English II CCSS
Grade 10 students will study literature that spans centuries, continents, and genres.
Each of the four thematically-integrated units encourages close study of this literature
and its context. Students will gain valuable cultural insight as they read and write
about works depicting the social, personal, religious, and political struggles and
triumphs faced by people all over the world and all through history. Students will
continue to build their literacy skills by engaging in focused reading, composition,
speaking and listening activities, vocabulary study, and research. By the end of the
course, students will have gained a broader perspective and will be well-prepared to
apply that perspective to the study of American Literature in Grade 11.
Curriculum decisions for this course are guided by the Common Core State Standards.
These standards were developed to provide clear and consistent goals for student
learning and to ensure that students have the skills they need to be successful beyond
high school. These standards define what students need to know and be able to do by
the end of each grade. In additional to defining grade-level skills, the ELA standards
require that students be exposed to increasingly more complex texts to which they
apply those skills. In order for curriculum to align to these standards, it must be both
rigorous and relevant. It must also expose students to certain critical content. In
English language arts, that content includes classic myths and stories from around the
world, America’s Founding Documents, Foundational American literature, and
Shakespeare. English II students will continue their climb up this staircase of skills
through their study of the following units:
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Unit 1: Coming of Age: In this unit, students will read works that have been
selected because they reflect the universal theme of crossing the threshold into
maturity. The selections cover different centuries, different countries, different
races, and different genders. Students will also read historical background and
author biographies to enrich their understanding of selected works.
Additionally, students will be introduced to the literary, religious, and
philosophical traditions that influenced writers from other cultures.
Unit 2: The Struggle against Injustice: The works in this unit illustrate a
cultural, political, or personal struggle against injustice in some form. As in
the previous unit, students will read literature from different centuries,
countries, races, and genders. They will meet characters, both fictional and
historical, who used the power and beauty of language to expose the injustices
they witnessed or experienced. Students will also investigate the historical and
biographical background of selected works to enrich their understanding of the
literature they read.
Unit 4: Perspectives in World Literature: The works in this unit represent a
variety of lenses through which readers can look at the world. As in the two
previous units, students will read literature from a variety of places, times, and
people. They will meet characters and authors who have shaped the way we
read as well as the way we look at the world. Students will also investigate the
historical, biographical, and critical background of selected works to enrich
their understanding of the literature they read.
Unit 5: Tradition VS. Change: The works in this unit were selected because
they illuminate a conflict between tradition and change. Students continue to
be exposed to literature that spans continents, ages, and perspectives. They
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Grading Scale
97.00-100%
93.00-96.99%
90.00-92.99%
87.00-89.99%
83.00-86.99%
80.00-82.99%
77.00-79.99%
73.00-76.99%
70.00-72.99%
67.00-69.99%
63.00-66.99%
60.00-62.99%
0-59.99%
Assignment Weighting per
Unit With Projects
Lessons: 15%
Quizzes: 25%
Projects: 30%
Tests: 30%
Assignment Weighting per
Unit Without Projects
Lessons: 21%
Quizzes: 36%
Tests: 43%
Unit 5: Tradition VS. Change: The works in this unit were selected because they illuminate a conflict between tradition
and change. Students continue to be exposed to literature that spans continents, ages, and perspectives. They will
analyze the social, political, cultural, and individual struggles depicted in this literature to better understand the
existence and the impact of this conflict. And students will continue to investigate the historical and biographical
background of selected works to enrich their understanding of the literature they read.
Course Requirements
1. Keep up with your daily lesson plan. If you fall a day behind, work
extra hard to catch up the next day.
2. Ask your teacher questions regularly to clarify concepts.
Resources
Academy Support
If you need help you may send a message to your teacher using
the messaging system or call 888-399-4267 to speak with a
teacher on the phone.
Glossary and
Credits
Each unit contains a Glossary and Credits section with important
formulas and definitions. This is a useful section to read and
study.
Resource Center
Visit the Resource Center to access academic policies, The Bridge
– Student Newsletter, and additional student resources
(handouts, study guides, and videos) to help you in your course.
