COURSE SYLLABUS FOR ENGLISH IV
2013-2014
MS. HOLDEN
FIRST SIX WEEKS
Applicable TEKS are found with each week’s lessons on the website.
READING AND WRITING
GRAMMAR SKILLS(on-going, but addressed intensely the first four to six weeks.)
(Quick check for skill levels across the board with each class.)
OBJECTIVES
REVIEW EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH: Recognize the origin and importance of English as a language. Note the importance of usage. Introduce grammar as part of the evolutionary process.
IDENTIFY AND RECOGNIZE USE OF EACH PART OF SPEECH [This activity will use news articles DIAGOSTICALLY. Students will find and highlight various parts of speech in a cooperative learning setting. Each group will explain what they did and why in review of the parts of speech.]
NOUNS
PRONOUNS
TYPES
USES
VERBS
TYPES
PURPOSES
(VERBALS)
ADJECTIVES
ADVERBS
PREPOSITIONS
CONJUNCTIONS
TYPES
INTERJECTIONS
PURPOSE: USE DIAGRAMMING AS A MEANS OF UNDERSTANDING PARTS OF SPEECH. NOTE JARGON RELATIVE TO GRAMMAR USAGE AS A PART OF THE TASP, ACT, AND SAT TESTS. GRAMMAR AND WORD USE ALSO APPEARS ON THE TAAS AND GED TESTS. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:BOARD WORK TO UNDERSTAND WORD USAGE ANDSYNTAX (SENTENCE STRUCTURE) , ANALYSIS OF SENTENCES WRITTEN BY ACLAIMED AUTHORS AND CLASSMATES, CLASS NOTES/DISCUSSION, AND GRAMMAR PUZZLES. ASSESSMENT–WILL BE BY DIRECT OBSERVATION AND IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK, BY PEER ASSISTANCE, AND THROUGH TESTING FOR UNDERSTANDING.
READING, WRITING, LISTENING, CREATING AND ANALYSIS OF VISUALS
OBJECTIVE - RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF AFFIXES AND BASES WHILE IMPROVING WRITING AND VOCABULARY SKILLS. SOURCE – LEVINE’S VOCAB. WORKBOOK WITH LATIN AND GREEK BASE WORD ACTIVITIES, MADLIBS, TEXT, WARNER’S TEXT. (Excellent activities.)
Writing, Reading, Listening and Visual(on-going)
OBJECTIVE: CREATE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS IN ALL AREAS OF THE TEKS THROUGH THE USE OF JOURNALed ACTIVITIES.
PURPOSE/ACTIVITY:
EACH CLASS PERIOD BEGINS WITH A 3-5 MINUTE WRITING TIME. [WARM UP ACTIVITY] - [THESE JOURNAL ENTRIES OFTEN BECOME FULL “BLOOM” LESSONS. MANY OF THESE ENTRIES COME FROM TEXT PROMPTS, LIFE 101 BOOKLET, BARTLETT’S BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, THE WORD PUZZLE FROM WOMAN’S WORLD MAGAZINE, POLITICAL CARTOONS from a variety of sources, News Articles, FAMOUS QUOTE ANALYSIS, FEELING RESPONSES, IDEAS FROM SKARDA reading links to literature, WORKSHOPS, KAYBIN IDEAS, ETC.
FOR REAL WORLD LINKS ENTRIES WILL ALSO COME FROM NEWSPAPER ARTICLES RELATIVE TO RELATED TOPICS IN THE TEXT OR CURRENT EVENTS. ENTRIES OCCASIONALLY ADDRESS VOCABULARY BASED, OR READING SKILL-BASED NEEDS. ENTRIES VARY IN NATURE AND TOPIC.
ASSESSMENT - EACH STUDENT RESPONSE IS TO BE A MINIMUM OF 20 LINES WITH AN AVERAGE OF SIX WORDS PER LINE, NOT COUNTING “A, AN, OR THE”, COMPILED IN A SPIRAL NOTEBOOK, or AN ENTRY OF NO LESS THAN 120 WORDS. (This spiral is more like a portfolio for it contains the majority of pre-writes, personal narratives, free-writes, reading responses, vocabulary activities, etc.) DURING AN AVERAGE WEEK THERE WILL BE FIVE ENTRIES. EACH ENTRY COUNTS FOR TWENTY POINTS, FOR A JOURNAL GRADE THAT CAN EASILY TOTAL ONE HUNDRED. THREE WEEKS OF JOURNALS WILL CONSTITUTE A TEST GRADE. OBJECTIVE -THE JOURNAL ENTRY MEETS MULTIPLE TEKS, AND PREPARES STUDENTS TO BECOME LIFE WRITERS. IN ADDITION, STUDENTS LEARN TO THINK, PLAN, AND WRITE IN RESPONSE TO A PROMPT.(On-going)
Go to the next page.
