OAK
GROVE
SCHOOL


FAITH
REYNADO

J
 UNIOR
HIGH
HUMANITIES

PHONE:
(805)
684‐8236
X.210

EMAIL:
faithreynado@oakgroveschool.com


C

 ONTENT

Humanities
follows
a
progression
of
discovery
and
enrichment
in
Language
Arts
and
Social
Studies.

In
this
class,
you
will
have
the
opportunity
to
pursue
your
curiosities,
to
challenge
yourselves

academically
and
express
yourselves
in
a
compelling
and
creative
manner.




W

 EEKLY
COMPONENTS

Grammar:
taught
through
interactive
editing,
teacher‐led
lessons
and
personal/peer
editing
of

student
work.
Resource:
Giggles
in
the
Middle
by
Jane
Bell
Kiester



Vocabulary/Spelling:
taught
through
hands‐on
activities,
games,
word
sorts,
word
dissections,
and

interactive
editing.
Resources:
Giggles
in
the
Middle
by
Jane
Bell
Kiester;
Vocabulary
Their
Way­

Donald
Bear,
et
al.



Journal
Writing:
includes
free
writing,
responses
to
prompts,
and
timed
writing



Silent
Reading/Book
Talks:
time
in
class
devoted
to
reading
personal
choice
or
class
novels.
Friday

mornings,
we
will
join
in
a
book
talk
geared
towards
discussing
literature,
sharing
great
books,
and

fostering
a
love
of
reading.



News
Updates:
each
student
will
present
a
current
event
to
the
class
twice
a
month.



C

 LASSROOM
GUIDELINES

 RESPECT
YOURSELF,
YOUR
PEERS,
AND
YOUR
TEACHER

We
can
function
effectively
as
a
group
and
create
a
safe
environment
for
learning
if
we
base

our
actions
in
the
classroom
on
one
underlying
principle…RESPECT!
This
includes
respecting

yourself
and
your
right
to
learn
and
respecting
others
and
their
right
to
learn.
I
expect
all

students,
along
with
the
teacher,
to
respect
whomever
is
speaking
by
giving
them
complete

attention
without
any
interruptions.




 OFFER
YOUR
ABSOLUTE
BEST
EFFORT!

You
will
meet
success
in
this
class
and,
most
importantly,
enrich
your
learning
experience
as
a

whole,
by
offering
yourself,
your
teacher,
and
your
classmates
your
absolute
best
effort.
This

includes
arriving
to
class
on
time,
daily
attendance,
taking
notes,
participating
in
class

discussions,
and
working
efficiently
during
group
assignments.



E

 VALUATION
CRITERIA

Writing
Assignments*
&
Social
Studies
Projects

 50‐100
Points
Each

Homework/Classwork

 10
Points

Weekly
Components
(Journal
Entries,
“Caught
Ya’s”,
News
Updates,
etc.)
 5
Points


*Each
writing
assignment
will
have
an
individual
rubric
combining
the
6+
Traits
and
project

specific
traits
(provided
when
the
assignment
is
given).



G

 RADING
POLICY

Class
assignments
will
include
a
variety
of
reading
and
writing
tasks,
essays,
group

projects/discussions,
and
events!

At
the
conclusion
of
each
marking
period,
your
points
will
be

totaled
and
calculated
using
the
following
formula:



(Points
Earned/Points
Possible)
x
100



90
–
100
 Exceeds
expectations

80
–
89
 Meets
Expectations

65
–
79
 Approaches
Expectations

<
65


 Does
not
meet
Expectations



C

 OURSE
MATERIALS

 Lined
Paper
  Humanities
Binder
w/Dividers

 Pens/Pencils/Eraser
  Daily
Spiral
Notebook
(3
Sections)

 Home
Folder
  Vocabulary

 Personal
Reading
book
  Journal
Entries

 Social
Studies
Spiral
Notebook
  Giggles
in
the
Middle
(Grammar)



H

 OMEWORK

Students
should
expect
about
1
hour
of
homework
each
evening.
Each
evening,
including
weekends,

students
should
be
reading
30
minutes
minimum
at
home
in
addition
to
other
assigned
homework.

Homework
should
be
communicated
through
the
Homework
Folder
as
well
as
the
student’s

planner.



