Aspire English I

UNIT ONE

In this unit, students will explore how the individual develops a sense of self and examine the role of failure in developing resilience.

August 19-23 

  • We will discuss the role of Grit in future success and how students can develop perseverance.

  • Students will take the Kiersey  Personality Inventory as a means of discovering more about who they are, what they are passionate about, and how they may make a difference in the world. Using the results, students may also discover potential opportunities and challenges.   

  • Students will begin exploring associative thinking and analytical commentary using images in advertising. 

August 26-30

  • Students will finish discussing Associative thinking with advertisements and utilize associative thinking to analyze a poem and detect patterns of evidence such as similarity, contrast, repetition, and shift

September 3-6

  • Students will learn about adjective subordinate clauses and how to incorporate them into their writing.
  • Students will explore L1, L2, L3 statements using a sample poem. 

September 9-13

  • Introduce SOAPSTone, rhetorical triangle, and appeals--revisit a few advertisements to practice identifying rhetorical strategies

  • Examine as a class  "How Do People Become Resilient". 

September 16-20

  • This week we are working on how to structure an AP language rhetorical analysis essay. Students will use the article that we analyzed in groups last week to create an outline for an essay.  We will continue our use of the grammatical structures that we previously learned. These scafolded activities are designed to allow students to develop the skills necessary to independently analyze nonfiction to determine how the author acheives his or her purpose using rhetorical devices and strategies. 

September 24-27

  • This week students will complete a rhetorical analysis using a prompt from the AP language exam. In this scaffolded activity, students will learn how to complete an appropriate introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Students will also be visited by the counseling staff for "freshmen chats."

September 30-October 4

  • It took us a little longer than expected to complete the rhetorcial analysis since we were also working on PSAT prep. The students completed their first rhetorical analysis, and we will work on revising those next week. We will also study participial phrases and how those can enhance analytical writing. 

October 7-11

  • We are finishing PSAT prep. Students will also revise their first rhetorical analysis this week. We will also study participial phrases and how those can enhance analytical writing. 

October 14-18

  • This week the students are working on sentence combining with particpial phrases so that they can begin incorporation them into their writing to improve sentence variety, clarity, and style.  Students are also taking the PSAT this week and completing their personalized learning plans. Ask your students to show you the PLP and what they have learned about planning for college!

October 21--25

  • We are completing our last rhetorical analysis for a while and transitioning into poetry analysis. Students will develop the skills necessary to analyze a poem independently and create an argument based on that analysis. 

October 28-November 1

  • Last week, students went through the process of analyzing a poetry, and this week they will complete an analytical essay based on that poem. At the end of the week, students will analyze a poem on their own and complete a planning sheet. 

November 5-8

  • This week, students completed their first poetry analysis process paper.  I am so proud of the progress that they are making! Students will also complete a self-scoring activity and evaluate areas in which they still need to improve.  Students will also participate in a survey that allows them to voice their concerns regarding poetry analysis and composition. Their feedback will help me tailor my instruction to meet their needs. 

November 11-15

  • Based on a student survey from last week, I allowed students additional class time to conference with me about their papers. It was definitely worth the time--I'm so proud of the essays that they produced!  Be sure to ask them to share their work with you. Students are taking an mandatory interim STAAR assessment this week, and after that, they will perform a self-scoring activity  with the previous essay. 

November 18-22

  • Students are completing some targeted poetry analysis activities that ensured that students had mastered the necessary skills. We are beginning our study of how to conduct a prose analysis of a short story or excerpt from a novel.

November 25-29

  • THANKSGIVING BREAK!​​​​​--Enjoy your time with family and friends!

December 2-6

  • I will be out part of this week to attend the TAG-T conference where I hope to learn some strategies that will allow me to better meet the needs of my highly gifted students. This week, students are completing some targeted poetry analysis activities that ensured that students had mastered the necessary skills. We are currently working on prose analysis of fiction and how students can utilize such elements as setting and characterization to articulate their understanding of the theme of specific works or excerpts. Students will be writing a complete prose analysis soon using an AP literature prompt from a previous exam.

December 9-13

  • This week students are completing a self-scoring and revision activity designed to help them improve targeted aspects of their writing. We are also completing the essay portion of the final exam. 

December 16-20

  • SEMESTER TEST WEEK 

January 8-10

  • This is a short week for students. Please ask your student about the course recommendations they will work with teachers to complete on our C Day, Friday, January 10. This week, we will begin our study of archetypes in preparation for a research project that students will be working on in class. 

January 13-17

  • This week we will discuss the theories of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell and we studied various types of archetypes. Students will also create a tentive area of study and submitted a research question or idea for further research.  

January 21-24

  • This week students with conference with me about their chosen topics. If neccessary, we will narrow the topics and I will assist students in finding reputable/scholarly sources. Students will also annotate sources this week.

January 27-31

  • This week students will work on creating an outline for their research papers and finding reputable sources for  their research papers. There will be time for students to conference with me individually.  

February 3-7

  • Students  are composing their rough drafts this week and meeting with me to discuss any alterations that need to be made. 

February 10-14

  • After gathering student feedback from students, I am adding a few days to the initial due date for papers. I am providing time in class for students to finalize papers and to meet with me as needed.  

February 18-21

  • This week 

February 24-28

  • This week we will discuss the theories of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell and we studied various types of archetypes. Students will also create a tentive area of study and submitted a research question or idea for further research.  

February 30-April 3

  • Students are giving presentations based on their research to their classmates and receiving feedback from me on what changes to make before the ASPIRE Showcase. 

March 2-6

  • Students are givng presentations based on their research to their classmates and receiving feedback from me on what changes to make before the ASPIRE Showcase. 

March 9-13

  • SPRING BREAK! 

March 16-20

  • Parents, school has been temporarily closed due to COVID-19. Please look for official communication from GCISD regarding closure information.