English II

Welcome to English II!  This year we will focus on meeting the objectives required by the Texas Education Agency for English II students by covering all of the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills).  In addition, we will emphasize the mastery of all TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) objectives to pass the exit level exam.  Because critical reading is an important skill not only in your success as a student, but in your success as both a good citizen and consumer, reading will be a large part of what you do in this class. Your writing, vocabulary, and grammar work will usually be connected to what you are reading, although other types of writing will be explored.  Good luck and I hope you have a great year!

Grading Policy:

(The following activities and work products may be graded)

Compositions

Research papers

Tests

Group work

Daily work

Projects from outside reading assignment

Journals

Oral presentations

Class participation

Weekly Readers

  • Daily work will count no more than 20%; major grades will count no more than 50%; minor grades will count no more than 30 % of the six weeks grades.
  • Major tests may be re-tested following the guidelines outlined in the high school grading policy.  In order to re-write a composition, the original must have been turned in complete and on time.  Research papers are not eligible for re-writing because they are the summative product of several stages of the writing process in which re-teaching and re-writing have already occurred.

Late work policy:

  •  Minor assignments (daily work, classwork, etc.) will be accepted late with a 30-point deduction.
  • Major grades (compositions, projects, reports, etc.) will be accepted one day late with a 30-point deduction.
  • A student who is on campus but absent from English class the day a major assignment is due must turn in the assignment that day or be subject to a 30 point deduction. 
  • Any assignment that is over 2 days late will earn a 50-point reduction.

Tentative Novels/Play/Units with their videos to be covered:

Julius Caesar – Julius Caesar and Shakespeare in the Classroom

Fiddler on the Roof- Fiddler on the Roof 

Antigone – John Q

Much Ado About Nothing- Much Ado About Nothing (movie version) or

Midsummer Night’s Dream- Midsummer Night’s Dream

TAKS, TAKS and more TAKS!- Finding Neverland/ Stand and Deliver/Hook/Walk the Line  

Advertising Unit- Josie and the Pussycats; commercial clips

Famous Speeches

Short story unit- “Lamb to the Slaughter”

Outside reading- My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Note: While most of the English II teachers teach the same material, there is some variance in the videos chosen by teacher and this list reflects that.  This list reflects the possible videos that may be shown in class. Your student will not view all of these listed. In addition, time considerations may mean a movie scheduled for a unit may be “bumped” in order to move on to new unit.

Outside Reading Requirement

You will be responsible for reading one book each six weeks outside of class.  Your English teacher will provide the books listed below to you (with the exception of the summer reading book).  Your English teacher will designate one of the books for you to read each six weeks.  On a designated day, you will be tested over the book assigned for that six weeks.  It will count as a major test grade.

Summer reading book- Monster

1984

Shadow of the Dragon

Real Time

After

Fiction book from library- 200 pages (3rd six weeks)