Class Syllabus

   Semester 1 Schedule

   Semester 2 Schedule

Reading List

Vocabulary Master List

Whale Talk

The Gatekeepers

The Short Story

The House on Mango Street

The Crucible

Hiroshima

Poetry

Romeo and Juliet

1984/Brave New World

Research Paper

Student Web Pages

Helpful Links

Class Notes/Homework  

Dear Students ,

Welcome to English 9 Honors, your first high school course in the wonderful world of language. I aim to make this course informative, interesting, rigorous, creative, and yes, fun. Your participation and attitude will be key to your success in this course, so be prepared to work hard, learn much, and enjoy the journey.

This year, we are guided by the essential question: Why do people tell stories?  Our studies of the novels will be bound by this consideration.  We will consider such subsidiary questions as why is storytelling so powerful? What needs do storytelling fulfill?  What does a story look like in the hands of a master storyteller? What makes a story great? Why do some stories endure beyond boundaries of time, location, and language?

We'll consider the work of the world's premier storytellers from as early as the 16th century to today.  We'll look at the elements that build stories, and we'll create our own tales in various forms and genres.  For these lessons we'll rely on the written word, primary sources, music, media, and presentation.  

In addition, you will build and advance your understanding and appreciation of both the literary and technical aspects of language. You will read, write, listen, speak and think critically as you study a variety of works and write in a variety of disciplines. You will create organized and intelligent essays and develop projects to enhance these essays, and you will learn the tools and techniques to analyze many types of literature.

Your study of these works and the assignments that go along with them will unfold for you the magic of stories, the shared experiences of humanity, the beauty and power of language, and will help you develop as an effective communicator.