2025-2026 GT Syllabus
Course Description:
This course is designed to meet the needs of the academically gifted and talented students who were identified through the standard measures implemented by the School District of Greenville County. The curriculum designed specifically for this course meets the guidelines set forth by the South Carolina State Department of Education as criteria for Gifted and Talented instruction. Students should expect to find curriculum challenging in a number of ways: text complexity, analytical writing, problem solving, creative endeavors, and accelerated pace.
Students in this class will be expected to engage in discussions and reflections that will require higher-order thinking skills. Students will develop skills that will begin to prepare them for Advanced Placement classes in high school. Students in Gifted and Talented class will benefit from a more rigorous curriculum mandated by the Greenville County School district that includes challenging novel studies and other units of study that will challenge these students appropriately in literature and in writing.
In this class, students will engage in extensive reading and writing. Students will learn to read and write a variety of genres of literature. Students will practice reading like a writer so they can learn good writing strategies from the work of professionals.
They will practice the writing process and apply it to many different forms of writing. Students will expand oral and written vocabulary, reviewing parts of speech and the structure of language. They will learn to apply this knowledge to their own writing. Students will generate topics, discover, publication opportunities, and complete purposeful writing.
Goals:
1. Students will develop a sense of themselves as writers and readers, as well as personal writing processes that work for them.
2. Students will develop ways of reading the world like writers, collecting ideas with variety, volume, and thoughtfulness
3. Students will develop a sense of thoughtful, deliberate purpose about their work as writers, and a willingness to linger on those purposes
4. Students will become members of a responsive, literate community.
5. Students will develop ways of reading texts like writers, developing a sense of craft, genre, and form in writing.
6. Students will develop a sense of audience and an understanding of how to prepare writing for publishing.
Units of Instruction/Timeline
Quarter 1: Reality Check (Unit 1)
Short story collections focusing on story elements
Short story unit with literary skills
Story Elements, characterization
Seventh Grade by Gary Soto (short story)
Mirror Image by Lena Cokely (short story)
Not Everything It Seems by Arnetta Carter (informational text)
Two Legs or One? by Josepha Sherman (folktale)
The Song of Wandering Aengus by W.B. Yeats (poem)
Eldorado by Edgar Allan Poe (poem)
Monster by Walter Dean Myers (screenplay and graphic novel)
Writing: informative essay
Grammar/Punctuation
Mustang Book #1
Novel Study Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper
Novel Study Tulsa Burning by Anna Meyers
Writing: process, writing techniques, narrative
Text Dependent Writing (TDW)
Stems
Grammar/Punctuation
Vocabulary development
Quarter 2: Take Control (Unit 2)
· Informational Texts/Research/Informational Writing/Non-Fiction Novel
Heartbeat by David Yoo (short story)
The Flight of Icarus by Sally Benson (myth)
Rogue Wave by Theodore Taylor (short story)
Women in Aviation by Patricia and Fredrick McKissack (informational text)
The Terror and Wonder of Space (Unit 3)
Martian Metropolis by Meg Thatcher (informational text)
“Challenges for Space Exploration” by Ann Leckie (argument)
What if We Were Alone? by William Stafford (poem)
Seven Minutes of Terror (NASA video)
Humans Need to Explore Outer Space by Claudia Alarcon (argument)
Let Robots Take to the Stars by Eiren Caffall (argument)
Argument Writing
Grammar/Punctuation
Mustang Book #2
• Drama: “Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare and “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
• Writing: argument based on research
• Text Dependent Writing
Quarter 3: Inspired by Nature (Unit 4)
Informational Texts/Research/Argument Writing/Poetry
Allied with Green by Naomi Shihab Nye (short story)
Never Retreat from Eyes Wide Open by Paul Fleischman (argument)
From Mississippi Solo by Eddy Harris (memoir)
The Drought by Amy Helfrich (poem)
Ode to enchanted light by Pablo Neruda (poem)
Sleeping in the Forest by Mary Oliver (poem)
From Trash Talk (video from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
You’re Part of the Solution (poster)
Game on! (Unit 5)
Ball Hawk by Joseph Bruchac (short story)
Get in the Zone: The Psychology of Video Game Design by Aaron Miller (informational text)
It’s Not Just a Game! By Lori Calabrese (informational text)
From The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (novel excerpt)
Argument Writing
Grammar/Punctuation
Mustang Book #3
Writing: argument
Text Dependent Writing
Debates
Poetry Unit
Grammar/Punctuation
Stems
Vocabulary development
Quarter 4: Change Agents (Unit 6)
Literary Study/Literary Text Analysis
Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push by Walter Dean Myers (short story)
Craig Kielburger Reflects on Working Toward Peace by Craig Kielburger (personal essay)
From It Takes a Child by Judy Jackson (documentary)
A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long by Nikki Giovanni (poem)
Francis Perkins and the Triangle Factory Fire by David Brooks (informational text)
From Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch (novel excerpt)
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (novel)
Mustang Book #4
Grammar/Punctuation
Review for state writing test
William Shakespeare- A Midsummer Nights Dream
Novel-Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
Novel-The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling
Writing: literary analysis with research
Text Dependent Writing
Stems
Grammar/punctuation
Vocabulary application
• Appearance vs. Reality - Study in Literature and Writing the Literary Analysis
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
The Jungle Books Rudyard Kipling
• Mythology and Folktales
• Note: Since many writing assignments will be based upon the work in another class, such as social studies or literature, the sequence of writing assignments may change to better fit the needs of students and teachers.