Reading, Writing, Listening and Visual (Begin 09/15/08)
OBJECTIVE - STRESS THE CORRELATION BETWEEN EUROPEAN HISTORY, CURRENT EVENTS, AND ENGLISH LITERATURE. [JUTES, ANLES, SAXONS, AND CELTS.] TEACH STUDENTS METHODS FOR TAKING EFFECTIVE NOTES. ALSO NOTE THAT WHAT IS WRITTEN IS DIRECTLY RELATED [IN MOST INSTANCES] TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD, WHETHER LOCAL , NATIONAL, OR GLOBAL.
ACTIVITY - NOTES ON THE SUBJECT MATTER. ASSESSMENT – TEST FOR UNDERSTANDING AND/OR GRADE NOTES.
Note: The student ability varies from year to year. I cover this material as quickly as their ability level allows. Usually we cover this material in four to six weeks.
(Week five and we begin with the history of the language we use most often.)
SECOND SIX WEEKS
STUDY - EPICS
Objective: Develop awareness of the cyclical patterns in human behavior over the centuries and the importance of written communication to record such behaviors.
REFRESH – THE ODYSSEY AND THE ILIAD. Activity - Create timelines based upon the reading assignment in the text of Hector’s battle with Achilles. Interpret the reading. Create hieroglyphs to present these to the class in an oral presentation. Assessment Rubrics are created by the students.
THE EPIC – BEOWULF – Objective: NOTE THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY AND THE BLEND OF VALUES. Note the regular literary allusions to literature and the BIBLE in works written prior to 1950. Note a shift in allusions after that period. Tie Biblical allusions to the first epic poem written in OLD ENGLISH:.
TIE TO THE FILM – THE THIRTEEN WARRIOR (source). Activity/Assessment – comparison/contrast paper prewrite and formal essay.
Textual excerpt of THE ILIAD - Note the characteristics of a Hero – Difference in an EPIC hero and the likes of Superman or The Incredibles – Note the use of kennings, allusions, graphic literary detail.
GEOFFREY CHAUCER – THE CANTERBURY TALES
*(MEMORIZE THE PROLOGUE IN MIDDLE ENGLISH) LINES 1-18.
NOTE THE IMPORTANCE OF TELLING THE TALE OF THE EVERYDAY ENGLISHMAN. Note: Note the cultural differences in the characters. Group them according to cultural differences and according to occupational groups.
Activity and Assessment - Note the variety of literary devices and sound devices in the tale. Note types of humor. Focus on Character descriptions. Create visual interpretations of what is read. Keep notes on the reading as a running journal. Use these notes to design questions for a test used by the class. Create an eight page book for the characterizations of two characters studied and a critique explaining how the tone of the tale fits the character who tells the tale. Open with a bit of autobiographical data on the author, or one for the teller of the tale.
Works:
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
ROBIN HOOD - POEM AND FILM see excerpt in text.
MORTE d’ARTHUR – SIR THOMAS MALORY, TRANSLATED BY JOHN
STEINBECK.
VIEW FILM CLIPS- MERLIN [IF TIME ALLOWS] textual excerpt
“THE LADY OF SHALOT”- ALFRED LORD TENNYSON. Read the poem from the text aloud. Discuss her plight. If you can, liken her situation [a love triangle] to another, in literature or someone you know. Note the art of Winslow titled The Lady of Shalot. Please change the names to protect the innocent. Explain the similarity(ies) in your journal.
FIELD TRIP TO THE TEXAS RENAISSANCE – a Weekend adventure.
*FYI – I often change works based upon available and more current materials as I find them. These literary pieces are the core of the subject matter, and/but are also subject to change.
