English 9, 10, 11 Curriculum

English Language Arts College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards

HCPSS has adopted the Common Core State Standards and has integrated them into the Essential Curriculum. The Standards address four main categories with sub-topics as outlined below. Specific descriptions of each sub-topic may be found at http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy.

Anchor Standards for Reading (literary and informational text)

Students will grow in their ability to comprehend complex text, drawing inferences and making connections between texts.

Anchor Standards for Writing

Students will write in a variety of modes in response to evidence found in their reading and research.

Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening

Students will grow in their ability to communicate in formal and informal situations while developing the interpersonal skills required for effective collaboration.

Anchor Standards for Language

Students will use language correctly and effectively and grow in their knowledge of content-specific and general academic vocabulary.

Composition

Composition is a key component of the English curriculum. Students are required to write in a variety of modes as described below. More information about the modes of writing, organizational structures, research, and rhetoric is provided for students through the HCPSS High School Writing Manual and Style Guide. This manual is also available here.Students will be able to:

Literature and Literary Non-fiction

A variety of literary genres including short stories, poetry, novels, drama, and essays are included in both the English 9 and English 10 curricula. Teachers select appropriate texts from the Approved Textbook list, which is available here. The following units at each grade level are designed to reflect a thematic approach.English 9 UnitsReflections: Past to Present Dramatist as Social Commentator Coming of Age Imaginary WorldsEnglish 10 UnitsHope and Fears Individual and Society The Pursuit of Power The Hero’s JourneyEnglish 11 UnitsAmerican Dreams: The Society American Visions: The Individual American Perspectives: The Challenge American Destinies: Reality and Hope

Research Skills

All students complete a written research paper at each grade level, demonstrating the ability to:

Sample PARCC Assessment Questions

There will be two PARCC Assessments for English Language Arts and Literacy in history/social studies, science and technical subjects. The first is a Performance-Based Assessment that consists of three tasks. Each task assesses reading comprehension and writing ability:The second assessment, administered at the end of the year, asks students to read passages and answer questions about the reading.

Types of Questions

Two-Part Questions

Sample #1Part A: In “Daedalus and Icarus,” what do the lines “he turned his mind to arts unknown/and nature unrevealed” (lines 9-10) imply about Daedalus and his invention?Part B: Which quotation provides the best support for the answer to Part A?Sample #2Part A: In line 11 of Sexton’s poem, what does the use of the idea of “tunneling” reveal about Icarus at this point in the poem?Part B: Which words from Sexton’s poem best help the reader understand the meaning of “tunneling”?

Sample Technology-Enhanced Question

Part A: What do lines 38-45 from Ovid’s poem most suggest about Daedalus?Part B: From the list below, select two quotations that provide additional evidence to support the answer to Part A. Drag and drop your answers into the boxes labeled “Evidence.”

Sample Essay for the Narrative Writing Task

This passage is written as a first-person narrative told from Miss Summerson’s point of view. Write a narrative story that describes the major events in the passage from the point of view of the stranger, emphasizing his thoughts and feelings about Mr. Skimpole, Miss Summerson, and Richard

Sample Essay for the Literary Analysis Task

Use what you have learned from reading “Daedalus and Icarus” by Ovid and “To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph” by Anne Sexton to write an essay that provides an analysis of how Sexton transforms “Daedalus and Icarus.” Develop your claim(s) of how Sexton transforms “Daedalus and Icarus” with evidence from both texts. As a starting point, you may want to consider what is emphasized, absent, or different in the two texts, but feel free to develop your own focus for analysis.

Sample Essay for the Research Simulation Task

You have studied three sources involving the establishment of American independence from Great Britain. The sources are:An important idea presented in the sources involves the colonists’ notions of the purpose of government. Write an essay in which you explore the perceptions of government’s purpose presented in the sources. In writing your essay, consider how the authors of the two written documents describe the ideal relationship between a government and its people, and how they describe the actual relationship between the government of Great Britain and the colonists. Consider also the perspective presented in the video. Remember to use evidence from all three sources to support your ideas.

How to Help Your Child at Home

Writing

Reading