HONORS ENGLISH 11 OFFERINGS
Mrs. Soenksen and Mrs. Strickler are joining forces to offer flexible grouping for Honors English
11. Flexible grouping takes into account the student’s interest, teacher strengths and a more
creative way to cover the material necessary to pass the two mandatory tests in this grade
level, the English Writing SOL and English Reading/Research SOL.
The focus areas of study will be divided into four-week units. Students will be grouped and regrouped throughout the year depending on their choices and the mandatory units of study.
Please look at the following offerings and rank 1-5 in your areas of interest. Please note that
you may not receive your first choice; however, you will receive something that interests you
along with the mandatory units. Below are the proposed dates for the units.
Aug. 22 – Sep. 21
Sep. 22 – Oct. 25
(first 2 units will be from the mandatory list)
October 26 - November 30
December 1 - January 13
January 18 - February 17
February 20 - March 22
March 23 - April 30
May 1 - June 7
ELECTIVE UNITS
1._______ COLLEGE PORTFOLIO: Get a jump start on that senior year by preparing a college
packet. Students will compare school offerings and amenities in 3 to 5 colleges to narrow their
choice. Students will analyze specific terms used in the college application process. Students
will prepare a resume and properly formatted letter for teacher recommendation requests.
Students will read personal essays in NPR’s This I Believe and analyze typical college essay
topics. They will make several drafts of a personal essay. Lastly, students will look over the FASA
application and apply for their government PIN number.
GRADED ASSESMENT: Portfolio: vocab quiz, reading questions, comparison chart, resume,
recommendation request letter, personal essay
2.________CONTEMPORARY PERIOD UNIT: Analyze writing trends and the ties to social history
from 1950s to present. Begin with BEATNIK poetry in a coffee house recreation where students
will share works from their poetry portfolio or read some famous pieces from the era. Select
independent study from girl musical groups from the 60s to the effects of campaigns buttons
and slogans. Then, study the Vietnam Conflict and fulfill the speech requirement with a 3
minute presentation on various topics ranging from the Black Panthers to television’s effect on
war. Read excerpts from Bloods, the NY Times Best Seller. Lastly, read the popular
contemporary work The Hunger Games which is being made into a movie.
GRADED ASSESSMENT: portfolio of poems, three minute presentation, SAT vocabulary quiz,
independent study packet, Hunger Games reading assignments
3._________STEINBECK COUNTRY: Step back in time by studying the works of Modern Period.
Take a look at the life of John Steinbeck and effects of the Great Depression. Look at the short
stories: Richard Wright’s ‘Almos’ A Man’, William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” and ‘The Bear”,
Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path”. Read Of Mice and Men and watch The Grapes of Wrath. Learn
the four types of comparison papers buy analyzing and writing about various candies (of course
we will have to sample them). Write one comparison paper between the two works.
GRADED ASSESSMENT: SAT vocabulary from the short stories, activities associated with Of
Mice and Men, comparison/contrast paper on two works by the same author.
4.______BE A GRAMMAR GURU: Learn sentence diagramming as you brush up on the eight
parts of speech. Then, take it one step further with verbals, phrases, and clauses – oh my! Get
your track shoes on for Run to the Board games, grammar BINGO , Eggspert (like Jeopardy)and
anything else we can think of to make grammar cool once more!
GRADED ASSESSMENT: SAT vocabulary, creative writings using verbals and clauses, Quiz on
parts of speech, quiz on verbals, grammar worksheets.
5._______ THE RISE AND FALL OF WOMANLY VIRTUES: Analyze a sampling of the Great
American Tragedies and what makes a Tragic Hero. Read Charlotte Temple and excerpts of The
Scarlet Letter and view PBS version of Scarlet Letter.
GRADED ASSESSMENT: SAT vocabulary from the novels, reading exercises, “What’s in a Name”
creative writing, Life’s Little Instruction book creative writing, Character Analysis paper.
6.______THE AMERICAN DREAM REVISITED: Put on your dancing shoes, crank up the victrola,
and join the party at the estate of The Great Gatsby. We'll delve into the world of the Roaring
'20s, complete with gangsters, Prohibition, flappers, and jazz. Decide for yourself whether the
"American Dream" of that era can be yours today.
GRADED ASSESSMENT: Tea Party Q&A Seminar, Roaring 20s magazine, Gatsby characters
foldable, character analysis paper, quizzes
7.______ HOLY HYSTERIA: Can you spot a witch? We'll read Arthur Miller's The Crucible and
discuss why this 20th century author set his story of mob mentality within the context of the
Salem Witch Trials. Allegories, symbols, allusions will cross the centuries between the Puritans
of the 17th century and the politicians of the 20th.
