English 4

Course Objectives: The students will demonstrate the ability to

• respond to text by employing personal experiences and critical analysis.

• demonstrate the phases of writing: draft, revision, and final copy.

• paraphrase, summarize, and respond to complex texts

• differentiate between key ideas and supporting details in reading.

• synthesize source material into a documented essay

• follow MLA rules for documentation.

Course Syllabus

Unit 1 Success: What does it mean to succeed?

A Personal Prologue- Jim Burke

TED Talk on the longest study on happiness

TED Talk on finding your passion from Ken Robinson

Death of a Salesman- Arthur Miller

The Rocking-Horse Winner- D.H. Lawrence

Writing Workshop: Annotated Bibliography, Persuasive Essay, Vocabulary

Unit 2 Power: What are the different types and sources of power?

Othello- William Shakespeare 

Uncharted Territory Nonfiction pairings

Writing Workshop: Rhetorical Analysis Presentation

Unit 3 Freedom: What does freedom feel like? What does it mean to be free?

"The Story of an Hour"- Kate Chopin

"Still I Rise"- Maya Angelou

"Saturday at the Canal"- Gary Soto

Writing Workshop: Research Simulation Task, Vocabulary 

Unit 4 Relationships: How are we related and what do we share?

"The Facebook Sonnet"- Sherman Alexie

"Narcissus"- Caravaggio

"Letter from a Birmingham Jail"- Dr. Martin Luther King

"The Pardoner's Tale"- Geoffrey Chaucer

Writing Workshop: Literary Analysis, Vocabulary

*Need help with citing evidence, in-text citations, and MLA format? Visit the Purdue Writing Lab.   

Materials needed: 

1. notebook for this class only

2.  something to write with

3. charged Chromebook- EVERYDAY!

Classroom Rules and Expectations: 

• Be on time. This means you must be in your seat when the bell rings. 

• You are expected to listen, pay attention, participate, keep your head up and your eyes open, complete all class and homework assignments and respect each other as well as yourself, the teacher and the classroom.

• You may not go to the bathroom while we are in front of the class teaching. Wait until teachers give an assignment and you begin working on it before you ask to go.

• Cell Phones must be turned to silent and stowed away in the front of the room.  The cell phone in its appropriate place will be how we take attendance.  If you are caught with your cell phone in class, here is the discipline actions that will be taken:

  • 1st infraction = warning

  • 2nd infraction = warning & phone call home

  • 3rd infraction = write-up, phone taken and administration will take disciplinary action

*There will be times when teachers will allow you to be on your phone, but not instructional time or when we are working on an assignment. As soon as assignments are completed, cell phones can be used. 

• No earbuds are to be worn in class unless you are given permission.

• You will receive only one day for a forgotten assignment after that then it is a zero.  

• You are responsible for checking our Google Classrooms or Calendars or coming to us to see what you have missed if you are absent. We will not hunt you down. You will have 2 school days to complete the assignment.

• All school rules (including lateness and attendance policies) are in effect in the classroom.