Sophomore Honors Expectations
To be
considered for this course, students should:
1) have a desire to think critically about literature and world
cultures.
2) be highly
self-motivated and self-disciplined.
3) be able to write
an essay (preferably a 5 paragraph essay) that scores a high 3
or 4 on the CAHSEE rubric.
Essays will be assessed with the CAHSEE Combo Rubric.
StudentsÕ essays should:
á
express
original ideas and analysis
á
focus
on the topic
á
be
consistent and well-organized
á
be clear
á
use quotations
as evidence to support original claims
á
clearly
connect the examples/quotations back to the thesis (commentary)
á
acknowledge
and response to counterarguments (if appropriate)
StudentsÕ essays should avoid:
á
waffling
ideas or limited statements
á
use of
personal pronouns
á
lack
of structure
á
errors
that interfere with the reader's understanding
á
using
quotations as claims
á
lack
of evidentiary quotes
á
lack
of commentary or incomplete commentary
4) be exposed to the
following works:
Romeo and Juliet
To Kill A Mockingbird or
The Miracle Worker or
Of Mice and Men
The Odyssey
ÒThe Most Dangerous GameÓ
ÒThe InterlopersÓ
ÒThe Scarlet IbisÓ
5) be familiar with
and able to distinguish between analysis and summary.
6) know how
to annotate and analyze non-fiction.
7) be familiar with
the dialectical journal format and giving oral presentations.
8) be able
to actively participate in a discussion of literature or non-fiction.
9)
know
and be able to use the basic literary terms for English I.
10) know the rules of MLA format including the format of
in-text citations and
basic works cited entries.
