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Download a PDF version of the 2008-2009 Syllabus; Team Vista Policies; 2007-2008 Syllabus Something to Say “What’s important…is to have something to say, “You better know that in the end it's better to say too much, Kay Flewelling Location: Seton 811 What Is “Humanities”? The study of humanities is the study of the stories of our lives and experiences. As humans, we share a lot of experiences in common – stories of love, loss, life and death. There is an incredible richness in the human experience – and in particular, in your experiences. In this class, we will discover our stories and we will practice telling them to one another in a variety of different ways. Learning Goals & Expectations • Write – You will grow in your writing abilities by learning how to use writing as a way of thinking. We will write descriptive stories, formal essays, research papers, notes, interviews, journals, poems and more. • Read – Reading is one of the best ways to learn the stories of people throughout history. You should plan on reading a little something every night. • Think – This class will require that you think critically about ideas (both your own and others). You will learn how to better use logic and evidence to test ideas and make good decisions. • Speak – Public speaking is one of the best ways to share your ideas with others. You will present often in this class and you will develop your ability to speak with eloquence, effectiveness and grace. • Cooperation – As HTHCV is a project-based school, you will have many opportunities to work with others. You will be expected to cooperate with others and be a reliable member of your team. Materials Required (Bring to Class Every Day!): Students should have access to these materials at home: Kay’s Open Door Policy As a teacher, I try to be self-reflective of my actions and procedures in the classroom. If you have comments, complaints, suggestions or praises about things we’ve done or are doing in class, I want to hear from you! You may visit me during office hours, write me an email, or you can drop me a note in the Whatever Box (at my desk). Office Hours: Only you can decide what your 9th grade year will look like. As your teacher, I cannot make you pay attention and I can not make you try your best. Although I will make my best effort to ensure you have all the tools need, you must make a choice to use them, and use them to the best of your ability. Projects & Central Questions SEMESTER 1 Perspective Project: Who says? Why does it matter? (4 wks) We will explore the idea of perspectives to understand that who says changes what is said. Students will create perspective boxes on the topic of immigration. On each side of their perspective box, they will represent different perspectives on the issue. Students will also focus on developing an understanding of project processes. Reading: Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez Things to Expect: Writing, Sketching, Refinement, Interviews, Reading, Presentation Life & Death Project: How is death a part of life? (5 wks) We will explore the duality of life and death in this project. Students will research the many different ways that people around the world recognize or acknowledge death. In their Math/Physics class, students will create scenes for a Haunted House and this project will culminate in an exhibition on October 30th. Reading: Dante’s Inferno, the Koran, the Bible, the Buddhist Scriptures, Native American stories Things to Expect: Writing, Research, Planning, Design, Construction, Reading, Presentation Power in Energy Project: What is the best way to harness the planet's energy? (6 wks) In a time of high gas prices and “energy crisis,” we will examine alternative ways to acquire energy. Students will research alternative energies like wind power, solar power and nuclear power. They will create a new plan for energy policy in America and will debate this in formal academic policy debates. An all-day debate tournament will be held on December 12th. Reading: Various non-fiction articles (journals, newspapers, magazines) Things to Expect: Research, Writing, Cooperation, Reading, Debate, Public Speaking
One of the best ways to learn the stories of other people is by reading the things that they have written (sometimes about themselves, sometimes about others). Students are expected to read about 1-2 chapters every night. A short reading journal will be kept during the week and collected every Friday. Each entry counts for 2 points. Per Semester (minimum requirement): 1 or 2 books chosen by Kay Although you may select any book you desire, the following books come with my highest recommendation: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin Waterlily by Ella Cara Deloria* Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess* Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Brave New World by Aldous Huxley* The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector* The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig* The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank* Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams* Shabeen Tales: Messages from Harare by Chenjerai Hove* Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houstin & James D. Houston* The Giver by Lois Lowry A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank North to Freedom by Anne Holm* One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch by Alexander Solzhenitsyn* A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Gangster We Are All Looking For by Le Thi Diem Thuy* Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez* The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros* Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros* * Denotes books whose authors are from another country or culture At the beginning of every Humanities block, we will begin the day with the FIRST assignments. These activities are designed so you will use your Humanities skills on a regular basis (reading, writing, speaking, etc.). These activities will also be mainly self-directed—when you come into class, instructions for the FIRST assignments will be written on the board, and will be completed within the first 15-20 minutes of class.
