English 20-1

Course Name And Abbreviation

English 20

Grade Level:

Grade 11

Summary of course content and activities:

English 20 is a study of literature that begins with the writings of early Canadian poets and moves on up to some present day writers. This course presents a broad and varied array of authors and stories from the colonial years to the culturally turbulent years of the 1960âs and 1970âs. As we study literature, 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. We study poetry, essays, short stories, and novels. Some specific resources we use are "The History of Emily Montague" by Frances Moore Brooke (the first novel produced in Canada), "Peace Shall Destroy Many" by Rudy Weibe, "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller, and "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare.

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

• Has successfully completed English 10 with at least a mark of 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 North American authors and literary works from colonial period to present day. 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 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 (authorâs 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. Much emphasis is on writing.

Pre-requisite(s):

English 10 

08. 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:

6-7 hours - there is a lot of reading in this course, so students who are slower readers should expect to spend more time than this per lesson. 

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

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:

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)