Forces of Nature

Readings

• Excerpts of Beowulf, Macbeth, and “Heroism.”

Concepts

• Character development
• Plot analysis
• Theme
• Tone
• Mood
• Literary devices
• Syntax
• Thematic analysis
• Six traits of writing
• Narrative writing process
• Proper use of conventions

Skills

• Reading Shakespeare
• Conducting literary analysis
• Writing to address multiple texts
• Incorporating direct quotes
• Planning a narrative
• Writing a narrative

Carousel of Progress

Readings

• Excerpts from the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, and a Landmark Supreme Court Case

Concepts

• Theme and purpose of various government texts
• Elements of informative/explanatory texts
• Six traits of writing
• Research
• Source credibility
• Source citation
• MLA citations
• Annotated bibliographies
• Outlining
• Proper use of conventions
• Figurative Language
• Domain specific wording
• Transitions
• Revision

Skills

• Informative/explanatory article planning
• Gather relevant information for use in an informative/explanatory article
• Refine a research topic
• Evaluate source credibility and information
• Create an annotated bibliography
• Create an outline for an informative/explanatory article
• Use formal, domain specific language in writing
• Incorporate transitions in writing
• Write a draft of an informative/explanatory article
• Revise, edit, and publish an informative/explanatory article

An Empire Divided (Honors)

Readings

• “Land of Hope and Glory,” “Song to the Men of England,” and The Man Who Would Be King

Concepts

• Figurative language
• Poetic forms and devices
• Elements of Fiction: plot, character, conflict, theme, setting, point of view
• Tone
• Mood
• Diction
• Connotation and denotation
• Syntax

Skills

• Experiencing and analyzing poetry
• Analyzing literary text
• Writing an informative/explanatory essay

Expressions

Readings

• Selected poems, “The Story of an Hour,” “A Jury of Her Peers,” excerpts of pieces written by Benjamin Franklin, Judith Sargent Murray, and selected newspaper and magazine articles.

Concepts

• Figurative language
• Figures of speech
• Poetic forms and devices
• Tone
• Mood
• Diction
• Connotation and denotation
• Imagery
• Allusion
• Symbolism
• Character development
• Historical context
• Thematic analysis
• Summary

Skills

• Experiencing and analyzing poetry
• Writing poetry
• Reading and analyzing informational text
• Identifying and understanding different perspectives
• Summarizing

Proof or Satire

Readings

• Selected political speeches, selected closing arguments from well-known court cases, selected newspaper and magazine articles, “Advice to Youth,” and “Burlesque Autobiography”

Concepts

• Basic elements of persuasion
• Compare and contrast
• Argument analysis
• Characteristics of an effective claim
• Appeals to logic, emotion, and ethics
• Logical fallacies
• Research skills
• Ethical researching and writing practices
• Six traits of writing
• Argument writing process
• MLA format
• Domain-specific language
• Precise language
• Humor and satire
• Proper use of conventions

Skills

• Analyzing arguments
• Identifying appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos
• Researching multiple sides of an issue
• Stating a claim
• Interpreting visual representations of data
• Creating an infographic
• Identifying satire
• Analyzing satirical works

Fall of Empire (Honors)

Readings

• “Shooting an Elephant,” “Speech at Calicut,” “To Every Englishman in India,” and various news articles

Concepts

• Characteristics of nonfiction texts
• Theme
• Figurative language
• Tone
• Mood
• Diction
• Connotation and denotation
• Syntax
• Convention

Skills

• • Analyzing traits of a personal essay
  • Research to support writing a news article
  • Analyzing traits of professional writers
  • Writing an inverted pyramid news article