USD  240 English Language Arts Department

785-488-3321 * 785-283-4774

Bennington HS and Tescott JH/HS

Lesson Plans

Comp I

Junior English

College Public Speaking

Lesson Plans

English II
https://www.planbook.com/planbook.html?t=1494921&k=1175&v=W&c=12713000&y=1231167

English III
https://www.planbook.com/planbook.html?t=1494921&k=1175&v=W&c=12713001&y=1231167

English VIII
https://www.planbook.com/planbook.html?t=1494921&k=1175&v=W&c=14247623&y=1231167

Forensics:

Course Description

Forensics Events

A-B Day Expectations

Tescott High School:

A Day Syllabus - February

A Day Syllabus - January

Bennington High School:

B Day Syllabus - February

B Day Syllabus - January

Get to know your teacher

A native of Larned, Kansas, Brady graduated from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, where he earned a Bachelors Degree in English with an Emphasis in Writing. He is currently working on his Master's in Education at Fort Hays State University. During his time at Southwestern, Brady was a four year member of the Moundbuilder football team, lettering each of those years while also being an academic All-American for two consecutive years. 

Before becoming a teacher, Brady worked as a Crop Scout for several independent Agronomists/Ag Retail companies. 

Brady's hobbies include hunting, reading, playing his guitar, as well as spending time with his wife, Lindsey, and his dog, Gunner. 

Bill Scheef, language arts instructor and coach for 40 years. Graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1976.  Mr. Scheef begins his 20th year as an educator at USD-240 where he has taught in the English-Language Arts Department.

What your student will learn in their english language arts class

Photography/Writing (currently taught only at BHS): This year-long course emphasizes the basic technical and compositional skills in photography, including the "Exposure Triangle" of shutter speed, aperture and ISO, along with exposure compensation, metering, and related skills. It then advances into compositional techniques such as the Rule of Thirds, Rule of Odds, depth of field, and so forth. Students take photos of a wide variety of subjects, from landscapes and portraits to light painting and abstract photos. Students also learn about the history of photography and influential photographers through quarterly projects shared with the class.

Students write about the photographs they take, usually in short paragraphs, but occasionally in longer (up to 1000 words) creative stories. They should be aware that the writing portion of the class makes up approximately 50% of the grade.

Prerequisites: Students need to have a camera beyond the one on their phone. They need to be able to change aperture, metering, and shutter speed in order to complete all of the assignments. There are no cameras available from the school for students to borrow.

Course Title: Creative Writing (currently taught at BHS):

In Creative Writing class, students will learn to express themselves through a variety of written exercises. These include, but are not limited to poetry, short stories, drama, expository essays, and even cooperative assignments. Students will be encouraged to share their writing with peers. Peer editing will assist students in developing their abilities to proofread their own writing. 

Course Title: Stories of our Rural Heritage I and II

Duration: 1 Semester Each

Grade: 9-12

Credit: .5 Each

Course Objective:  These  courses  will combine  elements  of  those  courses  with an emphasis on exploring the concept of a regional and cultural setting through reading and writing. Students enrolling in these classes should be prepared to  read a variety of genres and works and write stories and essays that  deal with living outside the cities of America.

Course Title: 7th Grade English

This course prepares students for high school Language Arts courses. Students will learn the basics of literary study, including elements of plot and character development. Formal essay writing is emphasized, with students writing essays based on materials read in class. Students learn to organize thoughts and support them with evidence from their reading. Finally, students gain experience expressing their thoughts before an audience with recitations of Shakespearean monologues and class discussions.

Course Title: 8th Grade English

This course builds on skills covered in 7th grade English, but with more challenging reading material and longer written assignments. Students who have shown an ability to write a well-organized formal essay will have more opportunity to do creative writing assignments, most often based on materials studied in class. Expectations are higher than in 7th grade for correct punctuation and grammar, supporting materials, and level of thought.

Course Objective: This course expands on previous English classes. Concepts such as grammar and syntax will be reinforced and polished. Students will study important works of literature, including, but not limited to: Shakespeare, American dramatists, poetry, novels, and nonfiction texts. Writing will also be emphasized in the form of daily writing prompts, literary analyses, original poetry, and oral presentations.

Course Objective: This course expands on previous English classes. Concepts such as grammar and syntax will be reinforced and polished. Students will spend one semester studying fiction and one semester studying non-fiction. Students will study important works of literature, including, but not limited to: Shakespeare, American dramatists, poetry, novels, and nonfiction texts. Writing will also be emphasized in the form of daily writing prompts, literary analyses, and oral presentations. In the non-fiction semester, students will research colleges and careers and a non-fiction documentary. Students will write resumes, cover letters, thank you letters, and create presentations over research. They will also participate in a job shadowing day and subsequent presentation for their peers.

Course Title: Comp 101: Writing Strategies

Duration: 1 Semester

Grade: 12

Prerequisite: There are three ways to  gain access to  this class: score a 21 or higher on the English portion of the ACT; or with an ACT score of 17-20, you can take an ASSET writing sample test from CCCC and score a  3; or if  you have  a 2.5  cumulative GPA,  you can take the ASSET test  from CCCC and score a minimum of  40.

Credit: 3 College Credit Hours/ 1 High School  Credit

Course Objective:  This  concurrent  course  is  an  intensive  writing  lab  that focuses on the form and content of essay  writing.  It  utilizes  various strategies of  rhetorical  writing,  including  research  based writing.  The process approach to writing will be taught and used for the major assignments. Revision is essential. The text will be determined by CCCC, supplemented by thought-provoking essays and writings from a variety of literary  sources.  This course is rigorous and demanding  with frequent  writing  and reading  assignments  of significant  literature  that  require thought and analysis. This course is designed to  prepare students  for college level academics. In addition to  high school credit, students  can  enroll  at  the  sponsoring  college  and pay tuition  fees  to  receive three hours of college credit if they earn a final grade of C or above.

Course Title: Comp 102: Writing Arguments About Literature

Duration: 1 Semester

Grade: 12

Prerequisite: Comp 1

Credit: 3 College Credit Hours/1 High School Credit

Course Objective: This concurrent course is designed to expose students to various types of literature and to  develop strategies for understanding  and evaluating different literary genres.  Course content will range from  the Shakespearean play to the modern short story and will include an examination of essays and poetry as well. Writing assignments are designed to enhance understanding of stories, themes, archetypes, and genres. Writing assignments include argumentation, literary essays, reading journals, researched essays, and other compositions.. This course is designed to prepare students for college level academics. In addition to high school credit, students can enroll at the sponsoring college and pay tuition fees to receive three hours of college credit if they earn a final grade of C or above.

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the various types of forensics events in a classroom and in a competitive atmosphere. Students will be able to learn about the different types of forensics events within a classroom setting and then apply those concepts in tournament competition throughout the semester.  Students will have to do original research to complete their assignments.

Strategies for success

Students in the Language Arts Department will be successful if they learn basic and advanced constructs of language, including the ability to read critically for both information and enjoyment, to write in appropriate language for a variety of audiences, and to complete assignments and projects within timely and appropriate deadlines.    

Know the standards

ELA Standards

Useful Information About the Standards