EL
SEGUNDO UNIFIED
EL SEGUNDO HIGH SCHOOL
COURSE OF STUDY
Course Title: English 9AB Honors
Department: English/Language Arts
Grade Level: 9
English 9 Honors is a course
for students who have excelled at the basic skills of English/Language Arts.
Emphasis will be placed on high level reading, writing, listening, speaking and
critical thinking while acquiring an appreciation of literature. Genres studied
include the short story, the novel, the play, non-fiction and poetry.
Analytical and critical thinking are emphasized.
Length: One year
Prerequisite: The student must demonstrate excellence in
language arts skills as evidenced by a minimum score of 76th
percentile on the STAR exam in Language Arts, a rubric score of 4 or better on
the English Diagnostic exam, high grades in middle school Language Arts, and
teacher recommendation (effort grade). The student must meet 3 of the 4
criteria.
Type of Course:
Honors
COURSE OUTLINE AND STANDARDS
Reading
1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
Students apply their knowledge of word origins to determine the meaning of new
words encountered in reading materials and use those words accurately. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
Vocabulary and Concept Development
1.1 Identify and use the literal and figurative meanings of words and
understand word derivations
1.2. Distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words and
interpret the connotative power of words
1.3 Identify Greek, Roman,
and Norse mythology and use the knowledge to understand the origin and meaning
of new words (e.g., the word narcissistic drawn from the myth of
Narcissus and Echo). (Integrate CORE
Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.0 Reading Comprehension
(Focus on Informational Materials)
Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They analyze the
organizational patterns, arguments, and positions advanced. The selections in Recommended
Literature, Grades Nine Through Twelve (1990) illustrate the quality and
complexity of the materials to be read by students. In addition, by grade
twelve, students read two million words annually on their own, including a wide
variety of classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, and
online information. In grades nine and ten, students make substantial progress
toward this goal. (Integrate CORE
Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Structural Features of Informational Materials
2.1 Analyze the structure and format of functional workplace documents,
including the graphics and headers, and explain how authors use the features to
achieve their purposes
2.2 Prepare a bibliography of reference materials for a report using a
variety of consumer, workplace, and public documents. Comprehension and
Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
2.3 Generate relevant questions about readings on issues that can be researched
2.4 Synthesize the content from several sources or works by a single author
dealing with a single issue; paraphrase the ideas and connect them to other
sources and related topics to demonstrate comprehension.
2.5 Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original
analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
2.6 Demonstrate use of
sophisticated learning tools by following technical directions (e.g., those
found with graphic calculators and specialized software programs and in access
guides to World Wide Web sites on the Internet). (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Expository Critique
2.7 Critique the logic of functional documents by examining the sequence of
information and procedures in anticipation of possible reader
misunderstandings.
2.8 Evaluate the credibility
of an author's argument or defense of a claim by critiquing the relationship
between generalizations and evidence, the comprehensiveness of evidence, and
the way in which the author's intent affects the structure and tone of the text
(e.g., in professional journals, editorials, political speeches, primary source
material). ] (Integrate CORE Knowledge,
Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
3.0 Literary Response and
Analysis
Students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of
literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and social
science. They conduct in-depth analyses of recurrent patterns and themes. The
selections in Recommended Literature, Grades Nine Through Twelve illustrate
the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
Structural Features of Literature
3.1 Articulate the relationship between the expressed purposes and the
characteristics of different forms of dramatic literature (e.g., comedy,
tragedy, drama, dramatic monologue).
3.2 Compare and contrast the
presentation of a similar theme or topic across genres to explain how the
selection of genre shapes the theme or topic. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
3.3 Analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in a literary
text (e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships, influences)
and explain the way those interactions affect the plot.
3.4 Determine characters' traits by what the characters say about themselves
in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy.
3.5 Compare works that express a universal theme and provide evidence to
support the ideas expressed in each work.
3.6 Analyze and trace an author's development of time and sequence,
including the use of complex literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing,
flashbacks).
3.7 Recognize and understand the significance of various literary devices,
including figurative language, imagery, allegory, and symbolism, and explain
their appeal.
3.8 Interpret and evaluate the impact of ambiguities, subtleties,
contradictions, ironies, and incongruities in a text.
3.9 Explain how voice, persona, and the choice of a narrator affect
characterization and the tone, plot, and credibility of a text.
3.10 Identify and describe
the function of dialogue, scene designs, soliloquies, asides, and character
foils in dramatic literature. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Literary Criticism
3.11 Evaluate the aesthetic qualities of style, including the impact of diction
and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme, using the terminology of
literary criticism. (Aesthetic approach)
3.12 Analyze the way in which a work of literature is related to the themes and
issues of its historical period. (Historical approach) (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Writing
1.0 Writing Strategies Students write coherent and focused essays that
convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument. The writing
demonstrates students' awareness of the audience and purpose. Students progress
through the stages of the writing process as needed. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Organization and Focus
1.1 Establish a controlling impression or coherent thesis that conveys a clear
and distinctive perspective on the subject and maintain a consistent tone and
focus throughout the piece of writing.
