You are responsible for the information detailed in this syllabus. Put this someplace safe and available to use when needed. The calendar and book/movie list is subject to change.
Honors English is a full year senior literature and composition class that takes the most advanced elements from each of the other senior electives and puts them together with serious debate and discussion, informational reading and other classical literature that is not taught in any other class. It is rigorous and should serve as ample preparation for college literature and composition classes. If any honors student wishes to take the AP exam at the end of the year we will spend extra time during lunches in the spring preparing.
Scope and Sequence
1st Quarter
Opening Unit
Writing Expectations and conventions
Editing
College Essay
Honors Quote Assignment
History of the English Language
Presentation
Fun with words
Last Town on Earth
Research paper (APA)
Oedipus the King (in class)
Tragic Flaw
Fate vs. Self determination (Argument paper MLA)
Socratic seminar
Menu Project
Sci-Fi
I, Robot (Parts)
Logic
Anthem
Philosophy (informational)
Discussion
2nd Quarter
Chronicles of a Death Foretold
School shootings (Informational)
Socratic Seminar
Mystery unit
Sherlock Holmes
5-Minute Mysteries
Real life mysteries (Informational)
Life of Pi
Annotated books (APA)
Book essay (MLA)
Art of the Tale
Writing stories and reading to kids
Letters About Literature
3rd Quarter
Great Writing
Bring in and defend choice (APA)
Disney lit
Peter Pan
Maps
Dreams
Poetry
Treasure hunt
Fairytale Presentations (example)
War
Snow Falling on Cedars
Dante’s Inferno (Parts)
Socratic Seminar
Theme paper (MLA)
The Things They Carried (Parts)
Narrative story
4th Quarter
Shakespeare
Shakespeare Authorship question (informational)
Argument paper on Shakespeare’s authorship (MLA)
Macbeth
Hamlet
Socratic Seminar
House on Mango Street
Creative Writing
Book Blurb
55 word Story
3 Bears in Search of a voice
Happy Endings
Poetry
Concrete Abstractions
Poem Translation
Haiku
Voice over Videos
Short Story
Socratic Seminar
Sports
2010 Sports Stories
News Stories to discuss different parallels between sports and life (informational)
Senior Project (APA)
Thank you notes
Reading
One of the essential elements to your English education is to be able to read, comprehend, and connect to different texts. One of the current pushes in education is to abandon novel based English education and focus on informational reading. We will NOT be abandoning novels and literature, but we will be focusing more heavily on informational reading and how it connects to the novels we read.
Writing
Beware. You’ve stumbled into a writer’s world. My bucket list contains the words “write the next great American novel.” Until I do, I will focus my time and energy on making every student a better writer. We will write essays, position papers, stories, reports, letters, poems, and anything else that I can, or you can, think of to write. I have a very specific expectations and a lot to teach you, even if you are honor’s seniors.
Homework
Since much of the class time will be spent in discussion or watching movies and documentaries, much of your homework will be writing and reading based. You will often be asked to come to class with stories and ideas that you secure from the Internet or newspapers. If you do not have access to the Internet or to a newspaper at home then you must make arrangements to stay after school with Mrs. Shanks or myself.
Socratic Seminars
In this class we will hold several Socratic Seminars. These will require you to come to class prepared with talking points about what we have been reading or discussing in class. Please see the attached handout about Socratic Seminars.
Movies
As you can see we will view several videos and movies. If you miss a class where we are viewing a movie it will be up to you to come in and watch what you missed on your own time. Anything that we watch I consider important and will be a part of the tested curriculum.
Tests
There will be tests and quizzes in this class. While I want to make sure that you understand the plot and characters in the books, movies and documentaries we study, only about half of each quiz or test will be asking those questions. At least half of each test or quiz will be looking for an understanding of theme. What are these stories saying about human nature, about life?
1st Semester Final
While we will not have a comprehensive quarter test, there will be a semester final that will cover all that we read, watch and discuss in the class. I recommend that you have a separate folder or binder for your Honors English materials and that you keep everything for the entire semester. That incudes all handouts, tests, quizzes and assignments whether they have been graded or not.
SSR
You will have four SSR book assignments this year. The books should meet or exceed your current reading level. I have lists to help you if you are having trouble finding a book.
1st quarter Dystopian
2nd quarter Biography or Memoir
3rd quarter Classic
4th quarter Short Stories (anthology)
Each quarter we will plan a Socratic Seminar to discuss our books as a class. Please see the sheet entitled Socratic Seminar for more information.
Every early out will also be SSR days for the class. This means that you must bring your book and read through the period. Each SSR period is worth 10 points in the grade book and can be made up at home if you are absent. You must only bring a note saying that you read for ½ hour signed by a parent, guardian, or teacher.
Use of Technology
I am a huge proponent of the school’s cell phone use policy. I have witnessed the good that can come from the ability to access information, or to communicate with parents. That being said, if I believe that you are abusing the use of the cell phone I will take it and you can retrieve it at the end of the period. If it happens twice you can retrieve it at the end of the day, the third time the phone goes to the office, and you will have to deal with them to retrieve it. Abuse includes playing games or texting during lectures, movies, discussions, or presentations or viewing inappropriate sites or pictures at anytime.
