ELA 12 - Syllabus
- 1. English Language Arts 12 Instructor: Ashley Slade Email: [email protected] Phone: (778) 987-8691 English Language Arts 12 is a provincially examinable course that is evaluated by universities as part of their admission process. ELA 12 serves as a final assessment of a student’s intermediate reading and writing skills and an introduction to post-secondary representation techniques. At the end of the school year, each student must complete the provincial exam which will then be assessed and recorded on their school transcript, which will be used by universities as part of their admissions process. This exam is worth 40% of each student’s ELA 12 grade. Therefore, this course aims to help students develop and further hone their speaking, representing, and writing skills in ways that will be useful in preparation for the provincial. About the Provincial Exam The exam includes four parts. Part A consists of answering several multiple choice questions and one extended written response question about the form and content of several pieces of text; these pieces can be poetry, news articles, blogs, short stories, or any other form of prose deemed appropriate by the Ministry. Part B is reading comprehension using multiple choice questions, much like Part A. Part C synthesizes texts from the previous portions. Students will also complete a full composition response that integrates content and theme from these passages as well. Part D is almost independent from the rest of the exam and asks students to create an original composition in either narrative-descriptive form OR persuasive essay style. This composition is linked back to the rest of the exam through theme only. Both of the written portions in Part B and Part C are assessed on the Ministry’s 6 point scale: the average grade for native English speakers on these written components is a 4. Course Objectives The Prescribed Learning Outcomes for the language arts are quite extensive and can be viewed at the Ministry of Education’s website. Summarily, the goals of ELA 12 are for students to: • Develop a stronger academic vocabulary; one comparable to a post-secondary student • Work collaboratively and independently to create a variety of forms for a range of audiences and purposes • Respond critically to a range of texts, applying their understanding of language, form, and genre, including fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry • Interpret, select, and combine information using a variety of strategies, resources, and technologies Course Materials - Binder with lined papers and 10 sectional dividers - Writing utensils (blue and black inked pens) - Device such as a laptop or iPad for research projects - Hamlet by William Shakespeare - The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill Assessment and Feedback All extended writing assignments will be summatively assessed using BC Ministry of Education rubrics. However, students will also receive formative assessment throughout each unit through oral feedback, brief notes, group editing, and so on. At the end of each unit, all students will receive a comment card with their grades and specific feedback. Parents and/or YES! Administration may request a current copy of these records at any time throughout the course.
- 2. Course Outline Course Topic Learning Outcomes & Rationale Time Required Vocabulary The key to successful writing is being able to adequately explain one’s thoughts to another; it is impossible to do this without having a vast personal knowledge of English vocabulary. As Part D of the provincial exam completely relies on a student’s command of the English language, vocabulary is essential. Students must also learn the academic vocabulary of English literature, including poetic and literary devices, literary forms, and genres. Vocabulary development is integrated into each lesson. Grammar Basic and intermediate grammar will be practiced and reviewed throughout all units in this course where deemed most appropriate by the instructor. Technical writing is one of the key aspects assessed on the provincial. An occasional portion of class. Articles, blogs, newspapers, etc. This unit will focus on reader response, proper sentence structure and stylistic options, and reference formatting. In this unit, students will be exposed to a variety of literary forms, such as newspaper articles, blog articles, websites, videos, timelines, etc. All of these formats have previously been included in Parts A-C of the provincial exam. 8 hours (4 classes) Short Stories In the short story unit, students will read prose written by authors of various ethnic origins, genders, and social statuses. The purpose of this is to expose students to a variety of writing styles and techniques that they can adopt in their own writing. Students will also learn the components of fiction and non-fiction prose, which will allow students to identify them on the exam. Students will be assessed using short answer and paragraph response questions. Lessons will focus on how to answer these questions to exam standards. 20 hours (10 classes) Novel Study The novel study will be focused on reading The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill and will involve a unit project (details will be given in class). This unit is important for vocabulary development, developing skills in textual interpretation and analysis, and understanding purpose in literary works. Students will also learn to read and write from various perspectives as we examine social context throughout the book. 36 hours (18 classes) Poetry Part A of the provincial contains between one and two poems every year, and, unfortunately, this is the area most students have difficulty with. This unit will focus on learning poetic terms and devices that will help students to analyse the poetry on the exam. We will also discuss how poetic forms and contemporary social issues can influence content and vice versa. 20 hours (10 classes) Play During this unit, students will be introduced to English playwright William Shakespeare, more specifically, his work Hamlet. Shakespearean plays are the perfect way to hone interpretation and analytical skills which are necessary for success on the provincial. At the end of the unit, students will be expected to complete an interpretation and representation project that will involve the 26 hours (13 classes)
- 3. knowledge and use of Renaissance English. This project will be assessed using the Ministry’s 6-point rubric. Essay Writing As the summative assessment method for this course is the provincial exam, this unit will focus on developing skills in the writing styles permitted in Parts C and D of the exam: synthesis essay writing, descriptive and narrative compositions, and persuasive essay writing. Students will learn proper referencing methods (including MLA and APA) and various stylistic techniques. Several essays will be written by each student, and each essay will be assessed using the Ministry’s 6-point rubric. 30 hours (15 classes) Exam Preparation At the end of the course, several classes will be set aside for mock exams. Each exam will be assessed, and all students will receive written feedback in order to better prepare for the provincial exam. 20 hours (10 classes) - 5 full mock exams Total Time Required: 160 Hours (80 Classes)
- 4. Ashley’s Recommended Readings for Senior Students This list includes literature from many different historical periods, including modern day. Novels: It is highly encouraged that students read a variety of literature to enhance their reading abilities and their writing styles and vocabulary. Below are novels of various genres and perspectives. The Cure for Death by Lightning by Gail Anderson-Dargatz Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Great Expectations by Charles Dickens The Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner The Road by Cormac McCarthy I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai In the Forest by Edna O’Brien The Orenda by Joseph Boyden The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (also the MaddAdam trilogy) Poetry: The following poets are discussed in higher level secondary classes and post-secondary classes. One or two principal poems from each poet are listed; however, students are encouraged to explore more writing from these poets. TS Eliott: The Wasteland Seamus Heaney: “Digging”; “Blackberry Picking” Sylvia Plath: “Lady Lazarus” W.H. Auden: “If I could Tell You” Philip Larkin: “The Whitsun Weddings”; “High Windows” William Carlos Williams: “This is Just to Say” Steven Wallace: “The Idea of Order at Key West” Adrienne Rich: “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” Rita Wong: “Canola Queasy” John Milton: Paradise Lost Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Queene John Donne: “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning” Plays: The BC Curriculum requires students to read myriad texts, including dramatic pieces. Below are recommendations based on the curriculum requirements and others that are discussed in post-secondary. The Iliad; The Odyssey by Homer Much Ado About Nothing; Titus Andronicus; Othello by William Shakespeare Fences by August Wilson