Unit 1Short Stories 
11 lessons4 Weeks
Short Stories 
 Week 1
Lesson 1
Week 1 Bell Ringer - Vocabulary
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn and then take a quiz on a set of vocabulary words. 
Lesson 2
Short Stories: Characterization
Learn about the importance of characterization and how to analyze characters while reading excerpts from "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes, "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" by Ernest Hemingway, and the full stories of "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros and "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor.
Lesson 3
Short Stories: Setting
Learn about the importance of setting details and how to analyze them while reading excerpts from “1408” by Stephen King, “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” by Jhumpa Lahiri, "The Passing of Grandison” by Charles W. Chestnut, and the full stories of "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid and "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker.
 Week 2
Lesson 4
Week 2 Bell Ringer - Grammar 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn about how to punctuate titles in essays and school responses and complete a worksheet properly punctuating titles.
Lesson 5
Short Stories: Plot Order
Learn about the importance of plot order and how to analyze and identify them while reading excerpts from “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes, “The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury, and the full stories of "Charles" by Shirley Jackson and "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin.
Lesson 6
Short Stories: Plot Events
Learn about the importance of plot events and how to analyze and identify them while reading excerpts from "The Test" by Theodore L. Thomas, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, “Paradise” by Toni Morrison, “Incantations of Burned Children” by David Foster Wallace, and the full story of “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury and "After 'While" by Cherie Dimaline.
 Week 3
Lesson 7
Week 3 Bell Ringer - Literary Term
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn about the literary term - syntax. Complete a lesson and analyze a work of literature's syntax.
Lesson 8
Short Stories: Narrator Description
Learn about the importance of identifying who and what type of narrator the work of literature has while reading excerpts from “The Body” by Stephen King, “Ruthless” by William de Mille, “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and the full stories of “EPICAC” by Kurt Vonnegut and "The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe.
Lesson 9
Short Stories: Point of View
Learn about the importance of point of view and how to analyze and identify point of view while reading excerpts from "The Birthday Party" by Katherine Brush, "A&P" by John Updike, "Miriam" by Truman Capote, "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway, and the full stories of "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner and "I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olson.
 Week 4
Lesson 10
Week 4 Bell Ringer - Vocabulary 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn and then take a quiz on a set of vocabulary words. 
Lesson 11
Short Stories: Final Project 
Plan and write a 500-1000 word short story. 
Unit 2Novel Unit
12 lessons5 Weeks
Novel Unit
 Week 4
Lesson 12
The Novel Unit Pre-Reading
Complete the anticipation guide for the novel you have chosen to read during the unit, The Princess Bride by William Goldman or The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
 Week 5
Lesson 13
Week 5 Bell Ringer - Grammar 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn about the use of commas and to complete a worksheet correcting and using commas.
Lesson 14
Novel Unit: Author & Genres
Learn about and research the author of their choice novel,  fiction genre categories, begin reading the novel, and answer reading questions about their novel.
Lesson 15
Novel Unit: Figurative Language
Learn about figurative language writing techniques, identify figurative language techniques in their novel of choice, continue reading their novel, and answer reading questions about their novel.
 Week 6
Lesson 16
Week 6 Bell Ringer - Literary Term
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn about the literary term - symbol. Complete a lesson and identify and analyze a symbol in a work of literature.
Lesson 17
Novel Unit: MLA Format for Essays
Watch a video on how to identify theme in literature, learn about MLA format for essays, complete a quiz on MLA format, continue reading their novel, and answer reading questions about their novel.
Lesson 18
Novel Unit: Thesis Statements
Watch a video on writing an introduction, complete a lesson on essay introductions and thesis statements,  continue reading their novel, and answer reading questions about their novel.
 Week 7
Lesson 19
Week 7 Bell Ringer - Vocabulary 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn and then take a quiz on a set of vocabulary words. 
Lesson 20
Novel Unit: Deconstructing an Essay
Complete an activity where they will analyze an essay, videos will be provided on how to write an essay (in case you haven't written one before), finish reading their novel, and answer reading questions about their novel.
Lesson 21
Novel Unit: Practice Timed Writing
Learn how to write a timed mini-essay response to a question, watch the filmed movie adaptation of the book of their choice, and complete a worksheet analyzing the book to film. 
 Week 8
Lesson 22
Week 8 Bell Ringer - Grammar 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn about the use of semi-colons and colons, and to complete a worksheet correcting and using semi-colons and colons.
Lesson 23
Novel Unit: Final Project
Write a five paragraph MLA format essay and Works Cited page from a prompt related to the novel of choice. 
Unit 3Poetry Unit 
12 lessons5 Weeks
Poetry Unit 
 Week 8
Lesson 24
Poetry: Pre-Reading 
Watch a video and answer question about "What is poetry to you?"
 Week 9
Lesson 25
Week 9 Bell Ringer - Literary Term 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn about the literary term - paradox. Complete a lesson and identify and analyze a paradox in a work of literature.
