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Curriculum Guide By Grade Level

MCHS Ninth Grade

English Standards-Based Curriculum Requirements

Reading Requirements

  • cite textual evidence
  • determine a theme or central idea of a text; provide a summary
  • analyze character development
  • examine universal themes or experiences through reading of world literature
  • analyze a subject through multiple mediums

Minimum number of works:

  • minimum of 6 full-length texts
  • average number of recommended pages per week: 60-75, 75-90 (honors)

core* texts include:

novel:  One novel from each region of the world

                        short story:       Selections from Modern World Cultures

                        nonfiction:       “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Adichie

                        poetry:             Selections from Modern World Cultures

                        play:                Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

                        film:                 TBD

ERWC: “The Rhetoric of the Op-Ed Page” (required)

                        “Going for the Look” or teacher created (suggested)

Additional texts in use by various teachers: Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Purple Hibiscus, by Chimamanda Adichie, Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, The Kite Runner, by Khalid Hosseini, In the Time of the Butterflies, by Isabel Allende, Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolf Anaya, Nectar in a Sieve, by Kamala Markandaya, The Samurai’s Garden, by Gail Tsukiyama, and Gilgamesh.  *core works are required at all levels

Language Requirements

  • continue practice and revise work for grammar and punctuation conventions
  • use context and/or resources to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words
  • study of distinction between denotation and connotation of words
  • increase understanding of figurative language and literary terminology
  • emphasize knowledge of common root words, prefixes and suffixes

Writing Requirements

Study of essay types and structure: emphasis on structure and organization

  • 6 Argumentative
  • 1 Narrative
  • 1 Expository (Informative)

A total of 8 required essays (2 process papers and 2 timed writing papers per semester)

  • Expectations:
    • use proper MLA format of heading
    • include the TAG (title, author, genre) in the introduction
    • write an engaging, succinct opening (a.k.a. grabber, catcher, etc.)
    • provide an argumentative thesis in the introduction
    • use topic sentences that relate to the thesis
    • embed quotations
    • choose multiple quotations/examples per paragraph, and attempt analysis to prove the thesis
    • use proper MLA format for parenthetical references, format of literature titles

Listening and Speaking Requirements

  • respond to speaker using critical listening skills
  • review of some form of media
  • evaluate speaker’s argument
  • deliver and expository speech (using digital media) at least once per year
  • plan, memorize, and present a recitation once per year
  • participate in collaborative discussions
  • integrate multiple sources and evaluate the credibility of those sources

MCHS Tenth Grade

English Standards-Based Curriculum Requirements

Reading Requirements

  • cite and evaluate textual evidence to support what the text says explicitly, as well as support inferences drawn from the text
  • determine how a theme or central idea is developed
  • analyze character development
  • examination of denotation and connotation as it relates to meaning and tone
  • analyze author’s choice of structure, order of events, and manipulation of time
  • continue to analyze a subject through multiple mediums
  • analyze how an author transforms source material

Minimum number of works:

  • minimum of 8 full-length texts
  • average number of recommended pages per week: 70-85, 85-100(honors) core* texts include

novel:        All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

short story: “Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut

nonfiction: Night by Elie Wiesel

poetry:       “Dulce et Decorum est” by Wilfred Owen

play:          Othello by William Shakespeare

film:           Joyeux Noel

ERWC:      One required: “Juvenile Justice, “Childhood Love Lessons,” “The Last Meow,” or teacher created

*core works are required at all levels

Additional texts in use by various teachers: The Odyssey, by Homer, The Theban Plays, by Sophocles, A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Animal Farm, by George Orwell, 1984, by George Orwell, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Mythology (various texts), Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte          

Language Requirements

  • continue practice and revise work for grammar and punctuation conventions
  • use context and/or resources to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words
  • study distinction between denotation and connotation of words
  • increase understanding of figurative language and literary terminology
  • emphasize knowledge of common root words, prefixes and suffixes
  • apply knowledge of language to understand how it functions in different contexts and to make effective choices in writing for meaning and style

Writing Requirements

Study of essay types and structure: emphasis on effective use of quotations and analysis

  • 6 Argumentative
  • 1 Narrative
  • 1 Expository (Informative)

A total of 8 required essays (2 process papers and 2 timed writing papers per semester)

  •  Expectations:
    • use proper MLA format of heading and for parenthetical references, format of literature titles
    • write an engaging, succinct opening
    • write a specific and arguable thesis
    • use more sophisticated topic sentences
    • set up a quotation properly, transitioning from the topic sentence; embed a quotation with more sophistication and variety beyond a lead-in
    • use multiple, apt quotations in body paragraphs  that show a broader distribution of quotations from a text
    • develop deeper analysis and insightful commentary
    • effectively use transition sentences between and within paragraphs
    • write more nuanced and sophisticated conclusions rather than restating the thesis
    • show more varied and sophisticated organization—avoid formulaic writing

Listening and Speaking Requirements

  • review of some form of media
  • evaluate speaker’s argument, including claims, evidence, and position using apt questions
  • deliver an expository speech (using digital media) at least once per year
  • plan, memorize, and present a recitation once per year
  • participate in collaborative discussions with sophisticated questions
  • integrate multiple sources and evaluate the credibility of those sources

