Communication Strategies, Grade 9

Communication Strategies Mrs. Ulmer [email protected] (215) 420-5690

Welcome to Mrs. Ulmer’s Communication Strategies Class. As most ninth grade students are aware, high school offers many challenges as well as great rewards. As most young adults, ninth grade students are expected to act maturely and respectfully, to the teacher as well as to each other.

Course Description: The Communication Strategies class has been conceived as a semester long course to help incoming ninth graders become higher level strategic readers (of both written and visual text), writers, and speakers, on in other words, better communicators. This class will investigate and build reading strategies through an in-depth study of metacognitive practices related to the reading process. In addition, students will explore their own reading and writing strategies repertoire as well as develop effective reading, writing, and speaking tools applicable to life-long learning. This course will also cover researching and writing skills, public speaking skills, discussion and listening skills, as well as media literacy.

Grading: The Students Grade will be based on the following:

 Oral Reflections and Presentations  Written Reflections and Compositions  Quizzes and Examinations  Research Paper  Independent Reading  Journals  Participation

Grading Breakdown

Quarter 3 Participation 10% Final Grade Assessments 90% Quarter 3 40% Quarter 4 Quarter 4 40% Participation 10% Assessments 90% Final Exam 20% Research Project 20% Materials: The students will need the following materials to have a successful semester in Communication Strategies:  Three ring binder with dividers divided into the following sections:  Reading  Writing  Speaking  Media Literacy  The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make  Spiral notebook  Pocket folder

Guidelines for late/make-up work: All long term assignments are expected to be turned in on their due dates. Late work will be accepted with the understanding that 15% will be deducted each day the assignment is not turned in, including weekends. Daily homework assignments must be turned in the following day or will result in a zero. When returning from an absence, you will have as many days as you missed to make up work. It is your responsibility to check for work missed (please check absentee bin for handouts and ask your classmate for any missed notes/work) and to make arrangements for taking quizzes/tests. This can be done before or after school, or during your directed study period. I will not hunt you down to make up missed work. Your grade is your responsibility.

Attendance: Please refer to the student/parent handbook for the Hatboro-Horsham School District attendance guidelines. An unexcused absence/class cut will result in a zero for all work missed.

Cheating/Plagiarism: Please refer to student/parent handbook for Hatboro-Horsham High School’s plagiarism guidelines. * Each student is required to hand in all papers to turnitin.com *

I am looking forward to getting to know you. Please feel free to contact me at any time for extra help or questions.

Mrs. Ulmer

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