*Homework
for
the
week
can
also
be
found
at
http://oghumanities.blogspot.com




 AKEUP
WORK

M
Assignments
missed
due
to
an
excused
absence
must
be
made
up.
If
you
are
absent,
homework
that

was
assigned
while
you
were
here
is
due
the
day
you
return
to
class.
For
homework/classwork

(including
group
assignments!)
assigned
while
you
were
out,
you
will
have
the
same
amount
of

time
to
make
up
the
assignments
as
you
were
absent.
For
example,
if
you
were
absent
for
two
days,

you
have
two
days
to
make
up
the
work
from
the
day
you
return.
Please
write
"Absent"
and
the

date
of
your
absence(s)
on
any
homework
you
turn
in
late
and
place
it
in
the
“Late
Work”
box.




Remember,
it
is
YOUR
responsibility
to
find
out
what
you
missed.
There
will
be
no
make­ups
for

any
unexcused
absences.
Late
assignments
(not
including
chapter
quizzes
and
tests)
may
be

submitted
for
partial
credit.



Each
and
every
one
of
us
brings
unique
experiences
and

backgrounds
that
we
can
bring
together
to
enrich
our
classroom

environment.
These
guidelines
will
help
us
create
a
safe
and
open

atmosphere
where
everyone
can
feel
comfortable
sharing
their

individual
knowledge.
I
look
forward
to
us
working
together
and

making
this
class
a
fun
and
enlightening
experience.



HUMANITIES:
SCOPE
&
SEQUENCE



SEPTEMBER

o Introduction:
Weekly
Components
of
Humanities
(News
Updates,
Journals,
etc.)

o Study
Skills/Literature
Circle
Procedures:
Class
Novel
–
Hunger
Games
(Suzanne
Collins)

o Writing
Focus:
Summaries
&
Correspondence

o Legacy
of
the
Roman
Empire



OCTOBER

o Literature
Circles:
Proud
Taste
for
Scarlet
and
Miniver
(E.L.
Konigsburg),
Catherine,
Called

Birdy
(Karen
Cushman),
Door
in
the
Wall
(Marguerite
De
Angeli),
The
Great
and
Terrible

Quest
(Margaret
Lovett)

o Writing
Focus:
The
Essay
(5‐Paragraph
&
7‐Paragraph)

o Medieval
Europe



NOVEMBER

o Literature
Circles:
The
New
Concise
History
of
the
Crusades
(Thomas
F.
Madden)

o Writing
Focus:
Narrative
Analysis

o Islam
in
the
Middle
Ages



DECEMBER


o Literature
Circles:
Imperial
Woman
(Pearl
S.
Buck)

o Writing
Focus:
Persuasive
Essay

o Imperial
China



JANUARY

o Literature
Circles:
Single
Shard
(Linda
Sue
Park),
The
Samurai’s
Tale
(Erik
Christian

Haugaard),
The
Ghost
in
the
Tokaido
Inn
(Dorothy
Hoobler)

o Writing
Focus:
Poetry

o Medieval
Japan
&
West
Africa



FEBRUARY

o Literature
Circles:
Romeo
&
Juliet,
Midsummer
Night’s
Dream
(Shakespeare)

o Writing
Focus:
Sources,
Note‐taking,
Outlining,
Citations

o The
Renaissance



MARCH

o Literature
Circles:
Shakespeare
Stealer
(Gary
Blackwood),
Beware
Princess
Elizabeth

(Carolyn
Meyer),
Queen’s
Own
Fool
(Jane
Yolen)

o The
Renaissance
(Continued)



APRIL

o Literature
Circles
(Student’s
Choice):
My
Ishmael,
View
from
Saturday,
The
Giver,
Lord
of

the
Flies,
Jasmine,
The
Black
Pearl,
Old
Man
and
The
Sea,
Fahrenheit
451,
and
more…

o Writing
Focus:
Narrative

o Reformation



MAY

o Literature
Circles
(Student’s
choice):
My
Ishmael,
View
from
Saturday,
The
Giver,
Lord
of
the

Flies,
Jasmine,
The
Black
Pearl,
Old
Man
and
The
Sea,
Fahrenheit
451,
and
more…

o Writing
Focus:
Biography

o Age
of
Exploration,
Enlightenment,
and
Reason



JUNE

o Complete
Literature
Circles

o Finalize
Social
Studies
Projects