International Baccalaureate English
Higher Level II Curriculum
Instructor: Casey Briskin/
Office Hours: Room 217: 7:45-8:30 and 3:00-4:00
I am available every day to help you with assignments or to answer any questions or concerns you have about the course.
Course Description:
IB HL2 English is designed to fulfill the requirements of the second year of International Baccalaureate English. Emphasis will be on critical reading and analysis of texts. This course will prepare students for their 20-minute oral exam and for their final IB written exam in the spring.This course will also prepare students for success at university and college. Students will learn to appreciate the artistry of literature, and develop the ability to reflect critically on their reading, presenting literary analysis powerfully through both oral and written communication.
Course Goals and Learning Objectives:
Students will continue to develop their:
- appreciation of language and literature
- skills in literary criticism and academic writing
- understanding of the formal, stylistic and aesthetic qualities of texts
- participation in seminar discussion and debate
Expectations and Policies:
Academic Honesty: Students must submit their own work. Plagiarism and cheating is not tolerated. Infractions will result in an automatic F on the assignment or the test, and a mandatory meeting will be scheduled with parents and the IB coordinator.
Assignments are expected on the due date. I do not accept e-mailed papers. If you have a printing problem, figure out a way to have it printed and ready for class. E-mail it to yourself before school and print it in the media center. Papers will be considered late if you don’t have it in class. Grades will drop a full grade each day it is late. After the 4th day, the assignment or paper will receive an F. In addition to turning in a hard copy of the paper, I require all essays to be submitted to turnitin.com.
An unexcused absence on test days or assignment due days will result in a 0 for that assignment/test.
Please talk to me if you are ill or miss class due to an emergency.
If you miss school due to a family vacation, I expect you to submit assignments on time and take all tests before you leave.
Attendance: Being prompt to class shows respect and courtesy to me and to your peers. Attendance is taken at the beginning of class. If you arrive late, it is your responsibility to discuss the matter with the attendance office. If you receive 10 unexcused tardies in a quarter, your grade will drop.
Unexcused absences: Students who are chronically absent will be invited to a conference attended by your parents, the IB coordinator, and me. The work from excused absences must be made up within 3 days of returning to school.
Electronic Devices are not allowed. Please make sure phones are turned off before you enter the classroom. If an electronic device is used, I will confiscate it and return it to you after class. If there is a second infraction, you will be asked to retrieve your device from your assistant principal.
Participation and Behavior
This class is a participatory experience. We learn from each other, from in-class discussion and writing activities. Students are expected to be active, thoughtful participants, both as speakers and listeners. Please be prepared for class by reading the assigned pages the night before. I expect students to be respectful of class time; students who are more loquacious may want to practice listening skills, and reticent students may need to practice speaking up and voicing their ideas more. Please be mindful of the community by allowing others to speak their opinion, and by respecting multiple viewpoints. Mutual respect is the key to building a strong community in the classroom.
Evaluation:
Grades are awarded through points. Projects, tests and papers will be worth more points than in-class assignments and homework. Expect a writing assignment on every book that we read in class.
Units Studied:
Semester 1Semester 2
The College EssayTo The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
The Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne Beloved by Toni Morrison
King Lear by William Shakespeare The Guide by R.K. Narayan
Poetry of Carol Ann DuffyA Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
The Turning Stories by Tim Winton
Students will need to buy the following books:
Semester 1
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White (4th edition)
King Lear by William Shakespeare (Folger Edition preferred, ISBN-13: 978-0743484954)
The Turning short stories by Tim Winton (Scribner, ISBN:978-0-74327979-6)
Semester 2
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (ISBN-0156907399
The Guide by R.K. Narayan (Penguin, ISBN-13: 978-0143039648)
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (any edition)
Students can buy their books at Magers & Quinn (3038 Hennepin Ave.) and receive a 10 % discount. You can also buy used or new copies from Amazon.com. Check Half Price Books as well, as they often have a couple of the more popular books on the shelves, as do Barnes & Noble. Please get The Elements of Style and The Scarlet Letter as soon as possible.
Students can check out The Scarlet Letter and Beloved from the media center, but if you want to buy the edition in order to annotate them, please buy the following editions:
The Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne (Norton Edition preferred, ISBN-13: 978-0393979534)
Beloved by Toni Morrison (Vintage, ASIN: B004N04IHE
Here is a general outline of what we will study this year. Dates may change, but this gives you a general idea of the year’s schedule.
August 26 – Sept 5
Writing the college essay
Grammar and writing techniques
September 6 - October 4
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Writing and techniques of literary analysis.
October 7-November 8
King Lear by Shakespeare
November 11– December 11:
The Poetry of Carol Ann Duffy
December 9-11
Prep for orals
December 12-20
IB Interactive Orals and Commentary (IOC) on Duffy, Lear, and The Scarlet Letter
December 12-Janurary 16
Short Stories of Tim Winton
January 21- February 21
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
February 24 - March 27
Beloved by Toni Morrison
April 7- April 26
The Guide by R.K. Narayan
April 28 – May 6:
Exam preparation
May 5 IB exam Paper 1
May 6 IB exam Paper 2
May 7- June 2
A Walk in the Woodsby Bill Bryson