Students will complete reading assignments outside of the class, though we will read segments together during our discussions, especially plays and poetry.  In addition to reading assignments for home work, there are writing assignments, higher-level comprehension questions, and a creative final project which includes a short research paper. Students will learn how to write a five paragraph essay. We will have lectures, group discussions, group work, Socratic seminars, Youtube videos, explicit grammar instruction, and vocabulary in context.  I incorporate plenty of time for students to talk and ask questions, as I believe this helps them learn and retain information. I differentiate my instruction based on the learning styles and needs of individual students, including social/emotional needs and challenges. I use graphic organizers to help students manage new information and discuss options for individualized note-taking strategies.  

The following is a list of texts we will read and analyze, followed by a rough breakdown of the sixteen week class schedule:  

Play: A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
Poets: Sherman Alexie 
            Louise Erdrich
            Eche Ononukwe
            Pablo Nerudo
            William Butler Yeats 
Short Stories: Marriage is a Private Affair by Chinua Achebe
                       The Most Handsomest Drowned Man by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
                       Two Words by Isabel Allende
Novels: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 
             The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Expository: Various non-fiction essays and articles related to the topics and themes of the literature we read, including:
                   The Danger of a Single Story (transcript) by Chimamanda Adichie  
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There are two classes each week, Day A and Day B. Each class will have a homework assignment that will be reviewed at the beginning of the next class meeting. Every week there will be some sort of lecture, discussion of the current text, relevant vocabulary, an expository article/essay, and writing assignments. The play and the two novels will culminate with a Socratic Seminar as a venue for students to demonstrate their understanding of the text. 
       
Week 1~Day A: Introductions/warm-ups/discuss class schedule and expectations/discuss final project/discuss homework 
              Day B: Marriage is a Private Affair
Week 2~Day A: Marriage is a Private Affair 
              Day B: The Second Coming poem/Things Fall Apart 
Week 3~Day A: Things Fall Apart /Essay writing
              Day B: Things Fall Apart/Essay writing
Week 4~Day A: Things Fall Apart/Essay writing
              Day B: Things Fall Apart/Essay writing
Week 5~Day A: Things Fall Apart/Essay writing  
              Day B: Socratic Seminar Things Fall Apart/Essay writing 
Week 6~Day A: Africa, My Ancient Home!/poem
              Day B: The Danger of a Single Story
Week 7~Day A:  The Most Handsomest Drowned Man
               Day B: The Most Handsomest Drowned Man
Week 8~Day A: Two Words
              Day B: Two Words
Week 9~Day A: A Dog Has Died/poem
              Day B: The House on Mango Street
Week 10~Day A: The House on Mango Street 
                Day B: The House on Mango Street
Week 11~Day A: The House on Mango Street
              ~Day B: The House on Mango Street
Week 12~Day A: Socratic Seminar The House on Mango Street
                 Day B: Advice to Myself/poem
Week 13~Day A: Evolution/poem
                Day B:  A Doll's House
Week 14~Day A: A Doll's House 
                Day B: A Doll's House
Week 15~Day A: A Doll's House
                Day B: A Doll's House 
Week 16~Day A: Socratic Seminar A Doll's House
                Day B: Final project/class wrap up