Honors English is a full year senior literature and composition class that takes the most advanced elements from each of the other senior electives and puts them together with serious debate and discussion, informational reading and other classical literature that is not taught in any other class. It is rigorous and should serve as ample preparation for college literature and composition classes. If any honors student wishes to take the AP exam at the end of the year we will spend extra time during lunches in the spring preparing.
Scope and Sequence
1st Quarter
Opening Unit
Writing Expectations and conventions
Editing
College Essay
Honors Quote Assignment
History of the English Language
Presentation
Fun with words
Last Town on Earth
Research paper (APA)
Oedipus the King (in class)
Tragic Flaw
Fate vs. Self determination (Argument paper MLA)
Socratic seminar
Menu Project
Sci-Fi
I, Robot (Parts)
Logic
Anthem
Philosophy (informational)
Discussion
2nd Quarter
Chronicles of a Death Foretold
School shootings (Informational)
Socratic Seminar
Mystery unit
Sherlock Holmes
5-Minute Mysteries
Real life mysteries (Informational)
Life of Pi
Annotated books (APA)
Book essay (MLA)
Art of the Tale
Writing stories and reading to kids
Letters About Literature
3rd Quarter
Great Writing
Bring in and defend choice (APA)
Disney lit
Peter Pan
Maps
Dreams
Poetry
Treasure hunt
Fairytale Presentations (example)
War
Snow Falling on Cedars
Dante’s Inferno (Parts)
Socratic Seminar
Theme paper (MLA)
The Things They Carried (Parts)
Narrative story
4th Quarter
Shakespeare
Shakespeare Authorship question (informational)
Argument paper on Shakespeare’s authorship (MLA)
Macbeth
Hamlet
Socratic Seminar
House on Mango Street
Creative Writing
Book Blurb
55 word Story
3 Bears in Search of a voice
Happy Endings
Poetry
Concrete Abstractions
Poem Translation
Haiku
Voice over Videos
Short Story
Socratic Seminar
Sports
2010 Sports Stories
News Stories to discuss different parallels between sports and life (informational)
Senior Project (APA)
Thank you notes
Reading
One of the essential elements to your English education is to be able to read, comprehend, and connect to different texts. One of the current pushes in education is to abandon novel based English education and focus on informational reading. We will NOT be abandoning novels and literature, but we will be focusing more heavily on informational reading and how it connects to the novels we read.
Writing
Beware. You’ve stumbled into a writer’s world. My bucket list contains the words “write the next great American novel.” Until I do, I will focus my time and energy on making every student a better writer. We will write essays, position papers, stories, reports, letters, poems, and anything else that I can, or you can, think of to write. I have a very specific expectations and a lot to teach you, even if you are honor’s seniors.
Homework
Since much of the class time will be spent in discussion or watching movies and documentaries, much of your homework will be writing and reading based. You will often be asked to come to class with stories and ideas that you secure from the Internet or newspapers. If you do not have access to the Internet or to a newspaper at home then you must make arrangements to stay after school with Mrs. Shanks or myself.
Socratic Seminars
In this class we will hold several Socratic Seminars. These will require you to come to class prepared with talking points about what we have been reading or discussing in class. Please see the attached handout about Socratic Seminars.
Movies
As you can see we will view several videos and movies. If you miss a class where we are viewing a movie it will be up to you to come in and watch what you missed on your own time. Anything that we watch I consider important and will be a part of the tested curriculum.
Tests
There will be tests and quizzes in this class. While I want to make sure that you understand the plot and characters in the books, movies and documentaries we study, only about half of each quiz or test will be asking those questions. At least half of each test or quiz will be looking for an understanding of theme. What are these stories saying about human nature, about life?
1st Semester Final
While we will not have a comprehensive quarter test, there will be a semester final that will cover all that we read, watch and discuss in the class. I recommend that you have a separate folder or binder for your Honors English materials and that you keep everything for the entire semester. That incudes all handouts, tests, quizzes and assignments whether they have been graded or not.
SSR
You will have four SSR book assignments this year. The books should meet or exceed your current reading level. I have lists to help you if you are having trouble finding a book.
1st quarter Dystopian
2nd quarter Biography or Memoir
3rd quarter Classic
4th quarter Short Stories (anthology)
Each quarter we will plan a Socratic Seminar to discuss our books as a class. Please see the sheet entitled Socratic Seminar for more information.
Every early out will also be SSR days for the class. This means that you must bring your book and read through the period. Each SSR period is worth 10 points in the grade book and can be made up at home if you are absent. You must only bring a note saying that you read for ½ hour signed by a parent, guardian, or teacher.
Use of Technology
I am a huge proponent of the school’s cell phone use policy. I have witnessed the good that can come from the ability to access information, or to communicate with parents. That being said, if I believe that you are abusing the use of the cell phone I will take it and you can retrieve it at the end of the period. If it happens twice you can retrieve it at the end of the day, the third time the phone goes to the office, and you will have to deal with them to retrieve it. Abuse includes playing games or texting during lectures, movies, discussions, or presentations or viewing inappropriate sites or pictures at anytime.
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