Instructor: Mr.

Wielenga Sept-Jan 2014/15

Room: Room 38 St. Thomas More

English Language Arts 10: A Course Outline

Course Overview
Students will explore their individual and collective thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences. Students will become
attentive to the details in written, spoken, and visual texts, and develop the ability to analyze the significance of
these details with relation to meaning. Students will manage ideas and information effectively. Students will
develop their ability to communicate their understanding through various media, and will enhance the clarity and
artistry of their communication. Students will develop the ability to comprehend texts in a manner appropriate to
the context in which they are exposed to them.


Course Units and Timeline (tentative)
Unit 1 Short Stories (Inside Stories I, Literature and Media 10, various other literature picked by the teacher and by
the student) - September 2 to September 24
o Unit 1 final project due - September 24


Unit 2 Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (The Oxford School Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, various other literature
provided by the teacher) - September 25 to October 17
o Unit 2 final project due - October 17


Unit 3 Novel Study (Various novels that are provided by the teacher and chosen by the student) - October 20 to
November 7
o Unit 3 final project due - November 7


Unit 4 Film Study (redacted) - November 12 to November 19
o Unit 4 final project due - November 19


Unit 5 Poetry (Poetry in Focus, various other literature picked by the teacher and by the student) -
November 20 to December 5
o Unit 5 final project due - December 5


Unit 6 Advertisements and Media (various literature picked by the teacher and by the student) - December 8 to
January 9
o Unit 5 final project due - January 9

*January 12-16 = Review for Final Exam A and Final Exam B (Date: TBA)






Evaluation
Class Based Mark: 80%
Daily Work/Minor Assignments 10%
Quizzes 10%
Projects 20%
Essays 25%
Unit Finals 35%
Final Exam: 20%
Final Exam: Part A (Written) 75%
Final Exam: Part B (MC) 25%
* I will calculate your final grade for the course by multiplying your grade for term work by 70% and your
grade for your final examination by 20%.


Course Materials
Textbooks: *Listed above
Binder and notepaper
Pens, pencils, pencil crayons, glue and scissors
Other materials as assigned
*There is a large emphasis on the use of technology in all of my courses. I will provide you with tablets and
laptops as the need arises, but feel free to bring your own technology if you prefer.


Academic Integrity
Students are expected to be honest about the work they submit for this course. Copying another persons work will
not be accepted and will result in a grade of INCOMPLETE on that assignment and you will be required to do an
alternate assignment. For projects and essays, students are expected to properly cite and acknowledge all sources
used for research (including photos). Students are encouraged to approach me for help if they have doubts about
whether they are properly acknowledging research sources. Willful and blatant act of plagiarism will result in a
grade of INCOMPLETE on that assignment and you will be required to do an alternate assignment.


Class Websites
My classroom is not confined to four walls. This means that you will be able access, complete, and hand-in much of
your coursework online, with the help of pre-approved web2.0 tools.
The following are two websites that you will frequent throughout the year which will to help you succeed.

www.stmhumanities.weebly.com
This is the main classroom website. It is here that you will be able to find any documents that you may be missing,
and it is here that I will post what was done in class each day (along with all documents and files that were used in
that class). I will also be posting homework assignments and due dates on this website. This website also contains
links to all the web2.0 tools you can use to complete assignments and projects.
- You will use this website mainly when:
o You were sick and want to catch up on what you missed.
o You lost a particular document and you want a replacement.
o You want to check what homework is due, and when it is due.
o You want to access a plethora of web2.0 tools in order to work on any given assignment.




www.edmodo.com
This website will mainly be used for Social Studies courses. In addition to providing assignments on the classroom
website, I will also post them here. The difference is that this is the website you will use to actually hand-in
assignments (if not hardcopy). As well, when you work in groups you will be able to meet up on this website and
collaborate on projects and assignments together, even if you are not all together in one physical space. This
website is 100% secure.
- You will use this website mainly when:
o You are handing in assignments.
o You are working on group projects/assignments and you want to collaborate.
o You feel like messaging the class about anything at all, as long as it is appropriate.
o There will be homework assignments where you will be asked to discuss that days lesson with your
peers.


Absences
If you are absent (excused or not) you are still expected to know the material covered during the class you missed.
Documents, worksheets, and notes are posted online: www.stmhumanities.weebly.com and all other materials are
in the While you were away folders.
If you are absent, you are responsible for catching up on whatever work you have missed. Hand in your assignments
on the day you return to school, or submit them online.
You are expected to write all assessments on the date planned unless you have written notification from a
parent/doctor.
- Rewrite Eligibility:
o There will be no re-writes available for unit exams and re-writes will only be available for tests if you
have a serious issue.
o Rewrites will occur within one week of receiving your initial marked test back.
o The rewrite will occur during the time specified by the teacher.


