you
have a smartphone or tablet or other
electronic device that accesses the internet, I
encourage you to bring it to this class. You
may end up using it to take notes, type papers, upload
assignments, do quick research, or any number of things. In
bringing your own device, you are agreeing to use it during class
time for academic purposes.
Google Apps/Classroom: We will be
using Googles Apps for Education (GAFE)
a lot in this class. You can write essays in
Docs, create presentations in Slides, and
well be using Googles new learning
management system, Classroom, for you
to turn in your work. Youll be expected to become familiar with
all these tools, but dont worry - Ill provide class time for that.
Chromebooks: Now that HHS has several classroom sets of
Chromebooks, we will be using them as much as possible, for all
kinds of activities.
It will be important for you to be familiar with Googles tools the Chrome web browser, the Chromebooks, your Drive (the
place where your work will be stored), and the basic apps (Docs,
Slides, Classroom). We will work on becoming familiar with these
tools in class. What you can do to speed the process along is get
comfortable with using these tools on your own personal device,
if you have one. If you have a tablet or smartphone, go ahead and
download the Drive, Docs, and Chrome apps, and then log in
with your school Google account.

Hanford High School

2014-2015

Standards-Based Learning/Grading
One of my primary goals is for students to really understand and have regular feedback on how theyre progressing in their skills
in Language Arts. To do this, Ill be basing all feedback and grades on the list of standards below. These standards are from the
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, which the state of Washington has adopted and on which students will
be tested.

Standards
Reading

R1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it;
cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the
text
R2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the
key supporting details and ideas
R3: Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger
portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole
R4: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text
R5: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of
the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the text
R6: Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge
or to compare the approaches the authors take
R7: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and
proficiently

Writing

W1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence
W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information
clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content
W3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, well chosen details, and well structured event sequences
W4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W5: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and
collaborate with others
W6: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation
W7: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility
and accuracy of each source and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism

Syllabus

Hanford High School

2014-2015

Standards
Speaking &
Listening

SL1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with
diverse partners, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively
SL2: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the
line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience
SL3: Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and
enhance understanding of presentations

Language

L1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation,

and spelling when writing
L2: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings

So when you turn in an assignment that is going to be assessed, itll be assessed based on one or more of
these standards. On page 2, I briefly explained how I think of letter grades/percentages. Essentially, Im
using the five traditional letter grades (A, B, C, D, F) as a 5-point scale. If you meet the expectations for a
given task, youll receive a B. In order to earn an A, you will have to demonstrate a deeper level of skill or
understanding than what I asked for.
In the grade book, youll probably see something
like this:
Assignment

Score

Huck Finn Essay - R1

85

Huck Finn Essay - W1

75

Huck Finn Essay - W2

85

Huck Finn Essay - L1

85

This is showing that, for the To Kill a

Mockingbird Essay assignment, this student
was assessed on four dierent standards: R1, W1,
W2, and L1. You can look at the list to the right
to see which standards those are. The scores
show that this person met expectations on
standards R1, W2, and L1, and is almost there on
standard W1. Now this student has specific
information about what he/she is doing pretty
well at, and what he/she needs to work on,
instead of just one grade for a complex
assignment that measured a lot of dierent
skills.

Contact Me
It is most convenient to reach me through e-mail: erin.dickey@rsd.edu. You can also call the school at
967-6500 to leave me a message. Please contact me any time with questions or concernsI want to be
as helpful as possible!
Syllabus

Hanford High School

2014-2015

Statement of Understanding
My family and I understand that:

I will be doing a lot of reading and writing in this class

I will be expected to use technology as part of this class

I will be assessed on the standards listed in this syllabus

While late work is accepted, major assessments (like essays and projects) must be completed in order to
pass the class

Student Name (please print): _______________________________________________________________________

Student Signature: ________________________________________________________________________________

Parent Signature: __________________________________________________________________________________

Syllabus