Syllabus for English 11
Teacher: David Adams
Teacher Candidate: Crystal Hanson
Milwaukie High School: e-mail: adamsd@nclack.k12.or.us; phone 503-353-5840 ext. 38357
Communication is human existence.
We need to communicate (receive and express) ideas, thoughts, dreams, feelings,
emotions, etc. that are important to us as individuals. Reading and writing give us the
opportunity to explore/expand/express those elements important to us as individuals. In
English class students will be reading literature that causes the readers to experience, view, and
think critically about the world in which they live. As well as reading, students will be authors
to express their views, experiences and beliefs about the world. Becoming stronger
communicators through reading and writing is the objective of English class.
We will be working on these National Standards for Reading, Writing and Language:
11th – 12th Grade Priority CCSS
Reading Literature
 RL.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story
or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and
developed).
 RL.5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice
of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its
overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
 RL.6. Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a
text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
Reading Informational Texts
 RI.2. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the
text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an
objective summary of the text.
 RI.3. Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or
events interact and develop over the course of the text.
 RI.5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or
argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
 RI.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective,
analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
Writing
 W.1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning
and relevant and sufficient evidence.
o b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence
for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the
audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
o c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text,
create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and
evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
 W.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information
clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
o b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended
definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the
audience’s knowledge of the topic.
o e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
 W.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-
chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
o b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot
lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
 W. 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing
products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
 W.8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced
searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and
audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism
and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.
Speaking and Listening
 SL.1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
o b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision making, set clear goals
and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.
o d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made
on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional
information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
 SL.2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility
and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
 SL.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective,
such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and
the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of
formal and informal tasks.
Language
 L.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
 Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes
contested.
 L.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on
grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
 L.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
o a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.
o b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Behavioral Expectations:
Students will respect others students and me, the teacher. I understand that this is a very broad
statement. Respect is at the heart of what we need to be doing. Simply speaking, this means
that if one is asked to stop, then one needs to stop, and when one is asked to comply with a
request, one needs to comply.
Class work/Grading:
 10 points represents the base value of minor assessments. Major assessments given at the
end of a unit, will be equal in total point value as the collection of minor assessments for
that particular unit of study.
 Bring a school appropriate book to read every day.
 Every class period will begin with taking notes in a spiral: a minor quiz assessment will
occur every two weeks regarding the notes.
 The standard 90(A), 80(B), 70(C), 60(D)% scale will be used for grades.
 Late work will be accepted until the end of the unit of study.
 Cheating will result in a zero on the assessment.
 I am available most days before school to drop by for help. For after school assistance
please set a day and time with me prior to your arrival.
 As per NCSD requirement, there will be at least one project assigned and assessed using
the District’s Proficiency based rubric.
Units of Study:
Unit 1: Writing - Narrative / Reading - Historical Narratives, parts of The Crucible
Unit 2: Writing – Narrative / Reading – Short Stories possibly by Poe, Bierce, Twain
Unit 3: Writing – Argumentative / Reading --- Non-Fiction writings by Emerson, Thoreau
Unit 4: Writing – Informative / Reading – Satire possibly Huck Finn
Unit 5: Writing – Literary Analysis / Reading – Great Gatsby; Death of a Salesman
Books read this year are listed in the District Approved Novel List that can be found on the MHS
webpage (under the student section) and also on the district webpage. If you have any questions about
individual novels listed, feel free to contact me.