The Van Geons Experience

Van Geons Classroom
Misenheimer, NC

English I

NC  Standard Course of Study for English I

Course Syllabus

 Letter to Parents and Guardians

 Helpful Sites for Students and Teachers:

ASSIGNMENTS

Course Syllabus 

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

Freshmen Seminar  at Gray Stone- Aug 12-15, 2008- Writing Workshop with Mrs. Van Geons

 

10215 Honors Freshman English

Full Year Course

NOTE: Required EOC Testing Course This course covers the writing process including the study of form in personal narrative, descriptive, and expository papers. The curriculum includes a variety of multicultural literature: short stories, novels, poetry, mythology, drama, and nonfiction with an emphasis on oral/written response to literature, distinguishing characteristics of various genres and vocabulary study. A significant amount of time is spent learning and applying grammar rules. As the purpose of the class is to broaden and deepen knowledge and performance, additional in-depth work is required. A research project and a summer reading project are required.

Semester One- 9th Grade

THESE ASSIGNMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. I WILL UPDATE EACH WEEK REGULARLY, BUT DO NOT JUMP AHEAD . YOU MUST BE PRESENT IN CLASS TO GET THESE UPDATES.

Week One

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Syllabus

 

Two

What about me?

What about me? Bring TKAMB to class tomorrow

Three

Hand in writing assignment for summer reading- First writing workshop about TKAMB - Discuss the various types of courage manifested in To Kill A Mockingbird, lecture/notes on novel

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

TKAMB writing assignment

 

Week  Two

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Review key issues/themes, characters and lessons learned in the novel- hand in writing assignment- New writing assignment- character development (Bildunsroman concept)- students will compare the Bildunsroman concept of TKAMB to another writing/film of their choice

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

Students will compare the Bildunsroman concept of TKAMB to another writing/film of their choice- complete draft due tomorrow

Two

Peer editing tutorial, peer edit

Revision for class tomorrow

Three

Read aloud editing, peer editing form, proofreading form

Revision for class tomorrow

Four

Begin Unit One- The Power of Storytelling in text book- Crisis and Conflict- Strategies for reading fiction p. 25,  Connect to your life, pg. 26, Focus reading/Cause and Effect pg. 26- read “The Necklace”-

Thinking Critically- pg. 35 #2-7 in your daybook- rewrite the question in your answer

Five

Recap- Homework check- Vocab in Action (Context Clues), Grammar in Context (Abstract and Concrete Nouns), Connect to your life pg. 38,  Focus your reading pg. 38, Reader’s Notebook pg. 38

Read “The Most Dangerous Game” and complete Reader’s Notebook

 

Week  Three

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Quiz on “The Most Dangerous Game”, Discuss thinking critically on pg .58, in daybook complete “Connect to Life) #8, Vocabulary in Action Exercises A and B, pg. 59, Grammar in Context pg. 60 (Choosing Precise Verbs)

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

Real World Link pg. 61, Complete all “Reading Information” pg. 61

Two

Focus reading and Reader’s Notebook pg. 62, read “Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?” by Tim O’brien pg. 63

Read “I like the look of Agony” pg. 70 and complete #8 and #9 on pg. 71

Three

Vocab in Action and Grammar in Context (Adverbs) pg. 72-73, in class, read “How to Tell A True War Story”- imagery, discussion, what is real? Write a few paragraphs in detail about your earliest memory.

Ask a family member about the same memory that you have and see how they compare or contrast- Does that mean that your version or their version is correct/incorrect? Does it make your memory any less real? Answer these questions in depth in your daybook

Four

  • Parts of Speech pg. 1179 in Textbook
  • Elements of a short story power point
  • Spine Tinglers!! Power point

 

 

Five

  • Notes on “The Lottery” 
  • Notes on Shirley Jackson
  • The Lottery Initial Response written in journal form
  • Define Scape goating
  • Read “The Lottery” 

 

  • Homework: Critical Thinking on Rituals written assignment
  • Sacrifice rituals operate on the principle of scape goating. Describe how the process of “The Lottery” uses the scapegoat and tell what end is desired. Are there any examples in our current society of using scape goating?

