Sophomore Seminar Curriculum
Scope and Sequence
A. Grammar
1. Introduction of various aspects of grammar
2. Proofreading and Editing
B. Vocabulary
3. Introduction of high frequency SAT words
4. Use and implementation of words
a. Spell words correctly
C. Test Prep
5. SAT
6. ACT
7. HSPA/PARCC
D. Career Ready
8. Job Applications
9. Resume
10. Interview
11. Noviance
E. Cultural Awareness/Public Speaking
12. Inclusion of current event articles from around the globe
13. Internet research and writing on current events
14. Presentation skills
15. Oral presentation of literature
16. How to speech
17. Persuasive speech
F. College Ready
18. College Application Essay
a. Compositional risk
b. Personal writing
19. Noviance
Unit Topic: Grammar
Topic/Essential
Question
What are the most
important concepts to be
learned during this unit?
● How does
knowledge of
grammar clarify
writing?
● How is knowledge
of grammar
applicable to many
careers?
● How does
knowledge of
grammar help to
better organize
writing?
Objectives
Core Activities
Technology
Literacy
What will students know
and be able to do?
What Activities Will help them
learn or know?
How will you know
they have learned it?
Assessment
What technology
skills are being
introduced,
developed,
mastered?
● Discern between
Concrete and Abstract
Nouns
●Understand the
relationship between
Pronouns and
Antecedents
●Identify prepositions
and prepositional
phrases
●Effectively use
Conjunctions
●Effectively use Semicolons, Colons and
commas in their
writing
● Understand the
proper punctuation of
●Students will keep a
grammar section of their
notebook where all
concept definitions will be
recorded.
●Students will complete
teacher generated
worksheets for each
concept.
●Students will edit each
other's writing
throughout the semester
and identify errors in
grammar.
●In groups, students will
design a lesson plan and
teach the class 1 grammar
concept.
●Grammar quizzes
on each topic
●Rubric based
evaluation of their
understanding of
the grammar
concept they teach
the class
●Rubric based
evaluation of their
writing, which will
always have a
portion of their
grade derived from
a grammar score.
●Collection of
classwork and
homework
●Word
processing,
usage of Editing
Tools during
writing
●Internet based
research used for
their
presentation of a
grammar
concept
CCRS
Dialogue Writing
●Use and identify
adverbs, articles and
adjectives in their
writing
●Understand the
differences between
commonly confused
words: effect/affect,
further/farther, it's/its,
who/whom...etc.
●Recognize the
difference between the
Active and Passive
Voice
●Identify
Dangling/Misplaced
Modifiers
●Understand and
achieve Parallelism in
their writing
●Understand
Subject/Verb
agreement within
sentences
●Understand and
utilize hyphens and
dashes
●Students will identify
concepts in assigned class
readings: articles, writing
samples and other
materials.
assignments
Unit Topic: Vocabulary
Topic/Essential
Question
Objectives
Core Activities
Assessment
What are the most
important concepts to
be learned during this
unit?
What will students know
and be able to do?
What Activities Will help them
learn or know?
How will you know they
have learned it?
●What is the utility
of possessing a wide
ranging vocabulary
as it relates to
reading
comprehension,
writing and
standardized test
taking?
●How can context
clues aid in
determining an
unknown word's
definition?
●How can
knowledge of 20
common root
words, prefixes and
suffixes help in
determining an
unknown word's
definition?
●How does
● Recognize and
define over 200 words
that appear with high
frequency on the SAT.
●Use context clues and
root words to decipher
meanings of unknown
words.
●Develop mnemonic
devices to aid in
learning word
definitions.
●Develop study
routines that will help
in SAT preparation
●Keep an organized
inventory of over 200
words, definitions and
self created sentences.
●Use context clues to
determine the part of
speech an unfamiliar
vocabulary word
●Identify the part of
speech and correct
pronunciation of
Vocabulary words as a
class.
●Use each vocabulary
word in their own
writing and speaking in
varied writing and
speaking exercises:
sentences, creative
stories, mock newspaper
articles, and music
reviews.
●Cooperative learning
activities that use each of
the words: Skits,
improvisations,
designing crossword
puzzles, creating quizzes,
creating mnemonics for
words by drawing visual
representations of the
●Sentence
completion quizzes
on word lists
●Rubric based
Evaluations of
cooperative learning
activities
●Rubric based
Evaluations of writing
assignments where
words are used
●Checking for
completion of
homework/classwork
assignments
●participation and
performance in
review games
Technology
Literacy
What technology
skills are being
introduced,
developed, mastered?
●Use of Webster's
online dictionary
for pronunciation
clarification and
definition
searches
●Use of
www.freerice.com
●Use of internet
as a reference tool
CCRS
implementing
words in a student's
own writing and
speaking aid in the
retention of difficult
vocabulary words?
●How can
mnemonic devices
aid in the retention
of difficult
vocabulary words?

