English 11 Honors
Loudoun County High School
Mrs. Daniel
2015-2016
Email: Katie.Daniel@lcps.org
Phone: 571-252-2000
Room: 215
Course Description: Instruction is aligned with the Virginia SOL to challenge students to respond in a
fluent, effective, and analytical manner. Students are expected to master skills in
grammar and usage. Frequent writing assignments, which include persuasive and
analytical essays and a research paper, emphasize specific composing skills in
preparation for the Grade 11 SOL reading and writing tests, as well as Advanced
Placement English.
Through the lens of Essential Questions, the class explores the characteristics of
the major periods in the history of American literature as well as major works
from each period. Each student also selects an individual Big Question to guide
his or her independent inquiry throughout the year.
Areas of Study and Literature Selections:
 Literature
o Independent Reading
o The Things They Carried by
o The Crucible by Miller
O’Brien (excerpts)
o The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
o Various works of poetry, short
o Catcher in the Rye by Salinger
stories, and non-fiction
o A Raisin in the Sun by
Hansberry
o Literature choice are subject to change
 Writing
o Daily journals & dialectal journals
o Essay writing: analytical, argumentative, reflective
o Timed writings
 Research
o One per semester. Semester two the research focus will be the Big Question
 Vocabulary
o Study of roots & affixes
o SAT words/words from literature
 Grammar
o Preparation for SOL and SAT tests
o Continued review/study of punctuation, phrases, clauses & sentence structure
o As-needed based on pre-tests and writings
 Honors Assessment (Big Question essay)
 Preparation for SOL Reading and Writing tests
Materials: You will need the following supplies each class:
o 3 ring binder or file folder with
5 dividers
o Loose-leaf paper
o Pens (blue/black ink) & Pencils
o
o
o
Highlighter
Post-it notes (optional, but great
for annotating texts)
Spiral/composition notebook
Class Rules: Please make sure to always follow these simple rules to ensure an environment of respect
and learning:
 Be respectful of everyone and everything in this classroom.
 Be honest in all matters, academic and otherwise.
 Be on time, prepared, and ready to work.
 Be actively involved in your education.
 Use phones and other electronic devices only with permission.
Grading Policy: There are two main categories of assignments:
 Formative assignments are assignments completed at home and in class that develop and
practice key skills. Formative assignments are weighted 0%.
 Summative assignments determine a student’s mastery of the material. Summative assignments
are weighted 100%.
 Both formative and summative assignments will be recorded in Phoenix
Late Work: Assignments are expected to be submitted on their due dates. Late work is subject to a 10%
deduction for each class period that it is late. Any extenuating circumstances or situations that might
interfere with turning an assignment in on time should be discussed with me prior to the due date.
Attendance and Make-up Work: Good attendance is important for success in this class, so students are
expected to be in class and on time each day. If you do miss class, you can find links to daily agendas,
handouts, and reading assignments on my staff web page. To access this page go to the school website,
click on Staff, then click on Daniel, Katie. There will be a link to English 11 Agendas and English 11
Assignments. Missed quizzes/tests/work can be made up during Raider Rally.
Big Question Essay: As per LCPS policy, all honors English students will write a “Big Question”
synthesis essay. This assignment will be introduced during 1st & 2nd quarters, and completed during 3rd
quarter, and it will count as a major 3rd quarter grade. More information and specific instructions will be
given in class.
Guidelines for Assignments: All formal assignments for this class should adhere to the following
guidelines:
 Typed or handwritten using blue/black ink
 Proper MLA format style heading (name, instructor name, course, date in upper left hand
corner)