Comp/Lit 9 Honors
Instructor: Tonya McQuade
Tmcquade@lgsuhsd.org
A Few Things about Me …
• This is my 20th year at LGHS.
• I also taught English for two years in Osaka,
Japan, and one year in Santa Barbara, CA.
• I’m married and have two children.
• My son is a junior at LGHS, and my daughter
is an 8th grader at R. J. Fisher Middle School.
My Family
My Education
• Bachelor of Arts, English and Communication
Studies, U.C. Santa Barbara
• Single Subject Teaching Credential - English,
U.C. Santa Barbara
• Master of Arts, Educational Leadership, San Jose
State University
Goals for the Year:
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Building Vocabulary & Knowledge of Roots
Perfecting Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage
Increasing Sentence Variety and Complexity
Deepening Reading Comprehension
Learning Various Composition Techniques
Improving Skills in Writing, Speaking,
Listening, Critical Thinking, and Research
What do we read?
TEXTS:
NOVELS:
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The Language of Literature
(anthology)
Language Network (grammar text)
PLAYS:
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Oedipus the King, by Sophocles
A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine
Hansberry
The Miracle Worker, by William
Gibson
Romeo and Juliet, by William
Shakespeare
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Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
The Chosen, by Chaim Potok
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty
Smith
The Bean Trees, by Barbara
Kingsolver
The Odyssey, trans. by Robert Fagles
Black Like Me, by John Howard
Griffin
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
ALSO:
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Various Myths, Tales, Legends,
Short Stories, and Poems
What Themes Will
We Cover?
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Heroism
Courage
Social Responsibility
Prejudice
Love
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Sense of Belonging
Personal Ethics
Education
Role of Religion in
Society
Our Essential Questions
• What does it mean to find a home?
• Why is finding a “home” so difficult, yet so important?
• What role do family and friends play in making us who we
are?
• Why is it also important to find one’s own identity, or selfdefinition?
• What forms may prejudice and discrimination take? How
can they be hurtful?
• How can individuals rise above prejudice and discrimination?
• What does it mean to be a hero? What different forms might a
hero take?
• What is courage? How can individuals demonstrate courage
in both big and small ways?
More Essential Questions
• How can literary devices (ie. irony, symbolism, and figurative
language) add to a story?
• How do point of view and writing style affect a piece of
literature?
• How is poetry different from prose?
• Why is an understanding of mythology important in today’s
world?
• What makes a great piece of literature?
• How is expository, or analytical writing, different from
personal, subjective writing?
• What characterizes an effective analytical essay? An
ineffective one?
• How can an understanding of writing mechanics and
grammar aid writing?
How can you help?
First of all …
• Help your child
choose books he/she
might enjoy from the
Outside Reading List
so that reading is not
a chore.
• Students are required
to read 1500 pages of
Outside Reading per
semester.
Special Notes …
• Students must complete one Socratic Seminar
during the year. This will take the place of a
reading log for that outside reading period.
• During the First Semester, students may
complete 6 hours of Community Service for
an additional 200 pages in Outside Reading
credit.
• Help your
child review
Vocabulary and
Roots
(flashcards are highly
recommended)
Give Writing Assistance
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Suggest Topics
Help with
Brainstorming
Ask Clarifying
Questions
Give Tips for Revision
and Proofreading (but
don’t take over)
Promote Academic
Integrity!
• Encourage Class
Participation …
and yes, it DOES
count in their
grade!
• Give Guidance with
Online Research
• Offer Support for
Group Projects
• Maintain a Healthy
Supply of Printer
Cartridges/Paper
Promote:
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Organization
Pacing
Long-Term Planning
Prioritizing
Good Study Habits
Nutrition and Sleep
Keep an Eye On:
• Weekly Schedules
(on school website)
• Semester in Brief
• Outside Reading List
• AERIES
• Encourage your
child to attend
Tutorial regularly,
even if it’s just to
work on homework
Some Final Thoughts …
LGHS Service Fair
September 29
Front Lawn during Tutorial
Support the
New Millennium Fund!
And thanks to NMF …
for our new English Computer Lab
and for our LCD projectors.
•Contact me if you have any
concerns!
•Email is best at
Tmcquade@lgsuhsd.org