English 10-1 Course Outline

MHHS - August 2021

English Language Arts 10-1

Miss Becker
Room 153

Google Classroom Code: ijocnma

Teacher Email: rayanne.becker@sd76.ab.ca 9-9:40: Student Support Time
Come Prepared! Students should come prepared to learn and participate. Each
student will be required to have a device with a keyboard. Please ensure that the
battery is charged for the beginning of each class.
You will also need a free reading book and your own writing utensils.

Dash 1 Sequence
The English Language Arts -1 Sequence immerses students in the study of language
and literature. Specifically, this sequence of courses (10-1, 20-1, and 30-1) will develop
and foster students’ fundamental reading, writing, and language skills, guiding them
in experiencing the significance, artistry, and value of literature. This course
sequence is geared towards students with an academic and artistic interest in
literature, and it will challenge them to use language clearly, correctly, and efficiently
in analytical, critical, creative, and personal situations.

Students in the ‐1 sequence are expected to become progressively independent

learners with a thirst for enhancing their critical and creative analysis and written
skills.  They will be engaged in increasingly complex texts throughout their years in
high school and should be excited about studying literature and exploring
ideas. Students in the -1 sequence should be strong and/or enthusiastic readers.

Students who excel in the ‐1 sequence have an ability to deal with abstract ideas and
concrete details, enjoy identifying themes and symbolic meanings of text, and will
read for author’s purpose and effect.  They will have many assignments that focus
particularly on critical analysis, though they will also be expected to create personal
and creative responses.
 English 10-1 Course Outline
MHHS - August 2021

Assessment
➢ Formative Assessment: Formative assessments occur during the learning
process and provide feedback to the teacher and student on where and how
to help improve learning. Formative assessments are not for marks. These
assessments can take many forms, including day - to - day activities,
assignments, discussions, and teacher observations.

➢ Summative Assessment: Summative assessments summarize learning and

student achievement and occur after significant periods of learning (ie. a unit).
Summative assessments are accumulated, weighted, and averaged to
generate the student grade.

**There are two types: foundational and comprehensive.**

Foundational: Foundational assessments can be given at different

intervals during the learning process. These assessments consider a
specific outcome or a small cluster of related outcomes. Foundational
assessments may break larger comprehensive tasks into smaller parts
or serve as a first-draft of a comprehensive assessment. Often
foundational assessments focus on specific skill-building.

Comprehensive: Comprehensive assessments are generally given at the

end of instruction (or end of a unit), after formative and foundational
assessments. It is the final assessment of the several outcomes that are
focused on throughout a unit. Comprehensive assessments consider
many outcomes and require several parts, steps, skills and/or concepts.

Grade Calculation

Formative Assessments No marks Note: A specific breakdown of

grading categories will be provided in
*Class Work 80%
the near future.
Final Exam 20%
 English 10-1 Course Outline
MHHS - August 2021

Assignment Completion
It is important that assignments are completed by the given due date, to assist the
teacher in providing the student with timely feedback to help them improve.

I understand and respect that students have many things going on outside of school
and that it can be overwhelming at times. I can be flexible IF you choose to
communicate any concerns with deadlines and if you follow through responsibly.
You are not ENTITLED to extensions, they must be earned through responsibility,
respect, and communication. I will ABSOLUTELY not accept any late assignments
if you have not responsibly requested an extension.

Appeals
● You will be provided with time in class for assignments, and at times
encouraged to work outside of class as well (e.g. planning, collecting
quotations, proofreading, etc.). I will provide clear instructions for each
assignment regarding what is/what is not permitted.

● I will provide comments and/or rubrics with clear descriptors to help you make
sense of the mark you earned on an assignment. I am always open to meeting
with you to discuss assignments and strategies for improvement. If the
comments, rubric, and/or meeting do not provide the needed clarification for
the mark, you may appeal a mark by consulting me to discuss the
assignment, the rubric, the feedback, etc. If the issue is not resolved, then we
will consult the English department head and the liaison vice-principal if
needed.
 English 10-1 Course Outline
MHHS - August 2021

Academic Honesty and Responsibility

Medicine Hat High School’s English Department recognizes that academic
responsibility and honesty are part of the overall development of a student’s sense of
responsibility, skills, and values.

