English II
Communication! In every facet of life, one must be able to communicate in some form or another, whether it includes verbal and/or nonverbal language. In English II, we spend the first semester learning about and developing communication skills. We then apply the basic principles and ideas to actual speeches. We do various speeches throughout the semester. The three major speeches that we cover are the informative, persuasive, and demonstration speech. We also do impromptu speeches. If time permits, it's fun to do a career speech, a decade speech, and maybe even a partner speech or two. We also spend some time learning about various advertising techniques.
The second semester involves literature. Our selections cover multiple genres and authors. In the spring, we read To Kill a Mockingbird and complete a newspaper project based on the book. We also complete various vocabulary units.
"If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."
-Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird