Course Description
Students continue their exploration of literary genres, using active reading techniques such as note-taking and drawing conclusions from texts. Students review the steps of the writing process, making connections between the stages of writing, the genre they are studying, and a well-formed final product. To prepare students for writing narrative essays, lessons focus on plot, theme, and historical setting. Writing reflective and persuasive essays based on their own thoughts and ideas allows students to demonstrate their individuality. Solid research and understanding of organizational methods and visual features provide the foundation for writing informational essays. After improving their ability to recognize biased language, students write persuasive essays to express their own opinions. Students then look at the unique characteristics of poetry, myth, and folklore, and discover the conventions of playwriting and how drama employs the elements of fiction.

Course Breakdown

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
“Franklin’s Letter to His Daughter” by Benjamin Franklin
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
The Bill of Rights
“The Trouble with Television” by Robert MacNeil “Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat: Address to Parliament” by Winston Churchill
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
“Biography of George Washington” by an anonymous author
My Early Life by Winston Churchill
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
“Cub Pilot on the Mississippi” by Mark Twain
The Diary of Anne Frank by Francis Goodrich and Albert Hackett
“Christmas Day in the Morning” by Pearl S. Buck
The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells
“Solitude” by Henry David Thoreau
The Bill of Rights
“Where I Lived and What I Lived For” by Henry David Thoreau
“Brute Neighbors” by Henry David Thoreau
“How to Tell a Story” by Mark Twain

Course Goals
Read and analyze nonfiction and fiction texts to identify different text features.
Identify bias and analyze persuasive tactics.
Read and analyze The Red Badge of Courage.
Write a persuasive essay. Read and analyze nonfiction and fiction texts such as biographies, autobiographies, and dramas.
Read and analyze The Invisible Man.
Write a reflective essay.