THIRD SIX WEEKS
Cover -
ELEMENTS OF POETRY INCLUDING SOUND AND LITERARY DEVICES
Notes, Discussion, and Group Work [See attached]
THE BALLAD – “GET UP AND BAR THE DOOR”
THE SONNET- ELIZABETHAN, PETRARCHAN, AND SPENCERIAN
SHAKESPEARE’S ENGLAND
SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH AND HAMLET Read Textual excerpt of MacBeth in class. Link to real world political vies for power – find articles to substantiate views. Create a news cast about MacBeth as if it were a current event.
See the Kenneth Braunnaugh version of HAMLET with is verbatim from the play itself.Read and Study the play, Hamlet – Shakespeare
Students will take notes, discuss, role play, and watch the Kenneth Braunagh version of the film –which is verbatim from the written play
SEMESTER EXAM
Comprehensive.
T. HOLDEN
ENGLISH IV - SEMESTER SYLLABUS
SPRING OF 2009
FOURTH SIX WEEKS [THIS YEAR].
[EVERY OTHER YEAR]
RESEARCH ON SHAKESPEARE AND CONTEMPORARY RENAISSANCE LITERATURE. STUDENTS WILL COMPRISE AND PRESENT FORMAL DOCUMENTED RESEARCH REPORTS ON THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS. BY RESEARCHING, TEACHING, DEVISING TESTS RELATIVE TO THE MATERIALS TAUGHT, AND BY CREATING RELATIVE VISUALS IN THE FORM OF A POWER POINT PRESENTATION, STUDENTS WILL DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING ON ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS.
[This year, ’08-’09, reports could include ANY EUROPEAN AUTHOR APPROVED BY MS. HOLDEN –James Barrie - Peter Pan, and Roald Dahl – The Gremlins, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, and James and the Giant Peach were added.]
SHAKESPEAREAN THEATER
THE LIFE OF SHAKESPEARE
SHAKESPEARE’S HISTORY PLAYS
SHAKESPEAREAN TRAGEDIES
SHAKESPEAREAN COMEDIES
SHAKESPEAREAN CONTEMPORARY WRITERS
CHRISTOPHER MARLOW
ROMANTIC POETS
LORD BYRON
JOHN KEATS
PERCY BYSCHE SHELLEY
SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.
MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT
WILLIAM BLAKE
ALFRED LORD TENNYSON
ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING
ROBERT BROWNING
The Realists
CHARLES DICKENS
THOMAS HARDY
T.S. ELIOT
DYLAN THOMAS
ALDOUS HUXLEY
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
VICTORIAN PERIOD OF LITERATURE
*FOURTH SIX WEEKS
HAMLET– Read/SEE, and discuss. “To be or not to Be” Horatio’s advice, etc.
Note links in modern literature and in current movie, T.V. productions. SCI’s use of a portrait of Ophelia as a crime scene reenactment.
*LAST YEAR STUDENTS RESEARCHED VOCATIONS AND PRESENTED THEIR MATERIAL IN THE FORM OF A POWER POINT PRESENTATION AND RESUME.
[SEE ADDENDUM]
RESEARCH PAPER - USE PAGES 427+ FOR REFERENCE. (CAREER)
.
*[STUDENTS CREATED SHORT STORIES AS A JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT]
Activity: READ A SHORT STORY AND DISCUSS THE AUTHOR’S WRITING TECHNIQUES. Assessment: PRESENT AND DISCUSS FINDINGS TO THE CLASS IN AN ORAL PRESENTATION/NOTES. [IF TIME ALLOWS, STUDENTS WILL WRITE ORIGINAL SHORT STORIES APPLYING AND IDENTIFYING THEIR USE OF SPECIFICS WRITING CHARACTERISTICS, USING AND INCLUDING HISTORICAL ALLUSION.] * WE INCORPORATED THE RESEARCH SKILLS INTO THE ALLUSIONS THEY WERE REQUIRED TO USE WITHIN THEIR PAPERS, ALONG WITH 10 TERMS UNIQUE TO THAT PROFESSION, FOOTNOTED DEFINITIONS AND SOURCES.
NOTECARDS, ROUGH DRAFT, FINAL COPIES COUNT AS TEST GRADES.
NORMALLY, THE TERM PAPER WILL BE NO LESS THAN THREE TYPED PAGES DOUBLED SPACED – ONE INCH MARGIN ON THE RIGHT, ONE AND ONE HALF ON THE LEFT – CONSECUTIVE DOCUMENTATION AT THE END OF THE PAPER INDICATED BY NUMBERS WITHIN THE REPORT. CITE ALL SOURCES IN A BIBLIOGRAPHY. THE ORAL REPORT WILL BE NO LESS THAN SEVEN MINUTES. EACH COUNTS AS A TEST GRADE.
