Honors
English 9 (“Frosh
Honors”)
Mr.
Bovaird
Files
of Interest:
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Table of Contents:
Course Syllabus –
policies, expectations, grading rules, etc.
1.
Discovering the
Truth: Ray
Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451
In
this unit, we will focus on reading Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and discussing the novel’s societal
significance. Students will explore
modern-day examples of technological dependence, censorship, and freedom of
thought. As we work through the novel,
we will analyze contemporary music in order to understand thematic connections
between popular songs and the novel.
Students will learn the Jane Schaffer writing model as we read the novel,
composing four major writings along the way.
2.
Allegorical
Connections: George
Orwell’s Animal Farm
Students
will transition from reading and discussing a futuristic dystopia to reading
and discussing George Orwell’s classic novel Animal Farm. We will explore the history of Communism in
3.
Adolescent
Decisions: William
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
4.
The Historical
Narrative
1.
Love, Magic, and
Perception: William Shakespeare’s Midsummer
Night's Dream
Taking
a step back from the previous novel, we will return to William Shakespeare and
read his popular play, A Midsummer
Night's Dream. We will examine the
idea of social order (both in the Greek and the Elizabethan contexts of the
play), the elements of the natural versus the supernatural, the lovers and
their journey from civilization at daytime into the wilderness at night and
back, and the presence of magic in the play.
Students will review and/or learn traditional dramatic elements, such as
an aside, a soliloquy, tragedy, comedy, and dramatic irony. The major themes of the novel will also be
explored, as the students will discuss love, authority, perception, and
change. We will also read a selection
from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, where
students will be able to experience the true story of Pyramus
and Thisbe.
2.
Innocence and
Coming of Age: Harper Lee’s To Kill a
Mockingbird
The
second unit of the spring semester will find us studying Harper Lee’s timeless
classic To Kill a Mockingbird. Students will explore the cultural themes of
this text, which include good versus evil, moral education, and social
injustice in lieu of social equality. In
our exploration of the text, students will also familiarize themselves with
literary terms such as bildungsroman,
symbol, tone, foreshadowing, and Southern Gothic. We will also spice up our study of this novel
by examining poetry from the Harlem Renaissance, contemporary poetry dealing
with racial issues, and folk music from the 1930s and 40s.
3.
Greek Culture and
Journeys: Homer’s The Odyssey
In
this unit, we will read the famous epic poem The Odyssey by Homer.
Students will read either the EV Rieu or the
WHD Rouse translation, both of which have been done in prose format. Students will explore a personal journey of
their own prior to beginning the epic, and they will also have the opportunity
to view a modern re-telling of the epic in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? As we work through the poem, we will
analyze aspects of the ancient Greek culture, we will read and discuss Greek
mythology, and the unit will culminate in a final unit exam and an analytical
essay addressing Greek culture and The
Odyssey.
4.
Critical Thinking:
Writing the Persuasive Research Paper
The
fourth unit of the semester will put the students into a mindset of
argumentation and logic. They will work
on analyzing current issues, or “hot topics,” and brainstorm ideas about chosen
issues. Students will select a position
involving the issue and work independently to research this topic, using such
resources as the WRHS IMCs, the internet, online encyclopedias, and online
databases. Once the students are finished
researching, they will wrote a persuasive essay based upon this research. These essays will argue for a certain
position, their thesis, and will be supported by major arguments in favor. Students will address the possible objections
to this position and respond logically, concluding the essay with a proposal
for change.
5.
Poetry Unit
Download a copy of the 2008-2009 Honors English 9 Syllabus:
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