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Course Overview

English, Grade 10, Academic

Special Note: The English, Academic and Applied, Grade 10 (Public) Course Profiles have been written using the Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner. As a result, there are some differences in the terminology and format from that used in other Course Profiles. Wherever possible, these documents include both versions of the terminology, e.g., subtask (activity), so that users can work within the Planner version or any of the Course Profile versions (web site, printed copy, or CD-ROM).

The Curriculum Unit Planner version of these Course Profiles may be found at www.ocup.org.

Description/Rationale

The Grade 10 English course builds on the Grade 9 English course; it extends the range of analytic, reading, writing, oral communication, and thinking skills that students need for success in secondary school programs. In the Grade 10 Academic course students study and interpret challenging texts from contemporary and historical periods, including novels, poems, plays, and opinion pieces, and analyse and create effective media works. An important focus is the thoughtful use of spoken and written language.

Unit Titles (Time + Sequence)

This Grade 10 Academic English course profile has been developed to link units through a progression of skills and in some cases content. Local circumstances may dictate some variation in the sequence suggested below, but it is essential to begin with Unit 1, since the skills developed in this unit are applied in other units. Unit 5, the final assessment task, must be the last unit of the course.

The teacher does need to read through the entire Profile before the course begins. An independent reading component for students is introduced in Unit 1, continued through Units 2, 3, and 4 and concluded in Unit 5. This reading component requires planning and co-ordination with the teacher/librarian.

This profile has been developed using the field-test version of the Ministry of Education’s Secondary Curriculum Unit Planner. The principle of “backward” curriculum design is central to the Curriculum Unit Planner, and to this profile. Each unit has a culminating activity, and the fifth unit includes a final culminating activity, a Book Festival, which pulls in skills and activities from the other four units, as well as a final examination.

The teacher is responsible for creating long-range plans, detailed timing for units and activities, and for making decisions about the best order of activities in a given unit. It is important to read through an entire unit prior to making specific plans, since later activities may require introduction early in the unit. A Sequence of Units and a List of Assignments by Unit (Blackline Masters ) have been appended to this Overview to assist teachers in their planning.

As noted above, the profile writers have assumed full implementation of The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8 and Grade 9, and have described specific Language and Writing instructional strategies based on Grade 10 expectations. They recognize, however, as will classroom teachers, that not all Grade 10 students will have achieved skills that have been taught in Grades 1-9 to the same level. Some Language and Writing expectations particularly need to be revisited, reviewed, re-taught and practised regularly before all students are able to achieve and maintain them at an appropriate level. Teachers, therefore, will need to modify and adapt the strategies suggested for the Grade 10 expectations to address student learning gaps in the Language and Writing skill areas in their individual classrooms.

“A credit is granted in recognition of the successful completion of a course that has been scheduled for a minimum of 110 hours.” (OSS, 1999, 30) The time allocations in this document must be taken as approximations.

Some learning activities may take less time than anticipated, but many may need more time. The diverse skills, learning needs and interests that students bring to a Grade 10 classroom will require teachers to exercise good time-management skills, flexibility, and professional judgement as they use this profile.

Unit 1	Beauty and the Beast	23 hours
Unit 2	Voices	22 hours
Unit 3	Diversity	23 hours
Unit 4	Interactions	26 hours
Unit 5	Independence	13 hours

Unit Organization

Unit 1: Beauty and the Beast

Time: 23 hours

Description

As part of the introduction to the course, students read and discuss the course outline and expectations, and complete diagnostic assessments in language, reading, and writing. These include a speech, an informal essay about their career as a reader, and a letter to the teacher describing their personal goals for the course. After an introduction to the Independent Reading component of the course, they choose a book for their independent reading connected to the theme “Beauty and the Beast” in preparation for Unit 5. Students begin a reading response journal and conference with their teacher.

Students explore the similarities and differences between poetry and prose in short works and in a series of linked poems and chapters in the novel Lord of the Flies. For the last eight chapters of the novel, students present their understanding of topics and themes of their chapter in an oral presentation to the class. They present and explain topic webs, demonstrate the poetic aspects of the writer’s style by shaping a found poem from the text, and link a modern song to the chapter. As well, they write poems connected to the themes of the chapters. Using computers, they prepare an anthology of their own poems and dialogues, with a title page and an introduction. After the presentations, students write a comparison essay.

Strand(s) and Expectations

Strand(s): Literature Studies and Reading, Writing, Language

Overall Expectations: LIV.01P, LIV.02P, LIV.03P, WRV.02P, WRV.03P, WRV.04P, WRV.06P.

