10 B/C English Course Overview

General Goals Continue to cultivate the students’ reading, writing, and literary appreciation skills, as well as vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and listening skills Help students show growth from fall to spring academic testing. Have students on track to score in a competitive range for PSAT and SAT testing in their junior year.

Meeting the Goals Students will learn “the language of literature” and recognize various literary devices and techniques in the works studied Students are encouraged to actively think and reflect about material studied, and express their ideas in writings and class discussions Writings will include both the rough draft, edit and revise process, and the short essay in which a final draft must be produced under timed conditions. Writings are commonly related to, or in response to literature studied in the course

Major Components Literature- fiction and non-fiction Literary Discussion Composition Grammar, Usage, Mechanics Vocabulary Building Oral Presentation Technology Integration Each of these elements is linked to CCSS

To make it simple- just about EVERTHING we do in class will be to make you better at one of these: Reading Comprehension and Vocab Recognition Writing Speaking Listening Thinking

The Year in Literature Journeys- various short stories/ poems to illustrate literary devices, techniques and themes Steinbeck’s The Pearl and Of Mice and Men O. Henry- selected short stories Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust Lois Lowery The Giver Ayn Rand’s Anthem

Composition Focus areas: structure, coherent development of ideas via specific details, examples, reasons, incidents, proper use of grammar mechanics and punctuation, improvement via teacher, peer or self-critique Types: analytical essay, personal narrative, creative fiction, poetry, notes for spoken presentations

Grading 60% Combined average of tests, quizzes, compositions, presentations 20% Homework exercises, in-class exercises 20% Class Preparation and Participation (you get a “B” for good prep and participation, if you want an “A” it needs to be excellent in my judgment)