Assignments
Learning activities and assignments are constructed to develop a students knowledge and/or skills. For this reason,
students will not be permitted to simply opt out of doing their work. All assignments must be completed and
handed in.

- Minor Assignments
o Must be handed in on time (exception: written notification from a parent/doctor with reasonable
need for accommodation).*
o Depending on the assignment, submit it to the correct location online, or hand assignments into the
IN folder for your class.
o If you have missed a class, check the class website or the when you were away folder in the
classroom to get everything you missed.

- Major Assignments
o These include essays and projects. Guidelines and rubrics will be handed out and will be posted on
the class website.
o Must be handed in on time (exception: written notification from a parent/doctor with a reasonable
need for accommodation). *
o For an essay, 10% of your grade will be awarded for proper peer review.
*Missing Assignments 1
st
step: I will talk to you about getting assignment in, and provide tutoring time. 2
nd
step:
You will have lunch hour detentions until assignment is completed. 3
rd
step: I will call your parents. 4
th
step: You
will have a disciplinary meeting with the principle. 5
th
step: Suspension from school.
Student Behavior Expectations
- No getting out of your seat during lecture.
o Students who continue to do this will have their desk moved to the front corner of the classroom for
the remainder of the class, by the garbage can, which is where most of you tend to go when you get
out of your seats.
- No eating food during lecture (this will alleviate the necessity to get out of your seat).
o Students who continue to do this will have their food confiscated until the end of the class, though if
it looks particularly delicious I cannot guarantee you will be given back the same amount that was
taken!
- Proper posture during lecture. This means no feet on desk, and no feet on chair ahead of you.
o If you fail to comply, you will write 100 lines of I will maintain proper posture in the classroom at all
times; it is improper to do otherwise. This will be due at the beginning of next class and if it is not
done you will write the lines during your next lunch hour (unless its a hot lunch).
- During lecture, you can freely comment on what the class is discussing but you must raise your hand if you
are going to ask something off-topic (such as using the washroom).
o If you fail to comply, you will present a 250 word paper on the discussion at hand by next class. If this
is not done you will write it during your lunch hour (unless its a hot lunch).
- Do not be late for class, as this will not be treated lightly.
o If you are late for class 4 times I will call your parents. After this point, every time you are late I will
assign extra work for you to complete within 2 days. If you fail to hand it in you will write it during
your lunch hour (EVEN IF its a hot lunch). If you are late 8 days you will have a disciplinary meeting
with the principle and may receive a suspension.
- Do not skip class, as chronic absenteeism will not be tolerated.
o If you are absent 2times from class without a parent/medical note, I will call home. If you continue to
skip class you will have a disciplinary meeting with the principle. If you continue to skip class after this
point you will be suspended. If you still continue to skip you will be expelled from school.
- No cell phones visible in class unless you have asked me first.
o The first time you break this rule, your phone will be taken for the remainder of the class. If you
continue to use your phone without permission I will confiscate it at the beginning of class for 5
consecutive days.
- No swearing in the classroom.
o If you say the F-word it will cost you $1 and if you use crass/crude/vulgar language it will cost you
$0.25. All proceeds will go to a charitable cause that we will choose together at the beginning of the
school year. If you have built up a donation of $5 I will call your parents. If you reach $20 you will
have a disciplinary meeting with the principle.


Student Support
If you need help with anything you are working on, or to better understand concepts dealt with in class, come see
me before or after class (during the transition break). You can also come talk to me after school.

I will also be available in my classroom every Thursday during lunch hour. If no one shows up by 11:55 I will no
longer be open for office hours for the remainder of the lunch hour (this means that you need to come to me within
10 minutes of lunch hour, or let me know what time you will be able to see me).

- Regarding test support
o Talk to me about test anxiety on the first day of class so I can mark it down and make sure we have
supports in place come test time.
o Come see me as soon as possible to discuss ways in which you need additional help/support. If you
are unsure of how to properly study or prepare for tests, come talk to me about it and we will create
a successful plan.
Contact Information
If, at any time, a student or parent wished to contact me I am available at the school from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm each
school day. I can also be reached at the following school email:
Phone (at school): 835-2245 Fax (at school): 835-4700 Email: jasonwielenga@gpcsd.ca

















The best way to learn from and enjoy the time you spend with this course is to get involved with the assignments
and immersed in the content. Trust me, you can have a lot of fun here, as long as you invest the time. Best wishes