COURSE TITLE: Language Arts 11
TEACHER: Mrs. T Doherty
ROOM: B1.3
E-MAIL: Theresa_Doherty@edu.odedodea.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The Language Arts 11
course is designed to help students develop stronger language skills in several
areas:
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Reading and Interpretation of Literature
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Writing
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Speaking, Listening, and Viewing
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Conventions, Grammar, and Usage of the English Language
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Public and Functional Documents
Basic course content in each of these areas is outlined
below:
Reading and Interpretation of Literature: Students
will read a wide range of materials by a range of authors on different
subjects. A broad variety of literary
devices and techniques will be studied, including elements such as setting,
characterization, plot, theme, and point of view. Various types of figurative language and poetic devices such as
analogy, metaphor, simile, personification, rhyme, meter, onomatopoeia,
symbolism, etc., will also be integral to our course of study.
Students will be required to “go deep” into at least one
area of interest. Students will be
encouraged to pursue themes, authors, and genres that are of interest to
them. Additionally, students will be
required to work with informational materials in order to develop understanding
and expertise about the topics they investigate.
Our study focuses on American literature and is organized
chronologically, examining classical pieces of writing as outgrowths of the
historic eras in which they were produced.
We gain interesting insights into literature, as well, through an
investigation into the more immediate and personal circumstances of an author’s
life experiences and how those experiences emerge in his or her writing.
Some group reading will be done in class, in order to facilitate
group discussion and give students the opportunity to analyze literature “out
loud” with their teacher acting as a catalyst/guide for the discussion. Students will also have many opportunities
to read and analyze pieces of literature individually, so that they might
personally practice the skills they are gaining through the group effort.
Writing:
Students will study and practice taking several pieces of writing
through a process that includes prewriting activities, drafting, revision,
proofreading, and publication. They will use the 6 + 1 Trait process as a tool
towards strengthening their writing. In
this approach to writing, as much instructional emphasis is given to how
students go about writing as is given to what students write in an effort
to help students learn the practices and skills that will enable them to write
more effectively.
The class will spend time discussing how ideas are developed
for writing as well as on how and why various organizational patterns are
chosen to best communicate any particular idea. After exploring the necessity of establishing a tightly focused
thesis statement and the benefits of outlining, students will discuss and
practice drafting their ideas. Here,
the class will discuss strategies for getting ideas into textual form. Basic essay form, including the elements of
introduction, body, and conclusion will be discussed, sampled, and
practiced. During the process of
revision, students will recognize the need to refine their ideas after rough
drafting and, at times, even to rethink or alter the original direction of
their writing.
In as much as current educational theory recommends delaying
concerns about language correctness until the ideas in a piece of writing have
been satisfactorily treated, students learn to concentrate on content first and
to save more “mechanical” concerns for the next stage of the writing process,
which is called proofreading/editing.
Along the way students will have opportunities for peer and adult
audiences to read their work as it approaches final draft form, giving them the
advantage of further refining their work as they consider the feedback they
receive from others. Undoubtedly,
students grow to realize that writing is a complicated and highly artistic, as
well as academic, process and that simply knowing “the rules” does not
guarantee good writing. Experience is
the best teacher, so students will almost continually be involved in some form
of composition.
Students will also study various modes of developing their
ideas in writing. The class will
discuss, sample, and practice each of the forms that writing often takes:
narration, description, persuasion, and exposition—with exposition being broken
down into methods of thesis development such as comparison/contrast, division/classification,
definition, and causal analysis. The
study of criteria specific to each of the various types of writing will ensure
that students become familiar with the strategies that characterize specific writing
forms and encourage students to use these criteria when they review and revise
their work.
Speaking, Listening, and Viewing: Students will have
daily opportunities to develop their listening and speaking skills as they are
encouraged and required to listen to class discussion carefully enough to keep
meaningful class notes, read passages of literature and personal composition
aloud, express their opinions and experiences to their peers, and occasionally
make formal presentations to the class.
Outlining skills for taking notes of class discussion will be modeled
frequently on the blackboard for students to follow. Students will also develop an awareness that the media play an
integral part in most of their lives and that each one of them needs increasingly
sophisticated tools for dealing with media influences.
Conventions, Grammar, and Usage of the English Language:
We will practice these aspects of language everyday in an organized
routine. Also, some of this will happen
spontaneously—as the class identifies topics of concern, based on a review of
actual student writing and an assessment of strengths and weaknesses. Some of our study will happen
programmatically—with topics being covered systematically in conjunction with
the formal study of writing. For
example, our class discussion and practice of the proofreading stage of the
writing process provides a natural opportunity to address concerns such as
spelling, punctuation, and grammatical issues such as pronoun/antecedent and
subject/verb agreement, etc.
