S+Rodrigue,+Cassandra

Office: Grammar English Department Office Phone: 207- 555-5050 Office Hours:** Schedule ** E-mail: ** cassandra.rodrigue@maine.edu
 * Teacher: Mrs. Cassandra A. Shepherd

=Summary of Unit= Students will study grammar rules and learn how different situations and audiences require different punctuation, word choice and formatting. They will learn procedures to help them find mistakes or weaknesses in their writing and others' writing: read out loud, peer edit, use grammar rules, and use dictionaries. Students will learn to use computer programs, but not to depend on them to fix grammatical errors. They will learn how to **use** grammar to enrich their writing and make their final drafts coherent. Their final project will show their ability to correct others' mistakes and to write a professional essay of their own.

=Establish Goals= Maine Learning Results: English Language Arts- D. Language D2 Mechanics Grades 9- Diploma Students demonstrate the use of the structures and conventions of Standard American English in their communication. a. Use appropriate punctuation, spelling, and sentence and paragraph structure to suit purpose, situation, and audience

= = =Students will understand that= • There are multiple common mechanical errors. • Communication requires proper sentence and paragraph structure. • Mechanics is dependent on the purpose or context (audience).

= = =Essential Questions= • How do English writers make mechanical errors? • Why is proper sentence and paragraph structure required for good communication? • How is mechanics dependent on the purpose or context (audience)?

= = =Students will know= •Formulas such as: simple, complex, and complex sentences, citations, essays, stories, letters •Definitions: colon, semi-colon, period, comma, compound-complex sentence, complex, simple sentences, clauses, etc. •Critical Details: different sentence types, different writing contexts, differences in audiences.

= = =Students will be able to= •Demonstrate proper sentence and paragraph structure. •Critique the work of others to find and fix mechanical errors. •Use appropriate punctuation, spelling, and sentence and paragraph structure to suit purpose, situation, and audience •Compare the different audiences. •Consider audience, purpose or context during the writing process. •Be aware of reacquiring mechanical errors in their own work.

**Performance Task Overview** You are a member of the Maine Farmer Bureau. Maine has elected a new Governor, Governor Garfield. His first act in office was to put in motion of plowing down all the vegetable crops in Maine and replace them with sugar cane and maple trees. Your land is great for corn, however you don't think you could support the new agricultural products. He has written a letter to all farmers demanding that they plow down their crops and plant either sugar can or maple trees. You are flabbergasted; your neighbor has decided to fight back and wants you to help. Your life's work is dependent on convincing Governor Garfield to change his mind or to convince the public to vote against Garfield's proposition.

=Expectations= Someone spent time and sometimes money on the resources you use in your work. They would be offended and angry if they found out that you were claiming their work as your own; therefore, we must give them credit in a resource list. If you are unsure about how to cite your resources, I will teach you before we do any projects.
 * Plagiarism**

Attendance is important because we have a lot to learn and very little time. Therefore, if you are sick and cannot make it to school, please bring in a note showing me that it is an excused absence. Homework will be accepted the day you come back and missing assignments will be due the following class. Individual plans will be made if a student misses more than one class.
 * Attendance**

Each step we take in this class is dependent on the last one; this means that if an assignment isn't completed on time and to the best of the student's ability, then the next step will be harder for the student and their partner. I expect all homework to be on time unless the student is absent (see Attendance). I will not lower grades on rough drafts or smaller steps in each lesson if they are late. However, I will take off a letter grade for each final project being late.
 * Homework**

This class contains a lot of team work; I will be very disappointed if one of my students show disrespect in or out of the classroom. I will take away participation grades if a student is disrespectful in the class. Respect means to uplift one another even in times of confusion or struggle. Everyone will make mistakes, so don't make fun of someone who makes the mistake first. If there are any preexisting unfriendly relationships in this class, then that will change by the end of the unit.
 * Cooperation**

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again." -- William E. Hickson My philosophy is that it doesn't matter when in the unit the student learns the unit, just as long as they finally learn it. I will allow you to do redo's on any work that you don't like your grade in. I will then take the best grade of the two and put it in the grade book. If it takes five tries to get a grade that satisfies you, then I am okay correcting it five times. Just give me at least a week before the unit is done so that if there is any more corrections you need to make then I can give it back quickly and you can hand it in again.
 * Redo's**

=Benchmarks= There is a total of **365 points** that can be earned in my class. Below is a list of the different areas that students will earn points.

