ENGLISH 9 CP
The Elements of Literature
The Elements of Literature
Click the following link to access the course syllabus for English 9 CP.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The thrust of this college preparatory course is to help students challenge themselves in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The course focuses on the study of core and extended works, including novels, short stories, poetry, and drama. Students read and discuss selections from all genres and deal with a variety of themes and topics. Students read and discuss selections from all genres and deal with a variety of themes and topics. Students will also have a wide range of writing assignments and will learn the effective use of process writing and build an extensive vocabulary. Furthermore, they will develop higher level thinking skills and focus on the analysis of themes by responding to literature in writing, discussion, collaborative learning activities, and oral presentations.
The thrust of this college preparatory course is to help students challenge themselves in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The course focuses on the study of core and extended works, including novels, short stories, poetry, and drama. Students read and discuss selections from all genres and deal with a variety of themes and topics. Students read and discuss selections from all genres and deal with a variety of themes and topics. Students will also have a wide range of writing assignments and will learn the effective use of process writing and build an extensive vocabulary. Furthermore, they will develop higher level thinking skills and focus on the analysis of themes by responding to literature in writing, discussion, collaborative learning activities, and oral presentations.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this course is to help students not only consume, but also appreciate literature and write effectively and confidently across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives. Students are expected to read critically, think analytically, and communicate clearly both in writing and presentation.
The purpose of this course is to help students not only consume, but also appreciate literature and write effectively and confidently across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives. Students are expected to read critically, think analytically, and communicate clearly both in writing and presentation.
Incorporating art, music, and media.
Because this curriculum promotes the importance of the arts, sections of study units have been highlighted where English-Language Arts instruction could be enhanced by connecting a work of literature or an objective of the unit to art, music, or film. Where a particular period of literature or the literature of a particular region or country is addressed, works of art from that period or country may also be examined.
Promoting student understanding through recitation and memorization.
Recitation requires close reading and therefore nurtures deeper levels of students’ understanding. Students also benefit from the satisfaction of making a poem or piece of prose one’s own for life. Memorization and recitation help develop a student’s experience and confidence in public speaking, which could help students marshal evidence and make effective arguments in other contexts. Memorization will not be mandatory in every unit.
Because this curriculum promotes the importance of the arts, sections of study units have been highlighted where English-Language Arts instruction could be enhanced by connecting a work of literature or an objective of the unit to art, music, or film. Where a particular period of literature or the literature of a particular region or country is addressed, works of art from that period or country may also be examined.
Promoting student understanding through recitation and memorization.
Recitation requires close reading and therefore nurtures deeper levels of students’ understanding. Students also benefit from the satisfaction of making a poem or piece of prose one’s own for life. Memorization and recitation help develop a student’s experience and confidence in public speaking, which could help students marshal evidence and make effective arguments in other contexts. Memorization will not be mandatory in every unit.
PRIMARY LEARNING GOALS:
The approach to such reading involves the experience of literature (the subjective dimension of reading and responding to literary works, including critical impressions and emotional responses), the interpretation of literature (the analysis of literary works through close reading to arrive at an understanding of their multiple meanings), and the evaluation of literature (an assessment of the quality and artistic accomplishment of literary works and a consideration of their social and cultural values). Each of these aspects of reading corresponds to an approach to writing about literary works. In this course, writing to understand a literary work involves writing response and reaction papers, along with close reading and annotation. Writing to explain a literary work involves analysis and interpretation, and will include writing brief focused analyses on aspects of language and structure. Writing to evaluate a literary work first involves making and exploring judgments about its artistry and exploring its underlying social and cultural values through analysis, interpretation, and argument. By the end of the course, students will understand:
The approach to such reading involves the experience of literature (the subjective dimension of reading and responding to literary works, including critical impressions and emotional responses), the interpretation of literature (the analysis of literary works through close reading to arrive at an understanding of their multiple meanings), and the evaluation of literature (an assessment of the quality and artistic accomplishment of literary works and a consideration of their social and cultural values). Each of these aspects of reading corresponds to an approach to writing about literary works. In this course, writing to understand a literary work involves writing response and reaction papers, along with close reading and annotation. Writing to explain a literary work involves analysis and interpretation, and will include writing brief focused analyses on aspects of language and structure. Writing to evaluate a literary work first involves making and exploring judgments about its artistry and exploring its underlying social and cultural values through analysis, interpretation, and argument. By the end of the course, students will understand:
- what they read: the main theme or idea, the occasion or context, the author’s motivation for writing, the tone and style;
- how a text is created to convey meaning and purpose including genre, organization, paragraphing, syntax;
- the relationship of the text’s creation to its accomplishment, the purpose of academic intellectual prose, its meaning and effect;
- how to transcend simple summary and articulate their analysis of what they read;
- how the organizational structure, diction, syntax, imagery, figurative language flesh out the meaning and artistic value of a literary text;
- how to approach literary pieces from a variety of critical perspectives;
- how to discern and demonstrate the presence of basic cultural and historical contexts;
- how fiction and poetry convey arguments;
- how to discern an author’s point(s) of view through a literary work;
- how to create, develop, and support an argument;
- how to effectively support their interpretation of a literary work;
- how to analyze the function, significance, and contemporary relevance of basic cultural and historical contexts on specific pieces;
- how to distinguish, synthesize, and articulate commonalities between various literary works across a variety of genres;
- how many themes are universal as they reflect on the human condition;
- how to work collaboratively with peers, to discover and embrace multiple perspectives, to listen effectively;
- effective research skills and proper MLA citation;
- how to read a question or prompt, so they know exactly what it requires and how to approach it;
- how to enhance their vocabulary as a means to effective writing;
- how to deconstruct archaic prose.