Public and Functional Documents: These standards address the increasing need
to prepare students to deal with the complexities involved in being a citizen
in a democracy by focusing on those texts that address issues in the public
sphere. Integral to active citizenship
is an understanding of both the issues being addressed and the methods by which
these issues are presented. Students
need to be able to examine critically the evidence presented to them, determine
the types of evidence that are acceptable in formulating various arguments, and
to make informed judgments about issues that impact them. To do so, students must learn to read with a
critical eye the arguments made by other people. These standards also recognize the increasing need people have to
communicate with one another. In the
emerging literacy of a technological world, documents such as the instructions
for programming a VCR, computer manuals, and corporate memoranda each serve the
purpose of helping someone get something done.
Students who will be asked to function efficiently in such a world need
to be adept with the literacy such a world brings, which means they need to
become skilled at “reading” materials such as charts and graphs, reference
materials for large, complex procedures, and memoranda and other correspondence
that contain the information they need to do their jobs successfully. Students must also understand how to
participate in such a world as contributors, whether that means producing a set
of instructions or communicating a body of data graphically.
COURSE GOALS/OBJECTIVES/STANDARDS:
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTIONS for Grade 11
The performance standards for English Language Arts define
high standards of literacy. The
standards focus on what is central to the domain; they are built around
reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing: and they acknowledge the
importance of conventions, literature, public discourse, and functional
documents.
Reading is a process which includes demonstrating
comprehension and showing evidence of a warranted and responsible
interpretation of the text. "Comprehension" means getting the gist of
a text. It is most frequently illustrated by demonstrating an understanding of
the text as a whole; identifying complexities presented in the structure of the
text; and extracting salient information from the text. In providing
evidence of a responsible interpretation, students may make
connections between parts of a text, among several texts, and between texts and
other experiences; make extensions and applications of a text; and examine
texts critically and evaluatively.
E1a—The student reads at least twenty-five books or book
equivalents each year. The quality and
complexity of the materials to be read are illustrated in the sample reading
list. The materials should include traditional and contemporary literature
(both fiction and non-fiction) as well as magazines, newspapers, textbooks, and
on-line materials. Such reading should represent a diverse collection of
material from at least three different literary forms and from at least five
different writers.
E1b—The student reads and comprehends at least four books
(or book equivalents) about one issue or subject, or four books by a single
writer, or four books in one genre, and produces evidence of reading that:
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makes and supports warranted and responsible assertions about the texts;
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supports assertions with elaborated and convincing evidence;
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draws the texts together to compare and contrast themes, characters, and
ideas;
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makes perceptive and well developed connections;
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evaluates writing strategies and elements of the author’s craft.
E1c—The student reads and comprehends informational
materials to develop understanding and expertise and produces written or oral
work that:
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interprets and analyzes information;
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relates new information to prior knowledge or experience;
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extends ideas;
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makes connections to related topics or information.
Writing is a process through which a writer shapes language
to communicate effectively. Writing
often develops through a series of initial plans and multiple drafts and
through access to informed feedback and response. Purpose, audience, and context contribute to the form and
substance of writing as well as to its style, tone, and stance. Writing will
be taught using the 6 +1 trait writing process, which is AFNORTH International
School’s Continuous School Progress goal.
E2a—The student produces a
report that:
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engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a persona, and
otherwise developing reader interest;
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develops a controlling idea that conveys a perspective on the subject;
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creates an organizing structure appropriate to a specific purpose,
audience and context;
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includes appropriate facts and details;
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excludes extraneous and inappropriate information;
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uses a range of appropriate strategies, such as providing facts and
details, describing or analyzing the subject, narrating a relevant anecdote,
comparing and contrasting, naming, explaining benefits or limitations,
demonstrating claims or assertions, and providing a scenario to illustrate;
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provides a sense of closure to the writing.
E2b—The student produces a response to literature that:
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engages the reader through establishing a context, creating a persona,
and otherwise developing reader interest;
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advances a judgment that is interpretive, analytic, evaluative, or
reflective;
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supports a judgment through references to the text, references to other
works, authors, or non-print media, or references to personal knowledge;
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demonstrates understanding of the literary work through suggesting an
interpretation;
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anticipates and answers a reader’s questions;
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recognizes possible ambiguities, nuances, complexities, and analogies;
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provides a sense of closure to the writing.
E2c—The student produces a narrative account (fictional or
autobiographical) that:
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engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a point of view,
and otherwise developing reader interest;
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establishes a situation, plot, point of view, setting, and conflict (and
for autobiography, the significance of events and of conclusions that can be
drawn from those events);
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creates an organizing structure;
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includes sensory details and concrete language to develop plot and
character;
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excludes extraneous details and inconsistencies;
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develops complex characters;
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uses a range of appropriate strategies, such as a dialogue, tension or
suspense, naming, pacing, and specific narrative action, e.g., movement,
gestures, expressions;
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provides a sense of closure to the writing.
