11th Grade English Course Overview: Leadership & Citizenship; Power & Responsibility

First Quarter: Heroes & Villains Were asking: What can heroes & villains tell us about a society? What do your heroes say about you? Were reading: Short stories, nonfiction articles, ballads, Beowulf, and Grendel Were writing: Creative narratives & literary analyses Were practicing: Asking great questions; making connections and comparisons; analyzing narrative techniques; citing textual evidence; & writing detailed, structured narratives. Third Quarter: Power & Influence Were asking: What kind of leader do you follow? What is your leadership style? Were reading: Macbeth, sonnets Were writing: Poetry, literary analysis Were practicing: Persistent & tenacious reading of difficult texts; writing organized, focused analyses; citing strong textual evidence. Second Quarter: Everyone Has a Story Were asking: What is your story? How can listening to others stories change your life? Were reading: The Canterbury Tales, various memoirs (book clubs) Were writing: Research/ informational papers, personal narratives, stylistic analyses Were practicing: Recognizing and analyzing literary techniques; formulating research questions; conducting research; incorporating source material into formal writing.

Fourth Quarter: Citizenship & Social Change

Were asking: What is my responsibility as a citizen? How can I effect change in my world? Were reading: American speeches, short stories, Lord of the Flies Were writing: Persuasive letters, literary analyses, creative narratives Were practicing: Delineating and evaluating reasoning; conducting research; using formal style and objective tone; and analyzing literary elements.