This is the first year that Sycamore Middle School has added an honors class. This class provides a structured and supportive environment for highly motivated students to pursue accelerated academic work within a fostering intellectual community. Students will be trained to be critical thinkers, readers, textual analysts, writers, and creative cogent producers of argument.
The course will demand both high quantity and quality of effective reading and writing for a range of audiences and purposes. Honors English serves as both an introduction to the high school English curriculum as well as an opportunity for students to critically explore their own maturation process through the lens of literature. The rigors of the course are intended to be commensurate with the preparation students need for success later in high school, in college, and in the working world.
This year we will be using Introduction to Literature for our curriculum. HMH Into Literature is a comprehensive English language arts solution at Grades 6–12 that focuses on students’ thinking—and thinking about thinking—as part of developing analytical and effective readers, writers, speakers, and listeners. In addition, the honor students will be reading supplementary texts and a couple additional novel studies.
- What impact does prior knowledge have on reading comprehension?
- How can I connect with what I just read?
- How can questioning (inquiry) lead to better understanding of the text?
- What do good readers think about as they read?
- How do good readers reflect and respond to what they read?
Essential Writing Questions
- Why do writers write? What is the purpose?
- What makes clear and effective writing?
- Who is the audience? What will work best for the audience?
- How do grammar and the conventions of language influence spoken and written communication?
Quarter 1: Narrative Unit
During this unit students will be answering the essential questions while focusing on the five key elements to every story: plot, setting, characters, point of view, and conflict. During this unit the students will explore the hero’s journey as we read Ender’s Game and write a narrative essay.
Quarter 2: Expository/Informative Unit
During this unit students will be focusing on Expository/Informative reading and writing while focusing on organization, voice, research, evidence and determining reliable and valid sources. At the end of this unit will include a research essay and project.
Quarter 3: Argumentative/Persuasive Unit
We will begin this unit with the novel Fahrenheit 451 exploring persuasive techniques and rhetorical arguments. During this unit, students will also be focusing on Argumentative/Persuasive reading and writing while focusing on point of view, various types of arguments, organization, voice, evidence, and counterarguments. At the end of this unit students will complete a researched essay and give persuasive speeches and debates.
Quarter 4: Boot Camp (Review)
We will be reviewing all three types of literature and focusing on test prep for the upcoming state test. While there will be many mini writing assignments throughout this unit, we will review all the three previous major essays. In addition we will be begin reading Night, watching The Diary of Anne Frank finish the year with another novel and/or project provided there is time at the end of the year.
Additional Information
At the beginning of every week, the students will be given information for this weeks works that they need to write in their school planner/agenda. Also, at the beginning of each day, there will be “Bell Beginners” that the students will complete in the first five minutes of class. Every quarter the students will be required to read and pass book tests in the Accelerated Reader program. This class will have a mandatory book list for at least two of the required books. A class routine will be established early in the year and it is expected to be followed with no reminders.
Additional Resources