Novels for 2025-2026
1st quarter
Gossamer (class novel)
Forged by Fire (class novel)
2nd quarter
We Beat the Street (Class novel)
Tulsa Burning (Class novel)
Farewell to Manzanar (Class novel)
A Christmas Carol (Class Novel)
4th quarter
The Prince and the Pauper (Class novel)
The Jungle Books (Class novel)
Watson Go to Birmingham (Class novel)
Novels with linked descriptions that may be used in the classroom:
Bearstone by Will Hobbs
Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper
The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
The Girl Who Owned a City by OT Nelson
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling
Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
Tulsa Burning by Anna Myers
The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
We Beat the Street by Davis, Sampson, Jenkins (nonfiction)
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Novels that may be used in the classroom:
Tulsa Burning by Anna Meyers
“Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Houston
Mustang Book Summaries:
Instructional Materials and Resources/Required Texts:
The following materials and resources will be needed to meet the goals and objectives for this language arts class during the school year:
• Binder with dividers (We may do a digital binder this year)
• Paper
Highlighters
Students’ Daily Materials for Class:
Students must bring their binder to class every day. Materials for the day will be posted on the door.
Using the following criteria, an average will be determined for each student:
Tests/Writings/Projects (Major grades) 50%
Homework/Quizzes/Bell work/Classwork/Stems (Minor grades) 50%
Grading Scale for Greenville County School District:
A 100-90
B 89-80
C 79-70
D 69-60
F 59-50
Assessment: (continued)
Students may be given homework Monday through Friday. Assessments include weekly quizzes, chapter tests, unit tests, etc. Informal evaluations include observations and class discussions. Practice exercises will be checked on a daily basis. Writing assignments will be graded according to a rubric. Rubrics will be based on the level of student and class utilizing SC Ready format. Tests and quizzes will include but are not limited to short answer questions, multiple choice, essay questions, true-false questions, and fill in the blank. Test and quizzes will vary from class to class according to the ability levels of the students.
Student Records:
The following procedures are used to record student progress:
• Grade book-All major tests, stem tests, projects, writings, homework, and quizzes are recorded in the grade book. Each grade is labeled with the name of the assignment and the date.
• Progress Reports-The students’ averages are sent home in the middle of the nine weeks to allow parents to see their child’s progress thus far. Comments and suggestions for improvement are included on the report.
• Suggestions and comments are made on students’ papers to allow the student to see their strengths and weaknesses.
Homework Policy:
All homework assignments are made to enhance the skill introduced in class that same day. Homework assignments can be made any day of the week to support the unit of study.
Missed Work/Make-up Policy:
It is the responsibility of the student to complete missed work within a week of the absence. Students should see the teacher immediately upon return to receive any missing assignments.
Attendance/Tardy Policy:
The state attendance policy is followed. A student may only miss 10 days of school. Students must be in their seat and ready for class when the bell rings. Students entering the room after the bell has rung are considered tardy.
Behavior:
All school and district guidelines apply inside the classroom.
1. Sit in your assigned seat.
2. Begin bell work immediately.
3. Raise your hand to be heard.
4. Follow school and district policies.
5. Be kind to others.
Consequences for Violating Class and School Rules/Policies:
We will utilize the MMS Live School Point System.
In the event that procedures are not followed or an extreme disruption occurs, the following consequences will be followed
Warning
Lunch detention(s)
Referral
*Extreme disruptions will result in an immediate referral. Office referrals are handled by the assistant principal. Sincere praise and recognition are used for proper behavior from students.
Presentation of Rules and Procedures:
Rules, class procedures, consequences, and non-instructional routines are discussed at the beginning of the year. Rules, class procedures, and consequences are posted in the room to remind students.
Communication with Parents:
During the school year, the need for a parent contact may arise. The following are ways parents are contacted and can stay aware:
• Progress reports with mid nine week grade and comments
• Report cards with final nine week grade and comments
• Telephone calls concerning behavior and work
• Notes home
• Parent/teacher conferences as needed
• Parent letter (first week of school)
• E-mail (ncalhoun@greenville.k12.sc.us)
• School and district webpages
• Voice mail (864-355-6685)
• Lunch detention notifications
Evaluation and Revision of Syllabus:
The teacher reserves the right to change the sequence of units to relate to current events. The teacher may also decrease or extend the length of a unit to accommodate student learning. The teacher may also add additional information. Thus, the sequence of units may need to be changed for the development of the student.