COURSE TITLE: FOUNDATIONS OF ENGLISH

REVISED 2006

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

DURATION: FULL YEAR

COURSE PHILOSOPHY

The Foundations of English curriculum is designed to prepare students for the rigors of English 9, as well as all ninth grade courses. An emphasis is placed on reading strategies, writing for a variety of audiences and purposes, and study skills. The curriculum is aligned with that of the English 9 program, which includes the study of literature, writing, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and composition. Since reading constitutes an important part of the program, students study literary genres such as the short story, novel, poetry, and drama. Romeo and Juliet is the major dramatic work examined. Approximately four and a half weeks will be spent in the HSPA Writing Skills Lab. The focus of the writing course will be on the writing process, including prewriting, writing, peer editing, revision, and self-evaluation. The students will practice editing skills and holistic scoring as they compose essays, narrative writing, and open-ended question responses.

GOALS/LEARNING OBJECTIVES BY NJCCCS

� READING-NJCCCS 3.1

v To read a variety of genres in order to develop fluency and comprehension

v To identify, access, and apply personal reading strategies, visualization techniques, and graphic organizers to develop memory retention and comprehension when reading

v To use knowledge of word origins and word relationships, as well as historical and literary context clues, to determine the meanings of specialized vocabulary

v To identify, describe, evaluate, and synthesize the central ideas in informational texts

v To understand the study of literature and theories of literary criticism, including rhetorical devices, logical fallacy, and jargon

v To interpret how literary devices affect reading, emotions, and understanding

v To analyze how an author's use of words creates tone and mood, and how word choice advances the theme or purpose of the work

v To analyze how works of a given period reflect historical and social events in order to understand how our literary heritage is part of a global tradition

v To compare and evaluate the relationship between past literary traditions and contemporary writing

v To appropriately select, read, and critically analyze a variety of works about one topic and produce evidence of reading

v To apply information gained from several sources or books on a single topic or by a single author to foster an argument, draw a conclusion, or advance a position

v To critique the validity and logic of arguments advanced in public documents, their appeal to various audiences, and the extent to which they anticipate and address reader concerns

� WRITING - NJCCCS 3.2

v To engage in the full writing process by writing for sustained amounts of time

v To analyze and revise to improve style, focus and organization, coherence, clarity of thought, sophisticated word choice and sentence variety, and subtlety of meaning

v To use the computer and word processing software to compose, revise, edit, and publish a piece

v To use a scoring rubric to evaluate and improve own writing and the writing of others

v To write a range of essays and expository pieces across the curriculum, such as persuasive, analytic, critique or position papers using a variety of strategies

v To write a literary research paper using primary and secondary sources that synthesizes and cites data using researched information and technology to support writing

v To select pieces of writing for a literary portfolio that reflects a variety of genres as an assessment tool

v To use Standard English conventions in all writing

v To demonstrate a well-developed knowledge of English syntax to express ideas in a lively and effective personal style

� SPEAKING - NJCCCS 3.3

v To speak in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes

� LISTENING - NJCCCS 3.4

v To listen actively to information from a variety of sources in a variety of situations

� VIEWING AND MEDIA LITERACY - NJCCCS 3.5

v To access, view, evaluate, and respond to print, non-print, and electronic texts and resources

v To use technology for research, writing, editing, publication, and presentation

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

� Define and identify the author's tone, attitude, purpose, and style

� Evaluate the credibility of the speaker

� Evaluate media techniques and messages

� Present an extemporaneous speech

� Prepare a structured debate and panel discussion

� Conduct interviews in real-life situations

� Write for a variety of purposes such as to persuade, enjoy, entertain, learn, inform, record, respond to reading, and solve problems

� Write on self-related topics in a variety of literary forms

� Write collaboratively and independently

� Use a variety of strategies and activities, such as brainstorming, listing, discussion, drawing, role-playing, note taking, and journal writing, for finding and developing ideas about which to write

� Write to synthesize information from multiple sources

� Use figurative language such as simile, metaphor, and analogies to expand meaning

� Revise content, organization, and other aspects of writing, using self, peer, and teacher collaborative feedback

� Edit writing for developmentally appropriate syntax, spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation

� Publish writing in a variety of formats

� Establish and use criteria for self and group evaluation of written products

� Develop a portfolio or collection of writings

� Write for real audiences and purposes such as job applications, business letters, college applications, and memoranda

� Write a research paper that synthesizes and cites data

� Explore the relationship between contemporary writing and past literary traditions

� Analyze how the works of a given period reflect historical events and social conditions

� Apply appropriate literary concepts such a rhetorical device, logical fallacy, and jargon

� Analyze the effect of literary devices, such as alliteration and figurative language, on the reader's emotions and interpretation

� Respond to visual messages of humor, irony, and metaphor

� Articulate the connection between visual and verbal message

� Choose and use multiple forms of media to convey what has been learned

� Integrate multiple forms of media into a finished product

� Compare and contrast media sources, such as book and film versions of a story

� Solve problems using multimedia technology and be able to browse, annotate, link, and elaborate on information in a multimedia database

� Use affixes, analogies, context, roots, synonyms, and antonyms

THE ROLE OF THE STUDENT

Participation in the English course of study will require each student to:

� Follow the "Standards in English" Guide for all written assignments

� Meet all attendance, grading, and discipline requirements as listed in the "Burlington City High School Student Handbook"

� Keep an organized, informed, legible notebook

� Be responsible for completing all assignments

� Understand and apply literary terms and techniques

� Understand and practice classifying, evaluating, generalizing, and synthesizing

� Develop speaking and listening skills

� Develop writing skills and techniques by writing essays, resumes, business letters, research reports, book reviews, and creative pieces

� Recognize, understand, or make use of vocabulary skills such as affixes, analogies, context, roots, synonyms, and antonyms

� Write in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form

� Read and respond critically to narrative, informational, workplace, and persuasive/argumentative texts

� Demonstrate and use non-textual and visual information

� Use the media center and computer lab effectively

� Read assigned novels over the summer and complete a variety of written and oral activities

ASSESSMENT

� Assessment will measure proficiency in all types of learners. As appropriate, students will be assessed using:

v Notebook evaluation

v Research

v Written tests

v Oral tests/quizzes

v Reading

v Rubrics

v Essays

v Oral responses

v Roles

v Presentations

� Product outcomes may include:

v Models

v Enactments

v Role playing

v Essays

v Video productions

v Posters

v PowerPoint presentations

v Projects

v Dramas

v Creative writings

v Oral presentations

v Drawings

� Critical Thinking Skills�tasks to be assessed which emphasize higher level thinking include:

v Discerning

v Grasping

v Inferring

v Facilitating

v Creating

v Disproving

v Revealing

v Proposing

v Persuading

v Simulating

v Evaluating/analyzing

v Classifying

v Shifting perspective

v Comparing/contrasting

v Synthesizing

FOUNDATIONS OF ENGLISH MATERIALS

� Primary Text:

v Timeless Voices/Timeless Themes: -Gold Level Prentice Hall Publishers � 2004

� Supplementary Texts:

v Vocabulary for Achievement (3rd Course)

v Of Mice and Men - Steinbeck

v A Raisin In the Sun