| Curriculum Map 2006-2007 | |||
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The Dwight School |
| Period | Content | Purpose/ Objectives | Activities & Resources | Areas of Interaction | Assessments | |
| Vocabulary : | Students are held responsible throughout the year for the vocabulary that appears in the primary literary texts read for class. They are expected to read with a dictionary by their side or to underline unknown words and look them up before class. Additionally, in grades five through eleven, The Dwight School utilizes Holt, Reinhart and Winston's Vocabulary Workshop series of workbooks, which stress the importance of "word busting" -- i.e., first, before merely memorizing definitions, guessing the meaning of vocabulary words through knowledge of prefixes, roots, and suffixes, and also through context, sound, and structure. |
-To enrich students' vocabulary skills. -To teach students strategies for guessing the meanings of unfamilar words. The study of vocabulary is critical for increasing reading comprehension and improving verbal communication skills; and it also makes students better thinkers, as they can learn to distinguish nuances of meaning and to articulate ideas more precisely. The Dwight School English Department attempts to instill in our students both the intellectual curiosity and academic discipline necessary to lure them to look up words on their own. Meanwhile, we strive to provide students with the skills and strategies necessary for determining the meanings of unfamiliar words. |
-Weekly Vocabulary lists. -Weekly "Wordbusting" exercises, where students guess the meanings of unfamiliar words based on context, structure or sound (see above). -Weekly "Context" and "Sentence completion" exercises. |
All vocabulary work relates to the MYP's Approaches to Learning (ATL) area of interaction. |
-Cumulative weekly quizzes and larger periodic tests asking students to define the vocabulary words and also to use the words in sentences of their own devising that demonstrate a clear understanding of the words' meanings. |
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| The Great Gatsby : | The Great Gatsby is the story of the wealthy and self-made Jay Gatsby and his love for the Daisy Buchanan. Fitzgerald's story portrays the Jazz Age, the roaring 20's, as a decade of aspirations and possibilities. |
Students will: Gain an understanding of the Northeast's social atmosphere in the 1920's. (Environment) Explore the moral implications of a character's pursuit of happiness Explore the theme of illusion versus reality Examine Fitzgerald's writing style and how it creates character and tone. (Homo faber) Identify and discuss the added value of figurative language Analyze the narrative voice and how it contributes to the tone of the text. |
Class discussion each day will focus on close reading of the text, analyzing Fitzgerald's use of language Fact-based quizzes In-class essay to explore themes Creative exercises based on Fitzgerald's use of figurative language |
What makes a man a success, and what is the American Dream? (Homo faber) How do we seek happiness? (Health and Social Education) What can we learn about the time period of the 1920s, based on the details and characters of the novel? (Environment) Is it possible to be completely open minded? How does Fitzergerald create tone and character through language? (Homo faber) |
Contribution to class discussions Three fact-based quizzes Open-book in-class essay Five paragraph essay graded according to the MYP rubric |
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| Honors Program : | |
The English Department’s Honors Program is designed to inspire our most talented and most highly motivated students to read beyond the English curriculum by exploring additional assigned texts. Program participants gather periodically with their teachers for after-school group discussions and are required to write reports on what they’ve read. Those students who achieve a grade point average of 85 or above for the year, participate in group discussions, and submit reports that meet, in the opinion of the teachers, an acceptable level of accomplishment, earn the distinction of having been enrolled in an Honors English course. |
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| Camerer Essay : | A personal essay on a topic of the student's choosing. Length 600-1000 words. |
This is an annual competition in memory of Dr. Emil Camerer, who served as headmaster of the Dwight School for 32 years. This essay contest has been a tradition at the Dwight School since 1895. The purpose is both to develop the student's writing ability by engaging in an effort to produce a significant, polished piece of writing, and to give the student an outlet for either relating a meaningful experience or describing and discussing something personally significant. |
• All essays must be original, type-written, and double-spaced. • Ideas and phrases that are not original should be presented appropriately. • Short stories and any form of wildly fantastic writing are not appropriate for the purpose of this essay. • Students will write the essay in two typewritten drafts. The first draft will be marked by the teacher but will not receive a grade. Students will be expected to carefully read through their teacher’s comments in order to produce a significantly improved second draft that will be submitted along with the marked first draft. • For purposes of the competition, the revised draft should have, in place of the student’s name, a pseudonym of the student’s invention. |
This assignment potentially involves all MYP areas of interaction: • Writing the essay (Homo Faber). • Researching the topic (ATL). • Essay topics frequently involve meaningful experiences in the students' lives. They are asked to consider the following questions: What has happened to you that changed your life or helped you develop into the person you are? What person do you most admire or has had the biggest influence on your life? What is your passion? What do you most love to do? How do you feel about current events or the world around you? |