Specific Expectations: LI1.01D, LI1.04D, LI1.05D, LI2.01D, LI2.02D, LI3.01D, LI3.02D, LI3.03D, WR2.01D, WR2.04D, WR3.03D, WR4.01D, WR4.03D, WR5.02D, WR5.03D, WR5.04D, WR5.05D, LG1.03D, LG1.04D, LG1.05D.

Unit 2: Voices

Time: 22 hours

Description

Students explore the web of issues that surrounds them through the examination of literature, informational texts, and media. They analyse a number of arguments to determine their effectiveness and explore their own value systems and the value systems of others. With the assistance of the teacher-librarian they use research skills to gather information to support their arguments.

Through the use of rhetorical devices and persuasive techniques, students develop their argumentative skills in both oral and written form. They make arguments through a variety of products such as journal responses, outlines, role playing, and persuasive essays. They participate in a final task, a formal debate.

Students continue the Independent Reading component begun in Unit 1, by reading a book dealing with a controversial issue in preparation for Unit 5. Students maintain their reading response journal and conference with the teacher.

Strand(s) and Expectations

Strand(s): Literature Studies and Reading, Writing, Language, Media Studies

Overall Expectations: LIV.01D, LIV.03D, WRV.01D, WRV.03D, LGV.01D, LGV.02D, MDV.02D.

Specific Expectations: LI1.02D, LI1.04D, LI1.06D, LI2.02D, LI2.03D, LI3.01D, LI3.02D, WR1.01D, WR1.02D, WR1.03D, WR1.04D, WR2.02D, WR2.04D, WR3.02D, WR3.04D, WR5.01D, WR5.03D, WR5.07D, WR5.08D, WR5.09D, WR5.10D, LG1.01D, LG1.03D, LG1.04D, LG1.05D, LG1.06, LG1.07D, LG2.01D, LG2.02, LG2,03, LG2.04D, LG2.05D, LG2.08D.

Unit 3: Diversity

Time: 23 hours

Description

Students analyse literary, mythic, and media works to explore and interpret our multicultural society. They read and write frequently at home and at school for both formative and summative purposes.

To begin the unit, students write a number of journal responses exploring their perceptions of issues such as belonging, power, privilege, and identity. They write analyses of pattern, purpose, and characteristics in myths, legends, and stories. They make a creative oral presentation on modern short stories based on the critical and analytical skills developed in this task. Students also analyse modern dramas and sitcoms and write a review applying their emerging knowledge, values, and beliefs. Finally, students design a multigenre anthology in which they make creative decisions about point of view, format, and stylistic conventions. The anthology comprises a television review, a myth, and a final journal entry.

Students continue the Independent Reading component begun in Unit 1 by reading a book connected to the theme “Diversity” in preparation for Unit 5. They maintain their reading response journal and conference with the teacher.

Strand(s) and Expectations

Strand(s): Literature Studies and Reading, Writing, Language, Media Studies

Overall Expectations: LIV.02D, WRV.03D, WRV.04D, WRV.05D, LGV.01D, LGV.02D, MDV.01D.

Specific Expectations: LI1.01D, LI1.02D, LI1.03D, LI1.04D, LI1.05D, LI1.06D, LI1.07D, LI2.02D, LI2.03D, LI3.01D, LI3.02D, WR1.03D, WR2.01D, WR2.02D, WR2.03D, WR2.04D, WR3.01D, WR4.04D, WR5.02, WR5.04D, WR5.06D, WR5.11D, WR5.12D, LG1.03D, LG1.04D, LG1.05D, LG1.06D, LG1.07D, LG2.01D, LG2.02D, LG2.08D, MD1.01D, MD1.02D, MD1.03D, MD2.01D, MD2.02D, MD2.03D.

Unit 4: Interactions

Time: 26 hours

Description

The literature focus of this unit is the Shakespearean play Romeo and Juliet, which provides an historical work, a drama, and poetry all in one. The writing focus is the writing of clear, well-supported paragraphs and written personal response. Students demonstrate their understanding of relationships through a range of responses, including guided personal responses, class discussion, written paragraphs, and oral and dramatic presentations. The language focus on speaking culminates in groups of students dramatizing and analysing a scene from the play. The students practise an in-class essay in preparation for the final written examination.

During this unit the Independent Reading component begun in Unit 1 becomes a homework activity so that students can complete the required reading or further their reading. They complete their reading response journal and hand it in to the teacher. Students select their best piece of writing from their response journal and refine it in preparation for publication at the Book Festival.

Strand(s) and Expectations

Strand(s): Literature Studies and Reading, Writing, Language, Media Studies

Overall Expectations: LIV.02D, LIV.03D, WRV.03D, WRV.06D, LGV.01D, LGV.02D, MDV.02D.

