Sophomore Pre-AP English is open to students who have demonstrated the ability to read and write above the tenth-grade level.  Placement is based on standardized scores and previous classroom achievement.   The following are general guidelines for  the course:

In this class, as in most, attendance is very important.  If a student is  going to be gone for an   extended period of time, they should see me a week in advance so I can plan how they will be able to cover most of the content without being in class.  Remember, there is still no substitute for being in class.

I do not accept late work.  For each day of an excused absence, a student has two days to make up any assignments, up to one week.  If a student is absent more than two days, they should e-mail me (kbarnes@cvsd.org), and I will send them all assignments and materials.  For larger assignments, or if a student is struggling to get the work done on time, they should see me    before the assignment is due to arrange for an extension of the due date.

Please note:   There is an assignment sheet posted in the room listing each day’s activity and any assignments for that date.  If a student is absent, they should first check the                                                assignment sheet.  Then if they have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them.

Students should always complete assignments; I do not give credit for partially done work.

Academic integrity is of utmost importance at CVHS, so in keeping with that philosophy, plagiarized work will receive no credit.  I share with all students the model that    Princeton University uses for incoming freshmen.  If a student is confused or uncertain about   whether their writing violates the conventions for originality, they should check with me before turning in the paper.

Course Content and Activities

This course may include, but is not limited to, the following

literature and activities

Summer Reading Response:  Students must read at least two of the following novels:

v      The Color of Water by James McBride*

v      Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

v      One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch by Alexander Solzhenitzyn

v      The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay*

v      The Chosen by Chaim Potok

v      The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan*

Related Activity: Students write a first-person letter from a character in each novel to another character in the novel.  The first character is placed in the world today, and the letter should reflect knowledge of important themes and motifs in the novel and how they relate to current local, national, and international events.

Major Literature: 

Lord of the Flies                          Fahrenheit 451                    Arthurian Legends

Much Ado About Nothing            Julius Caesar                      A Tale of Two Cities

Cyrano de Bergerac                    Antigone

Related poetry and short stories

Non-Fiction Texts: 

v      From Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

v      From Soft Power, Joseph Nye

v      Readings from Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean Jacques Rousseau

v      From The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan

v      From Utopia, Sir Thomas More

Related Activities:

v      Analysis of Lord of the Flies from the viewpoint of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Nietzsche, Rousseau, or Freud

v      Theoretical utopia based on themes from Fahrenheit 451 and readings from Utopia by Sir Thomas More.

v      Narrative based on motifs shown in Arthurian tales and excerpts from Don Quixote

v      Mock trial based on issues of government and civil law as shown in Julius Caesar

v      Preparatory WASL essay; analysis of student response to WASL writing prompts

v      Skit based on theme and style in Cyrano de Bergerac

v      Position research paper based on issues of human rights in Tale of Two Cities

v      Lincoln-Douglas debate based on position paper.

Vocabulary:

v      Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop, Level F  (SAT preparedness)

v      The Word Within the Word (morpheme identification:    prefixes, suffixes, roots)

v      SAT vocabulary flashcards

v      Vocabulary derived from literature

Grammar:

v      Punctuation patterns

v      SAT and SATII grammar instruction (Kaplan, Barrons, and Kreiger/Paul)

Satire Irony (verbal ((sarcasm)), situational, dramatic) Allusion Figures of speech v      Metaphor v      Simile v      Symbolism v      Personification v      Alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia Rhyme (rhyming couplets, internal rhyme) Rhythm (iambic, dactylic, trochaic) Blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter) Aphorism, adage, maxim Colloquialism Witticism, pun Hyperbole                                 Oxymoron                                 Malapropism Euphemism Repetition, parallelism (parallel structure) Elliptical construction Circumlocution, circular reasoning, begging             the question Parody, lampoon, farce Motif Stream of consciousness Montage Refutation (rebuttal), endorsement

Tone, voice Syllogism, fallacy, deductive, inductive reasoning Syntax Paradox Thesis, antithesis Platitude Rhetorical question Rhetorical mode: v      Exposition v      Argumentation v      Description v      Narration Summary Paraphrase Pathos Cliche Platitude Non-sequitur Denotation, connotation Protagonist, antagonist Persona Pseudonym Digression Point of view (also perspective) v      First person v      Third person limited (omniscient) v      Third person omniscient Rising action, climax, denouement (resolution)