Unit 1: Coming of Age
Assignments
18 Characterization in Guy de Maupaussant's
1 Course Overview
"The Wedding Night "
2 Introducing Doris Lessing
19 Understanding Mahandas Gandhi
20 What Does it Mean? Deciphering Word
3 Revealing Themes in "Through the Tunnel"
Meaning
4 The Power of Word Choice
21 Quiz 3
5 Quiz 1
22 Alternate Quiz 3 – Form A
6 Alternate Quiz 1 – Form A
23 Alternate Quiz 3 – Form B
7 Alternate Quiz 1 – Form B
24 Reading Whitman's Free Verse
8 Lyric Poetry in Ancient Chinese Culture
25 Talking About Talking
9 Love and Disappointment: Analyzing Maureen
Daly's "Sixteen"
26 Quiz 4
10 Living the Cultural Revolution
27 Alternate Quiz 4 – Form A
11 Project: Compare and Contrast: Analyzing
Elements of Literature in "Sixteen" and "Through
the Tunnel"
28 Alternate Quiz 4 – Form B
12 Quiz 2
29 Special Project
13 Alternate Quiz 2 – Form A
30 Review
14 Alternate Quiz 2 – Form B
31 Test
15 Using Clauses and Phrases for Interest
32 Alternate Test – Form A
16 Discovering the Beauty of Shakespeare
17 Shakespeare's Use of Language
33 Alternate Test – Form B
34 Glossary and Credits
Unit 2: The Struggle Against Injustice
1
2
3
4
5
George Orwell, Author and Activist
The Characters in Animal Farm
Quiz 1
Alternate Quiz 1 – Form A
Alternate Quiz 1 – Form B
6 Animal Farm: Character Flaws
7 Vocabulary in Animal Farm
8 Quiz 2
9 Alternate Quiz 2 – Form A
10 Alternate Quiz 2 – Form B
11 Themes in Animal Farm
12 Quiz 3
13 Alternate Quiz 3 – Form A
Assignments
30 Fighting for Freedom
31 Fighting Back
32 Understanding Poetry: "They Shot Wook Kim"
33 Hannah Senesh: Symbol of Hope
34 Night—A Memoir of Despair
35 Project: Essay: Violence and Victimization Why?
36 Quiz 6
37 Alternate Quiz 6 – Form A
38 Alternate Quiz 6 – Form B
39 A Man Who Changed Minds
40 Bernadette Devlin: Born into Injustice
41 Socrates—In Search of Truth
42 Socrates-Diving Deeper into Language
43 An Answer to Injustice: Life-Saving Tales
14 Alternate Quiz 3 – Form B
44 Vocabulary and The Thousand and One Nights
15 The Conclusion of Animal Farm
45 Quiz 7
16 Vocab-a-thon Revival
46 Alternate Quiz 7 – Form A
17 Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution
47 Alternate Quiz 7 – Form B
18 Tone and Metaphor in Animal Farm
19 Project: Essay: The Characterization of Political
Beliefs
48 More Interesting and Effective Writing
20 Quiz 4
49 Project: How History Affects Literature
50 Narrative Writing Project: Injustice—In Your
Own Words
21 Alternate Quiz 4 – Form A
51 Quiz 8
22 Alternate Quiz 4 – Form B
23 Literary Analysis of "Once Upon a Time" within
the Cultural Context of South African History
24 Literary Analysis of "The child is not dead" within
the Cultural Context of South African History
25 Changes in Twentieth Century China—Mao,
Communism, and the Cultural Revolution
26 Kuangchi C. Chang - A Poet in Exile
27 Quiz 5
28 Alternate Quiz 5 – Form A
52 Alternate Quiz 8 – Form A
29 Alternate Quiz 5 – Form B
59 Glossary and Credits
53 Alternate Quiz 8 – Form B
54 Special Project
55 Review
56 Test
57 Alternate Test – Form A
58 Alternate Test – Form B
Unit3: Semester Review and Exam
1 Review
2 Exam
Assignments
3 Alternate Exam – Form A
Unit 4: Perspectives in World Literature
Assignments
29 Understanding "Counting Small-boned
1 The Setting of Nectar in a Sieve
Bodies"
30 Project: Analysis and Comparison of Two
2 Gandhi Defends His Beliefs
Poems
3o Analyzing Samuel Taylor Coleridge's
sonnet “Work without Hope“
31 Quiz 4
4 Point of View and Characterization
of Nectar in a Sieve
32 Alternate Quiz 4 – Form A
