English Language Arts III
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Language Arts III is an integrated, collaboratively taught course that will focus
on developing mastery of reading, writing, and speaking skills. Student research
and presentations will reflect clear, precise thinking and strong communication skills.
Numerous forms of literature will be analyzed and evaluated. In addition, students will
complete independent and cooperative projects that complement the integrated curriculum.
By satisfying these requirements of this study, all students will become more informed,
skilled, productive, employable, and socially responsible citizens.
SRS OUTCOMES
Outcome 1 Students demonstrate many forms of communication (e.g. reading, writing,
and speaking in English, Yupik and other languages).
Outcome 2 Students understand, accept, and appreciate their own language and culture
and the cultures of others.
Outcome 3 Students demonstrate skills and attitudes that will enable them to achieve
post high school education.
Outcome 4 Students use technology for adapting to and initiating productive change.
COURSE OUTLINE
CONTENT
(Essential course facts, concepts, and basic skills; assessed
with
teacher
-made
tests
and
rubrics
)
Major Units of Study
A. Speaking and Writing
Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard A: English/Language Arts
(A student should be able to speak and write well for a variety of purposes and audiences)
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- Write in a variety of quality forms (technical manual, essay, poetry, etc.) with
research support, graphics, and clear, logical, precise, and simple progression of
thought.
A. Select from a variety of technical and other organizational patterns (technical
manual, traditional essay, different types of poetry, etc.) to fit the purpose,
situation, and audience.
B. Research and select content appropriate to the purpose, situation, and audience.
C. Select from a variety of graphics to match the purpose, situation, and audience.
D. Use word processing at thirty-five wpm, clear and concise standard English, sentence
structure, and correct mechanics (conventions), word choice, and format (organization).
E. Write a quality essay with an introduction, thesis, body with two to four major
points supported by examples, transitions, figurative language, and conclusion.
- Speak for a variety of purposes using appropriate style, organization, appearance,
research support, concrete content, graphics, and a clear, logical, precise, and
simple progression of thought.
A. Select from a variety of technical and other organizational patterns (technical
information, storytelling, demonstration, parliamentary, etc.) to match the purpose,
situation, and audience.
B. Research and select content appropriate to the purpose, situation, and audience.
C. Select dress and other appearance factors (clothing/jewelry/cosmetics) and conduct
(formal/informal) to match the purpose, situation, and audience.
D. Use correct voice, body language, notes, and personal style to speak as assessed
by oral presentation rubric.
E. Write a precise, concise, and concrete thesis statement.
F. Select from a variety of relevant visuals to match the purpose, situation, and
audience.
G. Answer questions appropriately (be specific and concise, provide examples, relate
to questioner).
B.Reading, Listening, and Viewing
Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard B: English/Language Arts
(A student should be a competent and thoughtful reader, listener, and viewer of literature,
technical materials, and a variety of other information.)
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- Interpret fiction and nonfiction and relate it to your personal life and identify
ideas, events, emotions, and attitudes in fiction and nonfiction which are of importance
to you.
A. Explain, in writing, with support the author's intended meaning.
B. Show, with support from text, how a literary work relates to your life.
C. Justify with textual evidence an interpretation of a literary work.
D. Summarize your intellectual and emotional response to the work.
E. Explain, with support from text, how a literary work reflects the values/attitudes
of another place/time/culture.
F. Show understanding of what you have read/viewed by summarizing, asking questions,
and recalling information.
- Read/view/listen to set goals, and take stances on issues of importance.
A. Explore things that are important to you (brainstorming choices, discussion, reading).
B. Clearly and briefly explain your personal goals.
C. Analyze/evaluate the views and motivations of others before making up your mind
on an issue.
D. Treat the values, beliefs, and motivations of others with respect.
E. Briefly and clearly compare and contrast your views and motivations with what you
read/view/hear.
F. Clearly and briefly write/present a critique with concrete justification of live
or audiovisual presentations as assessed by writing rubric.
- Critique, defend, discuss, and compare the writing of self, classmates, and others.
A. Develop and apply rubrics and checklists using state analytical writing assessment
rubric as a model.
B. State brief, concrete, and clear critiques of various samples of writing as assessed
by writing rubric.
C. State brief, concrete, and clear self-evaluations as assessed by writing rubric.
D. Defend self-evaluations and critiques of the writing of others.
C. Completing Independent and Cooperative Projects
Alaska Content Standards: Standard C: English/Language Arts
(A student should be able to identify and select from multiple strategies in order
to complete projects independently and cooperatively.)
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- Make choices
(format, length, narrowing the topic) about a project after examining a range of possibilities.
