9TH GRADE LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION

M. Adam Hardigree ǁ Room E-108 ǁ 2018-2019

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
✓ Be respectful to others, including teachers, staff, students, parents, and visitors.
✓ We are a learning community; therefore, use language that encourages learning and shows your
respect for others. Bullying and inappropriate language will not be tolerated.
✓ Respect class time. Complete all assignments on time. Come prepared to learn and to contribute to
classroom discussions.
✓ Be in your seat when the bell rings. If you are not in your seat, then you will be marked tardy.
✓ Most food and drinks are not permitted in class. Only bottled water is acceptable.
✓ All maintenance activities need to be completed before class begins. This includes pencil
sharpening, using the restroom, and visiting your locker.
✓ We will use technology in class; however, you are responsible for securing electronic items in a safe
location when not in use. Student cell-phones and other electronic items may only be used during
class time for instructional purposes. Students are responsible for all technology utilized in class.
✓ Respect property. This includes your own materials, other’s materials, and the teacher’s
materials. Ask permission to use any materials that do not belong to you.
✓ Listen carefully to directions. Ask questions if you do not understand something.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
In 9th Grade Literature and Composition, students continue to develop an appreciation of written and spoken
language. Students aspire to comprehend increasingly challenging books and articles, basing all of their analyses,
inferences, and claims on explicit and relevant evidence from the texts. Students will expand on their ability to
identify central ideas by identifying how those themes are shaped and conveyed by particular details. Their
analysis of literary elements will extend to identifying and explaining connections and complexities within
narratives and how individual elements weave together to advance plot, reveal character, and develop deeper
meaning. The evaluation of the impact of language on tone and meaning includes more sophisticated concepts
such as analogy, symbolism, allusion, subtleties in point of view such as dramatic irony, and a more sophisticated
appreciation for diction. Students will become increasingly adept at understanding an author’s biases, the use of
complex rhetorical devices including logical fallacies, and tailoring his or her own prose for maximum influence.
Students continue to develop their ability to constructively critique their own work as well as the work of others.
Students use oral language, written language, and media and technology for expressive, informational,
argumentative, critical, and literary purposes. Students use the stages of the writing process to write clear,
coherent compositions that develop an idea or tell a story. Throughout this course, students will have
opportunities to develop and expand their knowledge of literature and language and demonstrate their
mastery level of new learning through a variety of performance tasks and assessments. Standards are broken
up into four major categories: reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language. A complete list of these
standards can be found at the Georgia Department of Education website.

ACCELERATED COURSES
All students in an ADVANCED, ACCELERATED, and/or HONORS class must maintain at least an 80 average to
remain in good standing. If at the end of any grading period a student does not have at least an 80 average,
parents will be notified and interventions to promote student success will be discussed and implemented. If at
the end of the next grading period, the grade is still below an 80, advanced placement may not be appropriate
or in the best interest of the student and a class change may be necessary.

EOC INFORMATION
Students will complete the Georgia Milestones End of Couse Assessment for 9 th Grade Literature and
Composition. The exam takes place in late spring, and students can expect a score before the end of the
school year in most cases. The material covered during both first and second semester will appear on the
exam, and it will count for 20% of the student’s final grade. In accordance with the decisions of the Georgia
Department of Education and Fulton County Schools, a middle school student enrolled in 9th Grade Literature
and Composition are no longer required to take the Georgia Milestones End of Grade Assessment for 8 th Grade
English Language Arts as long as the student completes and passes the Georgia Milestones End of Course
Assessment for 9th Grade Literature and Composition and necessary coursework to successfully pass the class.
GRADING SCALE AND GRADE DISTRIBUTION
Major Assignments (tests, projects, longer writing) 40% 40%

FALL

SPRING
A 90 and Above
Minor Assessments (quizzes, shorter writing) 25% 25%
B 80-89
Classroom Assignments (activities) 10% 10%
C 70-79
Homework 5% 5%
F 69 and Below
Final and End of Course Assessment 20% 20%
Please check Home Access regularly to stay updated on grades and assignments. Students should record all
assignments and due dates in their agendas. In a high school course, there is no minimum grade requirement
in place for students, so students may earn below 70% on any assignment.
Students completing an ACCELERATED course will receive 7 additional points on their high school transcript;
however, these points are not awarded until the student attends high school and will not appear on middle
school report cards. A student must score 80% or higher to receive additional points. If a student is placed,
moved, etc. into a lower-level course option, there is no policy that stipulates a student receives additional
points; in other words, the student will transfer to the new course with their current grade.

MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES

In accordance with the AVID initiative, all students are required to keep one binder. The binder will be
complete with a Literature & Composition section. Students are also expected to keep the following supplies:
composition notebook, notebook paper, pencils and pens (red and black), sticky notes, highlighter, and index
cards. Markers, colored pencils, crayons, etc. are available in class, but students may enjoy the benefits of
having their own supplies.

TEXTBOOK AND READING INFORMATION

Students will engage in a variety of reading tasks, covering both fiction and nonfiction as well as poetry and
drama. Some of the texts planned for discussion include the following titles: Sophocles’ Oedipus, George
Orwell’s Animal Farm, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Homer’s Odyssey,
and William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Additional titles may be assigned and discussed. Please review
the Novel Consent and Reading Inventory Survey to explore the titles selected for each course. Most books are
provided by the school to students; however, students will be responsible for replacing any lost or damaged
books. Many students find it helpful to purchase their own copies for notes and annotations.
Students can access course textbooks via Launchpad. Students can go to launchpad.fultonschools.org and
log-in by using their Fulton County Schools username (Student ID #) and password (birthday). Once there,
students click on the Pearson icon to view assigned textbooks. The following textbooks have been assigned for
this course:
• Title: Prentice Hall Literature—9th Grade Edition
• Title: Prentice Hall Writing Coach—9th Grade Edition
On occasion, students will be assigned to complete reading assignments online. Common Lit delivers high-
quality, free instructional materials to support literacy development for students. Students should go to
www.commonlit.org and create an account. During the first days of the semester, the teacher will assign a
class code necessary for activation.
If you have any questions about the content or concepts explored in the texts, please feel free to schedule a
time to discuss and share your concerns. This is an ambitious reading list, so please plan your time
accordingly to complete the required reading assignments. Keep up with assigned texts and pace your reading
accordingly.

HOMEWORK AND ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS

Students will have homework most nights; however, it should not take longer than 20-30 minutes. Students
should also expect homework assignments in USA Test Prep. USA Test Prep allows students to practice and
master standards-based questions that are like the questions seen on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade
and End-of-Course Assessments. Please make sure you know your log-in information for USA Test Prep. If you
need assistance in accessing the site, schedule an appointment to speak with your teacher before any task is
assigned.
Any formal writing must be word processed on one side of the paper only. All drafts and final papers should be
double-spaced to facilitate revisions and feedback. More detailed information will be provided for each writing
assignment. Please carefully read the directions and other materials for each assignment. All written
assignments must adhere to MLA guidelines and standards. The Purdue Online Writing Lab is an excellent
resource to clarify any issues about using MLA guidelines and standards.

RECOVERY POLICY
All teachers will offer recovery to students who receive a grade of 70 or below on any major assignment.
Students must earn this opportunity through additional practice, and the maximum grade possible on recovery
is 70%. Opportunities designed to allow students to recover from a low or failing cumulative grade will be
allowed when all work required to date has been completed and the student has demonstrated a legitimate
effort to meet all course requirements. This may include attending a help session outside of classroom hours.
Students should contact the teacher concerning recovery opportunities because the recovery process is the
responsibility of the student. All recovery work must be directly related to course objectives and must be
completed by the deadline determined by the teacher. Teachers will determine when and how students with
extenuating circumstances may improve their grades. Please note that the recovery policy in high school
courses is much stricter compared to the recovery policy in middle school classes.

ATTENDANCE AND MAKE-UP POLICY

Making up work due to an absence is the responsibility of the student. You have the number of days that you
were absent to make-up the assignment. (Example: If you are absent for one day, then you have one day to
complete the missed work.) If you are absent on test day, come see me immediately to schedule a time for you
to take the test. In most cases, you will be expected to take the test the day of your return. Students absent
on the day before an announced test will be expected to take the test with the class. Failure to complete
make-up work in accordance with the policies set forth in the syllabus will result in a ‘0’. These missing
assignments will be recorded as NHI in the gradebook. Students who are present for any part of the day are
expected to turn in assignments that are due on that day. If you are absent on the day an assignment is due,
you are still responsible for ensuring your assignment has been submitted to your teacher. It is the student’s
responsibility to turn in the assignment to the teacher on the day that it is due.