MCHS Eleventh Grade

English Standards-Based Curriculum Requirements

Reading Requirements

  • cite and evaluate textual evidence to support what the text says explicitly, as well as support inferences drawn from the text, including textual uncertainties
  • determine how multiple themes, interpretations, or central ideas are developed
  • analyze effect of author’s choices regarding the development, integration, and elements of a story
  • examine diction as it relates to meaning, style, and tone, including satire and irony
  • demonstrate knowledge of foundational works of 18th-20th century American literature and examine how two or more texts from the same time period treat similar themes or topics
  • analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of an author’s structural choices
  • synthesize information from multiple sources
  • conduct rhetorical analysis of texts, including foundational U.S. documents
  • identify logical techniques and fallacies

Minimum number of works:

  • minimum of 8 full-length texts or equivalent
  • average number of recommend pages per week: 70-85, 85-100(AP)
  • core* texts include:

            novels:             Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

            short story:       “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

            nonfiction:       “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.

            poetry:             “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman

            play:                The Crucible by Arthur Miller

            film:                 Midnight in Paris

ERWC:            “Bring a Text You Like” (required- except for AP)

 “Racial Profiling,” “Language, Gender, and Culture” or Teacher Created (suggested)

Additional texts in use by various teachers: The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee , Beloved, by Toni Morrison, The Woman Warrior, by Maxine Hong Kingston, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros                                                                

*core works are required at all levels

Language Requirements

  • continue practice and revise work for grammar and punctuation conventions
  • apply knowledge of language to understand how it functions in different contexts and to make effective choices in writing for meaning and style
  • vary syntax for multiple effects and audiences
  • study distinction between denotation and connotation of words, focusing on nuance
  • increase understanding of figurative language and literary terminology
  • examine the use of dialect in American texts

Writing Requirements

Study of essay types and structure: emphasis on effective use of quotations and emergence of personal style/voice

  • 6 Argumentative
  • 1 Narrative
  • 1 Expository (Informative)

A total of 8 required essays (2 process papers and 2 timed writing papers per semester)

  • Expectations:
    • Use proper MLA formatting
    • Craft a complex and appropriate thesis for differing genres
    • Recognize and avoid the use of logical fallacies
    • Alter tone and structure to accommodate varying audiences and purposes
    • Implement successful argumentative strategies and rhetorical appeals
    • Develop a maturing and increasingly sophisticated style

Listening and Speaking Requirements

  • review of some form of the media by identification of logical fallacies and type of argument
  • evaluate speaker’s argument, including claims, evidence, and position using apt questions
  • participate in collaborative discussions with sophisticated questions and a full range of positions
  • integrate multiple sources and evaluate the credibility of those sources
  • synthesize comments, claims, and evidence in order to respond to a position
  • present a reflective speech exploring the significance of a personal experience drawing comparisons between the experience and broader themes

MCHS Twelfth Grade

English Standards-Based Curriculum Requirements

Reading Requirements

  • cite and evaluate textual evidence to support what the text says explicitly, as well as support inferences drawn from the text, including textual uncertainties
  • determine how multiple themes, interpretations, or central ideas are developed
  • analyze effect of author’s choices regarding the philosophical assumptions, development, integration, and elements of a story
  • examine diction as it relates to meaning, style, and tone, including satire and irony
  • analyze how two or more texts from the same time period treat similar themes or topics
  • analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of an author’s structural choices
  • synthesize information from multiple sources
  • analyze rhetorical features of texts
  • identify logical techniques and fallacies

Minimum number of works:

  • minimum of 8 full-length texts or equivalent
  • number of recommend pages per week: 75-90, 90-110(AP)
  • core* texts include:

novel:        varied by course

short story:             varied by course

non-fiction: varied by course

poetry:       “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell, Senior Poetry Project

play:          Hamlet by William Shakespeare

film:           TBD

ERWC:      “The Value of Life” (required- except for AP).

*core works are required at all levels; all other works are recommended

Additional texts in use by various teachers: Grendel, by John Gardner, The Stranger, by Albert Camus, Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, American Gods, by Neil Gaiman, Catch-22, by Joseph Heller, Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell

Language Requirements

  • continue practice and revise work for grammar and punctuation conventions
  • apply knowledge of language to understand how it functions in different contexts and to make effective choices in writing for meaning and style
  • vary syntax for multiple effects and audiences
  • study distinction between denotation and connotation of words, focusing on nuance
  • increase understanding of figurative language and literary terminology

Writing Requirements

Study of essay types and structure: emphasis on effective use of quotations and emergence of personal style/voice

  • 6 Argumentative
  • 1 Narrative
  • 1 Expository (Informative)
  • 1 Reflective or college entrance essay

A total of 8 required essays (2 process papers and 2 timed writing papers per semester)

  • Expectations:
    • Use proper MLA formatting
    • Craft complex and appropriate arguments to support a sophisticated thesis
    • Alter tone and structure to accommodate varying audiences and purposes
    • Implement successful argumentative strategies
    • Demonstrate a mature and sophisticated style
    • Anticipate and address different audience knowledge level and bias
    • Use rhetorical appeals

Listening and Speaking Requirements

  • review some form of the media by identification of logical fallacies and type of argument
  • evaluate speaker’s argument, including claims, evidence, and position using apt questions
  • participate in collaborative discussions with sophisticated questions and a full range of positions
  • integrate multiple sources and evaluate the credibility of those sources
  • synthesize comments, claims, and evidence in order to respond to a position
  • present an argumentative speech
  • plan, memorize, and present a recitation once per year