Download English 10A Course Description

Adam Harmstead
English 10B
Humanitas Academy
Sylmar SHS
English 10B Course Description
Spring 2009
General Course Overview
This class will focus on strengthening and extending the communication skills needed by tenth
grade students to succeed throughout high school. The outline below contains brief explanations of the
purpose, content, and skills of each instructional unit in the left column. The tenth grade California
Content Standards for English-Language Arts are displayed on the right. In addition to the Humanitasspecific curriculum listed in the tables, students will also be focusing on preparing for the California High
School Exit Exam and mastering the Essential Learning for Literary Analysis (Reading 3.3 and Reading
3.7.)
Unit 5: Western Civilization in Crisis: World War I
Enduring Understandings
Peace can be achieved through mutual respect.
Reading 3.1 Articulate the relationship between the
The price of war cannot be measured in dollars and
expressed purposes and the characteristics of
cents.
different forms of dramatic literature (e.g., comedy,
War changes humanity.
tragedy, drama, dramatic monologue).
Writing 2.1c. Describe with concrete sensory
Essential Questions
Is war justifiable?
details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and
Who should fight?
the specific actions, movements, gestures, and
Is world peace attainable?
feelings of the characters; use interior monologue to
depict the characters' feelings.
Topical Understandings
Society holds people together.
Writing 2.2c. Demonstrate awareness of the
Morals come directly from our surroundings;
author's use of stylistic devices and an appreciation
without civilization we lose our values.
of the effects created.
The power of words comes from the way in which
they are used.
In order to be effective, persuasive writing must be
focused, organized, and provide evidence to back up
any claims made by the author.
Allegories, foreshadowing, symbols, characters,
conflicts, parallelism, themes, and imagery are all
used by authors to give literature a powerful
emotional and intellectual impact.
Topical Questions
Understand poetic devices: alliteration, figurative
language, rhyme, onomatopoeia.
Concept of the enemy as abstraction.
Art and literature changed in the aftermath of World
War I.
WWI was the first global conflict where trench
warfare, modern technology, and chemicals were
used to obliterate mankind.
Knowledge and Skills
What are poetic devices and how do they enhance
poetry?
Why is it necessary to view the enemy as an
abstraction?
How and why did art and literature change after
World War I?
What were the long-term effects of WWI?
Evidence of Understanding
Read and respond to a variety of WWI poetry.
Create own poetry and culminate with poetry
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Adam Harmstead
English 10B
Humanitas Academy
Sylmar SHS
reading.
Unit 6: The Rise of Totalitarian Governments Between the World Wars
Reading 3.7 Recognize and understand the
Enduring Understandings
Power lies behind nonviolent resistance.
significance of various literary devices, including
Giving people someone to hate is a good way to
figurative language, imagery, allegory, and
unite them.
symbolism, and explain their appeal.
Writing 1.4 Develop the main ideas within the
Essential Questions
Is it wrong to want more?
body of the composition through supporting
Is power bad?
evidence (e.g., scenarios, commonly held beliefs,
True or false: power corrupts; absolute power
hypotheses, definitions).
corrupts absolutely.
Writing 2.2c. Demonstrate awareness of the
author's use of stylistic devices and an appreciation
Topical Understandings
Allegories can be an effective commentary on
of the effects created.
history.
Understand the effects of allegory.
Understand the power of propaganda.
Totalitarianism exists when a group or individual
manages to suppress all discussion of opposing
views.
Topical Questions
What groups in human society are the equivalents of
the animals in Animal Farm?
When does propaganda become brainwashing?
What public displays can be used to reinforce the
power of one group?
Knowledge and Skills
Students will read Martin Luther King’s “I Have a
Dream” speech – 1963.
Students will read and analyze Animal Farm.
Students will research Cesar Chavez and policies
from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Students will write an expository essay focused on
the effects of totalitarianism.
SWBAT:
Evaluate credibility of an author’s argument by
critiquing evidence between generalizations and
evidence.
Recognize and appreciate effects of allegory.
Create an extra chapter for Animal Farm, changing
ending.
Discuss in writing the rise and fall of Animal Farm.
Evidence of Understanding
Students compare and contrast MLK’s speech with
‘Old Major’’s speech.
Conduct research projects on Cesar Chavez.
Extra chapter for Animal Farm where one oppressed
animal begins to organize the others in pursuit of
justice.
