English 2 Honors

The focus of English 2 Honors is the writing process. Three forms of writing guide the curriculum: persuasive, expository, and narrative writing. A typical lesson culminates in a written assignment that lets students demonstrate their developing skill in one of these forms.

English 2 Honors includes at least one anchor text per lesson focused on a thematic core of the capacity of language to influence others. Readings include poems, stories, speeches, plays, and a graphic novel, as well as a variety of informational texts, and these texts are often presented as models for students to emulate as they practice their own writing. The readings represent a wide variety of purposes and cultural perspectives, ranging from the Indian epic The Ramayana to accounts of Hurricane Katrina told through different media. Audio and video presentations enhance students' awareness and command of rhetorical techniques and increase their understanding of writing for different audiences.

English 2 Honors provides opportunities for self-directed study, including outside readings, open-ended journal entries, and free-form projects, all of which challenge Honors students to use their creativity and critical thinking skills to gain independent mastery of reading and writing.