Adventures in English Literature, Heritage Ed, Revised

4 Areas--Writing, Reading, Viewing & Representing, Speaking & Listening:

Writing: Writing is a lifelong interaction process that is used to communicate with a variety of audiences and for a variety of purposes, adapting language conventions appropriately according to context. Writing is an act of discovery, a means of personal growth, and a tool for clarifying knowledge. To accomplish writing tasks more effectively, students need exposure to a variety of strategies in order to approach writing systematically, such as those included in the stages of the writing process.

Reading: Reading is a lifelong process that builds on language development. Students must apply a wide range of strategies to enhance the reading process. They improve their comprehension of printed information and gain knowledge of themselves as world citizens through varied experiences with literature. Students respond to texts individually and share in literary communities. They become critical readers and experience increased comprehension and personal satisfaction.

Viewing & Representing: Visual communication is becoming an essential element of today's rapidly changing technological society, and students must be prepared for the demands they will face in the twenty-first century. Students must learn how to communicate effectively using visual media for specific purposes and audiences. Furthermore, as consumers, they must provide students with the necessary tools to function productively in tomorrow's world.

Speaking & Listening: Throughout their lives, students will communicate through speaking and listening as informed individuals, as employees and co-workers, and as family and community members. When students explore the connections such as audience, speaker, purpose, and form, they become more versatile and confident in the choices they make as language users.

Writing

• Write to acquire knowledge, clarify thinking, synthesize and evaluate information, improve study skills, gain confidence, and enhance lifelong communication.
• Write frequently for a variety of purposes including narration, description, persuasion, exposition, and personal, creative expression.
• Identify and write for a variety of audiences.
• Approach writing tasks systematically and use elements of the writing process as appropriate.
• Practice a variety of prewriting activities to generate, focus, and organize ideas.
• Use a variety of appropriate organizational strategies to develop writing on various topics.
• Effectively organize pieces of writing containing strong voice, clear focus, and well-developed ideas.
• Demonstrate effective writing style by the use of vivid words, a variety of sentence structures, and appropriate transitions.
• Evaluate and revise writing to focus on purpose, organization, development, transitions, tone, unity, coherence, and audience awareness.
• Demonstrate appropriate knowledge of Standard English: usage, mechanics, spelling, and structure.
• Identify and use a variety of recourses to revise and edit writing.
• Research information from various sources to prepare presentations, reports or papers that use summarizing, paraphrasing, direct quotations, citation of sources, and bibliographic entries.
• Continue to respond actively, imaginatively, and critically to literature.
• Demonstrate an understanding of and respect for multicultural and ethic diversity in language.
• Demonstrate grammar skills: mechanics, usage, and spelling.
• Demonstrate vocabulary and language study (history and development) skills.
• Demonstrate knowledge, understanding of the writing process: Pre-writing, writing, revision, and proofreading.
• Demonstrate successful multi-paragraph writing: description, narration, and persuasion.
• Demonstrate creative writing ability: poetry, short story, scrapbooks and collections, and journals.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of literature: elements of short story, poetry, and drama.
• Review and learn fundamentals of grammar/ACT Practice.
• Learn test-taking strategies.
• Learn and experience all stages of the writing process/Enhance writing skills.

Reading

• Understand and respect multicultural, gender, and ethnic diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects.
• Discern reading strategies appropriate to text.
• Extend reading vocabulary.
• Use comprehension strategies to enhance understanding, to make predictions, and to respond to literature.
• Improve comprehension by interpreting, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating written text.
• Use oral reading in individual and group presentations.
• Read independently for a variety of purposes.
• Use cognitive strategies to evaluate text critically.
• Develop skills in making inferences and recognizing unstated assumptions.
• Discern the purposes, main ideas, biases, points of view, and persuasive devices found in various texts.
• Interpret ideas, recognize logical relationships, and make judgements based on sufficient evidence.
• Respond to literature by making personal, historical, and visual connections.
• Recognize the influence of an author's background, gender, environment, audience, and experience.
• Interact with text to form personal, reasonable interpretations.
• Use research to validate a personal, reasonable interpretation of the text.
• Apply elements of literature and literary devices to evaluate critically an author's work.
• Participate in independent reading: Great Literature (European).
• Demonstrate study skills: listening, note-taking, review, and test-taking.
• Understand and appreciate English literature.
• Demonstrate library skills: location, selection, responsibility, and enjoyment.

Viewing & Representing

• Access and demonstrate multiple technological reference sources.
• Extend the use of media applications for a variety of audiences and purposes.
• Use media to view, to read, to write, to create, and to communicate effectively.
• Interpret and explain the impact of media on daily life.
• Research, interpret, critique, and present information from print and non-print media.
• Utilize multimedia to create, to display, to explain and to evaluate information.
• Analyze the advantages and limitations of the computer as a communication tool.
• Evaluate the differences between using print and non-print media as a means of communication.
• Assess creative strategies used in the production of print and non-print media.

Speaking & Listening

• Use appropriate volume, pitch, rate, diction, inflection, gestures, and body language to facilitate communication.
• Demonstrate an understanding of and respect for diversity.
• Demonstrate confidence and poise in various speaking situations.
• Analyze, interpret, and evaluate literary works through spoken language.
• Recognize various dialects and their implications and demonstrate appropriate use based on purpose and audience.
• Present a position and/or opinion clearly and persuasively by citing sources of information/research.
• Demonstrate ability to work within small groups of their peers.
• Demonstrate skill in writing and presentation of short speeches.
• Understand and appreciate various types of media presentations.