E2d—The student produces a narrative that:
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engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a persona, and
otherwise developing reader interest;
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provides a guide to action for a complicated procedure in order to
anticipate a reader’s needs; creates expectations through predictable
structures, e.g., headings; and provides smooth transitions between steps;
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makes use of appropriate writing strategies, such as creating a visual
hierarchy and using white space and graphics as appropriate;
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includes relevant information;
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excludes extraneous information;
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anticipates problems, mistakes, and misunderstandings that might arise
for the reader;
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provides a sense of closure to the writing.
E2e—The student produces a persuasive essay that:
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engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a persona, and
otherwise developing reader interest;
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develops a controlling idea that makes a clear and knowledgeable
judgment;
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creates an organizing structure that is appropriate to the needs,
values, and interests of a specified audience, and arranges details, reasons,
examples, and anecdotes effectively and persuasively;
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includes appropriate information and arguments;
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excludes information and arguments that are irrelevant;
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anticipates and addresses reader concerns and counter-arguments;
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supports arguments with detailed evidence, citing sources of information
as appropriate;
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uses a range of strategies to elaborate and persuade, such as
definitions, descriptions, illustrations, examples from evidence, and
anecdotes;
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provides a sense of closure to the writing.
E2f—The student produces a reflective essay that:
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engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a persona, and
otherwise developing reader interest;
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analyzes a condition or situation of significance;
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develops a commonplace, concrete occasion as the basis for the
reflection, e.g., personal observation or experience;
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creates an organizing structure appropriate to purpose and audience;
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uses a variety of writing strategies, such as concrete details,
comparing and contrasting, naming, describing, creating a scenario;
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provides a sense of closure to the writing.
ELA3: Speaking,
Listening, and Viewing
Speaking, listening, and viewing are fundamental processes
which people use to express, explore, and learn about ideas. The functions of speaking, listening, and
viewing include gathering and sharing information; persuading others; expressing
and understanding ideas; coordinating activities with others; and selecting and
critically analyzing messages. The
contexts of these communication functions include one-to-one conferences, small
group interactions, large audiences and meetings, and interactions with
broadcast media.
E3a—The student participates in one-to-one conferences with
a teacher, paraprofessional, or adult volunteer, in which the student:
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initiates new topics in addition to responding to adult-initiated
topics;
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asks relevant questions;
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responds to questions with appropriate elaboration;
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uses language cues to indicate different levels of certainty or
hypo9thesizing, e.g., “what if...,” “very likely...,” “I’m unsure whether...”;
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confirms understanding by paraphrasing the adult’s directions or
suggestions.
E3b—The student participates in group meetings, in which the
student:
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displays appropriate turn-taking behaviors;
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actively solicits another person’s comment or opinion;
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offers own opinion forcefully without dominating;
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responds appropriately to comments and questions;
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volunteers contributions and responds when directly solicited by teacher
or discussion leader;
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gives reasons in support of opinions expressed;
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clarifies, illustrates, or expands on a response when asked to do so;
asks classmates for similar expansions;
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employs a group decision-making technique such as brainstorming or a
problem-solving sequence (e.g., recognize problem, define problem, identify
possible solutions, select optimal solution, implement solution, evaluate
solution);
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divides labor so as to achieve the overall group goal efficiently.
E3c—The student prepares and delivers an individual
presentation, in which the student:
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shapes information to achieve a particular purpose and to appeal to the
interests and background knowledge of audience members;
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shapes content and organization according to criteria for importance and
impact rather than according to availability of information in resource
materials;
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uses notes or other memory aids to structure the presentation;
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develops several main points relating to a single thesis;
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engages the audience with appropriate verbal cues and eye contact;
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projects a sense of individuality and personality in selecting and
organizing content, and in delivery.
E3d—The student makes informed judgments about television,
radio, and film productions; that is, the student:
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demonstrates an awareness of the presence of the media in the daily
lives of most people;
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evaluates the role of the media in focusi9ng attention and in forming
opinion;
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judges the extent to which the media are a source of entertainment as
well as a source of information;
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defines the role of advertising as part of media presentation.
E3e—The student listens to and analyzes a public speaking
performance; that is, the student:
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takes notes on salient information;
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identifies types of arguments (e.g., causation, authority, analogy,
patriotism, emotion, ethics) and identifies types of logical fallacies (e.g.,
ad hominem, inferring causation from correlation, over-generalization, faulty
syllogism, red herring, begging the question);
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accurately summarizes and evaluates the essence of each speaker’s
response;
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formulates and supports a judgment about the issues under discussion.
