Week of September 19th, 2016

"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. 

English 12:  Why do heroes exist?
Students will complete the epic poem, Beowulf.  They will summarize plot and identify and apply literary devices.  The focus will be on the characteristic traits of the Anglo-Saxon hero.Students will read and respond to the Beowulf graphic novel.  They will be required to answer questions and write an argumentative response.  Students have been given a specific goal for writing to reach/exceed.  They have identified how and when the goal needs to be met.  Students will be responsible for tracking their progress on their charts. The argumentative response will be due on Tuesday, 9/20.  There will be a test on Wednesday, 9/21.  The students will be assigned a poem with a hero perspective.  They will be required to create a graphic novel cover for the assigned poem.  Students will need to include the requirements of a comic book cover, apply archetypal hero elements, and demonstrate comprehension of poetry.

Public Speaking:  Why is it just as important to listen as it is to speak?
Students will be reading and responding to Chapter 3.  They will be able to understand the importance of being a good audience member.  Listening skills are necessary for analyzing and evaluating a speech.  Students will learn to give effective feedback to their peers and receive constructive criticism from their peers.

Keystone Literature Remediation:  Why is self-assessment important?
Students will work on identified/assigned individual goals.  They will be required to complete Key 2. Students will be required to take, correct, and identify answers. They will be responsible for identifying the type of question they need to work on.  Students will use the "Question Stems" handout to help identify a question type. They are also working in the Opened.com app/site.  Students will need to retake an assessment on the Opened.com site if they received a score less than 77%.  They have also been assigned an assessment on the site to help them strengthen an area of weakness.  Students are responsible for charting their progress in their files.