Honors English 10 Mr. Hurst's Class
"The Great end of learning is nothing else but to seek for the lost mind." Meg Tzu	Home Who is Mr. Hurst Grades Assignments Extra Credit Class Standings Baseball Links
"True originality consists not in a new manner but in a new vision." Edith Wharton         "What we learn with pleasure we never forget." Louis Mercier       "It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put him in possession of truth." John Locke         "An educated man should know everything about something and something about everything." C.V. Wedgewood		What is Honors English 10? The honors program at Van Nuys High School is a rigorous program that emphasizes not only study in the English language, but also study in the field of humanities. Although this class does not make as many connections to the 10th grade social studies class as the Humanitas class, the general time periods of the two classes are very similar. For example, this years honors class was studying Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare at about the same time that the honors social studies class was covering the Renaissance.   Who takes Honors classes? The students are recommended by their teachers and counselors based on previous grades, aptitude and test scores.   What is required to be in an Honors English class? Aside from a teacher's recommendation, students interested in Honors English 10 must have a high level of reading and writing skills. Furthermore, attendance is of the utmost importance as much of what is assigned is done so in class. Students taking the class will write a minimum of fourteen formal essays, give a minimum of four oral presentations, and give a minimum of two group projects. In addition to these items, a large portion of the final grade will be based on a "journal" which will include daily written assignments, vocabulary assignments and weekly grammar assignments.     What is read in an Honors English class? In addition to the writing assignments listed above, the honors English class has a great deal of reading assignments involved as well. Some of the literary works that will be read in class are: Julius Caesar, Lord of the Flies, Oedipus Rex, Lysistrata, Othello, 1984, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, as well as many other pieces along the way. Students will be required to read all of them.