Syllabus
9th Grade English Literature/Composition
Semester/Year: 2020-2021
Instructor: Mrs. Deidra Wright
Class Location: Google Classroom Code: ezpksbw
Class Meets Live: Monday-Thursday
1st Period 8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
3rd Period 12:00 p.m. 1:15 p.m.
4TH Period 1:25 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.
Tutorial Day and Time: Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m.
Email: deidra.wright@clayton.k12.ga.us
Teacher’s Website: https://003.clayton.k12.ga.us/teacher_sites/language_arts/ms__wright_s_site
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is specifically designed to increase your ability to read, comprehend and critically analyze literature, and effectively construct written prose for academic, social, and economic settings, globally. The literature analyzed will incorporate a variety of genres and multicultural writers. Writing composition is a major component of this course, focusing on developing proficiency in argumentative, expository, narrative, and persuasive writing as well as introducing research skills.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Engage in writing as a process, including brainstorming, gathering evidence, drafting, revising, editing, and proof-reading
- Engage in the collaborative, social aspects of writing, including the ability to use writing as a tool for learning
- Recognize explicit and implicit main idea and supporting details
- Use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of audiences.
- Critique their own and others' work in written and oral format
- Produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
- Reflect on what contributed to their writing process and evaluate their own work
- Critically analyze text(s), various mediums and music.
TEXTS, READINGS, AND INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
Required Text: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Collections: Student Edition Grade 9 2017 1st Edition
Collections Close Reader: Student Edition Grade 9
ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENTS, EVALUATION PROCEDURES, AND GRADING
Activities and Assessments:
All major activities (projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.) are listed here and in the calendar. Specify expectations for synchronous and asynchronous online classroom activities.
Activities
Activity 1: Establish a blog, youtube or podcast for Quad D Task: 1st two weeks of school
Date: August 12th
LIT Labs: Are literature labs designed to teach key skills in a relevant way using music and media.
(LIT lab) Quad D Task 1: Date: August 19th (Asynchronous)
(LIT lab) Quad D Task 2: Date: October 14th (Synchronous)
(LIT lab) Quad D Task 3: Date: November 18th (Asynchronous)
Learning Task (LIT LAB): Tuesdays and Thursdays each week . (Synchronous)
Quizzes and Tests
Reading Comprehension Quiz: Every Friday: 17 Quizzes (Asynchronous)
Pre-Unit Assessment 1: August 13th (tentative)
End of Unit Assessment 1: October 7th (tentative)
Pre-Unit Assessment 2: October 15th (tentative)
End of Unit Assessment 2(EOC): December 2nd (tentative)
Writing Activities
Reflection Journals: Three weekly reflections are required and must be submitted online.
2 Term Papers ( Asynchronous)
1ST Paper-Date: October 9th (tentative)
2nd Paper- November 21st (tentative)
Evaluation Procedures:
High School and High School Credit Bearing Courses Grade Weights
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Courses with an End-of-Course (EOC) Exam
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Courses without an End-of-Course (EOC) Exam
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Classwork
Tests/Quizzes
Projects
Homework
End-of-Course Exam
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25%
30%
10%
15%
20%
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Classwork
Tests/Quizzes
Projects
Homework
Final Exam
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25%
30%
10%
15%
20%
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Grading Policy:
Letter Grade
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Performance Level
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Description of Performance Level
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A
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90-100
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Exceeding content expectations
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B
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80-89
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Meeting content expectations
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C
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71-79
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Working towards meeting content expectations
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D
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70
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Inadequate progress towards meeting content expectations
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F
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69 and below
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Did not meet content expectations
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NC
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No Credit
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Enrolled 10 days or less
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I
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Incomplete
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Course requirements not completed
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Class Policies:
- Choose a quiet space, free from distractions, to set yourself up for class. Turn off cell phones, TVs, etc. Exit other applications on your computer prior to entering the classroom.
- Come to class early.
- Dress appropriately. Remember this is still a classroom setting.
- Use your full name when you sign into the classroom.
- When you enter the classroom, make sure to enable both audio and video. You can click “Start Video” and “Join Audio” in the bottom menu. For audio connection, you can choose to connect via the computer or dial-in on your phone.
- Mute your microphone during the lesson to avoid disturbing the class with any background noise.
- Be respectful.
- Participate. When you have a question or comment, use the “Raise your Hand” button that can be found in the window that pops up when you click on Participants in the bottom menu. Wait to be acknowledged by the teacher before unmuting yourself to speak. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Option+Y on a Mac or Alt+Y on a PC to raise your hand.
- Use the chat responsibly. It is meant to facilitate conversation around the lesson topic, not for sideline discussions.
