FRESHMAN ENGLISH CURRICULUM (TESTING OUT) ______________________________________________________________________________ ENGLISH 9A Required Reading: ● Odyssey (Homer) ○ Holt Elements of Literature Third Course : Pages 10241101 ● Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare) ○ Holt Elements of Literature Third Course: Pages 796948 Writing: ● Cause and Effect Essay: See below. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Cause and Effect Essay After reading William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , you will write a welldeveloped essay in which you identify which character you think is most responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. You may NOT choose Romeo or Juliet. Remember, when responding to literature, do not use first or second person narration. Additionally, you should avoid summarizing the story; assume your reader is familiar with the characters and basic plot elements. Your paper should be formatted as follows: Introduction: ● Introduces the title of the literary work and its author ● States which character is most responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet ● Lists (not explains) in chronological order, the three main reasons why this character is most responsible ● Claim (thesis statement) is clear and easily identifiable within the introduction. Body Paragraphs (Total of three): ● Paragraph contains topic sentence introducing one of the main reasons identified in claim. ● Explains how reason led to deaths of Romeo and Juliet (or how it was a contributing factor). ● Provides a specific supporting example from the text. ● Contains a quote from the text to offer further support. When writing quotes in an MLA formatted essay… Write the title of the work and the location of the quotation in parentheses after each quote. If none of this information is given in the text before the quote, then this information should be formatted: (Play. Act number. Scene number. Verse numbers). For example, if you are using a quote/line from Act 3, Scene 1 of Romeo & Juliet, format your parenthetical citation as follows: (Romeo & Juliet. 3.1.2223). Conclusion: ● Confirms that the character the author chose is indeed the most responsible ● Restates claim or thesis statement in a different way ● Wraps up the essay with a sentence that gives readers a sense of finality Mechanics/Conventions: ● Essay is submitted on time through turnitin.com ● ● Conventions (spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.) Formatting (Times New Roman, 12PT FONT, MLA Format) Academic Vocabulary: Be familiar with the following academic vocabulary terms and how they are used in Odyssey and Romeo and Juliet. ● approximate rhyme ● end rhyme ● protagonist ● antagonist ● monologue ● soliloquy ● aside ● epic ● epic hero ● epic simile ● medias res ● flashback ● invocation ● tragedy ● stanza ● epic hero Language Terms: Define the following language terms and be able to identify examples of each in a given sentence(s). ● noun ● pronoun ● adjective ● preposition Supplementary Reading: Read one of the novels from the list below, and complete the Book Review assignment that follows. Whirlgig The Fault in our Stars Dead End in Norvelt Stargirl Unwind Marcello in the Real World Jasper Jones Wonder Supplementary Novel Book Review Format and Requirements Paragraph 1: ● Introduce the title of the book, author, and genre (which ever order you choose). ● Briefly describe what the book is about WITHOUT revealing the ending pivotal twists in the plot. Paragraphs 2 and 3 should each do the following: ● ● Present one reason you liked the book by identifying what the author did well. Example : Throughout Journey to the Center of the Earth , Verne’s use of descriptive language helps the reader vividly picture his elaborate settings including the secret passage which is “full of ropeladders, slipnooses, torches, gourds, crampirons, pickaxes, alpenstocks, mattocks, [and] enough articles to load ten men at least” (Verne 25). Include at least one quote (as in the example above), effectively blended within the text, and properly using parenthetical citation. Paragraph 4: ● Provide one reason you did NOT like the book by identifying one thing the author did not do or could have done better. If there is nothing you disliked about the book, then paragraph 4 should describe a third reason for your liking the book (follow format of paragraphs 2 and 3). ● Include at least one quote to support your opinion, effectively blended within the text, with proper parenthetical citation. Paragraph 5: Wrap up your review! ● Rate your book using a scale of 15 stars with 5 being the highest rating possible. ● Briefly explain why the book earned x amount of stars. ● State what type of reader would enjoy your book (young adult readers? readers who enjoy mysteries?). ● End with some brief biographical information about the author and what other books he or she has published. Example : Born in a small, French coastal town on February 28, 1828, Jules Gabriel Verne early developed a love for the sea and for adventure. He went on to publish several more books including Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870) and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873). Additional Requirements for Book Review: ● TIMES NEW ROMAN, 12PT FONT, DOUBLESPACED ● NO FIRST OR SECOND PERSON NARRATION ● NO CONTRACTIONS ● WORKS CITED PAGE IN MLA FORMAT ____________________________________________________________________________________ ENGLISH 9B Required Reading: ● Short stories: ○ “The Most Dangerous Game” ■ Holt Elements of Literature Third Course : Pages 1836 ○ “The Cask of Amontillado” ■ Holt Elements of Literature Third Course : Pages 286292 ○ “The Scarlet Ibis” ■ Holt Elements of Literature Third Course : Pages 332344 ● Of Mice and Men (1937) by John Steinbeck ● Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl (1947) by Anne Frank OR The Diary of Anne Frank (Play) ○ Writing: Compare and Contrast Essay: See below. Diary of Anne Frank : Compare and Contrast Essay After reading The Diary of Anne Frank , write an essay in which you compare Hitler’s fault/actions in the events of the Holocaust to another group of people responsible (The SS officers, the supporters of the Nazi party, Joseph Goebbels and Hitler’s propaganda team, the average German citizen, Etc.) Once you have sufficiently compared the two responsible parties, you will then declare who was more responsible and why. Remember, when responding to literature, do not use first or second person narration. Additionally, you should avoid summarizing the story; assume your reader is familiar with the characters and basic plot elements. Format: ● Introduction: hook, thesis statement, and overview ● 3 Supporting Paragraphs. Each need: topic sentence, description of argument, explanation, quotes and support ● Conclusion: restate thesis statement, briefly summarize essay, conclude A successful compare and contrast essay should: ● Clearly state the relationship being examined. ● Provide necessary background information. ● Make the relationship between the two parties clear and determine the party most at fault (with explanations) ● Arrange details logically, and include transitions. ● Summarize the relationship in the conclusion. Essay Requirements: ● Six quotes (3 from the novel, and 3 from nonfiction sources about the Holocaust) ● Min. of 23 pages in length (typed and double spaced) ● MLA format and include a works referenced page Academic Vocabulary : Be familiar with the following academic vocabulary terms and how they relate to the required readings for English 9B: ● allegory ● genre ● inference ● context clue ● foreshadowing ● setting ● simile Language Terms: Define the following language terms, and be able to identify examples of each in a given sentence(s). ● Verb ● Adverb ● Interjection ● Conjunction Supplementary Reading: Read a work of nonfiction (at least 9th grade reading level). This can be a biography, memoir, autobiography, nonfiction essays/speeches, narrative nonfiction, etc. Nonfiction Book Review Format and Requirements Paragraph 1: ● Introduce the title of the book, author, and genre (which ever order you choose). ● Briefly describe what the book is about WITHOUT revealing the ending pivotal twists in the plot (if a plot is applicable). Paragraphs 2 and 3 should each do the following: ● Present one reason you liked the book by identifying what the author did well. Example : Throughout Journey to the Center of the Earth , Verne’s use of descriptive language helps the reader vividly picture his elaborate settings including the secret passage which is “full of ropeladders, slipnooses, torches, gourds, crampirons, pickaxes, alpenstocks, mattocks, [and] enough articles to load ten men at least” (Verne 25). ● Include at least one quote (as in the example above), effectively blended within the text, and properly using parenthetical citation. Paragraph 4: ● Provide one reason you did NOT like the book by identifying one thing the author did not do or could have done better. If there is nothing you disliked about the book, then paragraph 4 should describe a third reason for your liking the book (follow format of paragraphs 2 and 3). ● Include at least one quote to support your opinion, effectively blended within the text, with proper parenthetical citation. Paragraph 5: Wrap up your review! ● Rate your book using a scale of 15 stars with 5 being the highest rating possible. ● Briefly explain why the book earned x amount of stars. ● State what type of reader would enjoy your book (young adult readers? readers who enjoy mysteries?). ● End with some brief biographical information about the author and what other books he or she has published. Example : Born in a small, French coastal town on February 28, 1828, Jules Gabriel Verne early developed a love for the sea and for adventure. He went on to publish several more books including Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870) and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873). Additional Requirements for Book Review: ● TIMES NEW ROMAN, 12PT FONT, DOUBLESPACED ● NO FIRST OR SECOND PERSON NARRATION ● WORKS CITED PAGE IN MLA FORMAT ● NO CONTRACTIONS
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