COURSE TITLE: English IV S. Welch
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to reinforce analytical and interpretive skills through the study of composition and literature. The literary focus will include analysis of structural elements in the short story, poetry, epic, drama, and novel. Major works to be studied include Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, Macbeth, A Lesson Before Dying, and poetry from the Medieval through modern time periods. A documented research project and daily vocabulary study will be required. Career Direction will be emphasized during the semester through units completed with the school Career Development Facilitator.
CREDIT: 1 unit
PREREQUISITES: The successful completion of English I, II, and III
COURSE GOALS:
1. To read, comprehend, and analyze poetry, plays, novels, short stories, and essays of literary merit from various time periods of British literature.
2. To write analytical essays about literature which are grammatically and organizationally sound.
3. To approach the study of literature in a manner which enables students to recognize quality and to appreciate literary significance in our culture.
4. To recognize the study of language arts as an integration of reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Students will:
1. Correctly apply spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and word usage rules in compositions.
2. Write compositions which reflect sentence variety and compound / complex sentence structure.
3. Identify steps in the writing process [prewriting, drafting, revising, peer and self editing, and publishing] and apply these in writing assignments. Most writing assignments will be analysis of literature.
4. Write narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive compositions.
5. Identify and apply steps in the research process [selecting and narrowing a topic, securing sources, note taking, paraphrasing, summarizing, directly quoting, documenting, outlining, and drafting using MLA format].
6. Identify and apply word attack skills to enhance vocabulary development.
7. Analyze short stories using structural elements of plot, character, setting, point of view, theme, conflict, irony, and symbolism.
8. Analyze and interpret poetry using rhetorical devices, figures of speech, rhythm and rhyme patterns, tone, diction, and meaning.
9. Identify elements of drama, such as antagonist, protagonist, exposition, conflict, climax, crisis, resolution, and dramatic question by studying Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
10. Identify the elements of the epic and the satire by studying Beowulf and Canterbury Tales.
11. Identify the elements of the novel [plot, character, setting, theme, point of view, conflict, and theme] by analyzing A Lesson Before Dying and student-selected novels.
12. Identify effective characteristics of oral communication [eye contact, enunciation, verbal and non-verbal expression] through presentations of individual and group projects.
TEXTS: Literature: The British Tradition
Vocabulary for Achievement (sixth course)
EVALUATION:
Unit tests– count twice
Quizzes– count once
Compositions– evaluated both holistically and analytically (content / grammar / mechanics)
Written analysis, group / individual projects, and content test for each novel–
Individual and group presentations– determined upon assignment
Vocabulary quizzes– count once (quiz every week)
Research projects– major project grade
Final exam– 20% of final grade
Grading Scale: 93-100 A
85-92 B
77-84 C
83-76 D
Below 70 F
SEMESTER EXAMS: Count 1/5 (20%) of semester grade.
Grades in PowerTeacher will be updated by Wednesday of each week.
Assignments will NOT be rebounded.
Interim reports will be sent home at the mid- point of each nine weeks grading period (4.5 weeks).