Szpila 1
Ms. Szpila
English Department
West Essex Regional School District
Syllabus for English II Honors
Contact Information:
Phone/ext.: (973) 228-1200 x705
E-mail: nszpila@westex.org (preferred)
Schoolwires: http://www.westex.org//Domain/255
Course Description:
Students in the English II program will be immersed in classic and contemporary world
literature that is both timeless and universal in its revelations of the human condition.
The literary works will be explored through a curriculum driven by the demands of the
Common Core State Standards, specifically that students build knowledge through
content rich non-fiction, that students reading, writing and speaking is grounded in
evidence from text, both literary and informational, and that students enjoy regular
practice with complex text and its academic language. The texts are inclusive of a wide
array of genres including the novel, memoir, speech, essay, short story, and poetry,
history, and biography. From these texts and these questions, students will critically
explore universal themes and concerns through close textual analysis. Students will
practice the craft of writing in forms including, but not limited to: argument, information,
explanation, and research.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, the students should be able to:
 Read, analyze, and comprehend complex literary and informational texts
independently and proficiently.
 Write a variety of clear and coherent pieces, routinely, over extended time frames
(time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach.
 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused
questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation
(incorporating a variety of sources, using a variety of technology).
 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.
 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting
general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
Szpila 2
Readings/Writing/Themes:
Marking Period One:
Theme: Power
 Animal Farm – George Orwell
 A Long Way Gone – Ishmael Beah
 The Handmaids Tale –Margaret Atwood
 Vocabulary and SAT Preparation
 Literary Analysis Essay
Marking Period Two:
Theme: Deception
 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
 Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro
 Art of War – Sun Tzu
 Vocabulary and SAT Preparation
 Global Issues Research Project
Marking Period Three:
Theme: Identity
 The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao – Junot Diaz
 Chinese Cinderella – Adeline Yen Mah
 The Latehomecomer – Kao Kalia Yang
 Vocabulary and SAT Preparation
 Narrative Writing
Marking Period Four:
Theme: Truth
 Othello – William Shakespeare
 Oedipus Rex – Sophocles
 Antigone – Sophocles
 Vocabulary and SAT Preparation
 Informative/Explanatory Essay
*Additional texts may be incorporated into the marking periods, at the discretion of the
instructors.
Poetry:
Selected poems will be included and taught in context with the units of study.
Technology and Media Resources:
 Books on Audio Tape
 Microsoft Power Point
 Microsoft Publisher
 Internet Databases – Ebsco, MLA, Literature Resource Center, JSTOR, Gale
Databases, Facts on File, & America’s Newspapers
Szpila 3
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Online Newspapers –NY Times & Star Ledger
Purdue OWL (www.owl.english.purdue.edu/)
Cornell Summary Notes (http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/cornellnotes.html)
College Board (www.collegeboard.com) – SAT Question of the Day
Poets.org – From the Academy of American Poets (www.poets.org)
Poetryfoundation.org – From The Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org)
School Wires (Homework & Class Website)
Turn It In.com (Grade Mark & Peer Mark) (www.turnitin.com)
Noodle Tools (via West Essex Library Homepage)
MLA Website (www.mla.com)
Google Suite (Google Docs, etc.)
Edmodo (www.edmodo.com)
Quia (www.quia.com)
Podcasts and Webcasts
You Tube (www.youtube.com)
Film Adaptations of Literature & Texts
Vocabularyworkshop.com
Assessments:
A variety of assessments will be used each marking period. It is understood that
students will have the opportunity to review their graded assessments in class and ask
questions for clarification. A combination of formative and summative assessments will
be utilized in this course including, but not limited to:
 Do Nows
 Entrance and Exit Cards
 Journal Writing
 Online Discussion Board Posts (Edmodo)
 Debates
 Dialectical Journals
 Quote Logs
 Cornell Summaries & Notes
 One-Pagers
 Class Discussions
 Group or Individual Projects & Presentations
 Speeches
 Peer Editing (with rubrics) & Writing Workshops
 Self-Assessment (Reflection & Reflexivity)
 Socratic Seminars
 Literary Analysis (Essay)
 Narrative & Creative Writing (Poetry, Short Stories, Personal Narrative, etc.)
 Argument Writing
 Research Paper/Project
 Digital Writing Portfolios
Szpila 4
CCSS: This course has been designed with respect to and in compliance with the
expectations set forth in the 2012 CCSS.
Grading and Department Polices:
 Homework 5%
Formative
25%
Summative 70%
 Late or missing homework receives no credit except excused absences.
 Late work loses 10% per day except excused absence.
 Excepting in class timed writes, students may revise papers once to demonstrate
improvement in all areas except grammar and mechanics. The revision will be
worth up to twenty points more than the draft.
 All work will be produced according to MLA formatting criteria
 Pupils are expected to be honest in all of their academic work. A pupil found
guilty of academic dishonesty may be subjected to a full range of penalties
including, but not limited to, reprimand and loss of credit for all of the work that is
plagiarized.
 No extra credit.
Class Expectations & Rules:
Participation, Effort and Respect: Students are expected to come to class prepared
with their materials each day. Students are expected to participate in the class
discussion or activity and respect and respond to peers ideas and thoughts.
Academic Honesty: It is important that all work is the students’ own. West Essex’s
academic honesty guidelines are to be followed; if they are not the appropriate steps will
be taken according to the West Essex Academic Honesty Policy.
Late policy: When the bell rings you are expected to be in class and in your seats
ready to begin. In the event of frequent lateness the Tardiness Policy in the West
Essex High School handbook will be followed.