Spell Correctly
word.
●Review sessions that
include:
Pictionary/Charades
using the vocabulary
words in classroom
discussion.
●Creating vocabulary
flashcards
●Creating quizzes to be
exchanged with other
classmates.
●Use of internet
vocabulary hunger site,
www.freerice.com
Unit Topic: Career Ready
Topic/Essential
Question
Objectives
Core Activities
What are the most
important concepts to be
learned during this unit?
What will students know
and be able to do?
What Activities Will help them
learn or know?
●How is expository
writing used in
various employment
settings?
●How is expository
writing used in
describing student's
qualities on a job
application?
●What are the
essential elements of
a good job
interview?
 What are the
essential
elements of a
good resume?
●Write various
proposals, using facts
and statistics
●Explain complex
solutions to problems
in writing
●Fill out a job
application
●Be aware of how to
prepare for a job
interview
●Implement the
correct format for a
business letter
 Create a resume
●Fill out a job application
and attach cover letter
and resume
●Present a business
proposal for a fictional
company
Assessment
How will you
know they have
learned it?
●Rubric based
Evaluations of
job
application,
cover letter,
and resume
●Rubric based
Evaluations of
proposal
●rubric based
evaluation of
mock
interview
Technology
Literacy
What
technology
skills are being
introduced,
developed,
mastered?
●Use of
internet as a
reference
and
business
tool
● Power
Point
presentation
●Noviance
CCRS
Unit Topic: Cultural Awareness/Public Speaking
Topic/Essential
Question
What are the most
important concepts to be
learned during this unit?


What makes a
good
presentation?
What is the
value of being
able to
express/explain
your opinions/
thoughts/ ideas
clearly and
articulately?
Objectives
Core Activities
What will students know
and be able to do?
What Activities Will help them
learn or know?

Identify and
implement
effective
presentation
skills.
●Read various current
event articles and present
debatable ideas to the
class
●Research and write an
essay about a problem
affecting another country.
Propose original ideas on
the best way to solve the
problem – persuasive
speech
●Write directions
explaining a process of
their choice – How to
speech
Assessment
How will you
know they have
learned it?
Technology
Literacy
What
technology
skills are being
introduced,
developed,
mastered?
CCRS
Unit Topic: College Ready
Topic/Essential
Question
What are the most
important concepts to be
learned during this unit?
●What are the various
forms of figurative
language?
●What is
compositional risk?
●What is the "Show
Don't Tell" concept?
●What are sensory
details?
Objectives
Core Activities
What will students know and
be able to do?
What Activities Will help them
learn or know?
●Recognize figurative
language in various
texts and implement
them in their own
writing
●Use "Show Don't Tell"
to describe personal
experiences
●Handouts defining
figurative language
●Identify "Show Don't Tell"
in various writing samples
●Identify descriptive
writing techniques used in
the opening of John
Steinbeck's East of Eden
●Make basic sentences
more descriptive based on
mood created by
accompanying music
●Articulate positive
personal qualities in an
essay – college application
essay
Assessment
How will you
know they have
learned it?
●Quiz on
identifying
Figurative
Language
●Teacher
based rubric
evaluating
personal
essay
●Evaluation
of classwork
and
homework
assignments
Technology
Literacy
What technology
skills are being
introduced,
developed,
mastered?
●Students
will be able to
narrow search
fields for topic
related
research
●Students
will use word
processing
systems
 Noviance
CCRS