English Language Development Level 3/4
Ms W. Yee
2008-2009
Course Description: This course is designed to develop listening,speaking,reading,writing,language structure and critical thinking for second language learners. The acquisition of life skills,study skills and library skills will also be emphasized. The focus will be on activities which promote oral and written communication. Students will have the opportunity to use the English language in a variety of context and will use the writing process to become increasingly skillful writers of English, while working extensively on grammar,punctuation, and language structure. Reading strategies will also be covered, through the study of American and world literature. The students will learn to employ appropriate strategies and skills to construct meaning from increasingly complex English print in both social and academic contexts. The course content will be organized around thematic units and focus on a variety of genres, e.g. short stories,poetry,drama,novels,mythology,folktales, and non-fiction. Course curriculum meets both the SFUSD Content and Performance Standards and the Galileo Academy’s Expected Schoolwide Learning Results.
Textbooks: Shining Star (Red) - Kaye Wiley; Longman, 2004
First Steps in Academic Writing - Ann Hogue; Longman, 1996
Basic English Grammar (Red) - Azar & Hagen; Longman, 2006
Supplementary Materials: Other selected literature, including novels, short stories,poetry,essays, and non-fiction will be provided, in addition to art, music and films.
Methodologies:
Lecture,discussion: Students will be expected to take class notes and participate in class discussions
Group Activities, e.g. peer editing groups, small group discussions, role play, readers theater
Individual activities, e.g. writing assignments, written responses to reading assignments, oral presentations
Cooperative learning: Students will be expected to work on group projects, the success of which depends on the contribution of every member of the group.
Homework: Homework reinforces important concepts learned in class and will be given daily.
Evaluation: Daily oral participation;weekly vocabulary tests and writing assignments; frequent oral and written reading assignments. Students will also demonstrate their learning through self-evaluations and a portfolio of their work.
Classroom Expectations:
1. You must respect the teacher, yourself and your classmates.
2. You are responsible for your behavior and academic performance.
3. You have to be in your seat before the second bell rings and remain seated unless otherwise instructed. You are not allowed to leave the classroom without a pass.
4. There is no food or drinks allowed; however, bottled water is allowed.
5. Failure in any of the above areas results in a warning. After three warnings you will be referred to the Deans’ office.
6. You are expected to bring all required materials to class, i.e. the textbook, workbook, binder, paper and pen.
7. You are required to keep all your classwork, homework, tests and journals in a binder and/or in your individual classroom folder.
8. In case of any evacuation/emergency, you will exit to Bay Street through the stairwell.
Grading Policy
All assignments and tests are graded by total possible points and placed in homework, classwork, tests, oral/aural, and writing/journal categories. At the end of each quarter, a letter grade is given: 92-100%=A+, 89-91%=A, 84-88%=A-; 81-83%=B+, 76-80%=B, 71-75%=B-; 65-70%=C+, 61-65%=C, 56-60%=C-; 53-55%=D+, 51-52%=D, 50%=D-; below 50%=F.
If you have excused absences, you are required to make up all missed assignments in one week. It is your responsibility to ask the teacher for any missed assignments.