- When your class is over, leave the classroom by closing the window.
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Homework policy:
All homework assignments must be turned in on time; all late assignments will have points deducted.
MAKE-UP WORK POLICY:
All students are provided an opportunity to make up missed assignments, regardless of the reason for the absences. It is the student and parent’s responsibility to make arrangements and/or complete all work within three school days of the student’s return to school. Students will present the make-up work to the teacher for grading. Grading for the make-up work should be shared with the student within a reasonable period, i.e. 3-5 days. It is the parent and student’s responsibility, as appropriate, to initiate the make-up work for missed assignments, tests, and class work. Students must assume responsibility for obtaining the required information and making whatever arrangements are necessary with the teacher. Parents should assist their child with requests for make-up work and other missed assignments and tests.
Students may arrange times with the teacher for making up work for the mutual convenience of student and teacher. Make-up of tests/quizzes should be done before or after school except otherwise arranged by the teacher. Teachers may assign different work or a different test than that which was originally assigned to other students. It is critical that parents remain involved in this process to ensure academic success for the student. Long-term assignments with preset dates are due on the assigned dates, regardless of a student’s previous absence.
Infinite Campus Access:
Parents can access their student’s grades and attendance online via Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Please see the parent liaison, Mr. Clifton at extension 503137 to obtain their username and password.
Grade Reporting:
Progress reports are issued every four and one-half weeks within each nine week grading period. Report cards are issued every eighteen weeks at the high school level. Report card grades will include both letter and numeric grades for all students.
Progress Report Dates:
Semester One: September 3 October 13 November 16 January 6
Semester Two: February 9 March 16 April 26 May 28
CLASS OUTLINE/CALENDAR (Tentative)
Week #
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Major assignments (i.e. research papers, projects, portfolios)
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Due Date
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Readings for class
Additional assignments, etc.
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Week 1
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Learning Assessment
Activity 1
Pre-Unit Assessment
Getting to Know You Activities
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August 10th-August14th
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How to write an argumentative essay by Thoughtco.com
https://newsela.com/read/lib-writing-argumentative-essay?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=web
These Are the Americans Who Live in a Bubbleby Emma Green
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/02/americans-remain-deeply-ambivalent-about-diversity/583123/
What It Means to Be ‘Latinx,’ and What That Means for America
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/books/review/latinx-ed-morales.html
What We Look Like: 11 Asian-American artists celebrate their experiences of culture and identity with illustrated self portraits. by Antonio de Luca and Jaspal Riyait
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/us/coronavirus-race-artists-asian-american-identity.html
A Debate Over Identity and Race Asks, Are African-Americans ‘Black’ or ‘black’? by John Eligon https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/black-african-american-style-debate.html
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Week 2
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Quilt Activity 2
Writing “LIT” Lab (Quad D Task)
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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August 17th-August 21st
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Quilt of a Country by Anna Quindlen
How to write an argumentative essay by Thoughtco.com
https://newsela.com/read/lib-writing-argumentative-essay?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=web
These Are the Americans Who Live in a Bubbleby Emma Green
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/02/americans-remain-deeply-ambivalent-about-diversity/583123/
What It Means to Be ‘Latinx,’ and What That Means for America
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/books/review/latinx-ed-morales.html
What We Look Like: 11 Asian-American artists celebrate their experiences of culture and identity with illustrated self portraits. by Antonio de Luca and Jaspal Riyait
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/us/coronavirus-race-artists-asian-american-identity.html
A Debate Over Identity and Race Asks, Are African-Americans ‘Black’ or ‘black’? by John Eligon https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/black-african-american-style-debate.html
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Week 3
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Reading “LIT” Lab
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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August 24th-August 28th
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Making a Better Future
Newsela Articles
How to write an argumentative essay by Thoughtco.com
https://newsela.com/read/lib-writing-argumentative-essay?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=web
These Are the Americans Who Live in a Bubbleby Emma Green
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/02/americans-remain-deeply-ambivalent-about-diversity/583123/
What It Means to Be ‘Latinx,’ and What That Means for America
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/books/review/latinx-ed-morales.html
What We Look Like: 11 Asian-American artists celebrate their experiences of culture and identity with illustrated self portraits. by Antonio de Luca and Jaspal Riyait
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/us/coronavirus-race-artists-asian-american-identity.html
A Debate Over Identity and Race Asks, Are African-Americans ‘Black’ or ‘black’? by John Eligon https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/black-african-american-style-debate.html
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Week 4
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Writing “LIT” Lab
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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August 31st-September 4th
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Making a Better Future
Newsela Articles
How to write an argumentative essay by Thoughtco.com
https://newsela.com/read/lib-writing-argumentative-essay?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=web
These Are the Americans Who Live in a Bubbleby Emma Green
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/02/americans-remain-deeply-ambivalent-about-diversity/583123/
What It Means to Be ‘Latinx,’ and What That Means for America
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/books/review/latinx-ed-morales.html
What We Look Like: 11 Asian-American artists celebrate their experiences of culture and identity with illustrated self portraits. by Antonio de Luca and Jaspal Riyait
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/us/coronavirus-race-artists-asian-american-identity.html
