JUNIOR ENGLISH
Course Outline / Schedule 2014 – 2015
Assessments are subject to change based on individual and group progress.
Junior American Literature is a year-long course during which students learn and develop reading, writing, speaking
and listening skills through the exploration of American history, literature, and culture.
The level five Springboard curriculum focuses on deepening strategies and skills in the areas of reading, writing, speaking,
and listening. Students will read and analyze increasingly complex written and visual texts including important historical
documents; learn and practice note-taking and time-management skills; expand vocabulary through reading, writing, and direct
vocabulary instruction; and improve analytical, expository, and persuasive writing and speaking through the writing and
presentation process: pre-writing, drafting, revision, peer editing, and publication/presentation. Through reading, writing,
speaking, and the study of complex language, students will become more familiar with United States seminal documents,
cultural and literary movements in America, and the overall concept of diverse perspectives and influences on our nation.
FINAL EXAM: There is no supplemental final exam for this course. The “final exam” for semester one is Unit Three,
Embedded Assessment one as described below.
Daily Textbook:
o Springboard Textual Power, Level 5 – Students MUST bring their book to class every day. In
addition, students are expected to register for access to their Springboard Digital Textbook. To do
this, follow these steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Go to https://bremertonwa.springboardonline.org
Click on "New to Springboard" (under the userid entry box)
Enter the following code: ____________________. This code is unique to your class period.
Complete the registration information. Note that your password must include letters, numbers,
and at least one special character (such as !, @, _, $).
Write down your userid and password somewhere in your binder so that you will have it later.
You MUST have this information to take the required online unit assessments.
Supplemental Texts (Independent Reading) Students will read:
o Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer
Unit 1 - The American Dream (September through mid-October)
In this unit students explore diverse perspectives of what it means to be an American and have an “American Dream.”
Through reading, analyzing, and writing about historical and literary texts, they will reflect and challenge their understanding of
the concept. Students will develop their own definition of what it means to be an American and will weigh in on whether or not
the American Dream is still an achievable ideal.
Major summative assessments:
 Definition Essay: (Late September) Students will write a comprehensive definition (in a multi-paragraph essay) of what it
means to be an American using elaboration through the strategies of definition (exemplification, classification, function,
and negation).
 Synthesis Essay: (Mid-October) Students will write an essay in which they examine the statement, “America still provides
access to the American Dream.” Students will use information from a variety of historical and literary texts to defend,
challenge, or qualify the statement and persuade their audience to agree with their claim.
Unit 2 - The Power of Persuasion (Mid-October through mid-December)
Students continue their exploration of what it means to be an American as they examine the idea of free speech as a vital part
of the American Ideal. Students will explore literature and informational text from the United States’ founding years and
examine how literature acts as a vehicle for social commentary.
Major summative assessments:
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
Expository Essay, Timed Write – The Crucible: (Mid-November) Students will write an in-class essay explaining a literary
element of the play The Crucible. Students will choose a pre-determined writing prompt and prepare their ideas and prewriting in advance of the timed write.
Writing and Presenting a Persuasive Speech: (Mid-December) Students will write and deliver a persuasive speech in
which they take a position on an issue, consider audience objections, and persuade the audience to act upon their claim.
JUNIOR ENGLISH
Course Outline / Schedule 2014 – 2015
Assessments are subject to change based on individual and group progress.
Unit 3 - American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas (This unit spans both first and second semester, mid-December
through late February) As a follow-up to the study of free speech as an American value, students will examine and evaluate
the many channels of information used to communicate. Students will learn how to discern between fact and opinion, and will
explore the variety of voices that create perspectives and voices in America, principally pertaining to current events and
prevailing attitudes in a society.
Major summative assessments:
 Creating an Op-Ed News Project: (Late January) Students will work in groups to create an informational presentation on
an issue of significance to the community (school, city, state, national). Students will provide information as well as
develop a variety of editorial pieces that take a position on their issue.
 Writing a Satirical Piece: (Late February) Students will write a satire that critiques a facet of society in the United States.
Students are expected to know the elements and styles of satire studied in the unit and demonstrate this understanding
through their writing.
SEMESTER TWO:
Junior American Literature is a year-long course during which students learn and develop reading, writing, speaking
and listening skills through the exploration of American history, literature, and culture.
The level five Springboard curriculum focuses on deepening strategies and skills in the areas of reading, writing, speaking,
and listening. Students will read and analyze increasingly complex written and visual texts including important historical
documents; learn and practice note-taking and time-management skills; expand vocabulary through reading, writing, and direct
vocabulary instruction; and improve analytical, expository, and persuasive writing and speaking through the writing and
presentation process: pre-writing, drafting, revision, peer editing, and publication/presentation. Through reading, writing,
speaking, and the study of complex language, students will become more familiar with United States seminal documents,
cultural and literary movements in America, and the overall concept of diverse perspectives and influences on our nation.
FINAL EXAM: There is no supplemental final exam for this course. The “final exam” for semester two is Unit Five, Embedded
Assessment two as described below, or if our class has not reached that point in the curriculum, we will conclude with the next
logical embedded assessment.
Daily Textbook:
o Springboard Textual Power, Level 5
Supplemental Texts (Independent Reading) Students will read one of the following:
o The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
o A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry
Unit 4 - The Pursuit of Happiness: The timeline and structure of unit four is unique as it is spread throughout the year and is
divided into independent work followed by class work. The first half of the unit will be completed as independent reading (Into
the Wild) and corresponding activities during first semester. The second half of the unit will be completed during second
semester and will draw on the students’ knowledge of the novel, the writing style of the author, and the use of multiple genres
to create a personal narrative.
Specifically, this unit presents a variety of perspectives on the individuals’ pursuit of happiness in American culture. Students
will read and study biographical text, informational text, and literary text in a thorough exploration of how individuals’ values are
shaped and developed. Students will explore their own journey along the pursuit of happiness, and will examine the topic from
the perspective of a noted American individual, an event in American history, or a collective societal movement.
Major summative assessments:
 Writing a Personal Essay: (Late February – Early March) Students will write an essay in which they reflect on a
significant personal experience that involves their pursuit of happiness.
 Creating a Multi-Genre Research Project: (Late March) Students will conduct research and develop their own
perspective on a person, event, or movement that epitomizes the American ideal of the “pursuit of happiness.” Students
will create a multi-genre report that presents their perspective and findings.
JUNIOR ENGLISH
Course Outline / Schedule 2014 – 2015
Assessments are subject to change based on individual and group progress.
Unit 5 - An American Journey:
This unit focuses on the concept of the “journey” as a basic premise of the American experience. In previous units, students
examined a variety of perspectives on what it means to be an American and striving for the American Dream. The concepts
explored reveal a national, societal, and individual journey toward achieving an ideal based on personal and societal
expectation, communication, and experience. In this unit, students will explore the specific journey of one American cultural
group and examine how this journey is reflected in a work of literature.
Major summative assessments:
 Presenting a Literary Movement - The Harlem Renaissance: (Late April) Students will work with a partner(s) to create a
multi-media research presentation about an aspect of the Harlem Renaissance with a focus on the values and ideas of
the time period such as historical context, philosophy and beliefs, the arts, or daily life.
 Writing an Analytical Essay: (Mid-June) Students will write an essay in which they discuss how Zora Neale Hurston’s
writing (Their Eyes Were Watching God) is both a reflection and a departure from the ideas of the Harlem Renaissance.
Students are expected to refer to aspects of the Harlem Renaissance learned through embedded assessment one as
well as to use and discuss elements of writing and author’s craft learned throughout the year.