Read Like a Writer; Write Like a Reader

English with the Brady Bunch

ENGLISH I A PRE-ADVANCED PLACEMENT

Instructor: Mr. Tom Brady Email: tbrady1@houstonisd.org

Main Texts: The Language of Literature, McDougal-Littel

Elements of Language, Third Course, Holt, Rinehart, Winston

Laying the Foundation, Advanced Placement Strategies

Image Grammar, resource book

The Houston Chronicle, Chronicle in Education Program / Donors Choose

First Six Weeks

"Making Connections and Finding Patterns"

Literature

  • Selected Short Stories and Poems
  • Novel Study: Obasan
  • Classic Epic Study: The Odyssey

    • Objectives:

  • Learn basic AP style terminology and strategies and apply to assigned text
  • Review and practice most of the close reading skills needed to analyze a text
  • Vocabulary study: AP, SAT, Project Clear Prescribed Study
  • Begin to make thematic connections among literary selections of several genres.

    • Grammar and Usage Review: Pre-AP skills progression – Parts of Speech, Phrases, and Clauses

    Sentence Combining / Types and Styles of Sentences

    Revising and Editing

    Literary Elements: Mood, Tone, Rhetorical Shift / Terms, Rhetorical Devices, Strategies, and Conventions

    Literary Emphasis: Descriptive Writing / Personal Narrative

    Test Preparation: Basic Skills – TEKS / TAKS

    Advance Placement

    Benchmark and Diagnostic Tests

    End of Course

    Read Like a Writer; Write Like a Reader

    Ongoing Assessment Methods: Diagnostic test, Portfolios, Journals, Presentations,

    Projects, Extended Compositions, Discussions, Oral Tests, Sentence Writing

    Second Six Weeks

    "Journeys and Homecomings: Ancient and Modern Literature"

    Literature

  • Selected Short Stories and Poems
  • The Hero Story: Modern Mythology
  • The Odyssey, Part I
  • Novel Study: Cold Mountain, Part I

    • Objectives:

  • Read and analyze selected chapters from The Odyssey
  • Interpret literary elements: Simile, Metaphor, Epic, Homeric (Epic) simile, Heroic Terms
  • Demonstrate skills with literary terms, rhetorical devices, and conventions
  • Use AP strategies for Close Reading
  • Learn about Greek Civilization and its influence on the times
  • Apply a variety of reading strategies including analyzing word parts
  • Write a descriptive personal narrative about personal heroism
  • Identify and correct common subject / verb agreement problems
  • Pronoun / Antecedent agreement

    • Grammar and Usage Review: Pre-AP skills progression – Parts of Speech, Phrases, and Clauses

    Sentence Combining / Types and Styles of Sentences

    Revising and Editing

    Literary Elements: Mood, Tone, Rhetorical Shift / Terms, Rhetorical Devices,

    strategies, and Conventions

    Literary Emphasis: Voice, Style, Point of View, Epic Devices

    Vocabulary: SAT / ACT Synonyms, Antonyms, and Analogies

    Composition: Descriptive

    Literary Terms: Primary Source, Secondary Source, Review Rhetorical Terms, Plain Style

    Test Preparation: Basic Skills – TEKS / TAKS

    Advance Placement

    Benchmark and Diagnostic Tests

    End of Course

    Ongoing Assessment Methods: Diagnostic test, Portfolios, Journals, Presentations, Projects, Extended Compositions, Discussions, Oral Tests, Sentence Writing

    Read Like a Writer; Write Like a Reader

    Third Six Weeks

    "A thing of beauty is a joy forever."

    Literature:

  • Selected Short Stories and Poems
  • The Hero Story: Classical Mythology
  • The Odyssey, Parts II and III
  • Cold Mountain, Part II

    •  

    Objectives:

  • Read and analyze selected chapters from The Odyssey
  • Interpret literary elements: dramatic / poetic meter, imagery and figurative
  • language, irony, simile and metaphor, epic simile, heroic terms, and archetypes
  • Demonstrate skills with literary terms, rhetorical devices, and conventions
  • Use AP strategies for Close Reading
  • Identify and analyze imagery and figurative language
  • Apply a variety of reading strategies including analyzing word parts
  • Write a descriptive personal narrative and a persuasion paper

    • Grammar and Usage Review: Modifiers and Agreement

    Sentence Combining / Types and Styles of Sentences

    Revising and Editing

    Literary Elements: Mood, Tone, Rhetorical Shift / Terms, Rhetorical Devices,

    strategies, and Conventions

    Literary Emphasis: The Heroic Narrative

    Vocabulary: SAT / ACT Synonyms, Antonyms, and Analogies

    Composition: Descriptive, Persuasive Papers

    Literary Terms: Dramatic / Poetic Meter, Imagery and Figurative Language, Irony

    Simile, Metaphor, Epic, Homeric (epic) Simile, Heroic Terms, Motifs,

    Archetypes and Elements of Rhetoric

    Test Preparation: Basic Skills – TEKS / TAKS

    Advance Placement

    Benchmark and Diagnostic Tests

    End of Course

    Semester Examination

    Ongoing Assessment Methods: Diagnostic test, Portfolios, Journals, Presentations, Projects, Objective and Subjective Tests, Extended Compositions, Discussions, Oral Tests

    Read Like a Writer; Write Like a Reader

    Things to know

    REQUIRED MATERIALS:

    ESTIMATED WEIGHTED GRADING SCALE:

    TUTORIALS:

    Assignment to afternoon or before school tutorials will be determined by academic progress. Attendance will be imperative. A zero on any assignment at a mid-grading period may result in a failing progress report. Failure to turn in assigned work in a timely manner may also mean academic detention will be appropriate. In short, no one is here to allow students to fail. A safety net called tutoring or academic detention is in place in room 217.

    PLAGIARISM:

    Assignments not done entirely by the student will receive the grade of zero.

    BENEFITS:

    Students needing to adjust behavior or academic progress have teacher detention to help.