This course is designed to extend the range of oral communication, reading, writing, and media literacy skills that students need for success in their secondary school academic programs and in their daily lives. Students will analyse literary texts from contemporary and historical periods, interpret and evaluate informational and graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on the selective use of strategies that contribute to effective communication. This course is intended to prepare students for the compulsory Grade 11 university or college preparation course. (The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: English, 2007 (Revised))
Oral Communication - Listening and Speaking
Short Stories - Various
Poetry - Various
Drama - The Taming of the Shrew
Novels (excerpts) - Different Seasons ("The Body"), I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Indian Horse, Lord of the Flies, Night, The Old Man and the Sea, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Hate U Give, and A Wizard of Earthsea.
Nonfiction
Writing
Media Studies
Readings will be provided digitally. I will provide the links in the specific units.
Literary Terms Activity (Folk-Fairy Tales) - Formative
Literary Terms Review: Literary Terms / Elements Quiz (wt. 1) Summative
In-class Assessment (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings): Formal Paragraph (wt. 2) Summative
In-class Assessment (Night): Formal Paragraph (wt. 2) Summative
In-class Assessment (Indian Horse): Opinion Paragraph (wt. 2) Summative
In-class Assessment (The Hate U Give): Opinion Paragraph (wt. 2) Summative
In-class Assessment (The Perks of Being a Wallflower): Descriptive Paragraph (wt. 2) Summative
In-class Assessment (A Wizard of Earthsea): Test (reading and thesis statement writing) (wt. 1) Summative
In-class Assessment (Different Seasons "The Body"): Series of Paragraphs Expressing an Opinion (wt. 4) Summative
In-class Assessment Grammar: Presentations (small group presentations) (wt. 3) Summative - This unit may happen before or after the midterm depending on the calendar.
In-class Assessment (Lord of The Flies): Test (reading and thesis statement writing) (wt. 1) Summative - This unit may happen before or after the midterm depending on the calendar.
OSSLT Prep - Formative
In-class Assessment (The Old Man and The Sea): Test (reading and grammar) (wt. 1) Summative
In-class Assessment (The Taming of the Shrew): Video (wt. 3) Summative
In-class Assessment (The Taming of the Shrew): Formal essay (wt. 5) Summative
Poetry - Formative
Before mid-term + after mid-term = 70% of the final mark
CPT
15% of final mark.
Exam
15% of final mark.
Assignments are weighted using a scale of 1 - 5.
1
oral readings
skits
quizzes and tests
informal presentations
annotations or synthesis notes
2
short form writing
3
seminars
presentations
essay outline
4
long form writing
5
major essay
Level 1 50–59%
1- 52% / 1 55% / 1+ 58%
Level 2 60–69%
2- 62% / 2 65% / 2+ 68%
Level 3 70–79%
3- 72% / 3 75% / 3+ 78%
Level 4 80–100%
4- 84% / 4 91% / 4+ 98%
By the end of this course, students will:
1. Listening to Understand: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes;
2. Speaking to Communicate: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes;
3. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as listeners and speakers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in oral communication situations.
By the end of this course, students will:
1. Reading for Meaning: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning;
2. Understanding Form and Style: recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning;
3. Reading With Fluency: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading.
By the end of this course, students will:
1. Developing and Organizing Content: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;
3. Applying Knowledge of Conventions: use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as writers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful at different stages in the writing process.
By the end of this course, students will:
1. Understanding Media Texts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;
2. Understanding Media Forms, Conventions, and Techniques: identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them are used to create meaning;
3. Creating Media Texts: create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as media interpreters and creators, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in understanding and creating media texts.
Students will be assessed and evaluated using the standard province-wide achievement chart that identifies four categories of knowledge and skills in English.
Knowledge and Understanding: Subject-specific content acquired in the course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding).
Thinking: The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes, specifically planning skills, processing skills, and critical/creative thinking processes.
Communication: The conveying of meaning through various forms.
Application: The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts.
The breakdown for this course is as follows:
25% Knowledge and Understanding
25% Thinking
25% Communication
25% Application
70 % Term Work + 15% Culminating Activity + 15% Final Exam.
These values are from the DPCDSB 2023 assessment document.
Please see the student agenda for further details.
1. All major assignments must be handed in on the due dates given. There will be a penalty of 10% for late work. After three school days and parental contact, the assignment will be given a mark of zero.
2. If you are truant, the assessment will be given a mark of zero.
3. If a test is missed due to a legitimate reason, verification by parental / guardian contact must be given and arrangements will be made to either write the test, or complete an alternative assessment. Your parent / guardian must contact the attendance office.
4. Original work is the only work that will be evaluated. Plagiarism of any kind will result in a mark of zero.
5. Some assessments will be handed in in class, others will be handed in to the Google Classroom.
Classes should begin with phones put away. [. . .]
Students Grade 7 and above may not use cellphones or other mobiles devices during class time without the explicit permission of their teacher.
They [students] can use their mobile device during learning time only when:
a teacher says to use it as part of learning, for example, doing research or visiting a specific website
it’s needed for a health or medical reason
it supports special education needs
Taken from https://www.ontario.ca/page/cellphones-and-other-mobile-devices-schools