English II

Semester One:

Reading Comprehension/Expository & Narrative Writing

• Evaluating tone through connotation and denotation
• Exploring poetic devices and their impact on meaning
• Determining how figurative language enhances mood
• Analyzing how authors create layers of meaning in ambiguous poetry
• Examining the ways literary elements interact
• Analyzing plot structure
• Identifying and tracking universal themes in literary texts
• Determining the point of view’s effect on plot, character, and conflict
• Using narrative techniques to enhance creative writing
• Composing a narrative essay
• Discovering ways authors adapt classical, mythical, or religious texts
• Writing effective summaries
• Utilizing parallel structure in writing
• Editing and revising with purpose
• Explaining the influence of historical context on a literary text
• Evaluating the development of literary elements in a novel
• Connecting real-world issues with literary texts
• Identifying authors’ perspectives on historical, social, or cultural issues
• Synthesizing information from multiple sources in an informational essay

Semester One Honors:

• Composing a poem with ambiguous meaning
• Interpreting purpose and theme in an allegorical text
• Paraphrasing rigorous literary texts
• Connecting historical context and setting to literary texts
• Illuminating a human rights issue through fiction

Semester Two:

• Evaluating how rhetorical appeals and devices support an argument

• Planning and organizing a compelling argument

• Identifying elements of an effective claim, counterclaim, and rebuttal
• Effectively supporting a claim with well-researched evidence
• Utilizing academic language and formal tone in writing
• Incorporating elaborative details to communicate and clarify knowledge to an audience
• Writing a polished final draft
• Analyzing historical speeches
• Using digital media to enhance an audience’s understanding of a topic
• Determining the central idea of a text
• Examining informational text structures and features
• Uncovering word meanings through context clues
• Recognizing etymology’s role in the development of language over time
• Using knowledge of affixes and roots to determine the meaning of unknown words
• Interpreting rigorous texts through the use of etymology, word parts, and context clues
• Analyzing characterization in drama
• Evaluating traits of tragedy, including the tragic hero
• Discovering how the plot connects to drama
• Determining how plot elements add layers of meaning to drama
• Recognizing universal themes
• Tracking conflicting perspectives in literature
• Locating credible sources based on bias, origin, and purpose
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Citing sources correctly
• Formatting the Works Cited page
• Using signal phrases and transitions in academic writing
• Writing effective informational introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions
• Formulating thesis statements for academic writing
• Using precise language and domain-specific vocabulary
• Publishing a final draft

Segment Two Honors:

• Composing a rhetorically charged closing argument for a fictional character
• Comparing and contrasting elements of leadership in non-fiction and fiction
• Creating a fictional text based on a well-researched universal theme