NEW ENGLISH CURRICULUM!

A QUICK AND EXCITING JOURNEY THROUGH THE CHANGES TO THE ENGLISH CURRICULUM

NEW CHOICES AT THE GRADE 11 LEVEL!

AT THE GRADE 11 LEVEL, FOR REGULAR ENGLISH YOU NOW HAVE 5 DIFFERENT CHOICES:

• English 11 Composition

• English 11 New Media

• English 11 Creative Writing

• English 11 Spoken Language

• English 11 Focused Literary Studies

YOU WILL ALSO HAVE THE OPTION OF

1. Communications 11 (last year offered)

2. Crossroads Program

ALL ENGLISH 11 COURSES ARE ACADEMICALLY SIMILAR!!!!!!

(This is not relevant for Communications/Crossroads)

All courses will be focused on the key English skills:

1. Comprehending and connecting (reading, listening, viewing)

2. Creating and communicating (writing, speaking, representing)

GENERALLY, THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME REQUIREMENTS FOR TEXT FEATURES AND STRUCTURES

• features and structures of First Peoples text: — narrative structures found in First Peoples texts — issues related to the ownership of First Peoples texts, and protocols for their use — the legal status of First Peoples oral tradition in Canada

• • forms, functions, and genres of texts

• • elements of non-fiction texts

• • elements of visual/graphic texts

• • literal and inferential meaning

• • bias, propaganda, manipulation Strategies and processes

• • reading strategies

• • oral language strategies

• • metacognitive strategies

• • writing processes

GENERALLY THEY ALL HAVE THESAME REQUIREMENTS FOR LANGUAGE FEATURES,

STRUCTURES, AND CONVENTIONS* features of oral language

• syntax and sentence fluency

• elements of style

• rhetorical devices

• usage

• conventions

• persuasive techniques

• literary elements and devices

• citation techniques

• presentation techniques

ALL COURSES HAVE THE SAME GENERAL BIG IDEAS

• The exploration of text and story deepens our understanding of diverse, complex ideas about identity, others, and the world.

• People understand text differently depending on their worldviews and perspectives.

• Texts are socially, culturally, geographically, and historically constructed.

• Language shapes ideas and influences others.

• Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.

THINK OF THIS AWESOME SALAD ANALOGY: EACH COURSE IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME SALAD-SAME VEGETABLES ETC.

THE DIFFERENT CHOICES ARE JUST LIKE ADDING DIFFERENT SALAD DRESSINGS ON TOP!

ENGLISH 11 COMPOSITION

For this one, the salad dressing is the composition portion! It will be like a regular English class, but with even more focus on:

• narrative, expository, descriptive, persuasive, and opinion pieces, with attention to areas such as thesis development, structure, transitions, hooks and leads, persuasion, argumentation, and the study of a wide range of sample works

• writing for specific professional audiences and specific academic disciplines

• how to cite sources, consider the credibility of evidence, and evaluate the quality and reliability of the source

ENGLISH 11 NEW MEDIA

The salad dressing is the New Media portion! It will be like a regular English class, but with more of a focus on:

• Digital communication skills

• Media and film studies

• Journalism and Publishing

• Digital Communication-blogging, writing for the web, writing for social media, podcasting etc.

ENGLISH 11 CREATIVE WRITING

• The salad dressing is the creative writing component! It will be like a regular English class, but with more focus on:

• The exploration of personal and cultural identities, memories, and stories.

• Writing in a wide variety of genres, including: Short fiction and poetry, drama, script writing, memoir, creative non-fiction-features, articles, queries, interviews etc.

ENGLISH 11 SPOKEN LANGUAGE

The salad dressing is the spoken language component! It will be like a regular English class, but with more focus on:

• Studying, creating and using language to further strengthen verbal communication skills.

• This course may be of particular interest to students with strong verbal communication skills, students who want to develop their oral language skills, students going into professions in which presentation skills are an asset, and students who may wish to help maintain oral traditions.

Focus includes:

• Performance & Public Speaking

• Oral tradition-including First People’s oral history traditions

• Professional applications (speechwriting, proposals, interviewing etc.)

ENGLISH 11 FOCUSED LITERARY STUDIES

• The salad dressing is the New Media portion! It will be like a regular English class, but with more of a focus on:

• Specific themes, periods, authors, or areas of the world through literary works (fiction and non-fiction) in a variety of media.

• Increasing literacy skills through close reading of appropriately challenging texts

• Expanding development as educated global citizens

• Broadening your understanding of yourselves and the world

• Developing your skills of analysis through writing

• Furthering development of higher-level thinking

Choose what interests you most!

• In Grade 12 you will all come back together for straight up English 12