1.2 Use precise language,
action verbs, sensory details, appropriate modifiers, and the active rather
than the passive voice. (Integrate CORE
Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Research and Technology
1.3 Use clear research questions and suitable research methods (e.g., library,
electronic media, personal interview) to elicit and present evidence from
primary and secondary sources.
1.4 Develop the main ideas within the body of the composition through
supporting evidence (e.g., scenarios, commonly held beliefs, hypotheses,
definitions).
1.5 Synthesize information from multiple sources and identify complexities
and discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in
each medium (e.g., almanacs, microfiche, news sources, in-depth field studies,
speeches, journals, technical documents).
1.6 Integrate quotations and citations into a written text while maintaining
the flow of ideas.
1.7 Use appropriate conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and
bibliographies by adhering to those in style manuals (e.g., Modern Language
Association Handbook, The Chicago Manual of Style).
1.8 Design and publish documents by using
advanced publishing software and graphic programs. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Evaluation and Revision
1.9 Revise writing to improve the logic and coherence of the organization and
controlling perspective, the precision of word choice, and the tone by taking
into consideration the audience, purpose, and formality of the context. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
Students combine the rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition,
persuasion, and description to produce texts of at least 1,500 words each.
Student writing demonstrates a command of standard American English and the
research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Writing Standard
1.0.
Using the writing strategies of grades nine and ten outlined in Writing Standard 1.0, students:
2.1 Write biographical or
autobiographical narratives or short stories:
a. Relate a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events
to the audience.
b. Locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
c. Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a
scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the
characters; use interior monologue to depict the characters' feelings.
d. Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood.
e. Make effective use of descriptions of appearance, images, shifting
perspectives, and sensory details. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.2 Write responses to
literature:
a. Demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the significant ideas of literary
works.
b. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and detailed
references to the text or to other works.
c. Demonstrate awareness of the author's use of stylistic devices and an
appreciation of the effects created.
d. Identify and assess the impact of perceived ambiguities, nuances, and
complexities within the text. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.3 Write expository
compositions, including analytical essays and research reports:
a. Marshal evidence in support of a thesis and related claims, including
information on all relevant perspectives.
b. Convey information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately
and coherently.
c. Make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific
data, facts, and ideas.
d. Include visual aids by employing appropriate technology to organize and
record information on charts, maps, and graphs.
e. Anticipate and address readers' potential misunderstandings, biases, and
expectations.
f. Use technical terms and notations accurately(Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.4 Write persuasive compositions:
a. Structure ideas and arguments in a sustained and logical fashion.
b. Use specific rhetorical devices to support assertions (e.g., appeal to logic
through reasoning; appeal to emotion or ethical belief; relate a personal
anecdote, case study, or analogy).
c. Clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including
facts, expert opinions, quotations, and expressions of commonly accepted
beliefs and logical reasoning.
d. Address readers' concerns, counterclaims, biases, and expectations. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
2.5 Write business letters:
a. Provide clear and purposeful information and address the intended audience
appropriately.
b. Use appropriate vocabulary, tone, and style to take into account the nature
of the relationship with, and the knowledge and interests of, the recipients.
c. Highlight central ideas or images.
d. Follow a conventional style with page formats, fonts, and spacing that contribute
to the documents' readability and impact.
(Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.6 Write technical documents
(e.g., a manual on rules of behavior for conflict resolution, procedures for
conducting a meeting, minutes of a meeting):
a. Report information and convey ideas logically and correctly.
b. Offer detailed and accurate specifications.
c. Include scenarios, definitions, and examples to aid comprehension (e.g.,
troubleshooting guide).
d. Anticipate readers' problems, mistakes, and misunderstandings.
(Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Written and Oral English Language Conventions
The standards for written and oral English language conventions have been
placed between those for writing and for listening and speaking because these
conventions are essential to both sets of skills.
1.0 Written and Oral English Language Conventions
Students write and speak with a command of standard English conventions.
Grammar and Mechanics of
Writing
1.1 Identify and correctly use clauses (e.g., main and subordinate), phrases
(e.g., gerund, infinitive, and participial), and mechanics of punctuation
(e.g., semicolons, colons, ellipses, hyphens).
1.2 Understand sentence construction (e.g., parallel structure, subordination,
proper placement of modifiers) and proper English usage (e.g., consistency of
verb tenses).
1.3 Demonstrate an understanding of proper English usage and control of
grammar, paragraph and sentence structure, diction, and syntax. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
Manuscript Form
1.4 Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of the
conventions of punctuation and capitalization.
1.5 Reflect appropriate manuscript requirements, including title page
presentation, pagination, spacing and margins, and integration of source and
support material (e.g., in-text citation, use of direct quotations,
paraphrasing) with appropriate citations. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Listening and Speaking
1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies
Students formulate adroit judgments about oral communication. They deliver
focused and coherent presentations of their own that convey clear and distinct
perspectives and solid reasoning. They use gestures, tone, and vocabulary
tailored to the audience and purpose. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Comprehension
1.1 Formulate judgments about the ideas under discussion and support those
judgments with convincing evidence.
