Welcome to the English III Website for Trinity High School!

I hope to keep this site updated every week. You’ll be able to find project lists, RUBRICs, lesson plans and some links to the stories we’ll read. I hope you find it informative and helpful and that you refer to it regularly. Let me know when you find errors, please. I’ll try to fix them as soon as I can. Welcome back to my classroom! I hope we have a great semester!

English III is a required course. You will be introduced to a variety of American Literature, write essays about the works and your reactions to them, and complete projects for each unit we cover.

Checking this site regularly will help you stay on track of your responsibilities.

Click here to retrieve the permission form for watching movies in English class. Please have a parent or guardian sign the document and then return it to me as soon as possible. Thanks!

Remember, too, NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM THE FINAL EXAM.

Click here to link to Project List Click here for Grammar Card

Click Here to go to Lesson Plans Click here to return to Mrs. Rhodes’s home page.

RENAISSANCE WRITER NOTES…CLICK HERE!

Please copy, paste, and print this document; show it to your parents, and if they agree that you may watch the films, ask one of them to sign the paper before you return it to me. Thanks!

Parents,

Because of Diocesan policy, I am required to have your permission to show your child any movie that is not rated G; that’s why I wanted to provide the list of movies we watch in class and ask you to sign the attached permission form. I hope that you will allow your child to participate in the class. People today spend lots of time watching films and I hope to help your child develop the ability to understand what makes a film good or not so good. Students will be given assignments based on the films. I have chosen the films to coincide with themes we’ll be discussing in the classroom. Maybe you could watch a few and discuss them with your child.

Thank you,

Christina Rhodes

English III

The Turn of the Screw (not rated)

The Outsiders (rated PG)

Renaissance Man (not shown every year) (rated PG-13)

Dead Poet’s Society (not shown every year)(rated PG)

Man Without a Face (not shown every year)(rated PG-13)

The Patriot (not shown every year) (rated R)

National Treasure (rated PG)

My child _________________________________ has my permission to watch films in his/her English class. I have been provided with a list of the movies to be viewed, and I agree to allow my child to watch those presented.

________________________________ _____________________

Parent Signature Date

Do not lose this sheet. You will need it all year!

You’ll complete one option per unit for up to 20 points each. Please don’t repeat any as the year progresses. Also, if any options are already required in any unit, you may not duplicate the work for more points. PLEASE KEEP TRACK OF THE OPTIONS YOU COMPLETE IN ORDER TO AVOID PROBLEMS AND LOSS OF POINTS. Thanks.

***IMPORTANT***Your assignment should be accompanied by a paper which describes your project’s value. Let me know why you believe your work is worth 20 points, if it is. If you don’t feel it is worth the full 20 points, please rework the assignment until it is.

IF GROUP WORK IS ALLOWED, IT WILL BE NOTED ON THE OPTION LISTING. OTHERWISE, THE ASSIGNMENT SHOULD BE DONE ALONE.

Read another work by the same author and write a comparison/contrast paper about the two works.

Develop your own set of five questions that would involve HIGHER ORDER, CRITICAL THINKING. ANSWER TWO of the questions completely. These questions will require more than recall answers. (Ask me for specifics if you’re unsure.)

Rewrite the story, replacing the main character with another famous character. How would the story differ?

Write a letter to a character and suggest alternatives for his/her actions. Explain why your ideas would lead to results that are more favorable.

Assume the identity of a character and write at least five journal entries for him or her. Explain how you believe the character feels about what is happening in the story. (Remember to try to duplicate the style for the period.)

Rewrite the end of a story in the style of the author.

Write a series of poems (3 or more) which capture the emotions you believe are being presented.

Write an original song based on the story. This option should include a tune for the song. Should you chose, you may create a music video for the song. If performing a video, this option may be completed in a group of up to, but not more than, three people.

If inspired, choreograph and perform a dance based on the works of the time we are studying. (video option/group of up to three people)

Build a model of some sort that represents the time period we are studying. Be prepared to explain the work to the class. (group of up to two people)

Write and enact a short play based on the time period or a work we are studying. (video option/group of up to five people)

If you disagree with a particular story or idea of the time period, prepare a 3 – 5 minute speech to explain why. Be sure to support your ideas and arguments using facts.

Prepare a 20-minute newscast to inform your viewers of the events which took place in the time period or in stories we read. Consider including something that occurred outside of America during the same time period. (video option/group of up to four people/See me for notes.)