Front Page – Mondays we will start the day by making ourselves aware of what is going on in the world at large. Bring a newspaper or an article to read and be ready to share it out to the class. I write – Tuesdays you will write in your journals on a reflection prompt that will be written on the white board. This writing is open-ended, which means you may write however you want. You may choose to write fragments, poems, lyrics or anything you desire. Spelling and grammar do not count against you! Read – Wednesdays we will start the day with enjoyment reading. You may bring a book of your choice to class (Books or graphic novels only, please. No magazines!). Sketch – Thursdays you will do free sketching on a quotation, word or concept that will be written on the white board. You may employ any kind of art medium that you choose—collage, crayon, pencil, ink or whatever else you can imagine. Talk – Fridays we will practice public speaking by doing impromptu speeches on quotations, words and topics connected to our projects. These speeches will not be long, but will give you the opportunity to practice your delivery and organization by speaking in front of an audience. Our Agreements In addition to following the guidelines outlined in the Student Handbook, we will work together to design a list of conduct agreements in order create an environment where everyone can be comfortable and we can best equip ourselves to learn. If there is a divergence from these guidelines, we will successively bring as many people on board as is necessary to solve the problem (i.e. teachers, parents, administrators). HTHCV is a school of choice and disruptive and offensive behavior is simply not tolerated. In the case of a major offense, consequences may be as severe as a failing grade, suspension, or expulsion. Pet Peeves Class Participation We expect that you will come to class ready to listen and be actively involved in the discussion, project or activity. In order for us to have successful classrooms, we need your help and participation! It is essential that you ask questions – this helps you, and other students who may have been wondering the same thing! It is an expectation that you will assist your classmates when you can, either by answering their specific questions, or by explaining the answers through example. We will often be working in groups of students, and you are expected to treat your partners and teammates with respect, and help contribute to completion of the task at hand. If you or your group has a problem that you cannot solve, talk with your team teacher and we will try to help you find a solution. Grading Policy a) Computation and category percentage: 25% Content (Items that demonstrate learning content) Total 100% b) Grading Scale Grade Description Perfect Range Expectations for Technology You will often use the school laptops during school to research, document and develop their projects. With this privilege, we have expectations that students will exercise respect and caution.
Attendance/Late work If you are absent from school, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed and to make up any missed work. Generally, you are extended the number of days you were absent to make up missed work. Long term projects do not get an extension, except in extraordinary circumstances. Unless proposed, agreed upon and signed off on, late work will not be graded. Revised work is always welcome at any time. Due to the nature of project based learning, it is essential that you and your family plan to take long vacations or traveling opportunities during our many scheduled breaks throughout the year. It is very challenging to make up experiences that you will have in the classrooms and group projects (quite often) suffer considerably. Also, for similar reasons, please schedule doctor/dental appointments during after school hours which almost every dentist and doctor provide. Academic Honesty Students’ work should always be their own original creations. Many times, our work will be informed by the work of course. We will learn how to pay tribute to ideas and words of others using MLA formatting style. Student-Led Conferences Students will have an opportunity to communicate and share with their family their learning and growth over time. You will be taught and expected to lead this “conference” and provide evidence of your learning and personal growth. In addition, you should utilize vocabulary and concepts of the team's “Habits of Heart and Mind” in communicating throughout the student-led conference. Digital Portfolio You will create a Digital Portfolio (DP) that will serve to showcase your best work and also demonstrate your growth throughout your years at HTHCV. You will present your DP at your Presentation of Learning (POL) at the end of the first semester, and at your Transitional Presentation of Learning (TPOL) at the end of the year. You will be taught to place developing work in your Digital Portfolio as a means of showing us your work-in-progress. PoL/TPoLs Students give presentations of their learning at the end of both semesters of ninth grade. For these presentations, you are expected to dress professionally. The PoL (which occurs mid-year) is your chance to reflect on the Habits of the Heart and Mind. You will reflect on how you have learned the habits and select two areas where you want to focus your growth for the remainder of the ninth grade year. The emphasis on the PoL is the development of your presentation skills. At the end of the year, you will have a TPoL, which focuses on the essential question, “Do I know how to be a 10th grade student at HTHCV?” You will review all of your projects from 9th grade and come up with evidence to support your answer to this important question. Exhibitions One of the major values of this school is the presentation of student work for the public. You will participate in several exhibitions throughout the year. Parents will be given notice of the date of these exhibitions. Students are expected to stay at school the entire day of exhibitions to help set up, tear down, and get projects ready to present. You are also expected to dress professionally on the date of exhibitions. Field Trips Because of our value of creating adult world connections, students at HTHCV have the unique opportunity to participate in a variety of field trips. Because you will be representing the school and the team, we have higher expectations for students’ good behavior and attitude. Your enthusiastic and respectful participation in field trip programs is absolutely essential. If there is any doubt that students will not be able to meet these expectations, they may be asked not to attend the field trip. Office Hours As a team, we will do our best to be available to students. We have set aside two extra hours where we will be available and on call to assist with projects, answer questions, or just have a conversation. Ted: Mon/Thurs – 3:30-4:30PM and by appointment |
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