Produce an essay reflecting rise and fall of Animal
Farm.
Unit 7: World War II
Reading 2.4 Synthesize the content from several
Essential Understandings
Apathy is as dangerous as hate.
sources or works by a single author dealing with a
The will of the majority must always be questioned. single issue; paraphrase the ideas and connect them
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Adam Harmstead
English 10B
Empathy allows an individual to understand history,
not just judge history.
Essential Questions
What is your responsibility towards you neighbor?
Why do we need someone to blame?
Could the Holocaust happen again?
Topical Understandings
The Holocaust was not a random act of violence but
a systematic, well-planned attempt at genocide.
Survival of such horrible conditions requires inner
strength.
Primary and secondary sources allow access to the
truth.
Effective use of descriptions of appearance, images,
shifting perspectives, and sensory details.
Topical Questions
What was the economic, political, and social
climate of Europe after WWI?
What were the existing fears of the German people
and whom did Hitler blame for the state of affairs in
Germany?
What are advantages to synthesizing primary and
secondary sources in a unit of study?
What can be said in a eulogy to the children of the
Holocaust to instill hope for a more tolerant future?
Knowledge and Skills
Students will:
Develop an understanding of the conditions of
Europe after the Great War which led to the rise of
Hitler.
Discern the power of stereotyping, prejudice, and
propaganda.
Write narrative poetry describing conditions of
children in a concentration camp.
SWBAT:
Synthesize multiple perspectives which attempt to
explain the consequences of the Holocaust.
Stereotype themselves and produce anti-American
propaganda that might have circulated in Germany
sirca 1930’s.
Evaluate concept of responsibility to each other and
the concept of tolerance.
Evidence of Understanding
Students will:
Read and analyze primary and secondary source
material (text and film.)
Stereotype themselves and discuss significance of
labels.
Analyze the impact of the Treaty of Versailles and
the concept of vindictiveness.
Explore concept of anger and humiliation in
connection with nationalism.
Evaluate the effectiveness of propaganda and
produce anti-American propaganda.
Analyze the experience of children in the
concentration camps.
Humanitas Academy
Sylmar SHS
to other sources and related topics to demonstrate
comprehension.
2.5 Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary
sources through original analysis, evaluation, and
elaboration.
Writing 2.1 Write biographical or autobiographical
narratives or short stories:
e. Make effective use of descriptions of appearance,
images, shifting perspectives, and sensory details.
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Adam Harmstead
English 10B
Humanitas Academy
Sylmar SHS
Write narrative poetry empathizing with children.
Required Materials
Blue or black ink pens are required; pencils will only be used occasionally. You must
also bring a college ruled spiral notebook (at least 150 pages, plastic cover) to be used solely in
this class. In addition, you will need a set of colored markers or colored pencils and a glue stick.
Mr Harmstead's Classroom Rules
1. LISTEN TO INSTRUCTIONS
4. BE PREPARED
5. BE ENGAGED
These rules are in place so that everyone in my class has a positive, constructive learning
experience. You are expected to pay attention to directions the first time they are given, get to
class on time, and conduct yourself in a polite manner in my classroom.
Assignments
*Turn in all work on the day it is due -- late assignments receive half credit, no credit after one
week
*When you are absent it is your responsibility to ask me for make up work and/or check to see
what you have missed.
*EVERY STUDENT MUST BRING THEIR NOTEBOOK TO CLASS EVERY DAY– it is a
record of your academic progress and will contain many of your assignments.
Intervention
Sylmar High’s Humanitas Academy has programs in place to help students who are failing. If a
student is having trouble in one or more classes, they may be helped by a mentor student.
Mentors are older students who can give help on assignments and communicate to the teacher
about student progress. Another option for help is Homework Club, which is a daily after-school
detention in a room where students who are missing work are required to complete it. Failure to
attend results in an additional Saturday “Breakfast Club” detention.
Grading Procedures
Assignments will be graded on a point basis. Participation (10%,) Classwork/Homework (45%,)
Major Writing Assignments/Projects (35%,) and Quizzes/Tests (15%) are each important parts of
your semester grade.
A = 90 - 100%
B = 80 - 89%
C = 70 - 79%
D = 60 - 69%
F=
0 - 54%
“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”
-Ray Bradbury
“Me fail English? That’s unpossible!”
-Ralph Wiggum (The Simpsons)
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