Freshman English

Course Description

Please see leveled class pages for course descriptions

Essential Questions

Please see leveled class pages for essential questions

Enduring Understandings:

Enduring understandings are statements summarizing important ideas and core processes that are central to a discipline and have lasting value beyond the classroom. They synthesize what students should understand—not just know or do—as a result of studying a particular content area. Articulate what students should “revisit” over the course of their lifetimes in relationship to the content area.

• Effective communication relies on the usage of proper forms

• Writers have a purpose for writing

• Listening skills are critical for learning and communicating

• Ideas can be represented in a variety of mediums and may vary

• Reading novels by different authors and cultures, builds an understanding of the human experience.

• Reading is a process that includes applying a variety of strategies to improve comprehension, interpretation and evaluation of texts.

• Engaging in research /inquiry to investigate topics and to analyze, integrate, and present information and validate sources gives depth of knowledge

• Demonstrate the ability to use the tools of technology to gather, interpret, and analyze information and create sharable products

• 6 Traits - with a focus on: Ideas and Organization

Competencies

Reading

Demonstrate the ability to comprehend, analyze and critique increasingly complex literature in a wide range of formats and multiple genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience. *

Writing

Students will use the writing process to demonstrate the ability to analyze, critique, and create texts with different styles and topics. These concepts include but are not limited to supporting claims and reasoning with sufficient evidence for an intended purpose and audience, focusing on word choice, tone, and perspective, and utilizing the correct MLA format and citations. *

Research

Demonstrate the ability to effectively engage in ethical inquiry and research practices - managing multiple streams of information, evaluating sources, analyzing information, and presenting results. *

Listening/Speaking/ Viewing

Demonstrate the ability to listen and view critically as well as participate effectively in academic discourse – speaking purposefully and responding thoughtfully while demonstrating respect for diverse perspectives and making strategic decisions about content, language use and discourse style. *

Technology

Students will demonstrate the ability to use the tools of technology (including digital media and the Internet) to ethically and responsibly gather, interpret, analyze information, create shareable products and reflect on individual performance. *

*As specified in course specific criteria for each semester.

By the end of Freshman year, students will be able to:

• Craft a compelling argument and support that argument with clear organization

• Work toward a shared goal

• Apply knowledge and comprehension to make insightful connections among ideas, texts, etc.

• Demonstrate flexibility or original thinking

• Be proactive by defining and acknowledge problems that may arise. Use executive functioning skills to plan, organize, and time manage

• Understand and showcase a Growth Mindset by focusing on the process rather than the end result

• Appreciate multiple perspectives within the communities;

• Provide context with carefully selected evidence. Able to properly integrate quotations into their own sentences when applicable. (weaving quotes)

• Delegates roles throughout and share in the contribution of the final product

• Analyze and evaluate authors’ intentions and use of literary elements

• Effectively use a process that leads to a product or solution

• Be flexible and creative, devising alternatives and showing perseverance

• Showcase a reflection of their learning; through self awareness and character development (personal growth as well as through work samples)

• Viewing issues from the school, local, national, global, and/or digital community level.

• Use analysis and specific details to show significance rather than tell supporting subject matter

• Engage in self regulation while managing conflict if it shall arise

• Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text

• Use visuals to showcase understanding and depth of knowledge

• Be able to stay on task and utilize resources (meta-cognition) in order to successfully complete goal

• Consistently taking ownership of their learning through time management, meeting deadlines, and by being self starter.

• Make clear transitions between ideas and paragraphs

• Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

• Learn to give and receive constructive criticism

• Begin to develop a unique voice

• Showcases understanding through utilizing annotations to analyze a seminal part of work, to make connections, or as support

• Diagnose learning needs realistically with help from facilitators and peers.

• Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.

• The ability to select effective strategies for making use of learning resources and to perform these strategies skillfully and with initiative

• Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.

• Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented

Freshmen- All Levels

Literary Works by Author

9A

Austen - Pride and Prejudice

Bronte - Jane Eyre

Card - Ender's Game

Dickens - Tale of Two Cities

Golding - Lord of the Flies

Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet

Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men

9B

Bradbury - Dandelion Wine

Card - Ender's Game

Collins - The Hunger Games

Golding - Lord of the Flies

Keyes - Flowers for Algernon

Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet

Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men

9C

Collins - The Hunger Games

Keyes - Flowers for Algernon

Paulson - Nightjohn

Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet

Spinelli - Stargirl

Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men