"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." - William Butler Yeats
The goal of this English class is to produce critical thinkers. Students are not only reading for comprehension but for meaning and relevancy of the work as a whole. Literature is also an example of good writing. The writing improves when a student reads. Vocabulary also improves because the student is learning to read in context. We want successful students who can think critically and communicate effectively.
Academic English 9: The students will begin working on the short story, "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. They will be responsible for reading, comprehending, and analyzing the literature. They will be able to apply literary elements and devices to the short story. Students will begin to make connections to the importance of learning and understanding human nature which is necessary for the interpretation and analysis of literature. Practical English 11: The students will begin the Unit on Puritanism. They will be required to read, comprehend, and analyze informational articles on Puritanism, The Salem Witch Trials, and McCarthyism in preparation for the reading and analysis of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and The Crucible.
English 11: The students will need to define, dissect, and apply vocabulary for unit 9. The students will begin reading the literature from the Enlightenment. They will read the an excerpt from Ben Franklin's Autobiography and Aphorisms from Poor Richard's Almanack. Students will be required to read and interpret a list of Franklin's common aphorisms. They will then create a list of 10 aphorisms for today's culture.
Practical English 12: The students will be completing the written assignment on Anglo-Saxon elegies which will be due on Tuesday, February 11th. Work on Vocabualry Unit 2 will begin on Tuesday and be due on Wednesday, February 12th. There will be a review of Vocabulary Squares and worksheets on Thursday. The Vocabulary Unit 2 Test will be on Friday, February 14th.