• **Participation (50)-** Students will cooperate in groups throughout the unit. I will give them a participation grade for each day and then they will be totaled up in the end. Points will also be docked off for respectfulness behavior to other students or to myself. (see Cooperation). I will also give the student a zero for unexcused absences; however if the absence is excused it will neither increase nor decrease their participation standings. • **Pre-Assessment** **(20)-** After students are done the first lesson, which is much like a renewal of previous knowledge, I will have them take a quiz to see where they stand. I will only grade on the sections we covered in lesson one. However, there will be parts that are to be taught in the other lessons. I do this so that I can see where students already are. • **Essay Drafts (20)-** In the E-book and Wiki-journey projects, students will give me their rough drafts so that I can correct their mistakes. The grades will be combined (10 and 10) to equal the Essay Drafts grade. The grading will be based on effort and completeness, not on grammar. • **Dialogue (15)**: Students will write the dialogue they plan to use in the imovie. Since they have been working on grammar for a while and it is a group effort, I will expect proper grammar in this dialogue. I will grade it on it's grammar, but not on the audience perspective. Audience perspective will be graded under imovie. •**Blog** **(20)**: Students will demonstrate proper sentence and paragraph structure by writing paragraphs in their blogs. They will also make three comments for every blog they write. They will have a combination grade for this assignment, split amongst their comments and their individual blogs. I expect full useful comments, not just "Good Job" or "I like it." •**IMovie (30)**: Groups will create a script and video tape their script. When they are editing the movie they will add subtitles that show the grammar used. They will focus on their audience when writing the script. Students will be graded on their creativity, proof of audience knowledge, and effort. If a student does not help with the project then they will recieve a zero for the days they worked and for the final project. (see redo) •**GarageBand (20)**: Students will make a podcast from the audiences point of view that tells classmates what the audience wants to hear/ what the audience can read/ etc. It will be a group effort involving a little research. They will be graded on proper grammar in their dialogue, creativity, and proof of audience knowledge. If a student does not help with the project then they will receive a zero for the days they worked and for the final project. (see redo) •**E-Book** **(30)**: Students will work on their own to write an article or short story that will be published online (with parent permission). They will be graded on their semi-final draft as well as their final draft. I will be making corrections between these two drafts. Students will be able to follow their own processes with guidance from classmates or myself if they wish. •**Wiki- Journey (30)**: Students will write an essay either from a given topic or one of their choice. Students will post each draft (their rough draft, their self-edited draft, their peer-reviewed draft, and final draft) on the wiki, so that I can view their //journey//. Students will be graded on their final draft and their final comments on three other students' essays. •**WebQuest (imovie) (30)**: [] Students will complete this WebQuest in the beginning of the unit to remind each other and themselves of different aspects of grammar. It is meant as a fun review; however, I am aware that for some students will be the first time seeing some parts. If you are a student who find themselves learning, then it is okay- great actually. •**Performance Task (100):** This is the final project. Students will be able to show me and each other that they can correct someone's grammar and utilize grammar of their own to benefit communication and earn respect. Students will work on the WebQuest in solitude until the last step. In the last step students will work with a partner to write a dialogue containing grammar already listed. If someone is dominating the partnership or someone is slacking off, then I will get involved. This is supposed to be fun and educational.

=Grading Scale=

**A** (93 -100), **A-** (90 - 92), **B+** (87 - 89), **B** (83 - 86), **B-** (80 - 82), **C+**(77 - 79), **C** (73-76),
 * C-** (70 - 72), **D+**(67 - 69), **D** (63 - 66), **D-** (60 - 62), **F** (0 - 59)