This course is designed to develop the oral communication, reading, writing, and media literacy skills that students need for success in their secondary school academic programs and in their daily lives. Students will analyze literary texts from contemporary and historical periods, interpret informational and graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on the use of strategies that contribute to effective communication. The course is intended to prepare students for the Grade 10 academic English course, which leads to university or college preparation courses in Grades 11 and 12.
Unit Content and Sequence of Delivery
Anthology (27 hours)
A diverse collection of poetry and short stories provides students with the opportunity to read a wide variety of texts and to explore, discuss, and write about different text features and stylistic elements.
Drama and Media Studies (25 hours)
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (both the play and modern productions) acts as starting points into exploration of modern situation comedy formulas, timeless humour, script adaptation, target audience, casting, and advertising. Students will complete a number of assignments by focusing on the theme of adapting Twelfth Night for a modern television audience.
Novel Study -– Skud or The Chrysalids (30 hours)
There are two novels to choose from in this unit. On reading a longer work of fiction students will bring several reading and writing skills to their assignments. The novels are presented in the following ways: students are asked to read the novel in sections. In each section students are provided with some comments on the characters and details from the plot. The notes will comment on the main characters as students get to know them. Because the novel contains some difficult vocabulary, definitions for words students may not know are provided. Each section of the novel will contain an idea from the novel to write about and submit to the teacher for evaluation.
Youth Power! (28 hours)
This unit focuses on the development and understanding of active listening skills, good note-taking, planning an effective presentation, and speaking skills and vocal strategies. Students will listen to, and critically engage with a variety of lectures and presentations. Students will also plan, prepare, and deliver their own oral presentation in video format.
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