 

 

Week Four

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Test #1-

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

Begin Cask of Amontillado

 

Prereading journal- A catacomb is an underground cemetery or crypt. There are recesses for placing bodies of the deceased. For your journal, imagine how your five senses might react in an underground cemetery. For starters, it is dark and damp

 

Preparing to Read- pg. 207

 

Read “The Cask of Amontillado”

HW- Connect to Literature #1-8

 

Notes for mood and point of view with activity questions pg. 216,

Two

Nouns pg. 1180 in textbook and Grammar Practice

Analysis of Style pg. 217 with application 1-3

Grammar in Context and Vocab in Action pg. 219

Assessment practice pg. 225

  • Review horror elements in The Lottery and Cask of Amontillado

 

Homework:– journal writing activity  - Think about why some people become obsessed with revenge and jot down all the reasons that come to mind. Then note some of the negative consequences of such an obsession. If possible, cite examples.          

 

Literature and your life : What happens when a desire for revenge gets out of hand?

 

Three

Warm up- vocab in action pg. 123

Preparing to Read “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Longfellow pg. 124-125

 

Thinking through the Literature- pg. 128 and literary analysis

Writing your personal narrative pg. 134

 

Writing your personal narrative pg. 134

 

Four

Peer editing / revision of Personal Narrative

Assessment Practice pg. 136

Peer editing / revision of Personal Narrative

Five

Notes pg. 138-130 Poetry-

Pg. 141- Connect to Your Life, Focus Your Reading (ballad, inferences) Read “O What Is That Sound” by W.H. Auden on pg. 142-

Complete Guide for Reading pg. 143

Connect to Literature pg. 144

Sound devices pg. 144

Pg. 144 # 3-6

 

Week  Five

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Personal Narrative due

Begin Killing Mr. Griffin

Pronouns pg. 1181 in textbook

Grammar Practice pg. 1182-83 in textbook

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

Novel study questions

Two

Killing Mr. Griffin

Novel study questions

Three

Killing Mr. Griffin

Novel study questions

Four

Killing Mr. Griffin

Verbs pg. 1183 in textbook

Novel study questions

Five

Killing Mr. Griffin

Verb Tenses pg. 1184 in textbook Grammar Practice pg. 1185

Novel study questions

 

 

Week  Six

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Killing Mr. Griffin

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

Novel study questions

Two

Killing Mr. Griffin

Active and Passive Voice pg. 1185 and Mood pg. 1185 in textbook

Novel study questions

Grammar Practice pg. 1185-86

Three

MLA format powerpoint

Writing workshops on novel

Writing workshops on novel

Four

Writing workshops on novel

Writing workshops on novel

Five

Peer editing workshops

Modifiers pg. 1186-88 in textbook

Grammar Practice pg. 1188

Paper revisions

 

Week  Seven

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Paper due via email

Give All About Me project

Elements of Poetry Powerpoint

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

All About Me project

Song Project due Friday

Two

Haiku study

“Walk Poem” and “Haiku” writing

All About Me project

Three

Share “walk poem” and “haiku”

Lesson- Is a Sentence a Poem?

 

All About Me project

Four

Lesson- Is a Sentence a Poem?

All About Me project

Five

Is A Sentence a Poem?

Onomonopoeia Mini Lesson

 

All About Me project

 

Week  Eight

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Song Project

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

All About Me project

Two

Begin “The Odyssey”

Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections pg. 1188-89 and Grammar Practice pg. 1189

All About Me project

Three

“The Odyssey”

All About Me project

Four

“The Odyssey”

All About Me project

Five

“The Odyssey”

The Sentence and Its Parts pg. 1190

All About Me project

 

Week  Nine

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

“The Odyssey”

The Sentence and Its Parts pg. 1191-92 and Grammar Practice

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

All About Me project

Two

“The Odyssey”

All About Me project

Three

“The Odyssey”

Complements pg. 1192-93 and Grammar Practice

All About Me project

Four

“The Odyssey”

 

