Tracey Turner
English II
tracey.turner@narlington.k12.nj.us
Traceyturano@gmail.com
http://2011eng2per1.wikispaces.com/
http://2011eng2per4.wikispaces.com/
http://www.edmodo.com/traceyturnerturano
Sept-December:
Unit II-III: The Short Story and Nonfiction
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From September through December the class will cover the short story, both works of fiction and non fiction.
Works covered may include (bold indicates works that will definitely be included):
o Amy Tan, Two Kinds
o William Wymark Jacobs, The Monkey’s Paw
o Jack Finney, Contents of a Dead Man’s Pocket
o Edgar Allan Poe, The Mask of the Red Death
o Guy de Maupassant, The False Gems
o Alberto Alvaro Rios, The Waltz of the Fat Man
o James D. Houston, from A Farewell to Manzanar
o Jhumpa Lahiri: When Mr. Pirzada came to dine
o Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Tuesday Siesta
o Edwidge Danticat, The Book of the Dead
o Luisa Valenzuela, The Censors
o Frank McCourt, Typhoid Fever
o Sandra Cisneros: Straw into Gold: The Metamorphosis of the Every Day
o Susan B. Anthony, On women’s Right to Vote
o Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, I’ve been to the mountaintop
o Toni Morrison, Cinderella’s Stepsisters
January:
Poetry
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During the month of January we will be studying poetry (I may begin poetry in December, depending on how
long the short story unit takes).
Students will learn the definitions of different poetic devices
They will memorize and recite a well known poem
They will write their own poems in their own style of the style of a well established poet.
They will participate in a group project called “Poetry Survivor”.
Poets covered during the unit may include
o Maya Angelou
o Robert Frost
o Langston Hughes
o Amy Lowell
o Dorothy Parker
o Carl Sandburg
o William Shakespeare
o Edgar Allan Poe
o James Weldon Johnson
o Jimmy Santiago Baca
o Robert Francis
o Naomi Shihab Nye
o John Updike
o Chang-Rae Lee
January-April:
Unit IV: Drama
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From February to April the class will study drama
They will learn dramatic terms, and be able to explain how a drama differs from other forms of literature.
They will perform scenes from selected works in front of the class.
The unit will focus on two major dramatic works:
o William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
o Anton Chekov, The Marriage Proposal
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Unit V:Legends, Unit VI: Fiction
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During the months of May and June, the class will combine the final two units, studying legends and fiction.
Selections from Unit VI may also be included as supplemental reading for other units. For unit V we will
focus mainly on Athurian Legend, comparing several works about King Arthur. Works discussed may
include:
o Thomas Mallory, Le Morte d’Arthur
o Alfred Lord Tennyson, The Passing of Arthur
o T.H. White, Arthur Becomes King
o Ray Bradbury, A Sound of Thunder
o Miguel DeCervantes, Don Quixote
o Agatha Christie: Witness for the Prosecution
Novels:
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The class will study several novels throughout the year in addition to work from the textbook.
Students will, for the most part, be responsible for reading independently.
The class will have weekly or bi-weekly discussions or small group work based on their required reading
Students will also complete literature circles based on their reading
There will be occasional written assignments based on their reading, and each novel will have a culminating
project as well as a final test.
Novels to be studied this year may include:
o To Kill a Mockingbird
o Brave New World
o The Catcher in the Rye
o Ordinary People
o Of Mice and Men
o The Joy Luck Club
o The Lord of the Flies
o Things Fall Apart
Grading Rubric:
o Grades in this class are broken down as follows:
o quizzes: 25%
o Writing: 25%
o Tests/Projects/Study Island: 40%
o Participation: 10%
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Participation encompasses class preparedness, participation in discussions, work ethic,
and behavior
Miscellaneous
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You must come to class prepared every day with your book (unless otherwise specified), your notebook, a
writing utensil, and any homework assigned. Failure to do so will result in a drop in your class participation
grade, and will possibly result in mandatory pass and a phone call home.
If you do not have your homework you will be assigned mandatory pass for that day. Failure to show up for
mandatory pass as well as missing three assignments in one marking period will result in a phone call home.
All assignments must be handed in on time. Homework handed in one day late will receive half credit.
Assignments more than one day late will not be accepted (exceptions will be made for extenuating
circumstances)
Students will be given monthly vocabulary lists based on their reading. They will define the words using
their glossaries, and must be able to not only identify the words and their definitions, but be able to use them
correctly.
Students will be participating in weekly virtual literature circles using wikispaces. You must post on
wikispace every week unless otherwise specified. Your posts will count as quiz grades.
The class will also be using EdModo. Please create an Edmodo account and add my page (listed above).
The class will complete writing assignments no less than every other week. These assignments may be
creative, persuasive, expository, etc.
If you have any questions or problems I am always available after school. If a problem comes up over the
weekend or in the evening you can contact me via my email address (either the school address or my g-mail
account listed at the top of the page). T I try to check both my email addresses at least once a night.
Please note, that this is just a course outline, so things may be added or omitted depending on time.