Prepare an original drawing that captures the essence of the period or a particular story. Be ready to explain your creation to the class.

Create a collage (poster board size) that represents the unit. Include a written explanation for EACH picture you’ve chosen to include. Be prepared to deliver your explanations to the class.

Study another piece of writing that was written during the same time period (American or otherwise). Prepare a presentation for the class (3 – 5 minutes long) in which you explain how this work does or does not fit into the unit we read.

Write a letter to the author of a particular story and let him/her know why you agree or disagree with his/her story ideas/opinions. Remember to be specific and to include facts to back your opinions.

Select a character and write a paper predicting where he/she will be five years later. Use specifics and explain why you feel this way. (NOTE: This assignment should be about fictional characters only. We can look in the history books to find out what happened to real people.)

Create a tape/cd of eight songs that you believe capture the ideas discussed in the text. With the tape/cd, please submit a paper to explain why you chose each song.

Assume that all of the choices we have read in a unit have been included in one book. Please design the cover of the book. Include drawings and designs. Include, also, a book review on the back cover AND a rating system of some sort.

Create a pamphlet that outlines the major themes, stories, characters or authors of a unit. Use your own drawings or pictures from magazines. Include some words of your own that explain what you’ve learned or what is represented in the pictures.

Create your own idea and present it to me. I have offered you 21 different options and I realize that there are many more ways for you to learn. I’m open to ideas as long as you realize and can interpret their value as being equal to those listed here.

English Note Card (updated fall 2003)

Don’t lose this paper…you’ll need it when you write papers and take tests!

Use capital letters & punctuation where needed in a complete sentence.

Don’t abbreviate b/c or w/ in a formal paper.

A lot = TWO WORDS!

they’re = they are their = possessive pronoun There = all other cases

good = an adjective that modifies a noun He’s a good dancer.

well = an adverb that modifies a verb He dances well.

don’t = do not doesn’t = does not

If you can’t figure out the difference…do not use the contractions!

too = an excessive amount two = 2 to = all other cases

Christina Rule = If you can’t figure out how to say or write something correctly, please use another way/word/phrase.

Use a dictionary or ask the teacher if you don’t know how to spell a word.

Know the difference between words that sound alike (ex. accept, except).

Balance all of your tenses within a sentence or story. Use all present or all past, etc.

She got out of bed and then goes to the door. (WRONG!) She got out of bed and then went to the door.

Use nouns to introduce/clarify pronouns:

He walked behind him and gave him a push. (WRONG!) Sam walked behind Mark and pushed him.

Ain’t should not be used in written work except when someone is being quoted or when used to demonstrate local color.

Past tense of to be: I was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, they were

In subjunctive case: I were or he/she/it were (If I were you…)

NEVER USE: you was, we was or they was!!

NEVER USE: I seen, you seen, he/she/it seen, we seen or they seen!!

(Exception: I have seen, you have seen, s/he/it has seen, or we have seen may be used. Also, have I seen, have you seen, as s/he/it seen, have we seen.)

Replace the word “got” with a stronger verb, if possible. Always try to use strong verbs!

Avoid beginning sentences with: “so,” “well,” “then,” or “but,” unless your speaker is telling a story in a very informal format.

Don’t begin a sentence with the word “because” unless you’re introducing a phrase and you have a second part to your sentence that includes a subject and verb. (Ex.: Because I don’t like Italian food, I don’t eat in Italian restaurants.)

SUBJECT PRONOUNS: I, you, he, she, it, we, & they

OBJECT PRONOUNS: me, you, him, her, it, us, & them

Do not use object pronouns as subject pronouns! Me and him did not go to the store! He and I went to the store. He went to the store with me. I went to the store with him. NOTE THE DIFFERENCE! If the pronoun is used as a subject, use the subject pronoun. Note: He is taller than she (is). Don’t use: He is taller than her.

CHECK ALL YOUR WORK!

The Red Badge of Courage A Novel By Stephen Crane

We studied the stereotypical American hero in Cooper’s The Deerslayer. Deerslayer, if you remember, was a young man of integrity, bravery and righteousness. The character, Henry Fleming, is more of an anti-hero. An anti-hero is a main character that lacks traditional heroic qualities, such as idealism or courage (American Heritage definition). For much of the novel, Henry’s actions are not very admirable, and students often find that they dislike him. Henry, unlike many stereotypical heroes, also exhibits fear. Realizing that facing our fears is heroic, and seeing his fear, may help us forgive some of his shortcomings. I’ll ask each of you decide your final opinion of Henry after we’ve finished the novel.

The Red Badge of Courage is set during the Civil War, but it’s more about Fleming than the war. Although it isn’t a first hand account, Stephen Crane interviewed many people in an effort to document certain wartime details accurately. Henry Fleming is the main character. He is a young farmer, probably about 15 years old, who has enlisted in the Union Army. He doesn’t enlist because he cares about the cause; he enlists because he wants to be a hero. Henry believes that being in the war will magically make him heroic; he dreams of telling war stories about his bravery and having people respect and admire him. He is a Union Yank who is fighting against the Johnny Rebs.

Early on we meet the tall soldier (Jim Conklin) and the loud soldier (Wilson). Crane doesn’t give us their real names right away, nor does he describe their looks too much. I believe Crane wanted us to relate to the characters and to imagine people we know in their roles. (When we read, we often picture the characters in our minds; Crane wants us to make the characters our own.) We all know a loud mouth, a tall, pushy person, and a sarcastic person. We meet many such people in our teen years.

The story, like Deerslayer, contains dialect. In other words, the author writes in the way people speak.

A few other things you’ll want to know:

A red badge of courage is a wound received in war.

Johnny Rebs are Confederate (southern) soldiers.

Billy Yanks are Union (northern) soldiers.

Henry is a Yankee.

In the classroom, I plan to compare the battle to high school and growing up. Students face many of their own battles every day, and I see a whole lot of obvious comparisons that I hope will make sense to you.

By the by: Henry is H-E-N-R-Y! Please don’t spell it as H-E-N-E-R-Y! (Someone does that every year!!!!) Don’t let this happen to you. You’ll be writing his name on quizzes and tests and can lose a lot of points over something small and silly!

Back to January 4^rd plans

Renaissance Period (notes from the text)

A renaissance is a rebirth, a vital period in a culture, a ripeness that pulls forth a concentration of great writers and artists. Many cultures have experienced a renaissance.

Up to this time period, the nation had been growing and problems had occurred (over-population, poverty, crime, political corruption, child labor, slavery, etc.). Transcendentalists wanted to put an end to such problems.

Transcendentalism is based on the belief that the most fundamental truths about life and death can be reached only be going beyond the senses. They wanted to rise above (transcend) all the bad by reaching inside and seeing things that really were important. They believed that the material things weren’t really important. They believed that the material things weren’t important to the grand scheme of life.

To transcend is to rise above something and pass beyond its limits.

Transcendentalists believed that everyone, living as an individual, could rise above the material world.

Not all transcendentalists are alike. To be a transcendentalist, one didn’t have to be of a certain gender, race or creed.

Transcendentalists place a strong emphasis on individualism.

Transcendentalists wanted to reform society.

Not all writers of this time were transcendentalists. Some thought the idea to be too simple. Good thoughts could not change society or solve life’s problems, they thought.

Carpe Diem means “Seize the Day!”

Writers during our Renaissance Period (Remember that not all of them are transcendentalists!)

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

--a member of the transcendental club

--a very popular writer in his time

--was a minister after graduating from Harvard

--was a lecturer and writer

--kept a “savings bank” for lecture material (You should know what that means!)

--believed that you are different every day (just like Henry Fleming who grew up so fast)

--believed that you shouldn’t follow the lead of others, but should be yourself

HENRY DAVID THOREAU

--Marched to the beat of a different drummer

--Described most people as living lives of quiet desperation.

--considered unconventional and irresponsible during his lifetime.

--spent short time in jail for not paying taxes

--never used his educational training

--didn’t want to be tied down by owning anything

--built a house on Emerson’s land where he lived alone for over two years

--“Walden” was written about this time in his life

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

--was not a transcendentalist

--he wrote of human limitations rather than human freedoms

--an allegory is a story with symbolic meaning which is used to teach a lesson about

moral principles

--he wrote “The Scarlet Letter”

--and he also wrote “The Minister’s Black Veil”

HERMAN MELVILLE

--used his experience as a sailor in his works

--was not a transcendentalist

--wrote Moby Dick (which was not popular during his lifetime because he was misunderstood).

--his father died and Melville was unable to finish his education

--Moby Dick dedicated to Nathaniel Hawthorne

--not a transcendental writing

--Ishmael is the narrator

--Pequod is the ship

--Ahab is the captain = he is strong, enormous and stubborn to the point of endangering those around him.

--Ahab is single-minded and this single-mindedness is what causes his commercial whaling (for oil) expedition into a personal voyage for revenge.

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

--was the most successful poet of his time

--his attitude about life seems to become more pessimistic as he grows older

“Psalm of Life” “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls”

written at a young age written when much older

optimistic view of life pessimistic view of life

footprints stay to help others footprints are washed away

find a path and no one makes a difference

we all make a difference we don’t make a difference

Carpe diem live life!

Transcendental thoughts not very transcendental

OLIVER WENDALL HOLMES

Holmes wrote “Old Ironsides” in an effort to save the USS Constitution (a warship) from destruction.

PLANS (tentative, depending on how far we progress on any given day)

English III Lesson Plans Weeks 20, 21, 22

January 4 - 22

Jan 4/5 Give out the next list of vocabulary words. (Passive, protrude, languor, latter, sentinel, perceive,

deprecate, tantalize, condescend, pompous) We’ll have a quiz on January 8/11.

Have one class start “Turn of the Screw” and the other class start “Pudd’nhead Wilson.”

The next period of literature deals more with realism; specifically, some felt that the ideas of

romantics and transcendentalists weren’t accurate depictions of truth.

Some of those writing during the time of realism include Mark Twain and Henry James.

We’re going to read novels from each. You’ll read some on your own and some in class together.

We’ll start today and just see how far we get. I encourage you to take notes so you don’t forget what we’re studying.

Put character names on board. Sold down the river. FFV. Dialogue / dialect. Note that setting is always important; look at PW opening descriptions.

Turn of the Screw: Got to page 7. Read through intro and chapters 1 & 2, page 13 for homework.

Pudd’nhead Wilson: Read through chapter 3 , finish for homework.

Jan 6/7 Review vocabulary words for quiz at next meeting. Quizzes over what we’ve read so far.

Discuss what we read so far and continue reading the text.

Turn of the Screw: Got to chapter 5. Read through chapter 6 for homework. (I think.)

Pudd’nhead Wilson: Read through chapter 6; finish for homework, if needed.

Jan 8/11 Vocabulary quiz today. Give next set of words. (requisite, conviction, consternation, intricate,

conciliate, contemplate, annihilating, lament, woe, contempt) quiz over 20 words 19/20

Give quizzes over the novels.

Start with discussion and answer questions. We had really good discussions here about the whys and why nots.

I hope that we always will. We didn’t read much, then, since we were talking.

Continue reading the text. Hopefully, there won’t be any homework; it depends on how far we go in class.

Pudd’nhead Wilson: Read chapters 7 and 8 today; finish, if needed, for homework.

Turn of the Screw: Read chapters 7 and 8 today; finish, if needed, for homework.

Jan 12/13 Review for vocabulary quiz set for 21st.

No quizzes today. We had more great discussion here! Are the ghosts real? Are the kids bad?

What makes Tom so rotten? Nature / Nurture? Why is Twain fascinated by twins?

Pudd’nhead: Read through chapter 12; finish what we don’t finish in class for homework.

Turn of the Screw: Read through chapter 12; finish what we don’t finish in class for homework.

Jan 14/15 Review for vocabulary quiz set for 21st.

Discuss what we’ve read; answer any questions. Give quizzes over chapters 7 – 12.

Read through chapter 14 in Pudd’nhead Wilson (finish what we don’t for homework).

Read though chapters 14 in Turn of the Screw (finish what we don’t for homework).

Hopefully, there won’t be homework for the three-day weekend, except to study for the vocab quiz!

Jan 19/20 Take vocabulary quiz. Give new words: (dexterous, imprecation, deity, berate, expend, deplete,

proximity, tableau, perturbation, hasten) Quiz is Jan 29 / February 1

Discuss what we’ve read; answer any questions.

Read a lot of the book in class; students should finish chapter 16 in Turn of the Screw; students should read chapter 17 for homework.

There will be a quiz over 13 – 17.

Read a lot of the book in class; students, I hope, will finish through chapter 17 in Pudd’nhead Wilson during class; they should read 18 for homework.

There will be a quiz over 13 – 18.

Jan 21/22 Discuss what we’ve read; answer any questions.

There will be quizzes today over both novels. We’ll read as much as we can; students will finish the books for homework.