English III Unit 1

Big Idea:

• Students will explore literature by selecting novels of their own choice.
• Students learn to build interpretations and to analyze by writing about their reading.

Student Expectations:

Priority TEKS

E3. Fig.19(A) reflect on understanding to monitor comprehension (e. g., asking questions, summarizing and synthesizing, making connections, creating sensory images)

E3. Fig.19(B) make complex inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding

E3.2(A) analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a view or comment on the human condition

E3.2(B) relate the characters and text structures of mythic, traditional, and classical literature to 20th and 21st century American novels, plays, or films; and

E3.2(C) relate the main ideas found in a literary work to primary source documents from its historical and cultural setting.

E3.8(A) analyze how the style, tone, and diction of a text advance the author's purpose and perspective or stance

Focus TEKS

E3.14(A) relate the main ideas found in a literary work to primary source documents from its historical and cultural setting.

E3.24(A) listen responsively to a speaker by framing inquiries that reflect an understanding of the content and by identifying the positions taken and the evidence in support of those positions; and

E3.24(B) evaluate the clarity and coherence of a speaker's message and critique the impact of a speaker's diction and syntax on an audience.

E3 (25) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to give a formal presentation that exhibits a logical structure, smooth transitions, accurate evidence, well-chosen details, and rhetorical devices, and that employs eye contact, speaking rate (e.g., pauses for effect), volume, enunciation, purposeful gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.

E3.(26) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in teams, offering ideas or judgments that are purposeful in moving the team towards goals, asking relevant and insightful questions, tolerating a range of positions and ambiguity in decision-making, and evaluating the work of the group based on agreed-upon criteria.

Ongoing TEKS

E3.1(E) use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauri, glossaries, histories of language, books of quotations, and other related references (printed or electronic) as needed

E3.1(A) determine the meaning of grade-level technical academic English words in multiple content areas (e.g., science, mathematics, social studies, the arts) derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes

E3.1(C) infer word meaning through the identification and analysis of analogies and other word relationships

E3.1(D) synthesize ideas and make logical connections (e.g., thematic links, author analyses) between and among multiple texts representing similar or different genres and technical sources and support those findings with textual evidence

E3. 1(B) analyze textual context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words

Learning Targets:

• Read a diverse selection of works across genres and time periods.
• Create a reading journal that requires careful, deliberative reading.
• Hone writing and analytical skills by responding to a multitude of thought-provoking questions about self-selected novels.
• Trace the changes of a central character.
• Discuss the effectiveness of the organization of ideas in the book.
• Identify the questions an author try to answer through the moral dilemmas presented in a novel.
• Evaluate how authors present enough evidence to support the main ideas in a novel.

Essential Questions:

• How does reading a book independently improve students’ analytical skills?
• How does increasing the volume of texts students read improve their comprehension and stamina?

Extra Information:

Adopted Textbook: Texas Treasures - American Literature, McGraw-Hill

District Grading Policy

Texas Gateway Online Resource Center