Miss Jennifer Cerdá
10 Grade English Honors
Syllabus
th
Unit Topic/Title: Coming of Age: The Importance of Finding Voice to Create Identity
Major Text: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson,
Side note: There will be other reading materials such as short stories, poems, and related
quotes.
Materials Needed: Loose leaf lined paper, Composition or spiral notebook, Binder
designated for this English class preferably with dividers, post-it notes, highlighters, and
a pencil and/or black or blue and red pens. Reading material will be provided, unless
students decide to provide personal copies.
Overall Goals and Objectives:
 SWBAT give their own definition of what is means to grow up.
 SWBAT relate the theme of growing up to the main text.
 SWBAT understand characterization through the use of graphic organizers.
 SWBAT make connections from the main text to other related material such as
short stories, poetry, etc.
 SWBAT discuss and analyze literature daily and create a compiled journal filled
with prompts relating to the text.
 SWBAT answer essential questions through the unit by activating their own
experiences.
 SWBAT learn and understand new vocabulary related to the theme and texts.
 SWBAT create an Awareness Project at the end of the unit that could include a
skit, brochure/pamphlet, posters, and/or a mini newsletter.
 Students will learn that themes in literature, particularly the theme “coming of
age,” are similar to and reflective of their own lives and experiences.
 SWBAT compare and contrast the experiences of different characters in regard to
a certain theme.
 SWBAT use reading strategies such as predicting, summarizing, annotating, etc.
to help them understand and appreciate texts.
 SWBAT define and analyze the concept of theme and pick out instances of
themes from various pieces of literature.
 SWBAT analyze a piece of literature for themes, symbolism, imagery, etc.
Policies, Rules and Procedures:
 Bathroom Pass: (Teacher will hold on to the passes each day)
 Students will be given a hole-punch card with Monday-Friday by a
month. Students are required to have their card punched when they go
to the restroom. There is only 1 use per day, use it well. If there are 3
days in each week that the card is NOT punched, students will receive
extra credit.
 Food and Beverages:
Miss Jennifer Cerdá
10 Grade English Honors
Syllabus
th
o Only water or clear liquids will be allowed in the classroom. No other
beverages will be allowed, as accidents tend to happen.
o Food will be allowed, however it must be healthy, quiet, and you are
expected to clean up after yourselves. If this becomes a problem, the
privilege will be taken away.
o No gum is allowed.
 Electronics:
o You can play your own music (ipods/mp3 players), only if you
have headphones and only during independent work. Music should not be loud
enough for the person next to you to hear. Headphones are not to be worn during
other times, and must be removed immediately when asked to do so by the teacher.
o Cell phones should be placed in your backpacks and on silent.
There is to be no texting during class time.
 Attendance
o Attendance is mandatory and crucial to your success. If you miss a class
for any reason it is your responsibility to get the assignments from me
before school, at lunch, or after school on the day you on the day you
return. If the absence is Excused you will have 1 day for every day absent
to turn in the make-up work.
o You can miss up to 2 classes as unexcused but you are still responsible for
handing in the due homework. Any additional absences will result in grade
reduction.
 Classroom Environment:
o SWBAT Objectives will be posted on a white board or poster.
o Desks would be in two arched rows with the teacher’s desk in the center.
o There’s a “Turn In” and “Hand Back” bin for assignments.
 Classroom Rules (Will be posted on wall)
o Be respectful to everyone
o Speak thoughtfully
o Contribute to activities and conversations
o Act with integrity
o Be mature: respect others’ race, culture. Religion, gender, sexual
orientation, politics, differing world view, etc.
o Follow the schools policies
Instructional Strategies: Students will work in small groups as well as independently.
There will be discussion in small groups and as a whole class. Students will exercise their
minds in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Major Assignments:
1.) Venn Diagram- Students will create a venn diagram for the character of Melinda
based on the “before column” of how she is in the beginning of the book, the
“after column” of how she is in the end, and the “same column” of how she
remained a bit of herself throughout the whole novel.
Miss Jennifer Cerdá
10 Grade English Honors
Syllabus
th
2.) Identity Trees- Students will create their own identity tree based on their
individual lives.
3.) Reading Log responses- Will be based off of the reading assigned for homework.
Students will include a summary and reader response. They MUST include at
least 3 ideas/ bulleted points from the reading log prompts to receive full credit.
4.) Journal responses- Will be held every day posted on the board. These responses
will range from general/essential questions, quotes, poems, etc. The students are
given adequate time to respond (Think), discuss with either partners, small
groups, or as a class (Pair &Share). The grouping will be left up to the teacher
based on what they feel is appropriate for the specific task.
5.) Vocabulary Log & sticky notes- The Weekly Vocabulary will be handed out at
the beginning of every week. Students are REQUIRED for homework not only to
record the given words in their logs (organized as handout shows), but to come up
with at least 3 other words not given. These 3 or more new words will be tabbed
with sticky notes labeling the word and page number it’s located on. For Bellwork
the next day, as a class, each student will share 1 of the words they found so that
if another also had difficulty with said word but did not have the chance to record
it, they can do so then.
