ENGLISH II (A)

Mrs. Haddix

Room 110

Class Overview

This class will be divided into units based upon literature studied during the course. Literary emphasis will be on both comprehension and analysis, and students will read in class as well as independently. Each day, an agenda will be posted on the board to prepare students for the daily activities. All literature units will involve the following major grades: bellringers, homework, participation/accountability, quizzes, and tests.

READING

Novels:

  • Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Drama:

  • A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Short Stories:

  • “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
  • “By the Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benet

Poetry:

-“Simile” by M. Scott Momaday-“Heart! We will forget him!” by Emily Dickinson

- “Three Japanese Tankas” by Ono Komachi-“Ode to My Socks” by Pablo Neruda

- “Ex-Basketball Player” by John Updike-“Miss Rosie” by Lucille Clifton

-“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks-“Journey” by

-“Jazz Fantasia” by Carl Sandburg-“Aristotle” by Billy Collins

- “Intro to Poetry” by Billy Collins-“Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” by Shakespeare

LANGUAGE SKILLS

We will also cover grammar and style technique through review sentences, textbook exercises, quizzes, and teacher-created handouts. Additionally, we will be working to apply these skills to your writing assignments.

Course Materials

You will need the following supplies for this class:

  • A 3-ring binder & 5 tab dividers (Bellringers, Lit. Notes, Grammar, Vocabulary, Handouts)
  • Loose leaf paper
  • Journal or loose leaf notebook paper specifically for journal assignments. This may be left with me on occasion so there can be no other subject contained within the pages of your journal or notebook.
  • Pen (blue or black) OR a pencil

Underlying Theme

People read for many reasons: to learn, to entertain, to escape, to get a grade… In this class, we will read for many reasons, but with one major quest in mind: FIND YOUR VOICE. Reading can change your perspective about history, race, and justice. It’s important to analyze what you read, to ask questions, and to connect it to your own life. Reading can help define who you are, what you believe, what you want to do, and who you want to be. Search for yourself as you read.

“Books can be dangerous.The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life." ~Helen Exley