ENGLISH 10
DIFFERENT VOICES: A STUDY OF LANGUAGE AND INTERPRETATION
Course
Description
A..
Literature
and Reading
The focus for the study of literature in English 10 is on an
exploration of the meaning of community and the role of language in shaping
communities. Through reading, writing,
listening, and discussing we will examine the meanings that language makes available
to us and how those meanings determine communities. The following goals and questions provide the
framework for the units of study.
GOALS
1. To examine the concept
of community.
2. To explore the role of
language in our lives and in literature.
3. To develop methods of
inquiry for enjoying, studying, discussing and writing about literature.
4. To encourage close
textual reading through multiple perspectives
5. To explore how social,
historical and aesthetic critical theories affect our interpretation of texts.
6. To understand the role
of language in the construction of point of view, imagery, metaphor, tone, irony and satire in
literature.
7. To explore the
relationship between form and meaning as seen in a variety of narrative patterns.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
Why do we read texts?
What influences the way we read texts?
How do we know what a poem, a short story, a play or a novel is
about?
How do twentieth century personal, cultural, political beliefs
influence the way we read a particular text?
How would a text be read during the time of its publication?
In what ways is that reading the same and/or different today?
How does a culture construct theories to interpret the literature
that its writers produce?
How does the way we interpret a text affect the way we relate to
it and make meaning of it?
What
are the questions a text makes us consider?
Which are the best questions?
What
makes a good question?
Is
any interpretation of a text acceptable?
How
does my understanding of the text change after writing about it? after a small or
large group discussion?
What
is the role of literature in the universe? in a
culture? in a particular society? in
a community? in a classroom?
How
does the study of literature form a community and influence the way we
construct knowledge?
UNITS
I.
Language and Identity: the
Individual and the Local Community
II.
The Larger Surrounding Community
III.
The Global Community
IV.
Imagined Communities
B. Writing
Students will be able to write the expository essay that has a
clearly defined thesis, major points developing and supporting the thesis,
evidence to justify the main points, and a conclusion that draws the main
points together. In addition, students
will keep journals where they respond to the ideas in the literature and in
class discussions and they will be encouraged to write in a variety of forms
for a number of different audiences. For
example, they
will experiment with writing in
several points of view and will
explore imagery, metaphor and tone in their own writing as well as in
literature studied. Students will work
collaboratively throughout the writing process to develop and edit their ideas.
C. Grammar, Usage and Vocabulary
Students will review grammar and usage from departmental grammar
guide which has been compiled on the basis of common errors found in students'
writing. Regular vocabulary lists are
developed from texts being studied.
Evaluation
Assessment of the student's performance and achievement will be based on
A. quality of student homework, journals,
papers, tests, quizzes, exams, and projects
B. quality and frequency of
involvement in class discussion and cooperative group work