St. Mary's College High School
English 1-2 Honors
Term One, Month One
The Catcher in the Rye; Parts of Speech
Content
Readings:
• "Thank You, Ma'am" by
Langston Hughes
• The Catcher in the Rye by
J.D. Salinger
• Brief biography of J.D.
Salinger
Formal Instruction and
Activities:
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T-C-E-C-C format and
examples
Two note-taking styles:
Cornell Notes and
lecture/outline format
Banned Books Activator
"That's Me!" Activator
Direct and Indirect
Characterization Notes
Parts of Speech notes,
videos, practice exercises
Skills
Practice and master the T-C-E-CC paragraph structure through
instruction, application, and
practice
Adhere to MLA format in written
assignments
Define and identify examples of
figurative language and literary
devices in literature including
simile, metaphor, hyberbole,
allusion
Demonstrate understanding of
Cornell and Lecture/Outline notetaking methods through
completion of assigned activities
Assessment
Personal Response Journals (three
in total; T-C-E-C-C paragraph
structure and MLA format)
Reading quizzes (approximately
five in total)
Summative: Windows Project (to
demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, literary
devices, characterization, etc.
through passage selection)
Cornell Notes (with each chapter in
the novel)
Parts of Speech Exam
Analyze selected passages and
identify examples of direct and
indirect characterization
Define and identify the eight parts
of speech
Term One, Month Two
Lord of the Flies; Subject-Verb Agreement
Content
Readings:
• William Golding biography
• Lord of the Flies by
William Golding
• "The Coral Island"
Formal Instruction and Activities:
•
Anticipation guide for Lord
of the Flies focusing on
essential issues/questions
Skills
Identify and analyze symbols
in Lord of the Flies and connect
with symbols in the summer
reading books
Connect analysis of symbols with
the larger idea that the novel is an
allegory
Draft a three-part thesis statement
that outlines a multi-paragraph
essay
Assessment
Summative: Lord of the Flies
essay (multi-paragraph essay with
clear thesis statement analyzing
ways in which the novel is an
allegory)
Fishbowl Discussion (in class;
discussion of essential
issues/questions using evidence
from the novel)
Subject-Verb Agreement Exam
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English 1-2 Honors
St.
Mary's College High School
Content
• Quickwrites
• Notes on symbolism
• Notes on allegory
• Review of figurative
language and literary
devices
• Thesis statements and the
multi-paragraph essay
• Class discussions around
essential issues/questions
Skills
Assessment
Articulate opinions on essential
issues/questions using evidence
from the novel in a Fishbowl
Discussion
Quickwrites and Reading Quizzes
(approximately five total
combined)
Adhere to rules of subject verb
agreement by correcting errors in
practice exercise and following
rules in own writing
Term One, Month Three
Night; Commas
Content
Readings:
• Night by Elie Wiesel
• Supplemental excerpts from
Paster Niemoller and other
Holocaust-era authors
Formal Instruction and Activities:
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K-W-L Chart re: the
Holocaust
Ten Core Concepts
(historical context for the
Holocaust; with graphic
organizer)
NPR "All Things
Considered" with Elie
Wiesel (audio)
Notes and discussion re:
theme vs. motif
Visits to USHMM site to
study modern-day threats of
genocide
Notes on comma rules
Library visits to practice
comma usage with online
supplement to A Pocket
Guide Manual
Skills
Translate knowledge gained about
the Holocaust through historical
context notes to awareness around
present-day issues and warning
signs
Assessment
Summative: Found Poem (creative
outlet to demonstrate
understanding of theme using
Wiesel's words in a new way)
Quickwrites and graphic organizers
Define "theme" and "motif" (noting related to historical context notes
the difference) and identify both
and reading reactions
themes and motifs in Night
Comma Exam
Make connections in quickwrites
and class discussions between the
three novels read this term and
summer reading in relation to
characterization, symbols, and
figurative language
Apply comma usage rules to all
practice exercises and own writing
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English 1-2 Honors
St.
Mary's College High School
Term One
Final Term Essay
Content
Library visits to draft/revise/edit
final term essay
Skills
Demonstrate mastery of the
following:
• T-C-E-C-C paragraph
structure
• Thesis statements to
organize a multi-paragraph
essay
• Synthesis of multiple texts
(all texts from English I
including at least one
summer reading book) into
a single analytical essay
• Comma usage
• Subject-verb agreement
• Usage of direct evidence
(quotes) from literature and
citing appropriately
• Adherence to MLA format
Assessment
Final term essay on one of the two
following prompts (depending on
Term I completion in Fall or
Winter term):
Skills
Synthesize information from
outside research with literary
themes and concepts
Assessment
Summative: The Bean Trees essay
(multi-paragraph synthesis essay
that incorporates outside sources
with clear thesis statement
regarding how the novel relates to
immigration on a larger scale)
1. The protagonists transform
in each of the novels.
Explain how and why each
transforms.
2. Illustrate how a physical or
mental journey shapes a
character's identity.
