Opal/2009-2010

College Prep English 12

Students will be given between one and three weeks to read each text depending on the length and difficulty. Please plan accordingly. Give yourself time to read deliberately and do not rely solely on reading guides like Spark Notes. Nothing can replace the experience of reading a text in its entirety and the understanding that comes from digesting the author’s tone and literary style. Reading times are approximate—a detailed schedule will be made available prior to each unit. All short stories listed are possible selections and may not be used based upon relevance, time, and availability.

Schedule of Coursework:

Month / Activities / Literature and Writing
August / First day “getting to know you”
“I Am” Essay
Levels of questioning
Daily writing – focus on
essay organization with
4-T (Thesis and 3
supporting topic
sentences).
Literary Terms definitions / Assignment 1: Go to my wikispace and fill out the google document:
http://opalcp12.wikispaces.com/
Begin work on narrative/college admissions essay.
Writing activity: Write two paragraphs focusing on sentence variety – must include at least one appropriate fragment and one appropriate run-on. Each successive sentence should have a different number of words than the preceding sentence.
Literary Terms Exam
September / Work on college essays
Daily writing – focus on
sentence structure, word
choice.
Vocabulary
Notes on Romanticism,
Realism, Naturalism,
Local Color / Read Things Fall Apart (about 3.5 weeks)
Writing Assessment: bluebook exam
Vocabulary Assessment (words from Things Fall Apart and literary terms)
October / Daily writing – focus on
sentence structure, word
choice.
Notes on Style and Tone
Vocabulary
Notes on Point of View,
Symbol, Allegory
Open essay prompt
Literary Criticism
Extended Essay on HOD and TFA
Literary Review Sheets –
HOD, TFA / Read Heart of Darkness (about 3 weeks)
Read “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
Read “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” by Katherine Anne Porter
Read “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
Writing Assessment: Comparative essay on Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness
Vocabulary Exam (Things Fall Apart, Heart of Darkness, and Literary Terms)
Begin Independent Novel
November / Notes on Shakespeare
Daily writing – focus on
how to support a
statement effectively
(balance of ideas and
textual support)
Poetry Fridays
Focus on Plot and Structure
Characterization, Theme
Extended Essay
Literary Review Sheet –
Hamlet, King Lear, or Hamlet
Vocabulary
Prose in-class essay
Literary Review Sheet –
independent novel / Read Shakespearean play in class. Discuss.
Read “The Destructors” by Graham Greene
Read “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
Read “Eveline” by James Joyce & “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara
Writing exercise: Using one of the short stories, choose three pieces of evidence to support a thesis about the tone of the story.
·  This will be done after class work on using support. Students will receive written comments on the balance of their ideas and textual support.
Vocabulary Assessment (Things Fall Apart, Heart of Darkness, and Shakespeare)
December / Daily writing – focus on
how to support a
statement effectively
Parenthetical Citation and Shakespeare
Book talks of Independent Novels
Midterm / Write an essay analyzing Shakespeare.
Midterm: In-Class Essay
End Semester 1
Winter Break
January / Daily writing – focus on supporting opinions
Research and MLA formatting
Parenthetical Citation / Writing Exercise: Write an argumentative essay based in research with supporting evidence, concessions, and a bibliography.
February / Daily writing – focus on
how to support a
statement effectively
Vocabulary / Read Their Eyes Were Watching God
Assessment: Choice project
Vocabulary Exam (Things Fall Apart, Heart of Darkness, Shakespeare, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and literary terms)
March / Daily writing
Vocabulary / Read The Awakening
Vocabulary Exam (Things Fall Apart, Heart of Darkness, Shakespeare, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Awakening, and literary terms)
April / Daily writing – focus on
variety of organization
using graphic organizers.
Notes on Fantasy (Magical
Realism)
Vocabulary test
Revisions of Extended
Essay
Literary Review Sheets –
Hamlet/Macbeth/Twelfth
Night, Fences / Read The Things They Carried
Read “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Discuss Shakespeare – Theme, Character, Style
Writing activity: write a short essay about one of the characters in the Shakespeare play you read using only questions to indicate their function in the play.
May / Daily Writing – focus on
responses to literature
Poetry Fridays
Open Essay prompt
Literary Review Sheet –
The Things They Carried,
independent novel / Discuss The Things They Carried
Creative Writing – What are the things you carry?
* Before writing we will do in-class activity with focus on voice. Students will receive written comments on clarity of individual voice of essay.
Read “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell
Read “Roman Fever” by Edith Wharton
Read “A Good Man is Hard To Find” by Flannery O’Connor
Final
Graduation: May 29, 2010