Curriculum Overview

The High School English Curriculum will include the following components at each grade level. The numbers in parentheses indicate which of the Washington State EALRS are covered by study in each of the areas).

Modern Novel Study: (Component 2.1, 2.1.4, 2.2.2, 2.2.3 etc.)

Students will read the novel chosen for their grade level with a focus on developing understanding of the following elements of fiction writing. Students will write on various aspects of these elements as encountered in the novel of choice. Students will write one formal essay on a subject related to these elements using the process writing approach (Pre-writing, Rough Draft, Revising, Editing, Peer feedback, Publishing)

• Themes
• Characterization
• Setting
• Point of View
• Plot
  • Conflict
  • Suspense

Daily Writing: (This covers 2.2 – writing for different audiences and purposes – also deals with conventions 1.2)

Students will develop an online “blog” which will be accessible only to them and the teacher and those they wish to invite as readers. They will take 10 minutes at the beginning of each period to do a journal entry. Teacher will check for spelling, grammar and punctuation before students are allowed to post. This provides students with daily feedback on their progress with writing conventions, and also gives them a space to keep an ongoing record of their experiences, thoughts and feelings.

Fiction Writing: (Writing 3.1- 3.5) (Reading 2.2.3 analyze story elements)

Students will read two short stories and will demonstrate understanding of the elements of fiction writing through discussion and written explanation of what they see in the stories. Students will then be asked to begin structuring their own story. Requirements will be adjusted relative to grade level. Students will proceed as follows:

• Develop a central character – write a short biography of this character, answer questions about your main character in order to develop your ideas.
• Describe the setting – tell where your character lives: town or country? What is their house like? Where do they hang out? etc.
• What is the main conflict that your protagonist faces – internal or external? What other minor problems if any?
• How will you create suspense?
• Do sketches of your three main scenes - provide sensory detail.
• Give an overview of your plot-line.

Process writing is followed in the course of this assignment: when this material has been submitted and approved by the teacher, students will work on rough draft, and then final draft of their story. This will be followed by peer review, editing and publishing.

Poetry Unit (Covers 2.3 – write in different forms, Reading – 3.4.2 – explain how meaning is enhanced through various features of poetry….)

Students will spend one month each year focusing on learning about poetic language, figures of speech and poetic terminology. Students will post certain poems on their blogs and will practice reading their poems out loud. They will research the life of a poet of their choice and will do a presentation for the rest of the class which will include:

• A brief biography of their poet, explaining the era in which he/she wrote
• An example of his/her poetry read aloud
• An explanation of why this poet and particularly this poem appeals to the student
• What literary devices does this poet use?

Research Paper: (Component 3.1.1, 3.2, 2.2.2)

Each high school student will submit a research paper on a subject of their choice. The requirements for these papers will increase for each grade level. At each level, students will be required to follow MLA standards and will include the following:

• Body of the paper double-spaced with correct margins, 12 point font, pages numbered etc.
• Design a thesis statement and support it in the body of the essay
• Citations included in body of writing
• Works Cited page with all sources listed
• Justifications for each internet source used

Students will be expected to use formal, impersonal language in traditional research style.

• In the course of doing this paper, students will be required to consider how they should assess web-sites for quality. This information is required for the successful completion of the justifications. Students will become aware of the fact that some sites are valid sources of research and others are based on personal opinion and/or propaganda.

• Students will learn how to use the Internet more effectively by using various search engines, including the use of the “advanced search”.

• The development of this paper also provides student with practice in note-taking and paraphrasing, both of which are essential for academic success.

Oral Presentations:

Students will be required to do an oral presentation of the subject of their paper. They will use some kind of visual aid to present their material. This can be PowerPoint, posters or some other form of visual help for their audience.

Before their presentations, students will be given a rubric which will be discussed in class. This will familiarize them with the requirements for an effective oral presentation. Students will be given two opportunities to practice before giving their final presentation.

Classical Fiction: (Component 2.3 – analyze story elements; 3.4.4 analyze and evaluate the great literary works from a variety of cultures….,

In each grade students will read a work of classical fiction from the public domain – this material is all available online. Juniors and seniors will read a Shakespeare play each year and one other novel from the public domain (British or American literature). These works will be studied with the elements of fiction in mind and students will be required to write a formal essay on a theme of the work with reference to how that theme has been supported through the author’s use of the elements of fiction writing.

Essay Study: (Component 2.3, 2.4, 2.2.4 – author’s use of persuasive devices)

Students will read two non-fiction essays. We will discuss the meaning of the word “essay” and develop a list of reasons why these essays are successful. Juniors and seniors will be required to find another essay that they think is successful and read it to the class, with an explanation of why they thought it was good.

• What is the main idea the author it presenting?
• What literary devices does the author use to get her point across?
• What is the tone of the piece?

Students will then write their own persuasive or expository essay. Freshmen will follow the traditional five-paragraph form; older students will have more leeway to develop a longer essay, following the basic guidelines for essay writing. All students will be given a rubric checklist as a reference for the requirements of a good essay.

Creative Non-fiction: (Component 3.4)

Students will read some examples of creative non-fiction works: memoirs, travel writing, personal essay etc. to develop an understanding of this genre and what it includes. They will then be required to write their own creative non-fiction piece which will be based on experiences from their own lives and reflections on those experiences. The creative aspects of this genre will be emphasized and students will learn about how to blend poetic language with prose writing.

Vocabulary: (Component 1.2, 1.3)

Students will keep a log of words which are new to them and which they add to their word bank each week. These can be words which they have discovered in their current reading of words which they find in the dictionary and wish to incorporate in their useable vocabulary. They will be given opportunities to share unusual words with fellow students, and write sentences demonstrating the correct use of their new words.

Book Report: (Component 4.2)

Students will read a book of their choice and will report on that book in any of the following modes:

• Write an essay about the book, including an evaluation – what valuable experience did the book provide for you? What would you have changed about the book, if you had the power to do so?
  • Also include major theme(s)
  • Literary devices used
  • Short explanation of
• Give a book talk – including the information above.