English 3

Class Overview

The Grade 11 Thematic Units provide students with a survey of American Literature and informational texts from early colonial times to the 21st century. Unit 1, We the People, travels back to early America, before 1800, and examines the events and ideas that shaped the American identity during colonial and revolutionary times. Unit 2, The Individual, provides examples of 19th-century literature and informational texts representing American Romanticism, the Civil War Era, and Regionalism and Realism. Reading these texts will help students gain an understanding of the importance of the concept of individualism in 19th-century America. Unit 3, Modern Times, covers the more recent American literary movements, from the beginnings of the Modern Age to the present, as students learn how being an American was redefined in the 20th century and continues to be redefined today. In our last unit, students will read civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson's nonfiction book Just Mercy and analyze his argument about the American legal system. Students discuss themes related to compassion, mercy, and the lasting effects of injustice on individuals and their communities. Through Related Media Exploration, students consider connections between compassion and reform and the role of each in fulfilling Stevenson's call to action. 

Students will build their writing by working on their Writer’s Notebook in class daily. Extended writing assessments for the year include Argumentative, Narrative, Synthesis, and Informative essays. Lastly, students will engage in independent reading to explore a variety of genres, authors, and themes at their own pace. Through consistent reading practice, they will develop stronger comprehension skills, expand their vocabulary, and deepen their ability to think critically about texts.