Specific Expectations: LI1.03D, LI1.04D, LI1.05D, LI1.06D, LI1.08D, LI2.02D, WR1.02D, WR2.02D, WR2.04D, WR3.03D, WR4.01D, WR4.02D, WR4.03D, WR4.04D, WR5.04D, LG1.02D, LG1.06D, LG2.01D, LG2.02D, LG2.04D, LG2.06D, MD1.04D.

Unit 5: Independence

Time: 13 hours

Description

The Independent Reading component runs concurrently through Units 1, 2, 3, and 4.

As part of the course introduction, students describe their own careers as readers in a written essay. During Units 1, 2, and 3, students develop their reading skills by reading books connected to the themes of the units, by maintaining a weekly reading response journal, and by participating in conferences with the teacher. Students hand in their reading response journals and complete two polished written pieces, an oral book talk, and a media display on their independently chosen books.

In this unit students publicize and participate in a Book Festival, a public demonstration of their achievement of the overall and specific expectations for this course.

Strand(s) and Expectations

Strand(s): Literature Studies and Reading, Writing, Language, Media Studies

Overall Expectations: LIV.01P, LIV.02P, LIV.03P, WRV.02P, WRV.03P, WRV.04P, WRV.06P, LGV.01P, LGV.02P, MDV.02P.

Specific Expectations: LI1.01P, WR2.02P, WR2.03P, WR5.02P, WR.05P, LG2.02P, LG2.03P, LG2.04P, LG2.05P, LG2.06P.

Course Notes

The Grade 10 English Academic course prepares students for Grade 11 and 12 university courses. The Grade 10 English Applied course prepares students for Grade 11 and 12 college and workplace courses. The goal of both Grade 10 courses is the further development of language literacy skills. Both courses are grounded in a recognition of the importance, for all students, of language and literature in learning and everyday life.

The difference between the Applied and Academic courses is one of emphasis. The Academic course emphasizes analytical and abstract thinking; the Applied course emphasizes practical and concrete thinking. In the Grade 10 Academic course, students study and interpret challenging texts from contemporary and historical periods; analyse and create effective media works; and use spoken and written language in a thoughtful way. In the Grade 10 Applied course, students study novels, poems, magazines, and reports; describe, design, and produce effective media works; and use spoken and written language in a clear and coherent way.

The secondary English program is described in The Ontario Curriculum in four strands: Literature Studies and Reading, Writing, Language, and Media Studies. This Grade 10 Academic profile has been organized thematically into four units, with a final culminating activity as a fifth unit. Each of the units incorporates overall and specific expectations from each of the strands. This organizational structure supports an integrated approach to the teaching and learning of the 12 overall and 65 specific expectations.

This profile has been developed using a “backward design” approach. The profile writers first identified desired results (i.e., considered the expectations), determined acceptable evidence (i.e., established assessment tasks) and then planned learning experiences and instruction (i.e., suggested teaching strategies and resources). The profile writers have been guided in this approach by the work of Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (Understanding by Design, Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1998).

The electronic Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner, which will be available for broad secondary use in September 2000, also uses a backward design approach.

Language literacy is fundamental to learning in all subjects. Teachers of English should work with other subject teachers in the school to support a planned and consistent approach to student language proficiency across the Grade 10 program, based on the Communication category of the Achievement Chart found in each curriculum document.

Students need to become skilled users of information technology. Each of the strands in the Grade 10 English course includes references within the expectations to electronic sources of information and the student use of electronic technologies. Collaboration and co-planning with other subject teachers is particularly important in this area of the curriculum.

The instructional plan for each thematic unit described in this profile encourages connections to a broad range of community resources. These may include print or electronic sources of information; sites for field trips; the names of authors, artists, and other resource people; physical resources; commercial and publicly-funded enterprises; and post-secondary institutions. These can also be resources for students planning careers and further education.

Teachers must ensure that all classroom activities and out-of-school experiences are safe for all students. Teachers of English have particular responsibility in the following areas: appropriate student use of the Internet; the selection of suitable texts and reading materials; the use of language appropriate to an English classroom; and the safe structuring of physical activities in the classroom. In addition, teachers of English share with other subject teachers a responsibility for ensuring a learning environment which provides students with the emotional security necessary to take the risks which lead to learning.

This profile demonstrates one way in which teachers of Grade 10 Academic English can address the expectations contained in The Ontario Curriculum. Reference to specific texts are included on the premise that classroom teachers will find such specificity useful and time-saving. Although English teachers are always updating their school’s collection of texts and other resources as budgets allow, teachers continue to make use of literary texts currently available in schools that have stood the test of time and student preference. Many of the texts and materials cited in this profile are already in common use. Teachers make appropriate choices and substitutions of materials based on the learning needs of their own students and the diverse needs of their unique school community.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

Language is best learned through activities that present stimulating ideas, issues, and themes meaningful to students. Teachers must use a rich variety of teaching/learning activities in all English programs to accommodate the diverse learning styles of students. They should select classroom activities that are based on an assessment of students’ individual needs, proven learning theory and best practice.

The units and culminating activities reflect the research on Multiple Intelligences (e.g., Frames of Mind, Howard Gardner) which encourages the development of linguistic, mathematical, musical, kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and natural intelligences. It is important for students to have access to a variety of opportunities to present what they know according to their talents or intelligences. Such an approach builds on student interests and talent necessary to make English a highly engaging course.

Instructional Strategies in Grade 10 English:

· provide for explicit teaching of knowledge and skills;

· encourage maximum student engagement in the learning activity;

· encourage student choice regarding the processes and products of learning in the English classroom;

· include whole class, small group, and individual instruction;

· encourage students to reflect on their learning: to clarify, elaborate, describe, compare, negotiate, and reach consensus on what expectations mean to them;

· use electronic technology as appropriate;

· address a variety of learning styles in each unit;

· modify activities for exceptional students;

· promote direct involvement in a variety of concrete experiences and abstract thinking which enable students to construct their own understanding of concepts and principles;

· provide opportunities for genuine inquiry – to generate questions, apply a variety of investigative approaches, and communicate learning in a variety of ways;

· engage students in self- and peer evaluation;

· use formative assessment to provide opportunities for practice and consolidation;

· connect with expectations from other subject areas as appropriate;

· make authentic connections with the classroom, the school, the local community, and the school at large;

· respect the cultural diversity of Ontario classrooms.

The Ontario Curriculum mandates student learning expectations; it does not mandate teaching strategies. It is the professional responsibility of teachers to determine the most appropriate and effective ways to address the achievement of the learning expectations for students in their classroom. The Ontario Curriculum does, however, provide possible teaching strategies within its description of the expectations. These strategies have been incorporated into this course profile.

Units in this profile make reference to the use of specific magazines, films, and videos in Teaching/Learning Strategies. Before reproducing materials for student use from books and magazines, teachers need to ensure that their Board has a Cancopy licence and that resources they wish to use are covered by this licence. Before screening videos for students, teachers must ensure that their Board/school has obtained the appropriate public performance video cassette site licence from an authorized distributor (e.g., Audio Ciné Films Inc.) If the appropriate licences are not in place, teachers will have to seek permission from authors, publishers, or film or television production companies as necessary.

Teachers are also reminded that much of the material on the Internet is protected by copyright. That copyright is usually owned by the person or organization that created the work. Reproduction of any work or a substantial part of any work on the Internet is not allowed without the permission of the owner.

Copyright Guide for Canadian Libraries (Wanda Noel, Canadian Library Association, Ottawa, 1999) is a useful resource for teachers who wish to have a clearer understanding of copyright.

Accommodations

Exceptional pupils should be given every opportunity to achieve the learning expectations set out in The Ontario Curriculum policy documents. General teaching, learning, and assessment strategies for helping exceptional students achieve English curriculum expectations are provided in each of the units in this profile. Teachers should consult the IEPs of exceptional students for specific details. The profile writers have built a significant amount of student choice into learning and assessment activities to support the needs of exceptional students, including gifted students.

Adjustments must also be made by the teacher to acknowledge the range and diversity of cultural understandings possible within the classroom, and accommodations may be necessary for the success of students for whom English is a second language.

Assessment/Evaluation

Assessment is the systematic process of collecting information or evidence about student learning; evaluation is the judgment teachers make about the assessments of student learning based on established criteria. The units in this profile include suggestions for diagnostic, formative and summative assessments. Diagnostic assessment is used at the beginning of a unit to help determine a starting point for instruction. Formative assessment provides information to students as they are learning and refining their skills. Summative assessments at the end of units and a course give students an opportunity to synthesize/apply/demonstrate their learning. Summative assessments are counted toward the student's final mark.

In order to ensure that assessment and evaluation are valid, reliable, and lead to the improvement of student learning, English teachers use assessment and evaluation strategies that:

· address both what students learn and how well they learn;

· are based on the four broad categories and descriptions in the achievement chart for English;

· are varied in nature, administered over a period of time, and designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the full range of their learning;

· maintain a balance among all four categories of the Achievement Chart;

· are appropriate for the learning activities used, the purpose of instruction, and the needs and experiences of the students;

· are fair to all students;

· accommodate the needs of exceptional students, consistent with the strategies outlined in their Individual Education Plans;

· accommodate the needs of students who are learning the language of instruction;

· ensure that students are given clear directions for improvement;

· promote students’ ability to assess their own learning and to set specific goals;

· include the use of samples of students’ work that provide evidence of their achievement;

· are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the course and at other appropriate points throughout the course.

