English III Course Content

Course Description: This course is designed to explore American literature and to develop reading, language, literature, media, writing, research, and study skills.

 

                                                    Semester One

First Nine Weeks 

Literature: Novel: Of Mice and Men.  Short Stories:  “A Rose for Emily”, “The Story of an Hour”.  Poetry: “I Hear America Singing”, “I, Too”, “Forty Hour Week for a Living”, “I Could Not Stop for Death”, “Nothing Gold Can Stay”.

*The Reader's Workshop model of instruction will be implemented.  Aside from assigned reading, students will be reading independently.  They are expected to bring a book of their choice to class everyday.  They may check books out from the school library, my classroom, or bring one of their own.

Writing: The writing process, persuasive essays, character analysis essay, creative writing essay

*The Writer's Workshop will be used for writing instruction.

Vocabulary: Units from Holt McDougal Vocabulary Practice and Tests and literature based vocabulary

Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics: Lessons from Texas Write Source and accompanying Texas Write Source Skills Book. Parts of speech, sentence diagramming, sentence structure

Listening and Speaking: Poetry project presentation

Research: Various assignments

Media Literacy: Various sources and assignments

 

Second Nine Weeks 

Literature: Play: The Crucible. Speech: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, Nonfiction: “McCarthyism”, "The Demons of Salem, With Us Still", Transcendentalism - “Self-Reliance”, “Nature”. 

Writing: Analytical essay, expository essays, and short answer responses to various prompts

Vocabulary: Units from Holt McDougal Vocabulary Practice and Tests and literature based vocabulary

Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics: Lessons from Texas Write Source and accompanying Texas Write Source Skills Book. Sentence diagramming, sentence structure, revising and editing

Listening and Speaking: Small group analogy project and presentation

Research: Metaphor/symbolism project, current event project

Media Literacy: Various sources and assignments

Semester Exams

 

                                            Semester Two

Third Nine Weeks 

Literature:   Novel:  The Great Gatsby.  Short Story: “Average Waves in Unprotected Waters”.

Writing:  Analytical essay, College Application Essay

Vocabulary:  Literature based and academic vocabulary

Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics: Lessons from Mechanically Inclined:  Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer's Workshop; Texas Write Source Skills Book. Sentence diagramming, sentence structure, revising and editing

Listening and Speaking: Individual and group projects and presentations

Research:  1920s, 1930s (novel settings), College/Career

Media Literacy: Various sources and assignments

 

Fourth Nine Weeks 

Literature: Short Stories:  Selections from Flannery O'Connor.  Novel: The Things They Carried.

Writing: Analytical essays, research paper

Vocabulary: Literature based vocabulary, academic vocabulary

Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics: Lessons from Mechanically Inclined:  Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer's Workshop; Texas Write Source Skills Book. Sentence diagramming, sentence structure, revising and editing

Listening and Speaking: Individual and group projects and presentations

Research: Literary analysis of an American author’s work (poem, short story, novel, play)

Media Literacy: Various sources and assignments

Final Exam