This course emphasizes the strengthening of the literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills necessary for success in academic and daily life. Students will analyse a range of challenging literary texts from various periods, countries, and cultures; 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 using academic language coherently and confidently, selecting the reading strategies best suited to particular texts and particular purposes for reading, and developing greater control in writing. The course is intended to prepare students for university, college, or the workplace.
By the end of this course, students develop the following skills in these different areas:
| 1. Essay Writing | |
| 1.1 | 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 |
| 1.2 | Developing and Organizing Content: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience |
| 2. Nonfiction & Media Studies | |
| 2.1 | 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 |
| 2.2 | 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 |
| 2.3 | 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. |
| 3. Short Stories & Poetry | |
| 3.1 | Listening to Understand: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes; |
| 3.2 | Reading With Fluency: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently |
| 3.3 | 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. Novel Study: “The Curious Incident of the Dog at Nighttime” | |
| 4.1 | Understanding Form and Style: recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning |
| 4.2 | Speaking to Communicate: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes |
| 4.3 | 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 |
| 5. Shakespeare “Hamlet: Prince of Denmark” | |
| 5.1 | 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 |
| 5.2 | 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 |
| 5.3 | Creating Media Texts: create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques |
| 6. Film Study “The Truman Show” 1994 | |
| 6.1 | Critical Literacy: identify the perspectives and/or biases evident in media texts, including increasingly complex texts, and comment on any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, identity, and power |
| 6.2 | Production Perspectives: explain how a variety of production, marketing, and distribution factors influence the media industry |
| 6.3 | Interconnected Skills: identify a variety of their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing and explain how the skills help them interpret and produce media texts |
| Time Allocated | |
|---|---|
| 1. Unit 1: Essay Writing | |
Students will explore the MLA format and style guide and write an essay following this format. Students will be well prepared for university by improving their academic writing skills such as editing, proofreading and publishing. | 6 Hours (4.5 hrs Online/ 1.5 hrs Offline) |
| 2. Unit 2: Short Stories & Poetry | |
Students will have the opportunity to explore two meaningful thriller short stories; “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allen Poe and “The Judge’s House” by Bram Stoker. Students will explore these literary texts for meaning, identify historical context and bias, as well as evaluate the effectiveness of the texts. Students will also complete a “Mock Trial” assignment where they will be applying previous skills of rhetorical analysis. Students will also explore a poem, “Watching the Perseids” by Isabel Rogers, and identify similar techniques, themes and figurative languages as explored within the two short stories. | 18 hours (5 hrs Online/ 13hrs Offline) |
| 3. Unit 3: Podcasting | |
Students will have the opportunity to not only explore multiple podcasts, but work on creating their own meaningful podcast. This is a meaningful unit as it will require students to engage their critical thinking skills on a new and different level; needing to listen carefully and analyze the content for meaning, rhetoric and facts. | 18 hours (12 hrs Online/ 6 hrs Offline) |
| 4. Unit 4: Novel Study: “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” by Mark Haddon | |
Students will read the novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” by Mark Haddon. This novel is set in England in the 1990’s and follows the story of a young man with a form of autism. Through his novel we will dive into the themes of society, culture, health and stereotypes. Students will produce an essay in this unit, along with other meaningful written work. Students will also have the opportunities to have “round circle” discussions and practice presenting their opinion and ideas in front of an audience. Students will need to buy a hardcopy or ebook version of the novel. | 24 hours (6 hrs Online/ 18 hrs Offline) |
| 5. Unit 5: Play Study: “Hamlet: Prince of Denmark” by William Shakespeare | |
Students will be exploring the language and themes of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, as well as the reading strategies that will help them understand the play. Students will continue to improve their skills of planning, organizing, drafting, revising, and polishing a literary essay are examined, practiced, and assessed throughout this unit. Students can access this play online for free via Sparknotes.com . | 24 hours (6 hrs Online/ 18 hrs Offline) |
| 6. Unit 6: Film Study “Empire of Dirt” a Canadian Film released in 2013 | |
Students will watch the film “Empire of Dirt” and as a class we will work in collaboration to analyze its meaning, production value and purpose. We will explore multiple film techniques used within the film and discuss the value they added. This film is particularly valuable as it showcases the lives of Aboriginal individuals within Canada. | 6 hours (2 hrs Online/ 4hrs Offline) |
| 7. Final Evaluation | |
Cumulative Project: Independent Novel Media Study | 11 hours (4 hrs Online/ 7 hrs Offline) |
| Total | 107 Hours |
This course is organized into a semester format. Lessons and activities will be presented to students via the internet. Synchronous lessons will be provided though live online teaching and lessons, and student to student discussion forums.
A variety of strategies will be used in the online delivery of this course. Instructional strategies will include but are not limited to:
Learning goals will be discussed at the beginning of each assignment and success criteria be provided to students. The success criteria are used to develop the assessment tools in this course, including rubrics and checklists.
A variety of assessment and evaluation methods, strategies and tools are required as appropriate to the expectation being assessed. These include diagnostic, formative and summative within the course and within each unit. We strictly follow the Ministry of Education’s Growing Success document.
Assessment FOR Learning and Assessment AS Learning is obtained through a variety of means, including the following:
Evidence of student achievement (assessment OF learning) is collected through ongoing observations of most consistent work, with consideration given to most recent work from various sources.
Assessment and evaluation in this course will be based on the provincial Ontario Curriculum expectations. Students will be provided with numerous and varied opportunities to demonstrate the full extent of their achievement. Categories of assessment and breakdowns are as follows:
A final grade will be determined as follows:
Students with special needs and English Language Learners will be provided with accommodation, including additional time, assistive technology and scribe where available. Teachers who are planning a program in this subject make an effort to take into account considerations for program planning that align with the Ontario Ministry of Education policy and initiatives in a number of important areas.
Learning Skills listed below are key to student success. Learning Skills are assessed independently of achievement and are determined through observation and participation. A checklist and student conference will be used to determine the level in each category.
This course will be entirely administered online, with most resources being available for free. The students will need to purchase either a hard copy book, or an ebook of the following:
$549.00
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