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Reading Syllabus
Reading Syllabus
Contact Information
Instructor: Ms. Lank
Classroom: W45
Email: vlank@dallasisd.org
Phone: (214) 860.3680 (This is the main office phone for the school. Please leave a message with
the person who answers; be sure to leave both your full name and callback number.)
Class Website: http://mslankreadingwriting.weebly.com
Welcome! I am excited to have you in my class, and I am very confident that we will have a
productive and meaningful semester. This syllabus provides an overview of this course and will
answer some of the questions you may have. Additionally, it communicates what the classroom
culture is, what you can expect, and what you need to do to be successful.
Course Description
Reading I and II are intensive courses structured to help you become college-ready readers. As
reading is a complex and progressive process, you can expect to be assigned a rigorous course
load which will help you to build the skills necessary to succeed in college-level courses and
beyond.
result of this class, you become a regular reader (if you are not already one). If you are already a
regular reader outside of school, I hope that you will continue reading and also that you will
gain some new skills that will help you to better comprehend the variety of texts you will be
presented with in college.
More specifically, supporting that underlying course goal of enjoying reading are the following
objectives that you should all be focused on in order to be successful in this class:
After completing this course, you will be able to actively and automatically utilize
strategies that aid in reading comprehension;
You will be prepared to read on a college level;
And lastly, you will develop the critical, creative, and practical thinking skills that you
need in order to be successful as college students, professionals, and citizens.
Required Materials
I expect you to come to class each period with the materials necessary to be successful. Please be
sure to pack the materials you need in a backpack and leave them there so you do not forget to
bring them to class. To be successful in the class, please bring with you to each class period:
A writing utensil
A notebook
Any class materials needed for the day (homework, readings, etc.)
A gluestick
If you cannot afford any of these materials, please see me as soon as possible so that we can
ensure you have the materials you need to be successful.
Readings will be provided in the class. For the first six weeks, we will be using the textbook, A
Readers Journey. The only item you will have to get is a book for independent reading; however,
I have many books available in the class, and as a Dallas ISD student, you have access to the
public library as well.
Also, if you do not have a Smartphone, please let me know as soon as possible. We may do
activities that involve Smartphones, and I want to plan accordingly if students do not have
access to these devices.
Behavioral Expectations
In order to build a positive classroom culture that is conducive to learning, we must have a few
policies in place to avoid conflicts. Bear in mind that because you are students at an early college
high school, I have very high expectations of you, both academically and behaviorally. Thus, I
will generally manage the classroom as a college-level classroom is managed. For example, you
do not need a pass to go to the bathroom. That being said, I do expect everyone to behave as
college students would: do not go to the bathroom to use your cell phone or walk around the
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school. I do expect you to be completely invested in your own success, and thus, if I judge that
any privileges are being abused, I will intervene.
Educational purposes does not include texting friends or using Facebook. If I judge that your
use of a cell phone or other technological device has become a distraction, we will meet to
discuss solutions. If the problem persists, I will contact your parents/guardians.
Please note that I comply with district policies regarding permissible Internet use. If you use
the Internet in a way that violates any of these policies, I will report the incident to the school.
Classroom Procedures:
Before entering the classroom, we will line up outside to take attendance and make sure
everyone is ready to go. When you enter the classroom, you will immediately get started on the
Do-Now warmup activity, which you find posted on the board. Once you have finished the DoNow, you will paste the Lesson Objectives (also on the board) in your notebook. Be sure to
submit to me any completed homework.
After the lesson of the day and any associated activities and prior to leaving class, each student
will complete a Demonstration of Learning, a short, independent activity which will help me
gauge whether the lesson was effective, and if not, what needs to be done.
Please do not leave until class has been dismissed. I will always do my best to end class on time
so that you can get to your next class. However, do not start packing up early and leaving until
I have dismissed class.
Grading Policy
Classwork/Homework: 40% grade weight (homework not to account for more than half
of this percentage)
Tests/Quizzes: 25% grade weight
Projects: 20% grade weight (projects include composition papers, research papers,
presentations, and reports)
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Numerical grades will be issued in all courses in all Dallas ISD secondary schools. Grade ranges
are as follows:
70 to 100 = Passing
Below 70 = Failing
I = Incomplete (assignment must be made up within 10 school days or I becomes 50%.
