Table of Contents

SEPTEMBER. Introductory page. Origin holidays gemstone flower poetry. Birthdays. Memorable events. Learning activities. Reading. Debating. Writing. Discussion. Audio/visual. Reproducibles. Library orientation. O. Henry and his stories. Stream of consciousness. Richard Wright. Essay evaluation form. What do you know about the news?. What do you know about fiction?. Classmate interview. Comparing titles of Agatha Christie and Stephen King. Answer key. Quick locator for September learning activities. Introducing the course. Library orientation. Critical thinking skills. Fiction unit. Poetry unit. Vocabulary/word choice skills. Speech/oral presentations. Composition skills. Prewriting. Organization. Description. Reflection. Comparison/contrast. Persuasion. Narratives. Character sketch. Letters. News unit. Careers unit. Media unit. Social skills/understanding ethnic diversity. OCTOBER. Introductory page. Origin holiday gemstone flower poetry. Birthdays. Memorable events. Learning activities. Reading. Debating. Writing. Discussion. Audio/visual. Reproducibles. The statue of liberty. Rod Sterling's "Twilight Zone". The words of Mahatma Gandhi. "Do Not Go Gentle into The Good Night". Samuel Taylor Coleridge and John Keats. R.L. Stine. Ezra Pound: A Traitor?. A survey: fiction vs. reality. What would you do if you were president?. Emily Post: The etiquette test. Contributions/First of African Americans. Answer keys. Quick locator for October learning activities. Critical thinking skills. Fiction unit. Poetry unit. Drama unit. Biography unit. Vocabulary/word choice skills. Speech/oral presentations. Composition skills. Research. Prewriting. Organization. Description. Reflection. Persuasion. Narratives. Character sketch. Letters. Career units. Media units. Fine arts. Social skills/understanding ethnic diversity NOVEMBER. Introductory page. Origin holiday gemstone flower poetry. Birthdays. Memorable events. Learning activities. Reading. Debating. Writing. Discussion. Audio/visual. Reproducibles. The philosophy of Will Rogers. Mark Twain said. The Stranger. The Idiot. Dialogue and dialect in the Red Badge of Courage. What is the writing style?. Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address". A letter from President Abraham Lincoln to the Mother of Five Dead Soldiers. Novel study project. President vs. President. Roy Campanella vs. Joe DiMaggio. A travelogue. More on writing style. Violence on TV. When you have to give a speech. Titles and Suspense. The importance of punctuation. Answer key. Quick locator for November learning activities. Critical thinking skills. Fiction unit. Poetry unit. Vocabulary/word choice skills. Speech/oral presentations. Composition skills. Research. Prewriting. Organization. Description. Reflection. Comparison/contrast. Persuasion. Narratives. Dialogue. Character sketch. News unit. Career unit. Media unit. Fine arts. Social skills/understanding ethnic diversity DECEMBER. Introductory page. Origin holiday gemstone flower poetry. Birthdays. Memorable events. Learning activities. Reading. Debating. Writing. Discussion. Audio/visual. Reproducibles. English--biography study projects (for independent reading). Benjamin Franklin Poor Richard's Almanack. "Neighbor Rosicky". Austen vs. Dickinson vs. Cather. Descriptive Essay evaluation form. Poetry--True/false survey. Evaluating the personal narrative criteria. Evaluating a speaker. Quick locator for December learning activities. Critical thinking skills. Fiction unit. Poetry unit. Biography unit. Vocabulary/word choice skills. Speech/oral presentations. Composition skills. Research. Prewriting. Organization. Description. Reflection. Comparison/contrast. Persuasion. Narratives. Character sketch. Letters. Decision. Reports. News unit. Career unit. Media unit. Fine arts. Social skills/understanding ethnic diversity JANUARY. Introductory page. Origin holidays gemstone flower poetry. Birthdays. Memorable events. Learning activities. Reading. Debating. Writing. Discussion. Audio/visual. Reproducibles. Interpreting poetry--a checklist. What do you know about nonfiction books?. Nonfiction book study. The history of fantasy writing. "I Have a Dream". New Year's Resolutions. Quotes form Benjamin Franklin. When you go to the bank. Famous English authors/famous titles. Famous American authors/famous titles. Answer keys. Quick locator for January learning activities. Critical thinking skills. Fiction unit. Poetry unit. Nonfiction and biography unit. Drama unit. Vocabulary/word choice skills. Speech/oral presentations. Composition skills. Research. Prewriting. Organization. Description. Comparison/contrast. Persuasion. Narratives. Dialogue. Character sketch. Letters. Summary. Media unit. Fine arts. Social skills/understanding ethnic diversity. Career unit . FEBRUARY. Introductory page. Origin holidays gemstone flower poetry. Birthdays. Memorable events. Learning activities. Reading. Debating. Writing. Discussion. Audio/visual. Reproducibles. The Charm of Charles