Embedded in this course profile is the wide variety of assessment strategies and tools available to teachers of English: teacher observation, oral presentations, interviews, essays, quizzes, tests, examinations, learning logs, performance tasks, portfolios, self-assessment, questions and answers.

Because this profile has been developed using “backward design”, the course profile writers began their work by designing culminating tasks or activities for each of the five units that addressed the overall expectations, and by working backwards from there. A culminating activity is a summative assessment which provides an opportunity for students to perform, create, or demonstrate some significant skills and knowledge. Culminating activities have a real world context, involve higher level knowledge and skills than could be achieved through an isolated application and clear criteria and levels for judging the quality of the performance. Task-specific rubrics are the most effective way to assess culminating activities, and have been included with each of the units in this profile.

Rubrics can also play an important role in instruction (e.g., teachers use rubrics to focus student attention on the specific knowledge and skills embedded in particular assignments). When they are combined with exemplars of student work, rubrics clarify for students the improvements that are possible and necessary in their own work.

Initial assessment tasks (diagnostic assessment) have been built into the first unit to help teachers determine, in a preliminary way, the strengths and weaknesses of their students. The results of this diagnostic assessment will also help teachers to plan (using the mini-lesson framework provided) specific Writing and Language lessons to address both the Grade 10 expectations and any learning gaps which are evident. Specific diagnostic activities are not built into the beginning of each of the other units in the same way, but it is expected that teachers will continue to plan their own classroom instruction on a daily basis, using the results of ongoing diagnostic assessment of their students’ learning needs. Each unit does include learning tasks and appropriate formative assessments which support the learning to be demonstrated in the culminating task.

Course Evaluation

Teachers of English should systematically review course content, instructional strategies, and assessment procedures and make the program changes necessary to improve student achievement. Teachers should collect data informally about program effectiveness from students, throughout the course, and should provide students with a formal way to provide input at the end of the course.

Coded Expectations, English, ENG2D

Literature Studies and Reading

Overall Expectations

LIV.01D

– read and demonstrate an understanding of a range of literary and informational texts, both contemporary and from historical periods;

LIV.02D

– demonstrate an understanding of the elements of a range of literary and informational forms, with a focus on novels, poems, plays, and opinion pieces;

LIV.03D

– identify and explain the effect of specific elements of style in a range of literary and informational texts.

Specific Expectations

Understanding the Meaning of Texts

LI1.01D

– describe information, ideas, opinions, and themes in print and electronic texts they have read during the year from different cultures and historical periods and in a range of genres, including novels, plays, short stories, poetry, opinion pieces, reports, short essays, full-length non-fiction works, newspapers, magazines, and reference materials;

LI1.02D

– select and read a range of texts for different purposes, with an emphasis on recognizing the elements of literary genres and the organization of informational materials, evaluating print and electronic materials as sources of information, and comparing personal ideas and values with those in texts (e.g., read multicultural short fiction to deepen their understanding of Canada’s diversity; assess the usefulness of a manual for a software application; develop a “profile” of a character in a play by Shakespeare or a novel and then role-play an interview with the character);

LI1.03D

– select and use a variety of reading strategies before, during, and after reading to understand texts (e.g., preview a text; predict main ideas or outcomes; use prior knowledge and personal experiences to interpret and assess ideas and information list unanswered questions while reading; role-play alternative solutions to conflicts presented in the text);

LI1.04D

– use relevant, significant, and explicit information and ideas from texts to support interpretations (e.g., use relevant evidence to support an explanation of the theme of a poem or short story; select quotations from an essay that best communicate the author’s arguments);

LI1.05D

– analyse information, ideas, and elements in texts and synthesize and communicate their findings (e.g., read a biography and make a speech about the person to the class; create a fictitious newspaper report about the events and issues in a novel or short story);

LI1.06D

– present sufficient significant evidence from a text to support opinions and judgements (e.g., defend in a debate a controversial statement from a short essay, or an action by a character in a story; incorporate quotations from a play in an essay about the pattern of imagery in the text);

LI1.07D

– explain how the values and perspectives of readers might influence their responses to a text and interpretations of it (e.g., record individual responses of group members to a poem, note similarities and differences in the responses, identify patterns, and suggest explanations for their findings compare the implicit perspectives in two letters to the editor about the same article);

LI1.08D

– explain how historical or cultural contexts shape the information and ideas in a text (e.g., research the historical or cultural context of a novel and suggest how it gave rise to the social attitudes depicted; compare nineteenth-century and modern attitudes to the theme of a novel by Dickens).