Five

“The Odyssey”

All About Me Project due

 

 

Week  Ten

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Test for “The Odyssey”

Essay assignment for “The Odyssey” given due Tuesday

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

 

Two

“Romeo and Juliet”

Phrases and Verbal Phrases pg. 1193

“Romeo and Juliet” study questions

 

Three

“Romeo and Juliet”

Phrases and Verbal Phrases pg. 1193-94 and Grammar Practice

“Romeo and Juliet” study questions

 

Four

“Romeo and Juliet”

“Romeo and Juliet” study questions

 

Five

“Romeo and Juliet”

“Romeo and Juliet” study questions

 

 

Week  Eleven

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

“Romeo and Juliet”

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

“Romeo and Juliet” study questions

 

Two

Essay due for “The Odyssey” via email

“Romeo and Juliet”

“Romeo and Juliet” study questions

 

Three

“Romeo and Juliet”

“Romeo and Juliet” study questions

 

Four

“Romeo and Juliet”

“Romeo and Juliet” study questions

 

Five

“Romeo and Juliet”

Essay assignment for “Romeo and Juliet”

Essay assignment for “Romeo and Juliet”

 

Week Twelve

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

“The Gift of the Magi” pg. 151

“Luxury” pg. 158

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

Thinking through the Literature pg. 159 #2,3,4,7

Two

Pg. 160 Vocabulary in Context

Pg. 161 Grammar in Context

Clauses pg. 1195 grammar practice pg. 1196

 

Three

“Romeo and Juliet” draft one of essay assignment emailed to instructor

“The Princess and the Tin Box” pg. 192

Assessment Practice pg. 225

 

Four

Begin Nonfiction pg. 233-235

Newspaper articles/ identifying objective/persuasive pieces

 

Bring in at least two nonfiction magazines from home

Five

Nonfiction- magazine articles and advertisements (power of persuasion)

 

 

 

Week Thirteen

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Nonfiction- “This I Believe” – memoir and flash memoir writing

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

 

Two

Nonfiction- “This I Believe” – memoir and flash memoir writing

 

Three

“Romeo and Juliet”  final  draft of essay assignment emailed to instructor

Nonfiction- “This I Believe” – memoir and flash memoir writing

This I Believe assignment

Four

Travel/ Place Writing

This I Believe assignment

Five

Travel/ Place Writing

This I Believe assignment

 

Week Fourteen

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

This is not a pipe activities

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

This I Believe assignment

Two

Art as text/ visual storytelling

This I Believe assignment

Three

This I Believe assignments due burned to a CD

Film Festival

 

Four

Film Festival

 

Five

Research Project- assignment given

 

 

 

Week  Fifteen

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Research Project in library

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

Research Project

Two

Research Project in library

MLA refresher

Thesis statement- how to choose one

In text citations (MLA)

Research Project

 

Week Sixteen

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Research Project in library

MLA refresher

Thesis statement- how to choose one

In text citations (MLA)

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

Research Project

Two

Research Project in library

Research Project

Three

In class writing/ organization

Writing complete sentences pg. 1197

Grammar practice pg. 1198

Research Project

Four

Sub. / Verb agreement pg. 1198 and 1200 with Grammar Practices

Research Project questions/  Peer review

Research Project

Five

Catch up day

Research Project

 

Week Seventeen

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

In class Narrative Writing Assignments

Notes- punctuation pg. 1201

Journaling Assignments  for Semester One and Two

Research Project due Friday

 

Two

Notes on capitalization pg. 1203

Research Project due Friday

 

Three

Visual and Oral Presentations due beginning today

Give Exam Study Guide

Research Project due Friday

 

Four

Visual and Oral Presentations due

Research Project due Friday

 

Five

Written Research Project due

Visual and Oral Presentations due

 

 

Week Eighteen

 

 

Day

Assignments

Homework

One

Exam review

 

Two

Exam review

 

Three

Exams

 

Four

Exams

 

Five

Exams

 

 

Semester Two

Words of the Week and Key Terms for Semester Two 

Week One

 

Day

Assignments

Homework