Elysabeth San Martin

I grew up in the CA High Desert, and graduated from Pepperdine. I loved travelling throughout Europe on their study abroad programs. My relationships with family and close friends are the most valuable things in my life.

I've been teaching High School English for 13+ years, 9 of them at Los Altos High.  I am married to a wonderful man named Jerry and we have a 2 yr old son named Ethan and a 4 yr old daughter named Faith, who keep us very busy.

My favorite book is the Bible, in particular I appreciate noticing the differences in word choice among the different translations.  I also love to read pieces from the Atlantic.

This course is aligned with 9^th grade Common Core Standards that are addressed throughout the school year to prepare students to transition to be college- and career-ready in reading, writing and speaking. Throughout the course, students will be guided to actively engage in analyzing, interpreting, evaluating, and synthesizing multiple readings.

Students will reflect on the assigned reading to use textual evidence and to argue and defend their positions in various activities such as seminar discussions, debates as well as in writing to promote critical thinking. Class discussions, debates, and various writing assignments will require peer collaboration and application of critical thinking across content areas.