Sophomore English: Thematic Literature
Goals: Students will increase their writing repertoire by constructing solid
essays, proofreading them, and ensuring their quality by following a rubric.
Their spelling, grammar, sentence structure and variety will improve.
Additionally, students will read differing types of literature from short
poems to novels to garner a working knowledge of Universal Theme. This
concept is the main message of the text, and examples can be love, hate,
growing up, vengeance, and friendship. Students will use this knowledge in
their shown comprehension of texts.
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Core Works
Hamlet – William Shakespeare
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee
The Lord of the Flies- William Golding
Basic Essay Format, MLA format
Review
What happened was… The Makings of a Good Summary
The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant- 24
Harrison Bergeron- 32
Everyday Use- 44
Summary
Did we learn that? Plot, Setting, and Mood Review
Exile- 134
Amber Colver and the killer Flood- 111
Searching for Summer- 60
Down to business! Theme Workshop
The Interlopers- 394
Two Friends- 406
Witch’s Loaves- 472
There will Come soft rains- 696
Meeting at Midnight- 700
The sound of Night- 701
Memory Poems- 720-724
Love Poems- 728-732
Personal Narrative
Hamlet- William Shakespeare
Now These are some Serious Characters!
The Possibility of Evil- 186
Like the Sun- 202
Tell the Truth, but Tell it Slant- 208
Expository Essay
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee
But…why? Discussing Author’s Style and Voice
The pit and the Pendulum- 77
Birches- 800
Mending Wall- 804
The Pond- 808
The Red Wheelbarrow- 812
Practice- 836
Persuasive Essay
Lord of the Flies- William Golding
We Learn from Our Past
Montgomery Boycotts- 887
On the Rainy River- 908
The New Colossus- 930
Who makes the Journey- 933
Biographic Essay