HS ELA Guide

analytical, critical thinking in all subject areas? ●​ How does the ability to communicate affect our social, economic, and academic opportunities? ●​ How does language evolve over time?

Literary Texts

Informational Texts

Novels ●​ The Poet X by Ellizabeth Acevedo ●​ The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Plays ●​ The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

●​ Patton’s speech to the 3rd Army by General George Patton ●​ Letter from Gandhi to Hitler (Example of weak, ineffective speech) ●​ Jenny Horne: Republican who helped banish Confederate flag by BBC ●​ 2015 AP Language and Composition Synthesis Prompt: The Place for Polite Speech ●​ “Ordeal by Cheque” by Uther Crue ●​ “Speech to the Troops at Tilbury” by Queen Elizabeth I ( Mirrors and Windows , p. 238) ●​ “How Propaganda Works” (Newsela)

Sample Theme

Sample Essential Questions

●​ What is

Archetypes in Life and Literature

(author) arguing about

(archetypal

situation), and is he/she right? ●​ Good and Evil: Is man inherently good or evil? Somewhere in between? ●​ Nature vs. Mechanistic World: Is technological progress always good? (Were the hippies right?) ●​ The Fall From Innocence: Is experience necessary? Is ignorance bliss? ●​ Fate vs. Free Will: Are we in control of our own destinies?

Literary Texts

Informational Texts

Plays ●​ Hamlet by William Shakespeare ●​ MacBeth by William Shakespeare ( Mirrors and Windows , Unit 4) Myths and Legends ●​ “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” ( Mirrors and Windows, p. 177) ●​ The Odyssey by Homer Poetry ●​ Beowulf ( Mirrors and Windows , p. 22)

●​ “Opinion: "Black Panther" celebrates strong black characters” by Christian Science Monitor (Newsela) ●​ “How the Ancient Greeks Colonized the Mediterranean” by Ancient History Encyclopedia (Newsela) ●​ “All about the knights of old” (Newsela) ●​ “Learning Shakespeare and writing sonnets in youth prison” by Madeline Buckley (Newsela) Media Texts ●​ What makes a hero? by Matthew Winkler (TED-Ed) ●​ Power in Literature, Short Stories Part 5: Characterization and Archetype by Shmoop ​ ●​ Everything you need to know to read Homer's "Odyssey" by Jill Dash (TED-Ed) ●​ How does literature reflect and/or comment on political and social issues? ●​ What is the difference between equity and equality? ●​ How does education and learning affect equity and disparity? ●​ How can individuals and societies protect human rights and dignity? ●​ How does accessibility affect equity and disparity? ●​ How does the author’s point of view impact their argument? Sample Essential Questions

Sample Theme

Equity and Disparity

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Last Updated

High School ELA, Page 112

Jun 4, 2026