Lesson 26
Poetry: Imagery, Tone, and Other Terms Part 1 
Watch a lesson on imagery, tone, and other poetry terms, read various classic and contemporary poems from American poets for the lesson, start reading The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (novel-in-verse), and pick two poems to read from American poets. 
Lesson 27
Poetry: Imagery, Tone, and Other Terms Part 2
Watch a lesson on imagery, tone, and other poetry terms, read various classic and contemporary poems from American poets for the lesson, continue reading The Poet X, answer reading questions about The Poet X, and pick two poems to read from American poets. 
 Week 10
Lesson 28
Week 10 Bell Ringer - Vocabulary
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn and then take a quiz on a set of vocabulary words. 
Lesson 29
Poetry: Figurative Language Part 1 
Watch a lesson on figurative language, read various classic and contemporary poems from American poets for the lesson, analyze a poem from The Poet X and write your own poem in the same topic, continue reading The Poet X, and pick two poems to read from American poets. 
Lesson 30
Poetry: Figurative Language Part 2
Watch a lesson on figurative language, read various classic and contemporary poems from American poets for the lesson, analyze a poem from The Poet X and write your own poem in the same topic, continue reading The Poet X, answer reading questions about The Poet X, and pick two poems to read from American poets. 
 Week 11
Lesson 31
Week 11 Bell Ringer - Grammar 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn about the use of apostrophes, and to complete a worksheet correcting and using apostrophes.
Lesson 32
Poetry: Sound and Structure 
Watch a lesson on sound and structure, read various classic and contemporary poems from American poets for the lesson, analyze a poem from The Poet X and write your own poem in the same topic, continue reading The Poet X, answer reading questions about The Poet X, and pick two poems to read from American poets. 
Lesson 33
Poetry: Rhyme Scheme and Meter 
Watch a lesson on rhyme scheme and meter, read various classic and contemporary poems from American poets for the lesson, analyze a poem from The Poet X and write your own poem in the same topic, and pick two poems to read from American poets. 
 Week 12
Lesson 34
Week 12 Bell Ringer - Literary Term 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn about the literary term - catharsis. Complete a lesson and identify and analyze a moment of catharsis in a work of literature.
Lesson 35
Poetry: Final Project 
Two Parts: Poetry Analysis and Write a Poem. 
Poetry Analysis: Analyze a favorite song for its poetic techniques and write about your analysis. 
Write a Poem: Analyze a final poem from The Poet X and write a final poem on the same topic. 
Unit 4Nonfiction Unit 
12 lessons5 Weeks
Nonfiction Unit 
 Week 12
Lesson 36
Nonfiction: Into the Wild Pre-Reading 
Complete the anticipation guide for Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.
 Week 13
Lesson 37
Week 13 Bell Ringer - Vocabulary 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn and then take a quiz on a set of vocabulary words. 
Lesson 38
Nonfiction: Introduction to Into the Wild
Watch a video lesson on an introduction to the facts behind Into the Wild, start reading Into the Wild, and answer reading questions about Into the Wild. 
Lesson 39
Nonfiction: Journalism 
Watch a video about the future of journalism, and learn about "new journalism," continue reading Into the Wild, and answer reading questions about Into the Wild. 
 Week 14
Lesson 40
Week 14 Bell Ringer - Grammar 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn about the use of hyphens and dashes, and to complete a worksheet correcting and using hyphens and dashes.
Lesson 41
Nonfiction: Practice Timed Writing
Practice a timed mini-essay writing exercise responding to prompts, continue reading Into the Wild, and answer reading questions about Into the Wild. 
Lesson 42
Nonfiction: Theme
Watch videos on identifying and analyzing themes in literature (including nonfiction), pick three pieces of literature and analyze their theme, continue reading Into the Wild, and answer reading questions about Into the Wild. 
 Week 15
Lesson 43
Week 15 Bell Ringer - Literary Term 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn about the literary term - epiphany. Complete a lesson and identify and analyze a moment of epiphany in a work of literature.
Lesson 44
Nonfiction: Poetry Analysis
Analyze several poems and compare them to the themes and topics of Into the Wild, watch videos on tone and mood, write a paragraph comparing one of the poems to Into the Wild, finish reading Into the Wild, and answer reading questions about Into the Wild. 
Lesson 45
Nonfiction: New Journalism
Reflect on journalism now that you've finished Into the Wild, compare the film adaption to the book (optional), and work on a five paragraph MLA format essay with a Works Cited page answering a prompt from the Short Stories, Poetry, Novel, or Nonfiction unit. 
 Week 16
Lesson 46
Week 16 Bell Ringer - Vocabulary 
This week's grammar, vocabulary, or literary term activity will be to learn and then take a quiz on a set of vocabulary words. 
Lesson 47
Nonfiction: Wrap Up & Practice Timed Writing
Practice writing a mini-essay and watch a video about the adaptation of the book to film.