• The first draft will not be graded; however, the grade on the second draft will reflect both the effort and accomplishment of the two drafts. • All drafts must be submitted by their assigned deadlines. Lateness will be penalized. • The best six essays grade-wide will be read by all the members of the English Department to determine a winner. The sixth grade teacher will not participate in the judging, and the student's use of a pseudonym on the second draft of the essay is a further measure to ensure impartiality. The writer of the winning essay will receive a prize awarded at the end of the year. |
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| Macbeth : | A tragedy by William Shakespeare. A Scottish nobleman, Macbeth, gains the crown of Scotland by murdering King Duncan, but soon loses love, friendship, respect, and in the end, his life, due to his uncontrolled ambition. |
Students will: Discuss the elements of tragedy and the tragic hero Explore the theme of the dangers of ambition (Health and Social Education) Explore the theme of the disruption of fate and divine order (Environment) Discuss the traditional notions of masculinity and femininity in Shakespeare's time Explore the theme of courage and what it means to be heroic Discuss how Shakespeare creates an atmosphere through language Identify and analyze literary devices and figurative language Become more comfortable reading Shakespearean language |
Class discussion each day will include in-class reading and explication of text Fact-based quizzes In class debate: Is Macbeth more of a "man" at the end of the play? Is he courageous? (Homo Faber) Essay of Macbeth's character development; peer-editing exercise on rough drafts (ATL) Creative assignment: character journal entry (Homo Faber) |
What does it mean to be courageous? (Health and Social Education) Do we all have an Achilles' heel, or a fatal flaw? (Health and Social Education) How much control do we have over our own fate? (Environment) How does Shakespeare create atmosphere through language? (Homo Faber) How do you read Shakespearean language to effectively understand the play? (ATL) |
Contributions to class discussions Creative journal entries - writing from the point of view of one of the characters Analytical essay (graded according to the MYP rubric) Fact-based quizzes on each of five acts |
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| Honors Program : | |
See September for explanation. |
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| Honors Program : | |
See September for explanation. |
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| Writing : | |
A main goal for the year is to improve students' abilities to communicate clearly and effectively through writing. With frequent assignments, students will practice and improve the style, organization, and content of their written work. In formal essays, completed either at home or in class, as well as in weekly 20 minute assignments, students will strive to use appropriate and highly varied vocabulary, present a clear, coherent, and persuasive argument, and demonstrate a sophisticated analysis of a text, or a high degree of creativity for a creative piece. |
Weekly 20 minute essay assignments Frequent analytical essays Peer editing workshops Daily grammar lessons |
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| Honors Program : | |
See September for explanation. |
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| Honors Program : | |
See September for explanation. |
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| Six American Poets : | Selections from the six prominent American poets: Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost and Langston Hughes |
Students will: Identify and explain figurative language Become comfortable discussing the structural elements of a poem, such as rhythm and musical devices Discover how the imagery, word choice, and structure of a poem contribute to its tone and meaning Learn how poetry differs from prose Identify the distinctive elements of each poet's style Compare and contrast the styles and themes of the poets Practice writing their own poetry in the style of each of the poets studied |
In class, students will: Read and discuss background information of the poets studied, to explore how their lives influenced their art Closely examine and analyze a selection of poems. Complete written analysis and interpretation of poems, focusing on tone, meaning, use of figurative language and poetic devices. |
How does a poem's structure contribute to its meaning? (Homo faber) What distinguishes poetry from prose? (Homo faber) What was the social climate at the time each poet wrote? What elements of each poet's life influenced his or her poetry? (Environment) |
Creative poetry focusing on various distinct elements of a poem (rhyme, metaphor, structure) (Homo Faber) Creative poetry in the style of the various poets studied (Homo Faber) Test on figurative language, identifying and comparing the six poets |
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| Shakespeare Competition : | Students memorize and present one Shakespearean monologue from the list provided by the English Speaking Union of New York, as part of their annual citywide competition. |
The purpose of the competition, as stated by the English Speaking Union of New York, is "to develop students' understanding of Shakespeare [and] his universality, and to help them communicate that understanding to others." The Dwight School English Department embraces this competition because we believe that the act of memorizing such a monologue is not only enriching, as it deepens the students' connection to the text, but also enhances cognitive development: the ability to memorize is an important skill. In addition, the performance of the monologue before the students' peers helps develop oral communication skills and poise in public speaking. |
The monologue is performed during a regular class period. Students are not permitted to wear costumes or use any props, including chairs, articles of clothing, or hairstyles. The acting of the monologue should be performed with natural gestures and movements. Prompting, if necessary, is allowed. The best six or eight performers gradewide, as selected by the teacher, will then be asked to compete in a semifinal round judged by members of the English Department. Of these, three finalists will be selected to represent their grade in the Shakespeare Competition Assembly. The winner of the overall competition will then go on to represent The Dwight School at the borough competition held by the English Speaking Union. |