A Debate Over Identity and Race Asks, Are African-Americans ‘Black’ or ‘black’? by John Eligon https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/black-african-american-style-debate.html
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Week 5
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Reading “LIT” Lab
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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September 8th-September 11th
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Making a Better Future
Newsela Articles
How to write an argumentative essay by Thoughtco.com
https://newsela.com/read/lib-writing-argumentative-essay?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=web
These Are the Americans Who Live in a Bubbleby Emma Green
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/02/americans-remain-deeply-ambivalent-about-diversity/583123/
What It Means to Be ‘Latinx,’ and What That Means for America
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/books/review/latinx-ed-morales.html
What We Look Like: 11 Asian-American artists celebrate their experiences of culture and identity with illustrated self portraits. by Antonio de Luca and Jaspal Riyait
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/us/coronavirus-race-artists-asian-american-identity.html
A Debate Over Identity and Race Asks, Are African-Americans ‘Black’ or ‘black’? by John Eligon https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/black-african-american-style-debate.html
Additional poetry and music will be assigned.
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Week 6
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Writing “LIT” Lab
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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September 14th-September 18th
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The Namesake a novel by Jhumpa Lahiri
Additional poetry and music will be assigned.
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Week 7
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Reading “LIT” Lab
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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September 28th-October 2nd
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The Namesake a novel by Jhumpa Lahiri
Additional poetry and music will be assigned.
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Week 8
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Unit 1 Assessment
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
Paper 1 Due
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October 5th-October 9th
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“The Interlopers” Short Story by Saki “Once Upon a Time” Short Story by Nadine Gordime
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Week 9
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Reading “LIT” Lab (Quad D Task)
Intro to Unit 2
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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October 12th-October 16th
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“I Have a Dream” Speech By Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “America The Story of Us - March on Washington” Video by History Channel
Sick and Tired Fannie Lou Hamer’s speak
BLM Movement (Recent news on the movement)
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Week 10
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Writing “LIT” Lab
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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October 19th-October 23rd
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“The Censors” Short Story by Luisa Valenzuela From “Reading Lolita in Tehran” Memoir by Azar Nafisi
SNCC & Social Activism( Past and recent news analysis)
Grace Boogs: Asian American Activist
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/grace-lee-boggs-asian-american-labor-organizer-writer-og-history
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Week 11
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Reading “LIT” Lab
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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October 26th-October 30th
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“I Have a Dream” Speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Malcolm X Speech: Ballad or the Bullet
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/malcolm_x_ballot.html
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Week 12
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Writing “LIT” Lab
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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November 2nd-November 6th
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“I Have a Dream” Speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ceasar Chavez speech Wraths of Grapes Boycott:
http://www.emersonkent.com/speeches/wrath_of_grapes_boycott.htm
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Week 13
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Reading “LIT” Lab
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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November 9th-November 13th
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Achieve 3000
TBA
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Week 14
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Writing “LIT” Lab (Quad D Task)
Quiz
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
Paper 2 Due
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November 16th-November 20th
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Achieve 3000
TBA
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Week 15
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Reading “LIT” Lab
Quiz
Work on Paper
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
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November 30th-December 4th
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Achieve 3000
TBA
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Week 16
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Quiz
Reflections
Work on Paper
Close Reading Exercises
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December 7th-December 11th
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Achieve 3000
TBA
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Week 17
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Reading “LIT” Lab
Reflections
Close Reading Exercises
Work on Paper
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December 14th-December 18th
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Achieve 3000
TBA
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Week 18
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Unit Assessment
Research Paper
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December 14th-December 18th
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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Students are expected to submit work for evaluation that has been completed solely by that student, unless group assignments have been so designated. Academic integrity is expected at all times. If a student is found cheating on a graded assignment, the student will not receive credit for that assignment and will face possible disciplinary action. Cheating and plagiarism are considered very serious academic offenses. Any student who plagiarizes or cheats on an assignment and/or test should be referred to the administrator.
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*Any changes to this document must have approval from an Administrator.
___________________________: Student Name
___________________________: Signature
___________________________: Parent(s) Name
___________________________: Signature(s)