LATE POLICY
Student work is considered late if it is not ready to be turned in at the start of class. Students who have not
completed the assignment must fill out a “Pink Slip” to explain the reasons. Major and minor projects and/or
assessments will be accepted one day late for a maximum score of 80%. After that, late work will be assessed
an additional penalty of 10 points per day; therefore, the highest the student can earn is a 60 after the 3rd day.
All assessments (minor and major) cannot be turned in after the 3rd day. Assignments not completed will be
assigned as NHI in the gradebook. Late homework assignments will not be accepted; neither will homework
that is not fully completed at the start of class. While the goal is not to academically penalize a student for
missing assignments, there is a need for student accountability with assigned work.

ACADEMIC HONESTY AND BEHAVIOR

Cases of cheating and/or plagiarism are handled in accordance with school policy. Plagiarism is the use of
another’s words or ideas and the presentation of them as though they are entirely one’s own. Acts of
plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following actions: (1) using words or ideas from a published
source without proper documentation; (2) using the work of another student (i.e. copying another student’s
homework, composition, or project); (3) using excessive editing suggestions of another student, teacher,
parent, or paid editor. Unless directly stipulated by the teacher, collaboration on written work is not
acceptable. Students who willingly provide other students with access to their work are in violation of the
student code of conduct. In order to avoid plagiarism, the student must document all sources consulted or
used in the preparation of a document or presentation. This includes sources from online resources. If you
are caught cheating on any assignment, the incident will be reported to the administration and your parents. If
you see or hear of anyone cheating, it is your duty to report it.
All students are expected to follow the guidelines listed in The Code of Conduct and Discipline Handbook. A
copy of the handbook is available on the Elkins Pointe Middle School website. Students demonstrating
inappropriate behaviors can expect the following actions:
• 1st Offense: Teacher Supervised Consequence (Warning, Silent Lunch, etc.)
• 2nd Offense: Parent Notification & Teacher Supervised Consequence
 • 3rd Offense: Parent and Teacher Conference & Teacher Supervised Consequence
• 4th Offense: Parent Notification & Referral to School Administration

TECHNOLOGY
All students are required to bring their school-issued laptop to class each day. Laptops should be charged
before students come to school each day.
There is a myriad of technology-based websites we will use for instructional and/or assessment purposes (USA
Test Prep, Common Lit, Go Formative, etc.). You must register using your real name since many of these tools
will be used for assessment purposes. If you have already created an account for another class, you may
continue using that same account. These sites are free for educational usage. Additional information will be
given before using these tools.
While students may be asked to use technology during instruction, it is not appropriate for students to use
their technology for personal reasons during instructional time. If a student’s technology becomes disruptive
to the learning environment, a teacher may confiscate the device from the student. Phones are to be turned
off during classroom hours unless instructed otherwise by a teacher.

HELP SESSIONS
I am available mornings or after school by appointment whenever help is needed. Please see me as soon as
possible for extra help, make-up work, grade concerns, etc. If you are coming for a morning help session,
please be sure to have a pass before you arrive at school because the teachers on-duty will not allow any
students to access grade-level halls before the bell rings in the morning. Only a teacher may provide a pass.

TEACHER CONTACT
The best way to contact your teacher
is via email. All social media pages adam.hardigree @EPMSadam
are for school use only. I expect all
students to be positive digital citizens hardigree@fultonschools.org hardigree.weebly.com
while using social media.

NOTES
Please keep this syllabus in your agenda for the duration of the course.
In the space below, feel free to take notes or write questions. You may review any questions or concerns at
any time with your teacher. This is also a good space to jot down your log in information for class resources.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
SYLLABUS SCAVENGER HUNT
DIRECTIONS: Review your syllabus either individually or with your group mates. For each question, locate the
correct information in your syllabus and write the answer in the corresponding box.

What subject does this syllabus cover?

What is your teacher’s name?

Do I take the EOG, the EOC, or both?

When is homework due?

Do you remember your USA Test Prep log in

information? What is it?

How many novels will you be reading this year?

Do you need to provide your own novel?

List the titles of two novels you will be reading

this year.

List the materials/supplies you should have for

this class.

What weight is given to tests in the gradebook

each semester?

What is the highest grade you can earn on a

recovery test?

When are help sessions offered?

Who is the only person that can write a pass to

attend a help session in the morning?

What is the best way to communicate with the

teacher?

How many days do you have to make up a

missed assignment?

Where can you find more information about the

standards for this course?

When will the extra credit points appear for

taking an accelerated course?

When is the Novel Consent and Reading

Inventory Survey (last page) due to your teacher?