GRADED ASSESSMENT: quizzes on drama, historical context, and play events; chain of events
poster; web tour of historical Salem; historical poster report; comparison of play to movie
8. _______ DREAMS DEFERRED - THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE IN LITERATURE, MUSIC, AND
ART: Investigate the origins and impact of this cultural revolution. Together, we'll create a class
museum exhibit honoring the accomplishments of the Harlem Renaissance era and enjoy a visit
from JMU's Furious Flower Poetry Center; poetry-writing, independent reading of a novel by an
African-American author, and a multi-genre thematic presentation will complete our unit.
Expect to enjoy some jazz!
GRADED ASSESSMENT: Class Museum Exhibit (collaborative groups), Multi-genre presentation,
Individual poetry products, independent reading log
9.________TWAIN BY THE TALE: Study the man hailed as the Wild Humorist of the Pacific
Slope. Read Mark Twain’s local color short stories concerning the Gold Rush and life on the
Mississippi River as well as wild west stories told by his contemporaries. After reading
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and analyzing the various movie interpretations of the great
American classic, students will write a setting analysis paper.
GRADED ASSESSMENT: Mark Twain impersonations (optional), reading quizzes, comparison to
modern day comedians, Wild West Day Celebration, including panning for gold, setting analysis
paper.
10.________ REVOLUTION, REBELLION, AND BLOODSHED: WAR IN OUR NATION'S
LITERATURE: In our relatively short history as a nation, we have endured and survived all
manner of bloody conflict. Students will read independently a work of American literature
(which may be historical fiction or nonfiction memoir/biography) that is set during one of the
wars of our American history. Short stories, poetry, short memoirs, and letters of wartime will
serve to unify our class study.
GRADED ASSESSMENT: Portfolio to include independent reading log, research of pertinent
war/time period including primary source accounts and photos, and map or timeline of the war
or plot; book presentation including brief discussion of the particular war involved;
participation in class readings and activities.
11._______ WHAT'S YOUR STORY?: Wish You Well, by Virginia's own David Baldacci, is set in
the beauty and poverty of the southern Virginia mountains and is, in part, Baldacci's attempt to
preserve the charm and richness of our oral history. In addition to reading the novel, we will
explore a variety of Virginia folklore and folktales, Appalachian music, and the art of
storytelling. The highlight of the unit will be recording our own family genealogies and
documenting some of those priceless memories that have never made it onto paper.
GRADED ASSESSMENT: Family genealogy, portfolio of family heritage stories, Wish You Well
test, oral presentation of a folktale, comparisons of Appalachian folktales to tales from other
cultures and eras.
12.________MUCKRACKING MADNESS: Follow the life and times of Upton Sinclair as we read
The Jungle, the novel that forever changed the way we view food. Analyze muckraking and its
historical significance while creating a Class Menagerie newspaper of your own. Also, do a web
crawl analyzing food safety issues today and hear from JMU’s food safety expert.
GRADED ASSESSMENT: reading quizzes, web crawl worksheet, newspaper project, muckraking
cartoon drawing.
13.______POE AND POETRY. Study the Romantic Period Poet Edgar Allan Poe. Analyze his life
through a web crawl and small group short story study. Then, learn to do a poetry explication
and become the classroom professor through a poetry analysis presentation.
GRADED ASSESSESMENT: web crawl activities, SAT Poe words quiz, Group presentation, poetry
term exercises and quiz.
REQUIRED UNITS
1._______AMERICAN LITERATURE OVERVIEW. Study the themes and characteristics of the six
periods of American literature through a literature unit. In depth novel will be The Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn, the bridge between the Romantic and Realistic Period. Students will look at
open popular short story, essay and/or poem from each period. Students will select their
favorite period for more in depth study. To conclude, students will either create a mural or a
Power Point booklet which demonstrates the highlights of each period.
GRADED ASSESSEMENT: Two quizzes, reading activities, SAT Vocabulary Quiz, Power point or
mural culminating project.
2._______ PORT OF ENTRY: RESEARCHING THE IMMIGRATION EXPERIENCE. Unless you're fullblooded Native American, your family/ancestors arrived in this country from somewhere else.
Using a variety of primary and secondary sources, including an interview with a family member,
you will research the experience of those in or like your own family when they entered the U.S.,
including probable port of entry, reasons for emigrating from home country, reasons for
immigrating to the United States, discrimination and challenges encountered upon arrival, etc.
You might just learn something about yourself!
GRADED ASSESSSMENT: Each step in the research process will contribute toward your grade in
this unit, from brainstorming ideas and interviewing family members to final paper and
presentation.
3._______ANALYZE THAT. Prepare for the SOL by looking at infographics, applications,
directions, labels, marketing terms. Work through the printed material portions of previous
SOLS, learn proper letter writing techniques, skimming vs scanning, SAT strategizes and other
random tools you need in your arsenal to be successful on the SOL, on the SAT and in life!
------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL NAME (Print)___________________________________________________________
SELECT the top 5 choices which interest you. Make 1-3 your top choices.
1.__________________________________________
2.__________________________________________
3.__________________________________________
4.__________________________________________
5.__________________________________________