HS ELA Guide

Ortiz ( Mirrors and Windows p. 460)

Plays ●​ Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Theme

Essential Questions

●​ What role does language play in self-expression? ●​ How do humans experience influence and self-expression? ●​ To what extent can one person influence the world? ●​ How do words influence others? ●​ How do author’s use rhetoric to purposefully influence their reader? ●​ How can language strengthen or weaken an argument?

The Influence of Language

Literary Texts

Informational Texts

●​ “I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luter King Jr. ( Mirrors and Windows p. 269-273) ●​ ”Glory and Hope” by Nelson Mandela ( Mirrors and Windows p. 277-280) ●​ I am Malala by Malala Youfanzai ●​ Malala Youfanzai’s Speech to the United Nations July 12, 2013 (16th Birthday) ●​ Malala Youfanzai’s Speech to the United Nations December 9, 2021 ●​ Malala Youfanzai’s Nobel Lecture December 10, 2014 ●​ “Second Inaugural Address” by Abraham Lincoln ●​ “The Gettysburg Address” Abraham Lincoln ●​ “Address at the March on Washington” by Martin Luther King, Jr. ●​ “Letter from a Birmingham Jail“ by Martin Luther King, Jr. ●​ “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” by Winston Churchill ●​ Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Address, 2005 ●​ JK Rowling’s Harvard Commencement Address, 2008 ●​ John F. Kennedy’s Inauguration Address, 1961 ●​ George W. Bush’s 2001 speech to Congress and the Nation ●​ Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Japan, 1941 ●​ Advertisements (print and commercials) to teach the rhetorical triangle ●​ Video of any of the speeches. Compare the impact of the speech delivered vs. read. ●​ What is the nature of honor? ●​ What makes a hero and what is heroism? ●​ Is honor necessary for heroism? ●​ What role does honor have in the human condition? ●​ What is the relationship between honor, values, and ethics? ●​ How do heroes reflect the honor, values, and morals of a society/culture? ●​ Into the Wild by Jack Krakauer ●​ Monomyth: The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell - (17 stages overview) ●​ “Stranded in the New World: The amazing odyssey of Cabeza de Vaca” by History.com (Newsela) ●​ “Power of Campbell: His approach to storytelling still inspires filmmakers” by The Conversation (Newsela) ●​ “The Trojan War: Real or Myth?” by History.com (Newsela) Essential Questions Informational Texts

Unit 2 in Mirrors and Windows Level IV covers nonfiction texts. Novels ●​ Night by Elie Weisel ●​ Animal Farm by George Orwell Poetry ●​ “Martin Luther King Jr.” by Gwendolyn Brooks ( Mirrors and Windows p. 274)

Theme

Honor in Heroism

Literary Texts

Unit 5 in Mirrors and Windows Level IV covers Folk Literature and has several myths with a section on Epics. Novels

●​ Night by Elie Wiesel ●​ The Book Thief by

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Jun 2, 2025

Last Updated

High School ELA, Page 51