Texas Virtual School

English III (A & B)

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." ~ Declaration of Independence. This course explores American literature and the pursuit of the American Dream. Students will go on a pilgrimage of religion and faith, relive a revolution of rebellion and conformity, redefine truth and human potential, and develop a deeper sense of self. Through students' explorations of classic American themes and ideals, they will deepen their awareness of political and social influences that have shaped American culture as it is known today. Selections of literature range from fiction (poetry, short stories, novellas, drama) to nonfiction (speeches, sermons, letters, journals, news articles). Students will not only think about literature and its connection to their lives, but they will learn to question it.

Course Objectives:

Explore Puritanism, Transcendentalism, and other literary periods framing the work of American writers
Use language arts skills including identifying images, making connections, drawing inferences, and analyzing chronological order to understand a variety of texts including biographical sketches, fiction, poetry, speeches, and diary entries
Understand how the language, historical events, literary periods, personal perception and culture shape the meaning of a text
Make connections between the students' lives and texts that encourage students to think, explore their identity, and ponder intriguing philosophical questions through analytical reading, questioning, listening and writing
Understand and apply the steps to clear, logical writing including prewriting, drafting, and revising as the students compose a variety of texts including fiction, expository essays, persuasive essays, and autobiographical pieces for authentic audiences
Evaluate both fiction and nonfiction literary works by writing a literary analysis, an interpretive essay, or an evaluative essay
Prepare multimedia presentations that display knowledge of visual design, technology and audience awareness
Recognize vocabulary words and know how to find the meaning of words the students don't understand

Prerequisites: English II

Course Length: Two Semesters (English III A and English III B)

Required Text: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Cost: $325.00 per student/per semester

Course Outline

Semester One

UNIT I: Language and Its History
Section 1 - Daring to Dream (Themes in American Literature)
Section 2 - Skepticism and Belief in the American Dream (Overview of Selections in American Literature)
Section 3 - The American Dream: Religion and Faith (Language and Its Historical Applications)
Section 4 - The American Dream: Language and Thought (Language Used in History)

UNIT II: Reflections in American Literature
Section 1 - The Freedom to Dream (Interpreting the Language of Texts)
Section 2 - The Freedom to Choose (Comparing the language text)
Section 3 - The Chains of Freedom (American Author Study Part A: Reading)
Section 4 - The Path to Enlightenment (American Author Study Part B: Student Writing)

UNIT III: Poetry in America
Section 1 - Freedom beyond the Age of Reason (An Introduction to Poetry in America)
Section 2 - Self-Knowledge and Identity (The Structure of Poetry)
Section 3 - Innocence and Experience: Defining the Self (The Language of Poems)
Section 4 - The Romantic American Identity (Newsletter Development)

UNIT IV: American Drama and Society
Section 1 - The Relationship between People and Dreams (Introducing American drama)
Section 2 - Obligations and Dreams (The elements of drama)
Section 3 - The Responsibility of Dreams (Comparing selections of American drama)
Section 4 - The Fair American Dream (My American Drama)

UNIT V: My Country, Myself
Section 1 - The Truth and Appearance of Dreams (Historical American Nonfiction)
Section 2 - The Art and Beauty of Drama (Analyzing Selected Historical Pieces)
Section 3 - The American Dream: Material or Immaterial (Newsletter Development, Evaluation and Review)
Section 4 - Presenting Your Newsletter

Semester Two

UNIT I: Communicating in the Workplace
Section 1 - Going to Work
Section 2 - Skills for Finding a Job
Section 3 - Communicating at Work
Section 4 - Written and Verbal Work Communication

UNIT II: The Art of Persuasion
Section 1 - Speaking and Listening—an introduction
Section 2 - The Art of Debate
Section 3 - Persuasive Speaking
Section 4 - Investigations in Persuasive Communication
Section 5 - Persuasive Speaking and Writing

UNIT III: Media and its Impact on History
Section 1 - Media Introduction and Types of Media
Section 2 - Evaluating the Media
Section 3 - Media’s Impact on Opinion
Section 4 - Passion Found in the Media
Section 5 - My Media Project

UNIT IV: Exploring Contemporary Issues in American Communication
Section 1 - Contemporary Media in America
Section 2 - Contemporary Messages in Print
Section 3 - Assessing Contemporary Messages in Communication
Section 4 - Independent Exploration of Messages in the Media

UNIT V: Independent Project
Section 1 - Exploring, Planning, and Researching Topic
Section 2 - Organize your writing
Section 3 - Draft
Section 4 - Revise and Edit