Responsibility includes completing and submitting assignments on time.

Honesty means to complete assignments in a truthful and responsible way.

Cheating includes, but is not limited to:

● Copying from another student
● Using cheat notes
● Forbidden sharing of information of the assignment, test, or exam
● Dialogue about the test between students in the same class but in two different time
periods
● Deception (e.g., giving a dishonest excuse when asking for a deadline extension, or
falsely claiming to have submitted work)
● Misrepresentation (e.g., a family or personal situation to get an extension or other
special treatment or skipping class under the guise of being ill to delay taking a test)
● Using IT (Chrome books, hand-held devices, graphing calculators) to access outside
sources, notes, or pre-written copies of the assignment.
● Colluding is the unauthorized collaboration between students on an assignment. This
includes electronic collusion (e.g., “sharing” files on Google Drive).
● Plagiarizing is the deliberate presentation by a student of an assignment which has in
fact been copied –in part or in whole-from another source (e.g. electronic texts,
published books, periodicals, encyclopaedias, etc.), without due acknowledgement in
the text. This includes the copying of words, ideas, phrases, photographs, diagrams,
statistics, definition, etc. To avoid plagiarism, students must document the source of
information within the assignment.
● Students are encouraged to use www.citationmachine.net to ensure references are
documented using a standard MLA format.
● Submitting the same paper (or other type of assignment) for two courses without
prior approval represents another form of academic dishonesty.
 English 10-1 Course Outline
MHHS - August 2021

“I’m just looking for ideas...”

Ideas, impressions, and understanding and why students cannot search online for inspiration.

Personal responses and critical analytical responses require students to respond to

an idea, opinion, situation, and/or text. They are evidence of a student’s thinking.
Ideas are how we conceptualize knowledge and experiences; they are the result of
mental activity. In other words, they are the product of thinking.
Impressions are the effect produced on our feelings, thinking, conscience, etc. They
are the result of being influenced or moved by a text, experience, situation, etc.
Understanding is the result of the process of comprehending, interpreting, and
discerning ideas (literal and symbolic) and connections. If you were given a response
assignment and you then searched online for ideas, impressions, or for
interpretations, then these are no longer your own.
**I am interested in YOUR thoughts, interpretations, ideas and words.**

Absences
If you miss a class, you are expected to follow up with me or a classmate about what
you missed. You are still expected to complete any missed assignments promptly
– please be sure to discuss assignment completion with me. If you are absent, you
will receive a zero on the assignment

If you leave class early, take an “extended” and unwarranted break, you will be
marked absent.

Respect and Integrity

Our classroom is to be a safe and comfortable space for everyone. You are expected
to behave respectfully and with integrity. This includes respect for others, yourself,
the classroom, and supplies. In turn, you will be respected and trusted by others.

Throughout the quarter, you will be encouraged to develop your own opinions. This
means you are also responsible to remain open-minded to the opinions of others. All
opinions should be presented in a respectful manner, or not shared at all.

Put downs of any kind to yourself or others, derogatory language, and

disrespectful actions and attitudes will NOT be tolerated.
 English 10-1 Course Outline
MHHS - August 2021

Cell Phone Policy

To keep our classroom a place of learning and to remain respectful of others learning
and the teacher, cell phones will not be allowed except for on breaks.

If you are expecting an important call, inform the teacher prior to the start of class.

At times, I will ask for you to use your phone or device to complete an activity (ie.
Kahoot quiz). In order for this to happen, I must be able to trust you to remain on
task when they are being used.

Participation
You are expected to participate in all curricular activities presented to you.
Sometimes you may be asked to do things that you do not like. Your participation
helps yourself and your classmates learn and do their best!

As your teacher I will work hard to make each activity and lesson engaging and
enjoyable. I want to help you enjoy learning and your high school experience, not
make it difficult for you.

Adaptability
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to present challenges. We will adapt as needed.
At this time, online learning is not an option.

Please communicate with me if you are sick or need to isolate. If this occurs, we will
consider the circumstances and establish a plan where I can support you. You will
be held accountable to this plan.