Welcome to English and Literature!
In this course, you will become familiar with genres of drama, fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. In the required texts, you will perform critical analysis, make accurate connections, cultivate important questions, and evaluate prominent themes. Writing for this class will include a creative writing response journal, narratives, analytical essays, and research papers. The research paper will sharpen your knowledge of how to find recourses/databases effectively and to familiarize with productive technology use. Students will demonstrate collaboration with peers and myself to enhance listening and speaking skills. We will have oral presentations, socratic seminars, group work, and daily class discussion.
Major Course Topics
Unit 1: Theme of Love ~ Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer's Night's Dream, Pride and Prejudice
(All required texts are pre-ordered in paperback for this class at Barnes and Noble.)
Performance Assessment: Romeo and Juliet Play Production
Assignment: You will conduct your own interpretation of Romeo and Juliet by encompassing Shakespeare's timeless themes of love, passion, violence, and societal expectations. In addition to a typed copy of your script, I would appreciate a 500-word short essay describing your choices behind character, time period, costume and setting. You may alter the setting and time period, transform dialogue to modern language, or create your own movie experience. The symbolism and motifs throughout Shakespeare's work must be evident in your own. This will require analytical thinking, attention to detail, original thought, and apparent creativity. This is a way for you to use your imaginations, talents, and knowledge of Shakespeare's content. You may choose any scene that inspires you the most. Your interpretations will be performed to the class or on film.
9th Grade English Language Arts Standards Students will: -Seek to understand other perspectives and cultures and communicate effectively with audiences or individuals from varied backgrounds -Create literary texts that demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a wide variety of texts of recognized literary merit. -Engage in a wide range of prewriting experiences, such as using a variety of visual representations, to express personal, social, and cultural connections and insights. -Identify, analyze, and use elements and techniques of various genres of literature. -Develop critical and interpretive texts from more than one perspective, including historical and cultural. -Create poetry, stories, plays, and other literary forms (e.g. videos, art work). |