English 2 Syllabus / Ms. Tobin / tobine@danbury.k12.ct.

us
Course Description
The sophomore English class is the second step in a four year
program that builds upon the foundational skills laid in the freshman year.
Students will continue to develop the fundamental skills of communication
with a focus on literary analysis, vocabulary development, and
presentation skills. The specifc aims of the course are to help the student
gain a greater facility in written and oral epression, as well as the
continued development in reading comprehension.
Throughout the year, students will participate in thematic units that
ask the students to look at literature and how it relates to themselves and
the world around them. Students will have opportunities to epress their
understanding of materials through a variety of di!erent writing
assignments.
"n addition, students will have a guaranteed portfolio eperience,
providing opportunities for students to look back and re#ect on how their
writing has improved throughout the year.
h
e year, students will pa
Objectives
The students will be able to
$ead closely to determine what the tet says eplicitly and to make
logical inferences from it%
cite specifc tetual evidence when writing or speaking to support
conclusions drawn from the tet.
&etermine central ideas or themes of a tet and analy'e their
development%
summari'e the key supporting details and ideas.
(naly'e how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and
interact over the course of a tet.
"nterpret words and phrases as they are used in a tet, including
determining technical, connotative, and fgurative meanings, and
analy'e how specifc word choices shape meaning or tone.
(naly'e the structure of tets, including how specifc sentences,
paragraphs, and larger portions of the tet )e.g., a section, chapter,
scene, or stan'a* relate to each other and the whole.
(ssess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of
a tet.
"ntegrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and
media, including visually and +uantitatively, as well as in words.
&elineate and evaluate the argument and specifc claims in a tet,
including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and
su,ciency of the evidence.
(naly'e how two or more tets address similar themes or topics in
order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors
take.
$ead and comprehend comple literary and informational tets
independently and profciently.
Assessent
Students will be assessed according to the following criteria-
.lasswork//articipation 201
2omework 201
3ui''es 241
Tests//ro5ects//apers 641
Semester grades are determined by combining 3uarter 7ne grade )801*,
3uarter Two grade )801*, and the 9inal Eam )201*
!nits o" #tudy$ %orld &iterature
Unit 1: Latin American/Central American
Students consider religious, generational, and cultural con#icts, as well as
the e!ects of moderni'ation, political struggle, and other themes common
to many literary works. :any works in the unit feature magical realism,
and may be compared to those found in the $ussian literature unit.
Students also recogni'e that not all literary works make eplicit political or
cultural statements and that they must be approached on their own
terms. "n order to enrich their understanding, students investigate the
historical background for selected works, as well as author biographies.
Unit 2: Asia
"n this eight;week unit, students read and discuss ancient and modern
(sian literature, especially from .hina, "ndia, and <apan. =y reading the
diverse selections in this unit, students consider the role of ancient
philosophies, universal themes, >estern in#uence, and historical change
in these works. "n addition, students listen to recordings of some of the
poems in the original language so that they may appreciate their sounds,
structures, and rhythms.
Unit 3: African and Middle Eastern
Students consider the beauty and craftsmanship of the (frican and :iddle
Eastern works. They consider religious, generational, and cultural
con#icts, e!ects of moderni'ation, political struggle, and other themes
common to many literary works. (t the same time, students recogni'e
that not all literary works make eplicit political or cultural statements and
that all works must be approached on their own terms. "n order to enrich
their understanding, students investigate the historical background of
selected works, as well as author biographies. They have the opportunity
to read additional works of interest.
Unit 4: Russian
The purpose of this unit is twofold- to introduce students to some of the
shorter masterpieces of nineteenth;century $ussian literature and to
eplore the impact of twentieth;century historical events on $ussian
writers and their works.
Unit 5: European
The purpose of this unit is threefold- to give students a broad survey of
European literature, to eplore how political leadership a!ects the
production of literature, and to begin to eplore the connections between
art and literature of the :iddle ages, the $enaissance, and the
Enlightenment )which they will eamine in closer detail in grade ?2*. This
will be accomplished through a combination of close reading and
eposure to an array of tets.
Missin' ( Make)!p %ork
/er &2S policy, students who are absent, ecused or unecused, are
epected to make up all work. Students have as many school days to
make up work as they were absent, and this time period begins upon the
student@s return to school.
Attendance
The faculty and sta! epect students to be in class unless they are
ill, observing a religious holiday, suspended, or due in court. ( student
who leaves school without parental consent, is absent from school on a
regular basis without school authori'ation, has a high rate of absenteeism,
or has four )8* unecused absences in any one month, or ten )?0*
unecused absences in any school year shall be reported to the
&epartment of .hildren A 9amilies. /arents/Buardians are compelled to
send their child to school and can incur legal liability for failure to do so.
9or detailed information about the attendance, credit only, and all
school policies, please refer to the &2S Student 2andbook, accessible at
this link-
http://!dan"ur#!$12!ct!us/dhse"/main/student
%2&hand"oo$!pdf