1. 10 B/C English
Course Overview

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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)