Understanding the Forms of Texts

LI2.01D

– use knowledge of elements of the novel, such as plot and subplot, characterization, setting, conflict, theme, point of view, and cultural and historical contexts, to understand and interpret examples of the genre (e.g., rewrite a passage from a novel, adopting the point of view of another character; use knowledge of the cultural or historical context of a novel to understand the language and events in the work);

LI2.02D

– use knowledge of elements of poetry, such as stanza forms, rhyme, rhythm, punctuation, free verse, imagery, and sound devices, to understand and interpret examples of the genre (e.g., write a lyric or ballad in rhyming couplets; present a choral reading of a poem, emphasizing onomatopoeia);

LI2.03D

– use knowledge of elements of opinion pieces, such as overt statement of a position or opinion, type of diction, tone, paragraphing, transition words and phrases, selective supporting detail, allusions, and appeals to authority, to understand and interpret examples of the genre (e.g., relate the position taken to the tone used in an editorial; refer to an encyclopedia to clarify a historical allusion used in a newspaper column; write an opinion piece for the school newspaper).

Understanding the Elements of Style

LI3.01D

– compare the use of diction and syntax in the work of different authors and explain how these elements enhance the theme or message (e.g., compare the use of sentence variety in paragraphs by two different authors; identify examples of archaic diction in literature from any historical period and give modern-English equivalents);

LI3.02D

– explain how authors use stylistic devices, such as allusion, contrast, hyperbole, understatement, oxymoron, irony, and symbol, to achieve particular effects in their writing (e.g., explain the effects of the contradictory emotions or qualities expressed in an oxymoron; compare the poetic devices used in two poems on a similar theme; do research to understand a mythical allusion in a piece of literature or an advertisement and explain how the allusion enhances the theme or message in the text);

LI3.03D

– explain how authors and editors use design elements to help communicate ideas (e.g., explain how typography and layout contribute to meaning in a concrete poem; prepare a title page and bibliography template for an academic paper and defend their design decisions; create electronic links showing where and how to find related material).

Writing

Overall Expectations

WRV.01D

– use a range of print and electronic sources to gather information and explore ideas for written work;

WRV.02D

– identify the literary and informational forms suited to various purposes and audiences and use the forms appropriately in their own writing, with an emphasis on adopting a suitable voice;

WRV.03D

– use a variety of organizational techniques to present ideas and information logically and coherently in written work;

WRV.04D

– revise their written work, independently and collaboratively, with a focus on support for ideas and opinions, accuracy, clarity, coherence, and effective use of stylistic devices;

WRV.05D

– edit and proofread to produce final drafts, using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, according to the conventions of standard Canadian English specified for this course, with the support of print and electronic resources when appropriate.

Specific Expectations

Generating Ideas and Gathering Information

WR1.01D

– investigate potential topics by formulating questions, identifying information needs and purposes for writing, and developing research plans to gather data (e.g., identify and rank focus questions; identify key words and electronic search terms to structure research; determine which sources of information are most relevant to the purpose for writing);

WR1.02D

– locate and summarize information and ideas from print and electronic sources, including interviews, surveys, statistical data banks, reports, periodicals, and news-groups (e.g., conduct an electronic search for information on regional Canadian authors; summarize and paraphrase information and ideas in point-form notes and in graphic organizers);

WR1.03D

– sort and label information, ideas, and data; evaluate the accuracy, ambiguity, relevance, and completeness of the information; and make judgements and draw conclusions based on the research (e.g., verify data by using multiple sources; identify and reconcile inconsistencies; identify significant omissions that need to be addressed);

WR1.04D

– use the information and ideas generated, researched, and evaluated to develop the content of written work.

Choosing the Form to Suit the Purpose and Audience

WR2.01D

– demonstrate an understanding of a range of literary and informational forms, such as poems, narratives, comparison-and-contrast and cause-and-effect essays, speeches, and research reports, by using forms of writing appropriate to different purposes and audiences (e.g., rewrite an episode of a story from the point of view of a different character; use a formal, objective voice in a short essay; write a speech for a class debate);

WR2.02D

– produce written work for a variety of purposes, with a focus on interpreting and analysing information, ideas, themes, and issues and supporting opinions with convincing evidence (e.g., state and support an opinion; compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes in two different works; explain how the images or setting in a work of fiction contribute to the overall theme);

WR2.03D

– consider the characteristics of the intended audience in selecting an appropriate form and developing the content of written work (e.g., use examples or images familiar to their peers in a poem to be read in class; include background information the audience needs to know in the introduction to an essay);

WR2.04D

– select a voice and an appropriate level of language to suit the form, purpose, and audience of their writing (e.g., use an impersonal voice and formal language in an academic essay; use everyday vocabulary and colloquial phrasing to engage the interest of an audience of peers).

