English 11/12

English 11/12

This one term course explores various English topics at an 11th and 12th grade level.  Students will study short fiction, poetry, and complete a novel study. Students will engage in sophisticated literary analysis, at a level appropriate for upperclassmen, of complex texts. 

• Prerequisites: English 9 & 10, junior or senior status

• ½ credit

Unit 1: Foundations of Power, Identity, and Oppression 

Students will read various texts & work to develop their personal answers to the questions:

1. In what ways does society influence personal identity?

2. How does society maintain systems of power?

3. What role does gender play in personal freedom and autonomy?

4. What role does social expectations play in personal freedom and autonomy?

Unit 2: Rebellion, Resistance, and Societal Control

Students will read various texts & work to develop their personal answers to the questions:

1. What motivates individuals or groups to resist oppressive systems?

2. What does resistance look like?

3. How does literature challenge, or expand, our understanding of human resilience in the face of overwhelming adversity?

Unit 3: Humanity in the Face of Atrocity

Students will read various texts & work to develop their personal answers to the questions:

1. What role can literature play in healing, justice, and the prevention of future atrocities?

2. How do individuals find meaning, hope, or identity in the face of overwhelming trauma?

3. What responsibilities do we, as readers and as a society, have toward the memories of those who have experienced oppression??

Unit 4: Visions of Change

1. Is it possible to have a socially just society?

2. Does rebellion protect or destroy a society? 

3. What role does hope or despair play in shaping our visions of the future?

All students are to adhere to rules and expectations set by the Pittsville Student Handbook. In addition students should adhere to the classroom norms they developed together as a class and follow the Academic Integrity 

Policy.

Assessments (including essays, quizzes, tests, and projects)………………….……….…………………………...…..100%

Note:  All other work, while not ‘graded,’ is designed to help students build and practice knowledge and skills that are necessary for the skills being assessed. Assessments will not be administered until other work is completed satisfactorily. If students wish to retake / retry assessments, they must follow the classroom retake policy which will be in the “Important Documents” section of Google Classroom.

• RL.1: Cite relevant textual evidence that strongly supports analysis of what the text says explicitly/implicitly and make logical inferences, including determining where the text is ambiguous; develop questions for deeper understanding and for further exploration.

• RL.2: Objectively and accurately summarize texts, from a variety of genres, to determine one or more themes or central ideas and analyze its development, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details.

• W.2a: Write arguments and literary analysis to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts.