Course Overview
English I continues to build on the sequential development and integration of communication skills in four major areas—reading, writing, speaking, and listening. It most specifically focuses on deepening and furthering students’ understanding in the following ways:
Reading
Reading reinforces reading comprehension skills by teaching students how to understand and appreciate poetry, drama, informative nonfiction, and fiction; shows students how to analyze, evaluate, and interpret a text; reinforces awareness of the elements and structure of narrative prose; guides students through readings of drama, a novel, and selections from well-known poetry, and short stories.
Writing
Writing furthers students’ understanding of sentence structures; reviews parts of speech and their types, including in-depth studies on verbs (transitive, intransitive, conjugation, tense, voice, mood); develops students’ understanding of the types and functions of phrases and clauses; teaches language history and etymology to help students build on knowledge of word structures, including prefixes, roots, and suffixes; expands on students’ vocabulary skills; reviews spelling skills; gives students the opportunity to develop their abilities in writing speeches, short essays, poetry, friendly/business letters, and short stories.
Speaking
Speaking offers students experience in delivering a speech; teaches skills that enable students to become effective speakers and communicators, weaving these skills together throughout the course.
Listening
Listening teaches effective listening comprehension skills, weaving these together throughout the lessons.
Curriculum Contents
Reading Comprehension Skills
- Analyzing Propaganda
- Understanding Elements of Narrative Prose
- Reading Informative Nonfiction
- Reading Fiction
- Reading Poetry
- Developing Reading Skills—Analysis, Evaluation, and Interpretation
Composition
- Letters—Structure, Type, and Composition
- Paragraph Elements and Structure
- Writing a Formal Essay
- Writing a Persuasive Paragraph
- Writing about Poetry
- Writing a Speech
Grammar and Usage
- Adjectives—Comparison, Suffixes as Adjective Endings, and Position
- Adverbs
- Levels of Language Use
- Nouns—Abstract, Concrete, Compound, Collective, Plural, and Possessive Nouns
- Pronouns
- Sentence Structure—Clauses and Phrases
- Verbs—Tense, Voice, Mood, Conjugation, and Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Literature Studies
- Drama—Genre/Type, Structure, and Elements
- Fiction—Genre/Type, Structure, Elements, and Modes
- History of Drama—Greek/Roman Plays, Medieval Drama, and Elizabethan Drama
- History of Novels—Oral Tradition, Novel Prototypes, and Early Novels
- History of Short Stories
- Poetry—Genre/Type, Structure, Elements, and Literary Devices
Speaking and Listening
- Listening Skills—Elements, Common Errors, and Strategies
- Oral Reading
- Speaking Skills—Elements, Purpose, Organization, and Delivery
Spelling
- Mnemonics
- Nouns—Plural and Possessive
Vocabulary Building
- Dictionary Skills
- Etymology
- Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes
- Word Relationships
Special Topics
- The Bible as Literature
- Origin/Development of Language
- Research Skills—Internet, Library, and Reference Materials
- Visual Media—Charts, Graphs, and Tables
Additional Resources
In addition to the default course program, English I includes extra alternate projects and tests for use in enhancing instruction or addressing individual needs.
Literature List
The following are literary works students will encounter in English I:
Drama
- Gibson, William. The Miracle Worker
- Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet (excerpt)
Fiction
- Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Young Goodman Brown” (excerpt)
- Henry, O. “The Gift of the Magi”
- Stuart, Jesse. “The Slip-Over Sweater”
- Verne, Jules. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Poetry
- Frost, Robert.
- “Good Hours”
- “The Road Not Taken”
Required Resources
Some assignments in this course require the use of resources that must be acquired separately. These outside resources are listed below by assignment.
Unit | Assignment | Resource |
---|---|---|
8 | Essay: Parable |
|
8 | Required Unit Reading |
|