6.) “Stick Man” Characterization- 3 Stickman handouts will be given. These
characterizations will be of the characters Heather, Dave Patrakis, and Mr.
Freeman.
7.) Literary Analysis- Students will explore the text through identifying Mood,
Imagery, Analogy, Irony, Metaphor, Motif/Symbolism, etc.
8.) P.O.V. Rewrite- This novel is written in 1st person. Students will be asked to rewrite a chapter in a point of view of their choosing but from a different
character’s View point.
9.) “I am” Poem- Students will express their identity through an “I am” poem, but
they MUST use at least 3 vocabulary words. Partners will read their poem and
create an illustration for it.
10.)
Expression Collage- Students will create a collage of how they are
currently feeling, how they have been feeling, and/or how they wish they were
feeling. These will later be posted in the room for the students to analyze & interpret.
11.)
Awareness Project (individual or in groups of 3 or 4)
o Students can:
 Create and perform a skit (has to be approved)
 Create brochures/pamphlets
 Make bold and attention grabbing posters
 Create a mini school newspaper or newsletter of personal experiences,
concerns, and expressive writing pieces (if we have permission, copies
will be made for fellow students to pick up. If not, only the class will
receive copies).
12.) Exit tickets- to be handed in on the way out of every class period.
Miss Jennifer Cerdá
10 Grade English Honors
Syllabus
th
Assignment
1. Attendance/Participation
2. Exams (4)
3. Reading Logs
4. Bellwork/Journal Prompts (18)
5. Literary Analysis (4)
6. Final Project
7. Identity Tree
8.Venn Diagram
9. Stickman Characterizations
9.Chapter Re-write
10. Expression Collage
11. “I am” Poem
12. Exit tickets (5)
13. Vocabulary
Extra credit (bathroom pass)
Points Possible
5pts/Week –20pts total
100pts each –400pts total
100pts
5pts each –90pts total
15pts each –60pts total
100pts
25pts
10pts
100pts
15pts
10pts
20pts
2pts each -20pts total
50pts
1pt
Point System:
A 1020-1010
B 1009-1000
C 999-990
D 989-980
F 979-BELOW
Note: Journals and Vocabulary will be picked up EVERY Friday.
Points Earned
Miss Jennifer Cerdá
10 Grade English Honors
Syllabus
th
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Unit
Introduction
*Lecture
*Discussion
*Exit ticket
Pre-Reading
*Introduction to
Theme &
NovelAnticipatory
Guide“Before”
*Journal-Book
Cover
*Vocabulary
List #1
HW: Read
pages 3-20
Vocabulary
Characterization
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Venn Diagram
*Concept map
*Introduction to
Identity Tree
*Video Clip“Cliques”
Roots
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Literary
Analysis
*Roots of
Identity
Tree
*Exit ticket
Trunk
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Trunk of the
tree: who
makes up
your
identity?
Education
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*DiscussionSchool
Identity
Mascot &
clubs
*Importance
of education
*Branches of
the tree
*Vocabulary
List #2
Heather
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Stickman
Characterization
*Literary
Analysis
First Marking
Period
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Think Pair
Share
-Impressions
-Questions
-Predictions
-Analysis
Poetry
*Bellwork
*Journal
PromptIntroduction
to Poetry
* “I am”
Poem
*Think Pair
Share-
Dave Patrakis
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Stickman
Characterization
*P.O.V. mini
lesson
Chapter Rewrite
Vocabulary
#1Due
HW: Read
pages 20-35
Vocabulary
Recap
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
Recap of
discussion
*Last
questions
Quiz 1
HW: Read
pages 49-65
Vocabulary
HW: Read
pages 35-46
Vocabulary
Voice
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Video Clip“Debate”
*Last questions
Quiz 2
“IT”
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Literary
Analysis
*Class
Discussion
of “It”
Presentations
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Tree
presentations
*Exit ticket
*Stickman
Due
*Identity
Trees Due
*Vocabulary
#2 Due
Expression
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Class
Discussion
*Expression
Collage
Miss Jennifer Cerdá
10 Grade English Honors
Syllabus
th
Illustrations
*Vocabulary
List #3
*Exit ticket
Week 4
Awareness
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Awareness
Project
Introduction
*Research
*Vocabulary
List #4
HW: Read
pages 65-92
Vocabulary
Mr. Freeman
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Stickman
Characterization
*View &
Analyze
Collages
*Video Clip“Interpretation”
HW: Read
pages 123-162
Vocabulary
HW: Read
pages 93123
Vocabulary
Confliction
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Conflict mini
lesson
*Video Clip“Inner
Struggle”
Quiz 3
The
Incident
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Literary
Analysis
*Thorough
Discussion
–Rape
*Exit ticket
HW: Read
pages 163198
Vocabulary
*Stickman
Due
*Chapter Rewrite Due
*Vocabulary
#3 Due
Closure
*Bellwork
*Journal
Prompt
*Anticipatory
Guide“After”
*Venn
Diagram
completion
Quiz 4
*Stickman
Due
*Vocabulary
#4 Due
*Awareness
Projects are
Due
-----------Week 5: Presentations of Awareness Projects---------