See below sub-section for details.)
Attendance Policy
Regular attendance is essential for your success in this class. If you are absent five percent of the
time a class is offered in a semester, I will send a warning letter to the assistant principal, who
will send the letter to your parent/guardian. Here is the five-percent formula determining how
many classes must be missed to warrant a warning letter:
If you miss nine percent of the classes offered in a semester (five days for A-Days and three
absences for B-Days), I will complete a violation letter, which the assistant principal will send to
your parent/guardian.
If you have extenuating circumstances which prevent you from attending school for a length
period of time, the Attendance Review Committee will meet with you and your parent/guardian
to assess the situation.
You are also expected to be to class on time and ready to learn each period. If you are more than
15 minutes late, you will be marked absent (same goes for leaving 15 minutes early). For ADays, three tardies equal one absence; for B-Days, two tardies equal one absence.
Projects/Rubrics
For this class, you will complete a project based on the book you choose to read independently.
You may select what type of project you will complete from the list below. Note: For any
project with a stated page length requirement, 11- to 12-point font size with a readable typeface
and 1.5 line spacing.
Write your own scene: Write a scene that could have happened in the book you read,
but did not. Be sure to write in the same style as the author. Your rewritten scene
should be between two to four pages in length. Additionally, on a separate page, include
an explanation of what has occurred up until this point in the novel and give a general
description of the characters. In a second paragraph, explain why you made the changes
you did and how they would have affected the outcome.
Rewrite the ending: If you did not care for the way your book ended, here is your
opportunity to change it. Rewrite a new ending to the book you read. Be sure to write in
the style of the author, but do not include any of the original language. Your rewritten
ending should be between two to four pages in length. Do not explain how the ending
should be changed. Rather, write as if you were writing the story. On a separate page,
describe the original ending, the changes you made, and why you made the changes you
did. Include a Xerox copy of the last three pages of the novel you read.
Map: If the book you read involves a number of locations within a town, country, or
other geographical area, create a map. First, make a list of all the locationsfor
example, houses, stores, streets, parks, lakes, etc. that are mentioned in your books
setting. Then draw a map showing a birds-eye view of the area. Label each location.
Below the map, create a legend with a list of all the locations and a detailed description
to be seen clearly. All writing should be done in black ink or magic marker. Your map
should include at least ten locations; otherwise, the map is likely not an appropriate
project for your novel. It should be evident that the book was read and analyzed
appropriately based on the appearance of the map. The map should consist of original
drawing, symbols, and illustrations.
TimeLine: Brainstorm a list of all the major events in the plot from beginning to end,
and then organize them, not necessarily in the order they are written, but in the order
they would have happened if the events actually took place in real life. Create a timeline
using a long strip of paper. On your timeline, write a short description of what happens
for each event and, if possible, identify the time of each event with dates, seasons, etc.
Add pictures and/or symbols to make your timeline colorful. All writing should be done
in black magic marker or typed and then neatly taped onto the timeline. Include at least
15 or more entries.
Note: Rubrics will be handed out to you when the project is assigned.
Assessments
October 2, 2015: Six-weeks exam
November 2, 2015: Project 1 due
November 6, 2015: Second six-weeks exam
December 18: Project II due
Disabilities
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 guarantees that students with disabilities may
receive accommodations and services to ensure that their individual educational needs are met
as adequately as those of non-disabled students. If you have a documented disability that might
affect you in the classroom, please meet with me as soon as possible so that any arrangements
you need to be successful in the classroom can be made. Additionally, if you have not already
done so, please contact the districts Section 504 and Dyslexia Services.
Classroom Website
I have created a website for our class, where you will find the tentative class schedule and any
necessary documents and information you need. For example, if you miss a class, you can easily
find what you missed on the website and print out any necessary documents. If you prefer to
submit the work electronically in the case of an absence, you can send the assignment to my
email. I will respond to let you know that I received it.
Class website URL: http://mslankreadingwriting.weebly.com
NO CHEATING!
NO COPYING!
NO STEALING!
NO PLAGIARISM!
NO REPRESENTING SOMEONE ELSES WORK AS YOUR OWN!