Term Two; Month One
The Bean Trees; Colons/Semicolons
Content
Readings:
• The Bean Trees by Barbara
Kingsolver
• Supplemental excerpts
sources relating to
immigration including PBS
Destination America, The
New York Times
• Select scenes from the
documentary De Nadie
Formal Instruction and Activities:
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Quickwrites
T-C-E-C-C practice with
prompts re: women in the
novel
“Name that Figure of
Speech” formative
Conduct secondary research and
apply findings to themes and
subjects in literature
Apply MLA citation rules to
secondary research
Reading quizzes and discussion
questions
Identify examples of irony,
hyperbole, simile, metaphor, and
personification
Translate scenes from the novel
into dramatic performances
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English 1-2 Honors
St.
Mary's College High School
Content
Skills
assessment
• Direct instruction and notes
re: immigration terminology
and history of immigration
• Library session re:
plagiarism and research
• Dramatic interpretations of
scenes from The Bean Trees
Assessment
Term Two; Month Two
Mexican Whiteboy; Mechanics and Grammar Review; Clarity and Other Punctuation
Content
Readings:
• Mexican Whiteboy by Matt
de la Pena
• Supplemental poems by
Langston Hughes and Maya
Angelou
• “Racial Lens Used to Cull
Curriculum in Arizona”
from The New York Times
and other timely news
articles
Formal Instruction and Activities:
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Poetry Activity
accompanied by selfidentity poem assignment
Notes on tone versus mood
“Notecard” discussions
Quickwrites
Review of direct and
indirect characterization
Connection paragraph
assignment (connect with
another novel from last
term)
MLA format review as
needed
In-class writing assignment
at the halfway point of the
novel regarding the
Skills
Define tone and practice
identifying the author’s tone in
various works
Articulate the difference between
mood and tone
Increase presence of commentary
in T-C-E-C-C paragraphs
Craft a poem about self identity
that conveys a clear tone
Assessment
Summative: in-class essay: Should
Saint Mary’s keep Mexican
Whiteboy in the freshman
curriculum? Connect with
themes/lessons from the novel as
they relate to our community.
In-class essay at the midway point
of the novel regarding character
development of a major character
thus far.
Self-Identity Poem (graded for
Take a position on whether or not adherence to MLA format
the novel should continue as part of [mechanics] and presence of tone
[analysis].
the SM curriculum and support
with evidence from the novel
Reading quizzes.
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English 1-2 Honors
St.
Mary's College High School
Content
protagonist’s character
development
• Reading quizzes and
Cornell Notes
Skills
Assessment
Term Two; Month Three
A Lesson Before Dying; Clarity and Other Punctuation
Content
Readings:
• A Lesson Before Dying by
Ernest Gaines
• “Why Don’t We Have Any
White Kids?” from The New
York Times and other timely
news items.
Formal Instruction and Activities:
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Anticipation Guide prereading
Notes on the history of
racial inequality in
education to accompany
examples in the novel
Reading quizzes and
Cornell Notes
Formative paragraph
writing assignments relating
to characters’ actions in the
novel, various themes, and
the presence or lack of faith
in times of strife
Class discussions based on
the reading
“Title Activity” – create
titles for each chapter based
on the main idea, theme,
development presented
Skills
Collaborate in a group to compose
a formal essay and presentation.
Assessment
Summative: Inequality in
Education Task Force Project: You
have been appointed to a youth task
Understand the history of racial
force reporting to President Obama.
inequality in education.
As a group, you are to come up
with an action plan of four steps to
Define the concept of a “hero” both help alleviate racial inequality in
in the novel and in students’ lives.
education in the United States.
Presentation with accompanying
Identify important quotes from the essay.
novel in context and articulate
their significance to the novel as a
2-3 in-class written assignments
whole.
focusing on paragraph structure,
using evidence from the novel, and
Ascertain examples of historical
connecting historical events with
context as it appears in a fictional
fictional events in the book.
work.
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English 1-2 Honors
St.
Mary's College High School
Term Two
Final Term Essay
Content
Library visits to draft/revise/edit
final term essay
Skills
Demonstrate mastery of the
following:
• T-C-E-C-C paragraph
structure
• Thesis statements to
organize a multi-paragraph
essay
• Synthesis of multiple texts
(all texts from English term
two) into a single analytical
essay
• Comma, colon, semicolon,
and other punctuation usage
• Subject-verb agreement
• Overall sentence clarity
• Usage of direct evidence
(quotes) from literature and
citing appropriately
• Adherence to MLA format
Assessment
Final term essay on one of the two
following prompts (depending on
Term II completion in Winter or
Spring term):
1. How do relationships
influence individuals?
Using the three novels we
have read this term (The
Bean Trees, Mexican
Whiteboy, and A Lesson
Before Dying), analyze how
symbiotic friendships or
relationships in each novel
influence the characters
involved.
2. In what ways can fictional
literature reflect reality?
Using the three novels we
have read this term (The
Bean Trees, Mexican
Whiteboy, and A Lesson
Before Dying), analyze how
fictional characters, themes,
and/or events connect with
real-life issues of identity,
discrimination, etc.
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