A Rich World of Literature

English I Honors
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English I Honors
English I College Prep
World/Brit Lit

NOTES TO PARENTS AND STUDENTS

Although there may not be written homework, please do not forget that you will almost always have reading to complete for each evening. Do not fall behind in either your writing or reading assignments, since your grade will suffer. Keep in mind that to remain in the honors program at Troy, you are expected to consistently complete your homework. By repeatedly failing to do your assignments or finishing them sloppily or insufficiently, you will risk your place in the program.

 

 

Troy’s English Honors/IB Program is an accelerated, arduous academic program of philosophical inquiry and intellectual discovery. Successful students are those who embrace their academic studies with zeal, demonstrate high-level thinking, willingly devote many hours outside the classroom to their studies and regularly produce superior work which reflects their thoughtful preparation. Students who do not enjoy reading, or at least appreciate the challenge of reading at an accelerated pace, should reconsider their honors placement immediately or at least very early in the first quarter. Those who struggle with reading will develop a greater sense of confidence in a class that provides them with more support than is present in an honors class.

A student’s admittance to Troy’s IB Program is not, of course, a guarantee of his or her success; the same student who may have maintained an A in his or her middle school English class and experienced considerable freedom from homework at that level will likely not repeat that experience in the IB Program. Ninth graders should be cautioned against over extending themselves in extracurricular activities.

Sometimes the A student in junior high becomes a B student in a high school honors course. The dip in grades may be for only a few weeks, or it may extend for a longer period of time. If this should happen, please encourage your student to continue to put forth his or her best efforts. Your son or daughter is learning a great deal at this level and has an excellent opportunity to increase his or her abilities among peers of compatible interests and ability levels. Please, however, be aware if your student is struggling too much. If he or she is constantly frustrated or questioning materials or concepts presented in class or in the reading, perhaps he/she needs to consider another program offered at Troy. We want your student to be placed correctly and working at a level where he or she experiences the greatest challenge and success.

 

 

Extra credit points are rarely given and will not replace an assignment that was not completed. If a student needs to rely on extra credit for a passing grade, he or she is not performing at the honors level and should seek another class level.

CORE READING

We will be considering some of the world’s greatest literary works. With the exception of two plays, all of the readings are on the prescribed International Baccalaureate book list.

We will begin the school year with a series of great short stories and study them by analyzing the elements of fictional writing. We will proceed to read the ancient Greek plays, Oedipus Rex and Antigone, the novels A Tale of Two Cities and Nectar in a Sieve. The inspiration drama, The Miracle Worker, will conclude our first semester.

Second semester will find us involved in a poetry unit that is followed by a research project covering a subject of each student’s choice. This will be a research assignment using the MLA-format and culminating in an oral presentation. We will be reading three novels from the twentieth century; they are Something Wicked This Way  Comes, and Lord of the Flies. The final piece of literature we will read together is Much Ado About Nothing.

California State Standards:

WRITING: Students will: Write strategies for coherent and focused essays that incorporate organization, clarity, research, technology, evaluation, and revision.  Write biographical, autobiographical, or narrative accounts. Compile responses to literature that include analytical essays, research reports and persuasive compositions. Demonstrate an understanding of grammar and the mechanics of writing in their papers.

GRAMMAR: Students will: Identify and correctly use clauses, phrases, the mechanics of punctuation, understand sentence construction, and proper English usage. Indicate proper English usage and control of grammar, paragraph and sentence structure, diction, and syntax.

READING: Students will: Identify and use the literal and figurative meanings of words, distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words and interpret the connotative power of words. Read and understand grade-level appropriate material and analyze the organizational patterns, arguments, and positions advanced. Prepare works cited page(s) for reports. Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration. Evaluate the credibility of an author’s work

SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Students will: Deliver focused and coherent presentations that convey clear and distinct perspectives, solid-reasoning using gestures, tone, and vocabulary tailored to the audience and situation.

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English 1 and World Lit.
Taught by Mrs. Rich