Organizing Ideas and Information in Written Work

WR3.01D

– use plot structure and character portrayal to develop themes in short stories (e.g., use flashbacks to develop the theme of memory in a short story);

WR3.02D

– structure the introductory paragraphs of short essays using a clear statement of the topic or thesis, a device to engage the reader’s interest, and an overview of the main points to be covered;

WR3.03D

– use a pattern such as comparison and contrast, cause and effect, or classification to structure short essays;

WR3.04D

– use plot structure and character portrayal to present conflicts in a short story (e.g., introduce a conflict in the first half of a short story and provide the resolution of the conflict in the second half; describe two characters’ different reactions to the same event to prepare for a later clash between them).

Revising Drafts

WR4.01D

– revise drafts to ensure that ideas are adequately supported by relevant details and facts and to achieve clarity, unity, and coherence (e.g., reinforce a mood or feeling by elaborating the imagery in a poem or short story; read a supported opinion piece aloud with a partner or in a small group to check for coherence and effectiveness; remove redundancies and expand supporting detail in a report);

WR4.02D

– revise drafts to ensure consistency in the use of first or third person and use of an appropriate level of language;

WR4.03D

– make constructive suggestions to peers in a writing conference (e.g., identify ways to address problems of control in writing such as redundancies or inappropriate level of language; create checklists based on established criteria and use them when discussing a piece of writing);

WR4.04D

– consider reactions of teachers, peers, and others in revising and editing written work.

Editing, Proofreading, and Publishing

WR5.01D

– identify borrowed information, ideas, and quotations and use a variety of techniques to incorporate them smoothly into written work and independent research projects (e.g., provide a context for quoted material; use transition words and phrases to link information from different sources; include a brief bibliography to identify reference materials consulted);

WR5.02D

– select the publication method or vehicle most accessible or appealing to the intended audience, using technology in a variety of ways where appropriate (e.g., write a letter or e-mail message to recommend a book to a friend; submit work to a writing contest in the required format; write and format a concrete poem for the school yearbook);

WR5.03D

– assess their facility with the writing process, documenting their use of genres and forms in personal and assigned writing and identifying goals for writing improvement and growth (e.g., use samples from their writing folder to demonstrate their growth and achievement in writing; produce and carry out an action plan to improve their use of language conventions);

WR5.04D

– edit and proofread their own and others’ writing, correcting errors according to the requirements for grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation listed below;

WR5.05D

– use parts of speech correctly, including the infinitive and the gerund;

WR5.06D

– construct a variety of complete and correct sentences (including compound-complex sentences), using prepositional, adjective, and adverb phrases; infinitive, participial, and gerund phrases; and noun, adjective, and adverb clauses;

WR5.07D

– use verb voice (i.e., active and passive) to suit purpose and audience;

WR5.08D

– use knowledge of a wide range of spelling patterns, rules, and strategies to analyse and correct spelling errors;

WR5.09D

– spell specific historical, academic, and technical terms correctly;

WR5.10D

– use a variety of resources to correct errors in spelling (e.g., dictionaries, spell checkers);

WR5.11D

– use punctuation correctly, including the semicolon (e.g., use the semicolon to join principal clauses and to separate elements in a list that contains commas);

WR5.12D

– use the comma, dash, and parentheses correctly to set off non-restrictive elements in a sentence;

WR5.13D

– use punctuation correctly when quoting short passages from texts.

Language

Overall Expectations

LGV.01D

– use knowledge of vocabulary and language conventions to speak, write, and read competently and effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences, using a level of language appropriate to the context;

LGV.02D

– use listening techniques and oral communication skills to participate in classroom discussions and more formal activities, such as dramatizing, presenting, and debating, for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Specific Expectations

Developing Vocabulary and Knowledge of Language Structures and Conventions

LG1.01D

– identify examples of the use of idioms, euphemisms, slang, dialect, acronyms, academic language, technical terms, and standard Canadian English in oral and written work, and explain why the usage is effective in its context;

LG1.02D

– identify ways in which technology, other languages, and the media have influenced the English language (e.g., explain when and why particular nouns and verbs entered the language, both in earlier centuries and in recent years; give examples of technical terms and media phrases used in a variety of contexts);

LG1.03D

– select words and figurative expressions with understanding and sensitivity to enhance the persuasive or expressive power of their speech and writing (e.g., select words and phrases for their sound and rhythm in a speech; select words with symbolic associations for a poem);

LG1.04D

– select words and phrases consistent with the particular voice and tone required for a variety of informal and formal situations (e.g., for a dramatization of a scene depicting the central conflict in a novel; for a debate on the motivation of a character in a drama);

LG1.05D

– recognize, describe, and use correctly, in oral and written language, the language structures of standard Canadian English and its conventions of grammar and usage, including:

– parts of speech, including infinitives and gerunds;

– types of sentences, including compound-complex sentences;

– components of sentences, including prepositional, adjective, and adverb phrases; infinitive and gerund phrases; noun, adjective, and adverb clauses;

– agreement between subject and verb, and between pronoun and antecedent;

– consistency of verb tense and voice;

LG1.06D

– recognize, describe, and correct sentence errors in oral and written language (e.g., run-on sentence, comma splice, dangling modifier);

LG1.07D

– recognize, describe, and use correctly, in oral and written language, the conventions of standard Canadian English for the following:

– spelling: historical, academic, and technical terms;

– punctuation: semicolon; non-restrictive phrases and clauses; quotations from texts.