ELA 4: Conventions, Grammar, and Usage of the English
Language
Having control of the conventions and grammar of the English
language means having the ability to represent oneself appropriately with
regard to current standards of correctness (e.g., spelling, punctuation,
paragraphing, capitalization, subject-verb agreement). Usage involves the appropriate application
of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats.
E4a—The student independently and habitually demonstrates an
understanding of the rules of the English language in written and oral work,
and selects the structures and features of language appropriate to the purpose,
audience, and context of the work. The
student demonstrates control of:
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grammar;
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paragraph structure;
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punctuation;
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sentence construction;
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spelling;
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usage;
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syntax;
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diction;
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tone;
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point of view.
E4b—The student analyzes and subsequently revises work to
clarify it or make it more effective in communicating the intended message or
thought. The student’s revisions should
be made in light of the purposes, audiences, and contexts that apply to the
work. Strategies for revising include:
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adding or deleting details;
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adding or deleting explanations;
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clarifying difficult passages;
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rearranging words, sentences, and paragraphs to improve or clarify
meaning;
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sharpening the focus;
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reconsidering the organizational structure;
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rethinking and/or rewriting the piece in light of different audiences
and purposes.
Literature consists of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and
essays as distinguished from instructional, expository, or journalistic
writing.
E5a—The student responds to non-fiction, fiction, poetry,
and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes; that is, the
student:
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analyzes the characteristics of literary forms and genres;
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evaluates literary merit;
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explains the effect of point of view;
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makes inferences and draws conclusions about fictional and non-fictional
contexts, events, characters, settings, themes, and styles;
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interprets the effect of literary devices, such as figurative language,
allusion, diction, dialogue, description, symbolism;
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evaluates the stance of a writer in shaping the presentation of a
subject;
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interprets ambiguities, subtleties, contradictions, ironies, and nuances
and analogies;
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understands the role of tone in presenting literature (both fictional
and non-fictional);
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demonstrates how literary works (both fictional and non-fictional) reflect
the culture that shaped them.
E5b—The student produces work in at least one literary genre
that follows the conventions of the genre.
ELA 6: Public Documents
A public document is a document that focuses on civic issues
or matters of public policy at the community level or beyond. These documents, ranging from speeches to
editorials to radio and television spots to pamphlets, do at least one of the
following: take issue with a
controversial public policy; suggest an alternative course of action; analyze
and defend a contemporary public policy; define a public problem and suggest
policy.
E6a—The student identifies strategies common to public
documents and public discourse, including:
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effective use of argument;
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use of the power of anecdote;
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anticipation of counter claims;
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appeal to audiences both friendly and hostile to the position presented;
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use of emotionally laden words and imagery;
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citing of appropriate references or authorities.
E6b—The student creates public documents, in which the
student:
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exhibits an awareness of the importance of precise word choice and the
power of imagery and/or anecdote;
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utilizes and recognizes the power of logical arguments, arguments based
on appealing to a reader’s emotions, and arguments dependent upon the writer’s
persona;
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uses arguments that are appropriate in terms of the knowledge, values,
and degree of understanding of the intended audience;
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uses a range of strategies to appeal to readers.
ELA 7: Functional Documents
A functional document is a document that exists in order to
get things done, usually within a relatively limited setting such as a social
club, a business, an office, a church, or an agency. These often take the form of memoranda, letters, instructions,
and statements of organization policies.
Functional documents require that particular attention be paid to issue
of layout, presentation, and particularly to audience and the way different
audiences will interact with the documents.
E7a—The student identifies strategies common to effective
functional documents, including:
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visual appeal, e.g. format, graphics, white space, headers;
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logic of the sequence in which the directions are given;
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awareness of possible reader misunderstandings and misconceptions;
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purposeful composition and the precision of the content and language;
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validity of desired outcomes and implications.
E7b—The student creates functional documents appropriate to
audience and purpose, in which the student:
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reports, organizes, and conveys information and ideas accurately;
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includes relevant narrative details, such as scenarios, definitions, and
examples;
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anticipates readers’ problems, mistakes, and misunderstandings;
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uses a variety of formatting techniques, such as headings, subordinate
terms, foregrounding of main ideas, hierarchical structures, graphics, and
color;
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employs word choices that are consistent with the persona and appropriate
for the intended audience.
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE:
First Quarter:
Unit 1: 6
+1 Trait: Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency,
Conventions, and Presentation.
The
Writing Process: Stage I—Pre-Writing
Stage II—Drafting
Stage
III—Revision
Stage IV—Proofreading/Editing
Unit
II:6 +1 Trait writing: Narration