Student Responsibilities

·         Complete and turn in all required work

·         Monitor your progress through Home Access

·         Follow all school, grade level, and classroom rules

·         Ask questions when in doubt

Contact Information

            Voice Mail: (847) 719-3736

                Email: Linda.Travis@lz95.org

                Website: http://www.lz95.org/msn/faculty/ltravis

Required Materials:

            Textbooks:       Literature and Language – blue level

                                                Writer’s Choice – blue level

Supplies for Class

·         1 pocket folder with prongs for language arts portfolio

·         256 MB memory stick for writing and projects

·         Novel for purchase – Found.  Information will be forthcoming.

·         Sticky notes – lots!

·         Double-sided tape

·         Pens – blue or black, marking pen, highlighter

·         Loose leaf paper

·         Two separate notebooks – one for literature and one for language arts.  The Mead college-rule notebooks work best because they are wider and handouts can easily be attached to the pages of the notebook, but any notebook will do.  We will keep the notebooks in the classroom, so it is important that you don’t use these notebooks for other classes.

Homework Policy:

·         Assignments are posted on the board.  You are expected to record the homework in your assignment notebook at the beginning of each class period.

·         There will be a 30% deduction on *late homework assignments.

·         The late work should be turned in the next school day.  Work received after that day will earn 50% of earned points.

·         Papers with no names will not earn credit.

·         Technology failures happen.  Don’t wait until the last minute to complete a major assignment.  If you are experiencing technological difficulties, see me right away so that you can make arrangements to finish your work at school.  Timely completion of your work is important.

*Major projects that are late may be subject to a deduction of one letter grade per day and must be turned in within a week.

Absences:

When you return to school, see me right away to get the work you missed while you were gone.  Many students find it helpful to check my website from home, which will show what we did in class and what homework was assigned, if any.  The website is usually updated by 2:30 P.M. You are expected to complete and turn in the missed work in the allotted time.  Refer to the Student Handbook for information regarding making up work from an absence.

Grades:

Typically, I record approximately 20 grades per quarter that include a variety of activities: homework (practice), assessment (essays, tests, quizzes, and projects), and participation (notes, completion activities, discussions, literature circles).  The grade categories are not weighted; the importance of the assignment is reflected in the number of points it is worth.  I expect you to complete all the assigned work whether or not is being collected.  Grades will be updated weekly on E School.  Some projects such as essays or projects may not be posted immediately because of the time involved in evaluating such assignments.  Occasionally, extra credit will be offered to all students on enrichment assignments directly related to the curriculum. Assignments will NOT be offered individually for the purpose of raising a grade.

Literature Overview of Content

·         Class novel units on the following books, with an emphasis on grade-level reading skills and analysis of text:

o   Tuck Everlasting

o   Novel to be announced at a later date.

(Students must purchase this book, which is available in limited supplies in the MSN Library)

o   A Wrinkle in Time

o   The Lightning Thief 

·         Independent reading units

o   Biography, Mystery , Rebecca Caudill Award Nominee, Nonfiction,  Student Choice

·         Short story unit from anthology text

·         Reading Skills:

o   Grade Level Vocabulary, Affixes, and Idioms

o   Literary Terms

o   Active Reading Strategies

Language Arts Overview of Content

·         Writing units

o   Literary Reflections

o   Descriptive and Narrative Writing

o   Persuasive Writing

o   Expository Writing

o   Young Authors/Creative Writing

o   Mythology

o   Letter Writing

·         Grammar units

o   Run-ons and Fragments

o   Capitalization/Punctuation

o   Parts of Speech

o   Sentence Combining

·         Writing Skills

o   Spelling/Vocabulary units

o   Editors in Chief

o   Journal Responses

o   Research Skills