Developing Listening and Speaking Skills

LG2.01D

– communicate orally in group discussions for different purposes, with a focus on identifying explicit and implicit ideas and comparing and contrasting key concepts and supporting details;

LG2.02D

– communicate in group discussions by assigning tasks fairly and equitably; using verbal and non-verbal cues to signal a change in topic or speaker; contributing ideas, supporting interpretations and viewpoints; extending and questioning the ideas of others; summarizing the progress of the group’s work; checking for understanding; and negotiating consensus when appropriate;

LG2.03D

– apply techniques of effective listening and demonstrate an understanding of oral presentations by summarizing presenters’ arguments and explaining how vocabulary, body language, tone, and visual aids enhance presentations (e.g., make and confirm or revise predictions; identify the purposes and perspective of a presentation; analyse the ideas and arguments presented; discuss the use of visual aids in a presentation);

LG2.04D

– plan and make oral presentations independently, adapting vocabulary and using methods of delivery to suit audience, purpose, and topic (e.g., identify purpose and audience; gather ideas and information; plan, create, rehearse, and revise presentations such as dramatizations, panel discussions, and debates; assess their work independently and with help from peers);

LG2.05D

– use rhetorical questions, emotional appeals, gestures, intonation, and visual aids and technology, as appropriate, to engage the audience’s interest during oral presentations;

LG2.06D

– rehearse with visual aids and props, study audio- and videotaped rehearsals, and use mnemonic devices and visualization techniques to ensure confident delivery in oral presentations;

LG2.07D

– identify the oral communication skills required in a variety of postsecondary programs and occupations and cite specific examples of their use (e.g., interview recent school graduates about the importance of these skills for success in college and university programs and report their findings);

LG2.08D

– analyse their own and others’ oral presentations, identifying strengths and weaknesses and developing and carrying out plans for improvement

Media Studies

Overall Expectations

MDV.01D

– analyse a range of media forms to identify their elements, audiences, and production practices, and draw conclusions about how these factors shape media works;

MDV.02D

use knowledge of a range of media forms, purposes, and audiences to create media works, and use established criteria to assess the effectiveness of the works.

Specific Expectations

Analysing Media and Media Works

MD1.01D

– demonstrate critical thinking skills by identifying the differences between explicit and implicit messages in media works (e.g., write a report comparing unique features of several newspapers to assess their appeal to readers; explain the satire in a parody of a media work);

MD1.02D

– identify key elements and techniques used to create media works in a variety of forms (e.g., illustrations and captions in political cartoons; narrative and characterization in a film or television drama; the choice of symbols and colours used to convey health and safety warnings on the packaging of a range of products) and analyse how these elements and techniques contribute to the theme or message;

MD1.03D

– analyse the elements of a variety of media works, in order to identify and describe the intended audience(s) for the works (e.g., analyse advertising in a range of newspapers and magazines to identify the target audiences);

MD1.04D

– analyse the relationship between media works and the production and marketing of related products (e.g., explain in a written or oral report how the target audience for a film determines the range of products marketed with it, and how this marketing, in turn, helps shape the film).

Creating Media Works

MD2.01D

– adapt an idea, theme, or issue from a work of literature for presentation in two related media forms, and assess the presentations to determine what aspects of the original have been strengthened and/or weakened by the adaptations (e.g., write a script adapting a short story or scene from a novel for radio and television; create a personal anthology of poetry in print and as a web page with links to related sites);

MD2.02D

– create media works for different purposes and explain how the design decisions for each were shaped by the purpose (e.g., create a public-service video to inform people about a health hazard; construct a collage of print advertisements to illustrate the media’s concept of a teenager);

MD2.03D

– design media works appropriate to different audiences and explain why certain elements will appeal to a particular audience (e.g., design a magazine for a specific audience, and explain how it differs from typical magazines).

Acknowledgments

Description/Rationale

Unit Titles (Time + Sequence)

Unit Organization

Unit 1: Beauty and the Beast

Unit 2: Voices

Unit 3: Diversity

Unit 4: Interactions

Unit 5: Independence

Course Notes

Teaching/Learning Strategies

Accommodations

Assessment/Evaluation

Course Evaluation

Literature Studies and Reading

Specific Expectations

Writing

Specific Expectations

Language

Specific Expectations

Media Studies

Specific Expectations