5 The Narrative Structure of Nectar in a
Sieve
6 Quiz 1
7 Alternate Quiz 1 – Form A
8 Alternate Quiz 1 – Form B
9 Understanding Literary Devices in
Nectar in a Sieve
10 A Look at Nectar in a Sieve from
Different Perspectives
11 Symbolism and Imagery in Nectar in a
Sieve
12 The Use of Tone in Nectar in a Sieve
13 Figurative Language and Nectar in a
Sieve
14 Word Analysis
15 Quiz 2
16 Alternate Quiz 2 – Form A
17 Alternate Quiz 2 – Form B
18 Project: Write an Argumentative Essay
about the Theme of Nectar in a Sieve
19 Exploring Kabir and "Tell me, O Swan,
your ancient tale"
21 Thinking about Object Poems and "The
Swan"
22 Examining Rilke's "Spanish Dancer"
23 Quiz 3
24 Alternate Quiz 3 – Form A
25 Alternate Quiz 3 – Form B
26 Understanding Neruda
27 Examining "Birthplace," by Tahereh
Saffarzadeh
28 Analyzing Nazim Hikmet and "It's This
Way"
33 Alternate Quiz 4 – Form B
34 Project: Arguing For or Against Faulkner's
Position in His Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
35 Literary Devices in "The Garden of Forking
Paths"
36 Project: Narrative Essay: "The Garden of the
Forking Paths"
37 Analyzing Sorrentino
38 Quiz 5
39 Alternate Quiz 5 – Form A
40 Alternate Quiz 5 – Form B
41 Clarifying the Meaning of Unknown Words
42 Project: Essay: Latin American Writers
43 Theme and Point of View in "The Circuit"
44 Understanding Theme and Author's Point of
View in "The Passing"
45 Project: Grammar That Grows
46 Project: Perspectives
47 Quiz 6
48 Alternate Quiz 6 – Form A
49 Alternate Quiz 6 – Form B
50 Special Project
51 Review
52 Test
53 Alternate Test – Form A
54 Alternate Test – Form B
55 Glossary and Credits
Unit 5: Tradition VS Change
1 Tradition vs. Change
Assignments
28 Quiz 3
2 Project: Webquest with Presentation
and Works Cited
3 Analysis of Things Fall Apart Chapters
1–3
4 Things Fall Apart Chapters 4-6
5 Things Fall Apart Chapters 7-8
6 Quiz 1
7 Alternate Quiz 1 – Form A
8 Alternate Quiz 1 – Form B
9 Things Fall Apart Chapters 9-11
10 Symbolism in Things Fall Apart
11 Irony and Foreshadowing in Things Fall
Apart
12 Analyzing Things Fall Apart Chapters
12–13
13 Things Fall Apart Chapters 14–16
14 Analyzing Imagery in Things Fall Apart
15 Quiz 2
16 Alternate Quiz 2 – Form A
17 Alternate Quiz 2 – Form B
18 Things Fall Apart Chapters 17-19
19 Themes in Things Fall Apart
20 Context and Change in Things Fall
Apart
21 Parallel Characters and Colonization
22 The Individual Vs. Society
23 Project: Essay: A Tragic Hero?
24 Language in Things Fall Apart
25 The Centre Cannot Hold
26 Defining and Decoding Words
27 Project: Essay: Developing Theme
throughout a Novel
29 Alternate Quiz 3 – Form A
30 Alternate Quiz 3 – Form B
31 Apartheid: Analyzing Forced
Separation
32 Invisible Boundaries
33 Opposing Forces
34 Making a Difference
35 Project: Reflection Essay: South Africa
36 Quiz 4
37 Alternate Quiz 4 – Form A
38 Alternate Quiz 4 – Form B
39 The Life and Times of Miguel de
Cervantes
40 Stuck in the Past
41 The Annual Ritual
42 You Can't Choose Your Family
43 It's How You Say It
44 Project: Dramatic Recitation
45 Project: Developing and Answering a
Research Question
46 Project: Gathering, Evaluating, and
Citing Information
47 Project: Writing, Revising, and
Publishing a Final Product
48 Quiz 5
49 Alternate Quiz 5 – Form A
50 Alternate Quiz 5 – Form B
51 Special Project
52 Review
53 Test
54 Alternate Test – Form A
55 Alternate Test – Form B
56 Glossary and Credits
Unit 6: Semester Review and Exam
1 Review
2 Exam
Assignments
3 Alternate Exam – Form A
Unit 7:
1 Exam
Assignments
2 Alternate Exam – Form A