Mr. Abraham English 9 September 7, 2011 English 9 Course Syllabus 2011-2012 Youve made it to high school!

Congratulations are definitely in order; however, to paraphrase Churchill, you are not actually at the beginning of the end of your educational career, rather you are perhaps at the end of the beginning. High school is when academics really begin to count in a major way, and Im here to facilitate this educational process. Youll also learn some cool new stuff. Introduction My name is Brandon Abraham, and Im a UCLA graduate.1 Ive taught high school for the last ten years, with the last four being at West Adams Prep. A self-described nerd, I have an interest in just about anything academic, including such disparate topics as string theory, Star Wars, Shakespeare, and the San Francisco Giants. My educational philosophy can be expressed in two succinct phrases: Its possible! and Dont get stuck in the details. The rest, as they say, is commentary. Materials You are in the Small School of the Arts.2 The arts require tools(painting-a brush and a canvas, sculpture-modeling clay, film-a camera). The tools for this class are: 1)Journal 2)Blue/black pens(at least two) 3)Flash Drive 4)Highlighter 5)Textbook/Literary Text These are to be brought daily, without exception. I will often do materials
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Thats University of California, Los Angeles(ie. the greatest educational institution known to humankind). No relation to that other university on Vermont Avenue that always seems to come up when we read The Odyssey. 2 A little snippet of historyThe Small School of the Arts was formerly known as two separate schools, the School of Performing Arts and Literature and the School of Media, Film, and Art. In the interest of academic rigor, course offerings, thematic concerns, and overall harmony, these two schools merged to become the aforementioned Small School of the Arts.

checks and these, along with attendance, will factor into your citizenship/work habits grade. Behavior Guidelines3 1)Be in your seat when the bell rings.4 2)Bring your materials daily, especially your journal. 3)Work shall be completed in pen. 4)You have one week to makeup missed assignments. Get on it. 5)No eating in class. You may drink water. 6)Go to the bathroom before you come to class. In an emergency, follow the restroom pass policy.5 7)Text messaging, cell phones, and other devices impede the educational process. Put them away in class. 8)Follow the Backpack Protocol.6 9)De omnibus dubitandum.7 Doubt and question everything. Were tackling challenging material in this class; therefore, I should see hands raised a lot. 10)In the words of Sartre, Vous etes condemne a etre libre. Essentially, too much freedom is just as dangerous as too little. Therefore, no free time. We always have an instructional focus, up to and including the last day before holiday breaks, the last day of school, birthdays, Fridays, the day back from a holiday, Mondays, Wednesdays, shortened days, bad hair days,
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Most of these can be summed up with expressions like respect or, my current favorite, Manners, people, manners. 4 Do not listen to sophomores and above complaining about a new schedule. This is the first year West Adams is offering six classes a day, plus an Advisory period in order to assist you on your way to college. 5 Basically, this policy assumes the best of intentions when you absolutely have to go. Step One: Look at the clock. If its the first or last ten minutes of class, youll have to wait. If not, raise Your Hand. Step Two: After Ive said you can go, leave your seat and sign the Restroom Pass posted in the room. Step Three: You must wear the orange vest while youre out of the room. Step Four: Return from the restroom within five minutes. Step Five: Knock on the door quietly and wait for the Classroom Attendant to open it for you. Step Six: Return to your seat. Step Seven: Get caught up with the work. Step Eight: Do not use this privilege more than five times a semester. 6 Focus is a huge part of what makes for academic success; therefore, the only materials that should be on your desk are your journal, pens, and books. Place backpacks underneath your desk(theres even a hook there expressly for this purpose). 7 We will spend copious amounts of time learning Greek and Latin roots. These will help you a)pass the class, b)increase your vocabulary, c)help you get an amazing SAT Verbal score, pass the CAHSEE, and be an all-around great person, or d)all of the above. You got it right!

etc. Grades A: 90% or above, B: 80-89%, C: 70-79%, D: 60-69%, F: 59% and below. Percentages: 50% Mini-Quizzes, Practice CAHSEE Exams, Tests 50% Classwork/Journal Citizenship/Work Habits: E: Perfect Attendance, No tardies, No discipline referrals, Always have materials; S: 1-4 absences, 1-4 tardies, 1 discipline referral, 1-2 days missing materials; N:5-8 absences, 5-8 tardies, 2 discipline referrals, 3-4 days missing materials; U: anything more Final grades are teachers determination. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Submit your own assignments. Academics8 English/Language Arts is the backbone of your study in high school. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the University of California system, and the California State University system all require four years of English. As far as I know, no other subject meets such stringent requirements. Academic English is the foundation for everything else you will learn from here on out. As such, our reading list is pretty long. Literature Expect to read the following during the course of the course: A Night to Remember Maus Part I Persepolis Romeo and Juliet The Odyssey Oedipus Rex To Kill a Mockingbird Pride of Baghdad The Little Prince Beowulf The Civil Rights Reader The Holocaust Reader Night The Joy Luck Club Short Stories such as The Necklace, The Most Dangerous Game, and
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Of all topics, this is the most important by far. This course is intellectually-demanding and will require at least an hour of study per night in order to be successful. You have been forewarned.

Marigolds Poetry Publishing Well have PEN in the Classroom again this year; therefore, you will most likely be published in an anthology. We will also be presenting our anthologies at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Not only does this take our learning beyond the classroom, it also allows our work to be shared with the wider audience of the greater Los Angeles community. West Adams Preparatory Writing Manual Mastering this text is essential to both this course and future endeavors at West Adams. We will use this daily in our writing. Many questions can be answered simply by reviewing the appertaining pages in this most important of all documents. Essays We will write many, many essays. Initial rough drafts and prewriting can be handwritten; however, final drafts must be typed.9