English 10-2

Course name and abbreviation:

English 10-2

Grade Level:

Grade 10

Summary of course content and activities:

In English 10, the study of World Literature is used to examine structure and style (e.g. usage, diction, and character development) in writing, world view and Christian World view. This will include the study of a sampling of poetry, short stories, essays, plays and novels from various world backgrounds. We will be looking at the culture, the values, the assumptions, and contexts surrounding each of the pieces of literature. With each lesson, we will first examine the author to learn more about his or her own background so that we can better understand and interpret his/her work.

Some specific resources we use are My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.

Who should be taking this course? For whom is this designed and intended?

• Has successfully completed grade 9 Language Arts with at least a middle C mark (65%).
• Is intending to graduate from NorthStar Academy, or any other high school, with an academic diploma
• Is intending to pursue university, college, or vocational training upon graduation from high school.

Philosophy statement for and/or behind teaching this course:

To many people literature is reading. Reading; however, is not literature: it is simply the process through which we experience literature. Literature is a gift from God. Through literature God enables man to communicate, not only his experiences but also his ideas, feelings, and beliefs. We should not merely read literature to escape from the world. Rather we should use literature as a vehicle to encounter the world. Literature can put us face to face with man in his world - man that acts both in ways pleasing to God and in ways displeasing to God. Literature can help us to know more about creation, our fellow man, God, and ourselves. Good literature causes us to think.

Major course goals:

• Students will gain a broad knowledge base of authors and literary works from around the world. Students will also learn critical thinking skills, build on their previous writing skills and techniques, expand their vocabulary and word association skills, and learn valuable strategies for successful independent learning.
• Students will explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences by comprehending literature in print, visual and multimedia forms, and respond personally, critically and creatively.
• Students should be able to become actively involved with literature, using effective strategies for appreciation, understanding and critical response. They should also listen actively for theme, ideas and details, being aware of the purpose of the communication.
• Students are encouraged to use Biblical standards and discernment while reading and analyzing literature (author's theme, background, plot and character development). They will learn to examine the author before they try to analyze his/her literary work so that the 'spirit' behind the words is considered. We must have the right context before we have the right interpretation, and we will learn how to establish context as part of our critical thinking skill set.
• Students will write unified paragraph responses to literary works in addition to writing well-formed five paragraph essays as a routine exercise after reading literary selections. Students will also have opportunities to revise their work after receiving input from the teacher, fellow students, or both.

Pre-requisite(s):  

Language Arts 9 

Number of credits that this course is worth

5

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

4-6 hours (In a regular school, you would have 6.7 hours of class time a week plus the time to do your homework. In a high school English class that could easily be 1-2 hours of homework a night. That's another 5-10 hours a week. This is for a one-semester English course, so divide the total 12-17 hours in half for a whole semester course and it would be 6-9 hours per week) So, if you are spending 4-6 hours each week on a lesson, you are doing great! 

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

There are four major grading periods, one after quarter. Exams and essays are weighted more heavily than regular assignments.

Additional activities:

Participation in the group discussions is mandatory and calculated as part of the course grade. 

Criteria for teacher approval of and willingness to grant assignment/test extensions to students beyond the automatic extension period:

For more information on the school's policies concerning extensions and completion, please refer to the school policy document.

NorthStar Academy Canada
#107, 1001 - 20th Avenue, Didsbury, AB
Email: cdninfo@nsaschool.ca
1-403-335-9587
1-877-335-1171 (toll free)
1-403-335-9513 (fax)