Dickens. Sinclair Lewis vs. John Steinbeck. Toni Morrison vs. Judy Blume vs. Alice Walker. Chart the writing terms. Chronologs--Jim Brown/Michael Jordan. Letter writing survey #1. Letter writing survey #2. Letter writing survey #3. Letter writing survey #4. Speech problems. Valentine's Day--The history. James Michener vs. Sidney Sheldon--A history of excellence in writing. John Grisham--A history of best sellers. Class magazine checklist. Quick locator for February learning activities. Critical thinking skills. Fiction unit. Poetry unit. Drama unit. Biography unit. Vocabulary/word choice skills. Speech/oral presentations. Composition skills. Research. Prewriting. Organization. Description. Reflection. Comparison/contrast. Persuasion. Character sketch. Letters. News unit. Careers unit. Media unit. Fine arts. Social skills/understanding ethnic diversity MARCH. Introductory page. Origin holiday gemstone flower poetry. Birthdays. Memorable events. Learning activities. Reading. Debating. Writing. Discussion. Audio/visual. Reproducibles. Jack Kerouac. Hippocrates and the Hippocratic Oath. People Magazine and celebrities. A letter from Albert Einstein to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Sir David Lean/Spike Lee/Ron Howard. Outlining--key points. Motifs in Nathaniel Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter. Literary terms and "Jeopardy". Robert Frost and his wisdom. Quick locator for March learning activities. Critical thinking skills. Fiction unit. Drama unit. Biography unit. Vocabulary/word choice skills. Speech/oral presentations. Composition skills. Research. Prewriting. Organization. Description. Comparison/contrast. Narratives. Character sketch. Letters. New unit. Careers unit. Media unit. Fine arts. Mythology. Social skills/understanding ethnic diversity APRIL. Introductory page. Origin holidays gemstone flower poetry. Birthdays. Memorable events. Learning activities. Reading. Debating. Writing. Discussion. Audio/visual. Reproducibles. Excerpt from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. William Wordsworth and his poetry. Famous dialogue from Shakespeare's plays. Overcoming Gobbledygook. Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence. Thornton Wilder vs. Paul Robeson. William Shakespeare preview questions. Poetry survey. Caricatures and Washington Irving. Branch Rickey and Jackie Robeson. April Fool's Day--The History. Answer key. Quick locator for April learning activities. Critical thinking skills. Fiction unit. Poetry unit. Drama unit. Biography unit. Vocabulary/word choice skills. Speech/oral presentations. Composition skills. Research. Prewriting. Organization. Description. Reflection. Comparison/contrast. Persuasion. Narratives. Character sketch. Letters. News unit. Career unit. Media unit. Fine arts. Social skills/understanding ethnic diversity MAY. Introductory page. Origin holiday gemstone flower poetry. Birthday. Memorable events. Learning activities. Reading. Debating. Writing. Discussion. Audio/visual. The Wisdom of Ralph Waldo Emerson. The words of John F. Kennedy. Limericks. The novels of Robert Ludlum. A preview of Paul Zindel. The words of Malcolm X. Katherine Anne Porter vs. Lorraine Hansberry. A survey on poets & poetry. Answer key. Quick locator for May learning activities. Critical thinking skills. Fiction unit. Poetry unit. Drama unit. Biography unit. Vocabulary/word choice skills. Speech/oral presentations. Composition skills. Research. Description. Reflection. Comparison/contrast. Narratives. Dialogue. Character sketch. Letters. News unit. Careers unit. Media unit. Fine arts. Social skill/understanding ethnic diversity JUNE. Introductory page. Origin holidays gemstone flower poetry. Birthdays. Memorable events. Learning activities. Reading. Debating. Writing. Discussion. Audio/visual. Letter for summer reading. George Orwell--a preview. Larry McMurty. Lou Gehrig's Speech--Yankee Stadium--July 4, 1939. "Casey at the Bat". How good are your composition skills?. Assessment of composition work. When it's time to get a job!. Preparing for an interview. "Take me out to the ballgame". Answer key. Quick locator for June learning activities. Critical thinking skills. Fiction unit. Poetry unit. Biography unit. Vocabulary/word choice skills. Speech/oral presentations. Composition skills. Research. Prewriting. Organization. Description. Reflections. Comparison/contrast. Narratives. Character sketch. Letters. News unit. Career unit. Media unit. Social skills/understanding ethnic diversity. Course assessment.

About the Author

Keith Manos (Master's in English/Creative Writing, Cleveland State University in Ohio) has taught English to grades 7 through 12 for more than 20 years and currently teaches at Richmond Heights (Ohio) High School. Named Ohio's English Teacher of the Year in 2000 by the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts, he is the author of Writing Smarter! (1999) and other resources published by The Center and Parker, imprints of Prentice Hall.