English I – Fall Semester

 

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams,

and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined,

he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. . . .

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost;

that is where they should be. 

 Now put the foundations under them.

                        Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854)

 

Welcome to High School English I.  We will explore the grammar and vocabulary of our wonderful language through close study and creative work.  Additionally, this course will include literary discussions based on our monthly novels/lengthier readings, short stories, poems and essays. 

 

Many classes will begin with a quiz based on the weekly reading(s) and/or the previous week’s vocabulary lesson.   Most weeks, a 2-3 page essay will be assigned to treat a particular topic or practice a highlighted writing technique.  Papers are to be handed in during class on the dates they are due.  I cannot accept late homework.  If you are absent, please email me your work on the due date.  Please consult the grading rubric and an obliging editor before handing in work – it would be a shame to lose points unnecessarily. 

 

Honors students will also need to keep a weekly journal of between 5-10 sentences of free-writing:  ideas for future works, daily tally of events, or other ungraded, unregulated work.  I will not check the content, merely its completion. 

 

Please consult the webpage dedicated to our class; homework assignments and other communication are posted there frequently. 

 

Tips for success:       

Take a walk or other exercise before class; this little measure seems to help the brain focus. 

Read assignments to others – the more the better; works sound quite different when read aloud. 

 

If you are taking this class for credit, the breakdown is as follows: 

          Essays and writing assignments:  50%

          Quizzes: 30%

          Class participation:  20%

 

The following are the novels you will need to procure for this semester.  The other short stories or poems will be provided for you, either via a link or scanned copy on the webpage, or a printout to be delivered during class. 

 

September

            Writing focus:  Essays:  Thesis Statements

            Monthly reading:     

                         Kindred by Octavia Butler

October

            Writing focus:  Essay Organization and Transitional Sentences

            Monthly reading:

                        The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

 

November / December

            Writing focus: Introductions & Conclusions

            Monthly reading:

                        Brave New World by Aldus Huxley 

 

 

Spring Semester (subject to change)

 

 

December / January 

            Writing focus: Introductions & Conclusions

            Monthly reading:

                        Emma by Jane Austen

 

February

            Writing focus:  Essay 

            Monthly reading:  The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (free source here)

                                               

 

March 

            Writing focus:  Essay

            Monthly reading:

                      The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

April

            Writing focus:  Essay 

            Monthly reading:  TBD

                        

 

May

            Writing focus:  Essay

            Monthly reading:  TBD