Instructor: Ms. S. Shields
Conference Times: TBD
E-mail: sshields@houstonisd.org
Tutorials: Scheduled Weekly
English II focuses on developing students’ skills in several areas: speaking, listening, reading, writing and viewing. We will study works of world literature in its own context as well as its historical and cultural context. Selected works include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.
Vocabulary development is also an important component of the course. Students are encouraged to engage in “free reading” as much as possible to reinforce and extend the concepts taught in class and to encourage them to develop a lifelong habit of reading for pleasure and information.
The student’s grade in the course will be determined by her performance on the following:
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Vocabulary quizzes—vocabulary from the book –quiz on each lesson. This component of vocabulary study is done mostly out of class, as an ongoing homework assignment.

Literature quizzes—based on the work of literature that we are studying at the time.
These quizzes will be given after each unit and will evaluate reading comprehension, including vocabulary in context, and understanding of literary elements. Major works we’ll read include: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by
William Shakespeare, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and another classic work of literature selected by students.

Response to Literature—Students will be expected to respond analytically to literature.
Students will learn the appropriate techniques of analyzing texts and the best ways to present them in Short Answer Response Form as well as using Socratic Seminars.
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Writing Assignments—Students will be required to complete one major writing piece for each six weeks. The genres will vary from period to period. The focused areas of writing we will be mastering are Informative and Persuasive.

Semester Projects—Students will be responsible for developing a proposal and plan for two semester writing projects. Students can write about whatever they would like.
Late Work: No late work will be accepted in accordance with YWCPA’s late work policy .
Projects/Tests: 40%
Classwork/Quizzes: 30%
Participation: 10%
Homework: 20%
Final: 25%
2 Packs of Black Pens Only
1 One inch Binder
1 Folder with brads and pockets
1 Pack of highlighters
1 Pack of dividers
4 Packs of lose leaf paper

Course Schedule (Tentative)
Unit 1: Voice, Tone & Style in Poetry and Literary Nonfiction
Week 1: Syllabus and The Language of Poetry (Assign Tuesdays with Maury)
Week 2: Poetic Devices and various selections
Week 3: Classroom Poet: Writing and Analyzing Poetry (Assign Semester Projects)
Week 4: Look at Rhetorical Strategies and Elements of a style (Book Study: Tuesdays with Maury)
Week 5: Continue TWM & Classroom Author: Writing Literary Nonfiction
Week 6: Edit, Revise & Publish
Unit 2: Purpose & Rhetoric in Persuasive and Expository Text
Week 1: Author’s Purpose & Rhetorical Strategies in Expository Texts
Week 2: Analyzing and Evaluating Expository Texts
Week 3: Classroom Author: Research & 6+1 traits of writing
Week 4: Author’s Purpose & Rhetorical Strategies in Persuasive Texts
Week 5: Analyzing and Evaluating Persuasive Texts
Week 6: Classroom Author: Persuasive Essay & STAAR Practice
Unit 3: Introducing and Analyzing Drama
Week 1: Introduce the elements of drama (Assign The Tragedy of Julius Caesar)
Week 2: Literary devices and Shakespearean Theater
Week 3: Analyzing and Evaluating TTOJC
Week 4: Classroom Author: Writing a character or literary analysis
Week 5: Classroom Playwright: Write a scene for TTOJC
Week 6: Edit, Revise & Publish (Semester Projects due)

Unit 4: Reading and Analyzing Fiction
Week 1: Introduce Elements of Fiction and more literary devices (Assign Things Fall Apart)
Week 2: Setting, Plot, Point Of View
Week 3: Characterization and Theme (Assign 2 nd Semester Project)
Week 4: Analyzing and Evaluating TFA
Week 5: Socratic Seminar and SAR Responses
Week 6: Edit, Revise & Publish
Unit 5: Rhetorical Devices in Social Issues
Week 1: Review Rhetorical Devices and Strategies
Week 2: Review Persuasive Writing Using STAAR Prompts
Week 3: Review analyzing texts using STAAR SAR Prompts
Week 4: Assess SARs and Persuasive essays
Week 5: Read and Evaluate Expository & Persuasive Texts
Week 6: Socratic Seminar over class selected social issue (Students select last novel)
Unit 6: Social Issues in Media
Week 1: Introduction to Media and Bias (Assign Synthesis folder)
Week 2: Evaluating sources for validity and bias
Week 3: Review of citing sources correctly
Week 4: Socratic Seminar over student selected novel
Week 5: Social Issue Panel Discussion (Synthesis Folder due)
Week 6: Student writing portfolios (with semester project) due

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