Week 1:3 (Aug. 26–30)

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Freshmen: Colormarking Guide, Literary Analysis Thesis Frame, Analytical Verbs, Tone Words, Analytical Verbs, Weaving & Citing, Discussion Question Stems, Transitions & Commentary, Practice FAST / Short Stories: Journal Setup & Lit Terms“Harrison Bergeron” E-textVonnegut Background, “Once Upon a Time” E-textGordimer Background, Implied Theme, Short Stories Journal #1

Seniors: Poetry Packet, Global Issues Overview, Journal ExpectationsPDF Scanning Directions, Evaluative LanguageGeneral Literary Terms, Poetry Terms, Colormarking Diction & Syntax / Fences: Full E-text, Global Issues Bookmark, Journal Questions, Colormarking Passages, Wilson’s Life & Work, Aristotle’s Tragic Hero / Paper 1: Tips, Video, Rubric, High-Scoring Example (Poetry), High-Scoring Example (Prose), Example Prompts / Paper 2: Tips, Video, Rubric, Scored Example

Diploma Support: Rotation Calendar, Citing AI (MLA)DS Contract, IB Academic GuidelinesIB Honor Code, Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, Eduaide.ai, Semester Grade Chart / Research: EBSCO HostGale Databases, Google Scholar, JSTOR, Sci-Hub / EEs: Full EE Guide, MLA TemplateMLA Sample PaperCat. 1 (28/34)Cat. 1 (30/34)Cat. 2 (34/34), Cat. 3 (33/34), EE Rubric, English EE Scoring, Prescribed Reading List

Week 1:2 (Aug. 19–23)

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Freshmen: Course Syllabus, Four Questions, Fairy Tale & Colormarking Guide, Literary Analysis Thesis Frame, Analytical Verbs, Tone Words, Analytical Verbs, Weaving & Citing, Discussion Question Stems, Transitions & Commentary, PDF Scanning Directions / Short Stories: Journal Setup & Lit Terms“Harrison Bergeron” E-textVonnegut Background, “Once Upon a Time” E-textGordimer Background, Stated & Implied Theme, Short Stories Journal #1

Seniors: Course Syllabus, Poetry Packet, Global Issues Overview, Journal Expectations, Aristotle’s Tragic HeroPDF Scanning Directions, Evaluative LanguageGeneral Literary Terms, Poetry Terms / Fences: Full E-text, Global Issues Bookmark, Journal Questions, “In Defense of a Loaded Word”, Colormarking Passages / Sources for Synthesis Notes: Playgoer’s Guide, Original Playbill, Author’s Life & Work, Redlining History/Definition, Redlining in Pittsburg, Redlining in St. Petersburg, Pittsburg’s Hill District, St. Petersburg Study, 4 Essays on the Word / Paper 1: Tips, Video, Rubric, High-Scoring Example (Poetry), High-Scoring Example (Prose), Example Prompts / Paper 2: Tips, Video, Rubric, Scored Example

Diploma Support: Rotation Calendar, Freshmen SGA Application, Citing AI (MLA)DS Contract, IB Academic GuidelinesIB Honor Code, Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, Eduaide.ai, Semester Grade Chart / Research: EBSCO HostGale Databases, Google Scholar, JSTOR, Sci-Hub / EEs: Full EE Guide, MLA TemplateMLA Sample PaperCat. 1 (28/34)Cat. 1 (30/34)Cat. 2 (34/34), Cat. 3 (33/34), EE Rubric, English EE Scoring, Prescribed Reading List

Week 1:1 (Aug. 12–16)

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  • Blue GETs on the agenda indicate a handout being physically distributed in class.
  • Green s indicate classroom activities such as groupwork, lectures, and lessons.
  • Red text like DUE or QUIZ indicate an assignment due date or assessment.

Welcome to a new school year! I’ve posted the week’s schedule for all to see. This is a weekly occurrence, usually done on Thursday afternoon for the week which follows. Please refer to the key above to make clearest sense of the schedule. You can also click on the schedule board 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 documents.

Freshmen: Course Syllabus, Four Questions, Fairy Tale & Colormarking Guide, Journal Setup & Lit Terms, Literary Analysis Thesis Frame, Analytical Verbs, Tone Words, Analytical Verbs, Weaving & CitingTransitions & Commentary, Summer Bonus

Seniors: Course Syllabus, Poetry Packet (for informal Poetry Responses), Global Issues (General), Journal Expectations, Aristotle’s Tragic HeroPDF Scanning Directions, Evaluative LanguageGeneral Literary Terms, Poetry Terms / Fences: Full E-text, Global Issues Preview “Bookmark”, Journal Questions, “In Defense of a Loaded Word” / Digital Sources for Synthesis Notes: Playgoer’s Guide, Original Playbill, Author’s Life & Work, Redlining History/Definition, Redlining in Pittsburg, Redlining in St. Petersburg, Pittsburg’s Hill District, St. Petersburg Study, 4 Essays on the Word / Paper 1: Tips, Video, Rubric, High-Scoring Example (Poetry), High-Scoring Example (Prose), Example Prompts / Paper 2: Tips, Video, Rubric, Scored Example

Diploma Support: Rotation Calendar, Freshmen SGA Application, Citing AI (MLA)DS Contract, IB Academic GuidelinesIB Honor Code, Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, Eduaide.ai, Semester Grade Chart / Research: EBSCO HostGale Databases, Google Scholar, JSTOR, Sci-Hub / EEs: Full EE Guide, MLA TemplateMLA Sample PaperCat. 1 (28/34)Cat. 1 (30/34)Cat. 2 (34/34), Cat. 3 (33/34), EE Rubric, English EE Scoring, Prescribed Reading List

for incoming freshmen …

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To get a head-start, complete this writing diagnostic and, if you’d like, some subsequent skill practice over the summer: just join up with our class on Quill.org with the class code swan-egg. (Once you complete the diagnostic, Mr. Benton will open up some activities to help you brush on your conventions.)

And — while there’s no assigned reading — I highly encourage all of my incoming students to find books of their choice to read over the summer. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some recommendations from this year’s Florida Teens Read list.

If you read a great book, watch a thought-provoking movie, or binge a compelling series — try cranking out an analytical thesis statement.

Oh, and here’s the syllabus for curious minds.

Should you need any help at any point, or if you have any questions about the year ahead with Pre-IB English 2, feel free to email Mr. Benton anytime at bentonro@pcsb.org.

14 Words You Need to Know

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

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.)

  1. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (not the sci-fi story by H. G. Wells)
  2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
  3. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevski
  4. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
  5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
  6. King Lear by William Shakespeare
  7. Billy Budd by Herman Melville
  8. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  9. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
  10. The Awakening by Kate Chopin Continue reading