EACH STUDENT’S REPORTS WILL INCORPORATE THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
PICK A TOPIC AND NARROW IT IF NECESSARY.
FIND NO LESS THAN FIVE RESOURCES
FOR TWO WEEKS – GATHER DATA (33 NOTECARDS MINIMUM)
ORGANIZE DATA – USE NOTECARDS TO CREATE AN OUTLINE
USE NOTECARDS TO CREATE ROUGH DRAFT
EDIT
ROUGH DRAFT – 3 TO 5 PAGES TYPED DOUBLE SPACE
12 CHARACTER FONT
FINAL REPORT SHALL BE GIVEN IN FRONT OF THE CLASS IN A POWER POINT PRESENTATION.
WE NOW USE COMPUTERS TO CREATE THIS RESEARCH PAPER IN THE FORM OF A POWER POINT PRESENTATION, ACCORDING TO CONTRACTS.
SHORT STORY/NOVEL UNIT 5TH AND 6TH WEEK OF THE FOURTH SIX WEEKS
AND FIFTH SIX WEEKS
FICTION – UNDERSTAND TONE, MOOD, SYNTAX, DICTION
APPLICATION OF ALLUSIONS, SOUND DEVICES, FIGURES OF SPEECH
WORKS:
KUBLA KHAN – SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE
THE DEMON LOVER – SHOWED HOW OFTEN A SINGLE LINE FROM A WORK INFLUENCES OTHER WORKS [“TO A WEE BEASTIE” ROBERT BURNS TO “OF MICE AND MEN” – JOHN STIENBECK; HEART OF DARKNESS – JAMES JOYCE
Excerpts from George Orwell’s work 1984
WHAT MEN LIVE BY – LEO TOLSTOY
PURAN BHAGAT – Rudyard Kipling
THE ROCKING HORSE WINNER-D.H. LAWRENCE
TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES – THOMAS HARDY
FIFTH SIX WEEKS (WE BEGAN RESPONSE AND CREATIVE WRITING PROCESSES THIS SEMESTER.)
BRITISH POETRY
ANALYZE STYLE AND MEANING
JOHN MILTON
FAUST LEGENDS
THE CAVALIER POETS
STUDY ABOUT FIVE SHORT STORIES IN CLASS
USE KLEINBERG’S DEAD POET’S SOCIETY TO MODEL AN AUTHOR’S USE OF SYMBOLISM, EXPRESSIONS OF TONE, MOOD, SETTING, PLOT AND SUBPLOT.
Students shall write Short Stories incorporating 3 cites regarding a vocation of choice, plus 10 uses of relative jargon and definitions. The short story has to include all of the steps of Freytag’s Plot Sequence and be published in the form of a 1) play, 2) booklet with no less that 2 illustrations, 3) film version, 4) puppet show.
TASP AND SAT/ACT PRACTICE
Vocabulary Terms
Affixes – Suffix and Prefix
Latin and Greek bases – Root words
SIXTH SIX WEEKS
Hardy’s Tess of the D’urbervilles – film plus Internet notesfocus on plot sequence.
Bronte’s Wuthering Heights – film plus notes/ discussion with a focus on tragic characters – link to Hamlet
OEDIPUS REX – SOPHOCLES - READ ORALLY NOTING VOCABULARY, ALLUSIONS ACCORDING TO TYPE, USE OF DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES FIRST NAMED BY ARISTOTLE, CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRAGEDY. RELATE TO HAMLET AND MACBETH. NOTE THE ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY.
NOTE - SEVEN DEADLY SINS AND THEIR OCCURRENCES IN LITERATURE.
REFER TO CHAUCER’S CANTERBURY TALES TO TEACH COMEDY, SATIRE, SARCASM, FARCE USE THE FILM A KNIGHT’S TALE.
The novella, Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
Film version of Heart of Darkness, Apocalypse Now – Frances Ford Copalla
Compare the two pieces.
*This year students created original short stories incorporating an allusion as a metaphysical conceit.
**If time allows, A study of Sophocles’ play, Oedipus Rex. Read orally in class. Discuss the Greek Plays and Tragedy.
Tommie Lynn Holden
English IV rm. 25