Lesson Plans

Course Description

Eleventh grade English introduces students to rhetorical and literary structure and style, with the purpose of establishing literacy habits that will help students think critically about literature and life and express themselves clearly. Students will read and discuss nonfiction, fiction, poetry and plays--with an emphasis on American Literature. As scholars, students formulate and discuss their questions, thoughts, interpretations, and analyses.  Students will master the ability to write textually substantiated analyses and interpretations of a portion or whole text and will apply research methods and the creative process to develop and express understanding. Students will also learn to collaborate and support one another as a community of diverse learners and professionals.

Using the writing process to craft their own literary works, students will experiment with language, style and structure, making conscious and informed decisions about word choice, imagery, details, figurative language, and other literary and rhetorical devices in order to effectively convey their ideas. Students will study the work of other authors in order to improve their own craft and develop an understanding of how authors make choices that enable them to engage readers in asking profound questions and creating more nuanced perspectives and interpretations of our world. 

Course Objectives

Throughout the year, we will:

• Examine how literature has influenced and been influenced by American history and culture.

• Explore, analyze and discuss ideas and craft in nonfiction, fiction, poetry, drama, artwork, podcasts and film.

• Use the research process to investigate, evaluate, synthesize and present information and diverse points of view on a variety of topics.

• Examine and explore how choices in language, structure and style can impact the expression of ideas.

• Write and publish academic and creative works that incorporate literary and rhetorical techniques.

• Apply academic skills such as note-taking, studying, researching, academic writing and academic citations.