Quarter

Content/Performance Standards Addressed

Benchmarks for Student Achievement

Students will be able to:

Assessment

1

Getting Ready for College and Beyond

SAT Preparation

College Admissions Essays

And Applications

College Note-taking

Resumes

Public Speaking and Careers Presentation

1.        develop and finalize a well-constructed application essay conforming with the criteria set forth in varied formats by different colleges and/or other post-secondary educational institutions

2.        approach the college  admissions and application process with improved individual understanding skills and self-confidence

3.        present themselves in a more positive and efficient manner via a well-prepared and personalized resume

4.        make informed decisions regarding future education and training to insure each his/her greatest success

5.        approach SAT testing with an improved  ability to comprehend, respond to and answer correctly the variety of “tasks” and/or questions encountered therein

Preparation of at least three college application essays, preparation of a resume, objective and generative tests of SAT vocabulary

2

Relating Shakespeare to Today

Taming of the Shrew-A comparison with Ten Things I Hate About You

Hamlet-Collaborative Writing, Creating A Modern Day Version of the Shakespearean Tragedy

Comparison of Hamlet with the Lion King

Selections from A Midsummer Night’s Dream-

Relating Elizabethan issues with modern adolescent problems

Sonnets-Interpretations and Creative Writing

1.        read and understand at least two full-length Shakespearean work plus selections from a third piece and be able to relate situations in those works to contemporary problems in today’s society.

2.        develop and write well thought out interpretations of selected works of Shakespeare and develop coherent comparisons between contemporary films and Shakespearean literature

3.        write informed and well-constructed analyses and criticism on various scenes within each play

4.        identify rhyme patterns and literary techniques within selected works

5.        enhance vocabulary skills through the reading of selected works

6.        relate historical information about Elizabethan society with the problems faced by contemporary adolescents

Close reading of plays, written analysis of two pieces of literary criticism on these works

Various quizzes and tests

2 comparison essays on Plays and Films

Quarter

Content/Performance Standards Addressed

Benchmarks for Student Achievement

Students will be able to:

Assessment

3

Research Paper for College Preparation

Research in the Library

Research on the Internet

Creating a Thesis Statement

Note-taking Skills

MLA Format

Proving Your Thesis Statement

Citations

Importance of Avoiding Plagiarism

1.        develop a well-thought out hypothesis based on a

specific literary work.

2.        develop through intensive research, both in the

library and on the Internet, a literary based research term paper using the MLA format.

3.        learn to research via the Internet as well as the library resources

4.        develop informative notes based on literary criticism

5.        create accurate citations taken from outside materials

6.        learn the pitfalls of plagiarism and the techniques for avoiding this problem

7.        organize and construct a 5-8 page research paper. proving a specific hypothesis regarding a particular literary work using 3-5 secondary sources.

8.        learn to complete assignments by a designated due date in preparation for college and beyond.

periodic check of sections of research paper in relation to due dates

literary research term paper project (5-8 double-spaced typed pages, seven sources – one primary, six secondary)

Note:  Mailing with details is sent home to parents the second week of January

4

Thematic Focus - Overcoming Adversity

Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston –or-  Song of  Solomon  - Toni Morrison

Selected Short Stories, including but not limited to:

     “Waiting for Her Train”

     “Sorrow Rides a Fast Horse”

     “The Interlopers”

     “Lamb to the Slaughter”

Essays and Poetry – with College Based Response Writing Dealing with Difficult Problems Faced by Contemporary Teens

1.        identify various types of adversity present in modern

society and compare that with the types of adversity shown in the various pieces of literature read in class

2.        evaluate the severity if the problems inherent in the assigned literature and explore possible solutions within the plots of each piece

3.        construct a college-level paper based on their assessments of the adversity presented in the literature

4.        make informed judgments about adversity in modern life and explore possible real-life solutions

5.        increase vocabulary skills through the study of unfamiliar words in the literature

Essays, short answer objective tests, student presentations of original work