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Syllabus

ELAR/ECAR/Reading Course Syllabus
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This ELAR/ECAR/Reading Course is designed to prepare students for the RLA State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR), as well as emphasize college and academic readiness including:

  • preparation for college entrance assessments

  • advanced academic vocabulary

  • advanced academic writing

  • critical thinking skills

The class may also incorporate activities such as guest speakers and/or online class participation components.

Students will engage in various reading activities, including independent, self-selected, and teacher-assigned readings.  The course will also allow students to make connections between different types of literature, current events, and themselves, while analyzing different types of genres (including, but not limited to fiction, drama, poetry, non-fiction, biographies, autobiographies, informational literature, and procedural text).  

Ultimately, students will understand, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the text they are reading, and provide textual evidence to support their understanding.  They will be able to show comprehension through basic, inferential, and analytical skills. Student learning outcomes for this course are aligned with the 8th-grade TEKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) and STAAR.

REQUIRED STUDENT MATERIALS

  • UISD issued Chromebook and charger

  • Composition notebook*

  • Highlighters

  • Pen(s) or pencil(s)

*These materials will be collected and kept in the classrooms

EXPECTATIONS FOR SUCCESS:

  • Students will:

    • Attend class regularly and on time (refer to District handbook for policy)

    • Come to class prepared with their own supplies

    • Use language appropriate to an academic setting

    • Observe the policies described in the UISD SCoC.

    • Turn in assignments on time (refer to District handbook for policy)

    • Use prior knowledge, ask questions, be an active reader, and participate in class
      discussions in a knowledgeable and productive manner

GROUP WORK

When working with a partner/group each student will have an assigned part/task. The group will be graded as a whole.

GRADES

As per UISD District Policy:

  • Progress reports will go out every third week and report cards every six weeks.

  • According to the UISD Student Code of Conduct, the passing grade is 70 and above

  • Only lesson-related electronics will be permitted with teacher permission (UISD SCoC policies apply)

  • Six Weeks Average

Each Six Weeks Average will be calculated as follows:

  • Tests/Projects/Book Reports 50%

  • Quizzes/Daily Work/Homework 50%

  • District Assessments

The District will administer three Checkpoints and two Benchmarks throughout the academic year and may count as test grades.

LATE WORK

Please refer to the District handbook for the policy on late work.  

If access to a computer is required for an assignment or test and students do not have access to a computer at home, they may access one in the library before or after school, or during lunch.  Students may also make arrangements with their teacher to complete an assignment or test during another class period or after school.
 

CLASSROOM CULTURE

  • Students will be assigned their seating and may be moved at the teacher’s discretion

  • Students will respect, and will not vandalize any property belonging to UISD or the teacher, including but not limited to desks, chairs, books/dictionaries, walls, or instructional materials (refer to District handbook for policies, fines, and consequences)

  • Students will also use language appropriate to an academic setting, and be respectful when addressing each other, teachers, and staff

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The ELAR Department at United South Middle School expects that all work turned in is the student’s own work. Plagiarism incidents will be handled according to the school policy set in place.  Plagiarism is defined as “the false assumption of authorship: the wrongful act of taking the product of another person’s mind and presenting it as one’s own” (Alexander Lindey, Plagiarism, and Originality [New York: Harper, 1952] 2). This includes all forms of copying, cutting/pasting, and cheating whether the material is taken in whole or in part from a book, the internet, student, or another source.  In an instance where material has been obtained from another student, both parties will be penalized.  After an infraction, a student-teacher-parent conference may be scheduled. In the event of subsequent offenses, the incident will be referred to the school principal for review and action.

This syllabus is intended as a set of guidelines for the 8th grade ELAR/ECAR/Reading course. The teacher reserves the right to make any modifications necessary to better facilitate student learning and enrichment.