Course Overview
English I Pre-Advanced Placement (AP) is designed as part of a highly-accelerated program that will ultimately prepare students to take advanced-placement tests in their junior and senior years of high school. Students in this course are often operating at the level of a high school junior and enjoy the challenge of these reading and writing intensive assignments. In this course emphasis will be placed on vocabulary development and units of advanced syntax and usage. Major literary works will include a choice of Independent Reading novels. In addition, drama, selected short stories, nonfiction and poetry will be studied. There will be major grade process writing assignments which include analytical and expository pieces, as well as in-class timed-writings. There will also be frequent discussions, occasional major projects, periodic research, and daily outside reading. Students will be expected to independently manage reading and writing assignments and will be expected to demonstrate strong critical thinking skills of analysis, evaluation, and synthesis through participation in classroom discussion and writing.
Independent Reading
Beginning September 1st, students should have a paper copy of a book to read. The purpose of IR is to foster the love of reading so that it becomes lifelong. Students can choose just about any book they want to read. Students will keep track of the number of pages read each week via a virtual Reader's Notebook that I will provide students once we get going next week. Additionally, students will complete a reading survey at the beginning of the year to help me understand how students see themselves as readers. At the beginning of each quarter, students will set goals, and at the end of each quarter, students will write a reflection. There are page in the Reader's Notebook to record all books read and which books to read next. Students will read for 10 minutes at the beginning of class Tuesdays-Thursdays. Students are encouraged to read each night and during the weekends when their schedules allow.
Journals
Each Monday, students will complete a journal entry in a virtual journal I will provide them. Students will write for 10 full minutes addressing the journal topics. Students are encouraged to explore their voices in journals. They are a risk free place for students to honestly examine themselves and the world around them. Journals have been a staple of my class for most of my teaching career because beautiful writing emerges when students are given the freedom to express themselves unreservedly.
*More to come!
English I Pre-Advanced Placement (AP) is designed as part of a highly-accelerated program that will ultimately prepare students to take advanced-placement tests in their junior and senior years of high school. Students in this course are often operating at the level of a high school junior and enjoy the challenge of these reading and writing intensive assignments. In this course emphasis will be placed on vocabulary development and units of advanced syntax and usage. Major literary works will include a choice of Independent Reading novels. In addition, drama, selected short stories, nonfiction and poetry will be studied. There will be major grade process writing assignments which include analytical and expository pieces, as well as in-class timed-writings. There will also be frequent discussions, occasional major projects, periodic research, and daily outside reading. Students will be expected to independently manage reading and writing assignments and will be expected to demonstrate strong critical thinking skills of analysis, evaluation, and synthesis through participation in classroom discussion and writing.
Independent Reading
Beginning September 1st, students should have a paper copy of a book to read. The purpose of IR is to foster the love of reading so that it becomes lifelong. Students can choose just about any book they want to read. Students will keep track of the number of pages read each week via a virtual Reader's Notebook that I will provide students once we get going next week. Additionally, students will complete a reading survey at the beginning of the year to help me understand how students see themselves as readers. At the beginning of each quarter, students will set goals, and at the end of each quarter, students will write a reflection. There are page in the Reader's Notebook to record all books read and which books to read next. Students will read for 10 minutes at the beginning of class Tuesdays-Thursdays. Students are encouraged to read each night and during the weekends when their schedules allow.
Journals
Each Monday, students will complete a journal entry in a virtual journal I will provide them. Students will write for 10 full minutes addressing the journal topics. Students are encouraged to explore their voices in journals. They are a risk free place for students to honestly examine themselves and the world around them. Journals have been a staple of my class for most of my teaching career because beautiful writing emerges when students are given the freedom to express themselves unreservedly.
*More to come!