Approaches to Learning (memorization). Homo Faber (creativity of approach). |
Students' performances are judged according to five equally weighed criteria: (1) Accuracy, (2) Understanding of Passage, (3) Clarity of Delivery (Articulation/Audibility), (4) Creativity in Approach, and (5) Use of Body. |
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| Honors Program : | |
See September for explanation. |
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| Their Eyes Were Watching God : | Zora Neale Hurston's novel about a southern African-American woman's quest for love, fulfillment, and self-knowledge. |
Students will: Examine the imagery and symbolism of the novel and discuss how it contributes to character, as well as Hurston's overall message (Homo Faber) Compare and contrast the narrative voice to that in previous works studied (ATL) Discuss what the novel reveals about American society and the situation of African-Americans in the 1920's (Environment) Discuss what the novel reveals about gender roles and stereotypes in America in the 1920s (Health and Social Education) Discuss the protagonist's growth and change throughout the novel |
In class discussions, students will use the technique of close textual analysis to discuss elements of the novel such as narrative voice, theme and character development, and Hurston's unique writing style. |
What does the novel reveal about the situation of African-Americans and of women in the American South in the 1920s and 1930s? (Environment; Health and Social Education) How does Hurston's use of dialogue create tone and character? (Homo faber) How does Janie ultimately discover love, independance, and self-knoweldge? (ATL) |
Fact-based reading quizzes for each reading assignment Final test incorporating both fact-based questions and character/theme analysis In-class writing assignment analyzing Janie's growth throughout the novel |
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| The Crucible : | Arthur Miller's play about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 |
The students will: Compare the environment during the 1950's in the US to the environment in Salem in 1692. Examine the pros and cons of organized religion and theocratic government. Identify and discuss the social conditions that led to the witchcraft hysteria in Salem. Discuss where the same social conditions and flawed thinking exists today or in recent history, and has led to modern-day witch hunts. |
Close reading of the text, focusing on Miller's use of language, tone, and character development (Homo faber) In-class debates revolving around Abigail or Proctor's role in the witch hunts. (Homo Faber) Take-home essay on a topic of the student's choosing (ATL) |
How and why did the Salem witch hunts occur? What factors enabled the hysteria to take hold? (Environment; Health and Social Education) What are the benefits of a theocracy? In what way is Salem's theocracy partly to blame for the witchcraft hysteria? What parallels can be drawn between The Crucible and modern society? (Environment; Health and Social Education) |
A five paragraph essay analytical essay on a topic of the student's choosing Fact-based quizzes on nightly reading assignments Final test featuring both fact-based and analytical questions. |
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| Doris Post Speech : | The Doris Post Oratory Competition is a yearly activity conducted by the English Department for all students in grades five through ten, in honor of Doris Post, a great orator and teacher who was part of the Dwight family for nearly fifth years. Each student in grade ten is required to write and deliver an original speech, four to six minutes in length, on a topic of his or her own choosing. |
Effective public speaking is an indispensable skill. The competition provides students with an opportunity to practice the craft of speech writing (i.e., introductions, examples, and conclusions) and the techniques necessary for a successful delivery (tone, inflection, dramatic pauses, and so on). Students are also developing poise by being required to speak in front of an audience. |
In-class speeches performed by all students. An after-school semifinal round performed before, and judged by, members of the English Department. The six semifinalists are chosen by their English teacher. A final Middle School competition of the three finalists from each grade, performed in an assembly of grades five through eight. |
What elements make up an effective speech? |
Students will be judged on the following criteria: Clarity and diction. Content and organization. Presentation (use of notes, eye contact, and posture. |
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| Honors Program : | |
See September for explanation. |
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| Nine Stories : | J.D. Salinger's collection of nine independent short stories. Salinger's writing is vivid and light, often humorous, but his stories share darker themes of heartbreak and innocence lost. |
The students will: Discuss Salinger's use of literary techniques to convey tone, character, and meaning. (Homo faber) Compare and contrast the various characters throughout Nine Stories, paying particular attention to the relationships between children and adults, and to those who are wounded. (ATL) Note the effect of war on the characters. (Health and Social Education) Discuss Salinger's biography and how his experiences affected his writing. (Environment) |
In class discussions focusing on Salinger's creation of tone and character, and common themes between stories. Close reading of passages |
How does Salinger convey character and create tone through his language? (Homo faber) What effect has the war had on the characters? (Environment; Health and Social Education) |
A passage analysis discussing Salinger's literary techniques. A short answer test assessing overall comprehension of the stories. |
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| Honors Program : | |
See September for explanation. |
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| Honors Program : | |
See September for explanation. |
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| Honors Program : | |
See September for explanation. |
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