1.2 Compare and contrast the ways in which media genres (e.g., televised news,
news magazines, documentaries, online information) cover the same event. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication
1.3 Choose logical patterns of organization (e.g., chronological, topical,
cause and effect) to inform and to persuade, by soliciting agreement or action,
or to unite audiences behind a common belief or cause.
1.4 Choose appropriate
techniques for developing the introduction and conclusion (e.g., by using
literary quotations, anecdotes, references to authoritative sources).
1.5 Recognize and use elements of classical speech forms (e.g.,
introduction, first and second transitions, body, conclusion) in formulating
rational arguments and applying the art of persuasion and debate.
1.6 Present and advance a clear thesis statement and choose appropriate types of proof (e.g., statistics, testimony, specific instances) that meet standard tests for evidence, including credibility, validity, and relevance.
1.7 Use props, visual aids,
graphs, and electronic media to enhance the appeal and accuracy of
presentations.
1.8 Produce concise notes for extemporaneous delivery.
1.9 Analyze the occasion and the interests of the audience and choose effective
verbal and nonverbal techniques (e.g., voice, gestures, eye contact) for
presentations. (Integrate CORE Knowledge,
Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Analysis and Evaluation of Oral and Media Communications
1.10 Analyze historically significant speeches (e.g., Abraham Lincoln's
"Gettysburg Address," Martin Luther King, Jr.'s
"I Have a Dream") to find the rhetorical devices and features that
make them memorable.
1.11 Assess how language and delivery affect the mood and tone of the oral
communication and make an impact on the audience.
1.12 Evaluate the clarity, quality, effectiveness, and general coherence of a
speaker's important points, arguments, evidence, organization of ideas,
delivery, diction, and syntax.
1.13 Analyze the types of
arguments used by the speaker, including argument by causation, analogy,
authority, emotion, and logic.
1.14 Identify the aesthetic effects of a media presentation and evaluate the
techniques used to create them (e.g., compare Shakespeare's Henry V with
Kenneth Branagh's 1990 film version). (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
2.0 Speaking Applications
(Genres and Their Characteristics)
Students deliver polished formal and extemporaneous presentations that combine
the traditional rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion, and
description. Student speaking demonstrates a command of standard American
English and the organizational and delivery strategies outlined in Listening
and Speaking Standard 1.0. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Using the speaking strategies of grades nine and ten outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0, students:
2.1. Deliver narrative
presentations:
a. Narrate a sequence of events and communicate their significance to the
audience.
b. Locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
c. Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a
scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of
characters.
d. Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate time or mood changes. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
2.2 Deliver expository
presentations:
a. Marshal evidence in support of a thesis and related claims, including information
on all relevant perspectives.
b. Convey information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately
and coherently.
c. Make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific
data, facts, and ideas.
d. Include visual aids by employing appropriate technology to organize and
display information on charts, maps, and graphs.
e. Anticipate and address the listener's potential misunderstandings, biases,
and expectations.
f. Use technical terms and notations accurately. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
2.3 Apply appropriate interviewing techniques:
a. Prepare and ask relevant questions.
b. Make notes of responses.
c. Use language that conveys maturity, sensitivity, and respect.
d. Respond correctly and effectively to questions.
e. Demonstrate knowledge of the subject or organization.
f. Compile and report responses.
g. Evaluate the effectiveness of the interview.
(Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.4 Deliver oral responses to
literature:
a. Advance a judgment demonstrating a comprehensive grasp of the significant
ideas of works or passages (i.e., make and support warranted assertions about
the text).
b. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and detailed
references to the text or to other works.
c. Demonstrate awareness of the author's use of stylistic devices and an
appreciation of the effects created.
d. Identify and assess the impact of perceived ambiguities, nuances, and
complexities within the text. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.5 Deliver persuasive
arguments (including evaluation and analysis of problems and solutions and
causes and effects):
a. Structure ideas and arguments in a coherent, logical fashion.
b. Use rhetorical devices to support assertions (e.g., by appeal to logic
through reasoning; by appeal to emotion or ethical belief; by use of personal
anecdote, case study, or analogy).
c. Clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including
facts, expert opinions, quotations, expressions of commonly accepted beliefs,
and logical reasoning.
d. Anticipate and address the listener's concerns and counterarguments. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
2.6 Deliver descriptive
presentations:
a. Establish clearly the speaker's point of view on the subject of the
presentation.
b. Establish clearly the speaker's relationship with that subject (e.g.,
dispassionate observation, personal involvement).
c. Use effective, factual descriptions of appearance, concrete images, shifting
perspectives and vantage points, and sensory details. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
EVALUATION/GRADING OF STUDENT
WORK
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Hiroshima by John Hershey
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
1984 by George Orwell
Brave
New World by Aldous Huxley
Chocolate
War by Robert Cormier
The
Old Man and the Sea by Ernest
Hemingway
The
Earth Did Not Devour Him by Tomas
Rivera
Picture
Bride by Yoshiko Uchida
Summer
of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Nervous
Conditions by Tsitsi
Dangarembga
D. Daily Oral Language