Week 1:3 (Aug. 25–29)

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AP Language: Thesis Frames, SPACE-CAT Bookmark, Verbs for Analysis, Wheel of Feels (Tone), Journal Setup & Rhetorical Terms, Discussion Question Stems, Blank Outline, Types of Evidence, Plagiarism Notes / Short Stories: “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, “Sweat”, “The Minister’s Black Veil”

IB Freshmen: Four Questions, Colormarking Guide, Colormarking #1, Stated & Implied Theme, Literary Analysis Thesis Frame & Verbs, Weaving & Citing, Transitions & Commentary, Wheel of Feels (Tone), Plagiarism Notes, Practice FAST Test / Short Stories: “Little Red Cap”, “Harrison Bergeron” E-text, Vonnegut Background, “Once Upon a Time” E-text, Gordimer Background, Short Stories Journal #1

IB Diploma Support: Rotation Calendar & 5th Period Rotations, DS Contract, IB Academic Guidelines, Say Something Anonymous Reporting System / Research: Gale Databases, Google Scholar, JSTOR, Sci-Hub / EEs: Full EE Guide, MLA Template, MLA Sample Paper, EE Rubric, English EE Scoring, Prescribed Reading List, Sample EEs & Scores

Week 1:2 (Aug. 18–22)

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AP Language: Thesis Frames, SPACE-CAT Bookmark, Verbs for Analysis, Wheel of Feels (Tone), Journal Setup & Rhetorical Terms, Discussion Question Stems, Blank Outline, Plagiarism Notes / Short Stories: “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, “Sweat”

IB Freshmen: Four Questions, Stated & Implied Theme, Literary Analysis Thesis Frame & Verbs, Weaving & Citing, Transitions & Commentary, Wheel of Feels (Tone), Plagiarism Notes / Short Stories: “Little Red Cap”, “Harrison Bergeron” E-text, Vonnegut Background, “Once Upon a Time” E-text, Gordimer Background, Short Stories Journal #1

IB Diploma Support: Rotation Calendar & 5th Period Rotations, DS Contract, IB Academic Guidelines, Say Something Anonymous Reporting System/ Research: Gale Databases, Google Scholar, JSTOR, Sci-Hub / EEs: Full EE Guide, MLA Template, MLA Sample Paper, EE Rubric, English EE Scoring, Prescribed Reading List, Sample EEs & Scores

Week 1:1 (Aug. 11–15)

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Blue GETs or ► indicate a handout or notes begin given out in class.
Green ►s indicate classroom activities (e.g. groupwork, lectures, lessons).
Red text like DUE or QUIZ indicate an explicit due date or assessment.

Welcome to a new school year, everyone! I’ve posted the week’s schedule here, and I do this every week — usually on Thursday afternoon for the week ahead. Please refer to the key above to make clearest sense of the schedule. You can also click on the schedule itself for a larger zoom-able image. Below, you’ll find digital versions of this week’s in-class handouts along with a few other helpful bits and bobs.

AP Language: Course Syllabus, SPACE-CAT Bookmark & Rhetorical Terms, Rhetorical Triangle, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” E-text (Spanish, Ukrainian), “The Yellow Wallpaper” E-text (Spanish, Ukrainian), Diagnostic RA, Analytical Thesis Frame & Verbs, Wheel of Feels (Tone), Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Frame, Discussion Question Stems

IB Freshmen: Course Syllabus, Four Questions, Fairy Tale (to Annotate), Journal Setup & Lit Terms, Analytical Thesis Frame & Verbs, Weaving & Citing, Transitions & Commentary, Wheel of Feels (Tone), Success Camp Bonus

IB Diploma Support: Homeroom List, Rotation Calendar & 5th Period Rotations, DS Contract, IB Academic Guidelines, Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, / Research: Gale Databases, Google Scholar, JSTOR, Sci-Hub / EEs: Full EE Guide, MLA Template, MLA Sample Paper, EE Rubric, English EE Scoring, Prescribed Reading List, Sample EEs & Scores

Not to Be Confused #4 & 5

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Not to Be Confused #3

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Not to Be Confused #2

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Not to Be Confused #1

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14 Words You Need to Know

Posted on June 18, 2025 by Mr. Benton

Below is a table containing the words that make all the difference in a competent user of English, because according to James I. Brown, Professor of Rhetoric at the University of Minnesota, in his book Programmed Vocabulary, they contain the twenty most useful prefixes and the fourteen most important roots in our language. These constituent parts make up over 14,000 words in a collegiate dictionary size or close to an estimated 100,000 words in an unabridged dictionary. In other words, you should know these words and understand why they mean what they mean since doing so will grant you a superior vocabulary. Click it for a slightly larger view.

100 Books Worth Reading

Posted on June 6, 2025 by Mr. Benton

If you’re looking for a book to challenge yourself with this summer (on top of summer reading), peruse this list. Each of these works is very meaty, deep in meaning, ambiguous enough for interpretation, yet forceful enough to have had a lasting impression on Western culture. Some are old; some are new. There are writers of all nationalities included here, and the books’ years of publication range from the 16th century to today. They have nothing in common other than the fact that they’re all legit literature. Look a few up on Wikipedia; read the first chapter/scene: get a feel for the work. If you find one that grabs you, read it in a scholarly way. You’ll enjoy it more anyway if you grab onto some big theme early on. Plus, you’ll remember it all the better. I’ve intentionally avoided listing books that are already a part of SPHS’s assigned reading, so this is a deeper cut of works. (A note of caution to sensitive minds: Some of these stories do include some sketchy content, so read at your own peril.)