Essential Questions/Enduring understandings
Over the course of the year, the literatature we read will be focused around these central questions:
How does one overcome the flaws of humankind to find hope, beauty, purpose and identity in the world?
How does fear control society?
What is the inherent nature of humankind?
How does a student's background and perspective affect the understanding of decisions, actions and consequences?
How does one overcome the flaws of humankind to find hope, beauty, purpose and identity in the world?
How does fear control society?
What is the inherent nature of humankind?
How does a student's background and perspective affect the understanding of decisions, actions and consequences?
course learning goals
The MSHS Language Arts department has identified these learning goals for sophomore Language Arts. These goals are based on the Common Core Standards. Links to the specific Common Core Standards can be find after each learning goal. Please be aware that the MSHS Course Learning Goals are a draft document, and represent work that is still in progress.
These learning goals provide the foundation for the activities we do in class.
WRITING
Students will use writing as a method to articulate a complex understanding and analysis of thematic topics encountered in a variety of literary and informational texts, sources, and scenarios (1, 2, 3, 9).
Students will understand the structured writing process for persuasive (1), expository (2), research (7, 8), and narrative modes (3). Students will own the process (5) and write independently with confidence for a range of tasks, modes, purposes, and audiences (4, 10).
Students will:
* Develop an effective argument and formulate well-organized written work (1, 2, 5).
* Understand how to identify, evaluate, “harvest,” and smoothly embed effective concrete detail and evidence from various sources,
including research, statistics, non-fiction and fiction sources from a variety of academic disciplines (1, 2, 4, 8, 9).
* Develop sophisticated and effective commentary and analysis in order to support overall argument and thesis (1, 2, 9).
* Recognize the importance of revising and editing drafts effectively (5). Produce a professional final draft, utilizing a variety of publishing
techniques, including technology and a range of academic formatting guidelines(6).
Students will use the writing process routinely, learn from the process, and recognize the importance of reflection in order to progress as effective writers, thinkers, and communicators (10).
READING
Students will actively identify, interpret, and analyze the themes and purposes encountered in a variety of literary, artistic, and informational texts and sources (2, 3, 7).
Students will be active readers and utilize the strategies of predicting; visualizing; connecting to self, community, and world; evaluating; clarifying and questioning; and summarizing to enhance literal comprehension of complex texts (6, 8, 10).
Students will be critical readers, evaluating the validity of an author’s argument, reasoning, intent, and evidence (8).
Students will actively analyze and cite an author’s deliberate choices, including characterization, allusion, style, tone, diction, structure, cultural context, and figurative language to enhance overall thematic understandings (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9).
Students will use critical reading skills routinely and actively to progress as intentional readers, thinkers, and communicators (10).
SPEAKING & LISTENING
Students will actively participate and collaborate as critical thinkers and contributors in a variety of class-discussion formats on various historical, current, and controversial issues relevant to the study of language arts (1, 2, 6).
Students will demonstrate complex understandings of topics, texts, and relevant issues utilizing a variety of presentation and media formats (2, 4, 5).
Students will evaluate topics, texts, and relevant issues as they are presented in a variety of formats (2, 3).
LANGUAGE
Students will acquire and actively use relevant academic and contextual vocabulary (4, 6).
Students will acquire and actively use relevant literary and rhetorical vocabulary (5).
Students will understand and actively demonstrate proper use of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and punctuation (1, 2).
These learning goals provide the foundation for the activities we do in class.
WRITING
Students will use writing as a method to articulate a complex understanding and analysis of thematic topics encountered in a variety of literary and informational texts, sources, and scenarios (1, 2, 3, 9).
Students will understand the structured writing process for persuasive (1), expository (2), research (7, 8), and narrative modes (3). Students will own the process (5) and write independently with confidence for a range of tasks, modes, purposes, and audiences (4, 10).
Students will:
* Develop an effective argument and formulate well-organized written work (1, 2, 5).
* Understand how to identify, evaluate, “harvest,” and smoothly embed effective concrete detail and evidence from various sources,
including research, statistics, non-fiction and fiction sources from a variety of academic disciplines (1, 2, 4, 8, 9).
* Develop sophisticated and effective commentary and analysis in order to support overall argument and thesis (1, 2, 9).
* Recognize the importance of revising and editing drafts effectively (5). Produce a professional final draft, utilizing a variety of publishing
techniques, including technology and a range of academic formatting guidelines(6).
Students will use the writing process routinely, learn from the process, and recognize the importance of reflection in order to progress as effective writers, thinkers, and communicators (10).
READING
Students will actively identify, interpret, and analyze the themes and purposes encountered in a variety of literary, artistic, and informational texts and sources (2, 3, 7).
Students will be active readers and utilize the strategies of predicting; visualizing; connecting to self, community, and world; evaluating; clarifying and questioning; and summarizing to enhance literal comprehension of complex texts (6, 8, 10).
Students will be critical readers, evaluating the validity of an author’s argument, reasoning, intent, and evidence (8).
Students will actively analyze and cite an author’s deliberate choices, including characterization, allusion, style, tone, diction, structure, cultural context, and figurative language to enhance overall thematic understandings (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9).
Students will use critical reading skills routinely and actively to progress as intentional readers, thinkers, and communicators (10).
SPEAKING & LISTENING
Students will actively participate and collaborate as critical thinkers and contributors in a variety of class-discussion formats on various historical, current, and controversial issues relevant to the study of language arts (1, 2, 6).
Students will demonstrate complex understandings of topics, texts, and relevant issues utilizing a variety of presentation and media formats (2, 4, 5).
Students will evaluate topics, texts, and relevant issues as they are presented in a variety of formats (2, 3).
LANGUAGE
Students will acquire and actively use relevant academic and contextual vocabulary (4, 6).
Students will acquire and actively use relevant literary and rhetorical vocabulary (5).
Students will understand and actively demonstrate proper use of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and punctuation (1, 2).