- Organize a project by:
A. understanding directions (oral and written).
B. making and keeping deadlines.
C. seeking, selecting, and using relevant resources.
- Select and use appropriate decision-making processes
(t-chart, pro-con lists, diagrams, etc.).
- Set high standards for project quality
(with specific criteria defined by project rubric).
- Work on a collaborative project
(with specific criteria defined by cooperative group work rubric),
A. take responsibility for individual contributions to the project.
B. share ideas and workloads.
C. incorporate individual talents and perspectives.
D. work effectively with others as an active participant and as a responsive audience.
E. evaluate the processes and work of self and of others.
D. Presenting and Explaining Positions
Alaska Content Standards: Standard D: English/Language Arts
(A student should be able to think logically and reflectively in order to present
and explain positions based on relevant and reliable information.)
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- Develop a position by
(with specific criteria defined by oral presentation/writing rubric):
A. reflecting on personal experiences, prior knowledge, and new information. B. formulating
and refining questions. C. identifying a variety of pertinent sources of information. D. analyzing
and synthesizing information. E. determining an author's purposes.
- Evaluate the validity, objectivity, reliability, and quality of information read,
heard, and seen
(with specific criteria defined by oral presentation/writing rubric).
- Give credit and cite references using MLA or APA format as appropriate
(with specific criteria defined by oral presentation/writing rubric).
- Explain and defend a position orally, in writing, and with visual aids as appropriate
(with specific criteria defined by oral presentation/writing rubric).
E. Understanding and Respecting Others' Perspectives
Alaska Content Standards: Standard D: English/Language Arts
(A student should understand and respect the perspectives of others in order to communicate
effectively.)
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- Use information and literature
(local legends and myths, etc.), both oral and written, from many cultures to help understand self and others.
- Evaluate ideas from the speaker's or author's point of view.
- Recognize bias in different forms of communication
(written, oral, electronic, mass media, etc.).
- Recognize the communication styles
(verbal, nonverbal, interpersonal) of different cultures and their possible effects on others.
SKILLS
(Essential processes or skills, universally taught by all teachers in all courses;
assessed
with
teacher
-made
rubrics
and/or
tests
)
Major Categories of Skills
A. Cross-curricular and/or Integrative Skills
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
1. effectively communicate (listen, observe, read, write, discuss, present, explain,
persuade, defend)
- apply a variety of mathematical concepts and skills (logic, statistical interpretation,
plotting and analyzing graphs, concluding, predicting trends) to solve common day-to-day
problems
3. use a variety of higher order thinking skills (hypothesizing, estimating, analyzing,
classifying, synthesizing, evaluating,inferring, generalizing) to solve common
day-to-day problems
- set and achieve goals (brainstorm, envision, plan, research, manage time, persist,
complete)
- produce quality products (plan, organize, draft, evaluate, revise, improve, persist,
complete)
B. Technological Skills
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- use modern technology (computers, scanners, copiers, printers, calculators, audio/visual
tools, telephones, fax machines, calculators) to solve common, day-to-day problems
- apply basic computer applications (word processing, spreadsheet, database, graphics,
desktop publishing, Internet, e-mail) to produce quality products, including
- multimedia presentations (speeches, demonstrations, lectures)
- reports, bids, proposals, instructions, manuals
- research polls, surveys, checklists
- graphs, tables, charts, maps, illustrations, photographs
- letters (complaints, requests, replies, recommendations, applications, resumes)
- expository essays, research papers, literary works related to English Language Arts
C. Life and/or Employability Skills
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- behave responsibly and produce quality products related to English Language Arts
- attend, be punctual, follow directions, manage time, stay on task, meet deadlines
safely, effectively, efficiently, accurately use the work area, materials,
tools, & technology
- set short and long-term goals, plan, use higher order thinking skills, seek help,
persist
- work well with others (cooperate, develop group unity, determine leadership roles,
contribute to group success, allow others to contribute, resolve group conflicts,
make group decisions)
- relate English Language Arts content and skills to your personal life and the lives
of others
respect and treat others equally, from the perspective of the needs and rights
of all people
- responsibily examine (be aware, know resources, research, consider, discuss) current
English Language Arts issues and/or events that personally affect you or others
- effectively support opinions in productive ways (preplan, research, logically organize,
give specific examples, illustrate, recommend)
- use new knowledge, understanding, skills and tools to solve real life problems, make
decisions or choices , and predict logical consequences or possibilities
- . acquire career knowledge and skills related to employment opportunities requiring strong language arts skills
- compare colleges, technical, or business schools (locations, size, costs, special
programs)
- apply for admission, complete applications for scholarships or other financial aids
- develop a four-year schedule of classes, including alternatives for those not available 6. present oneself in an employable manner
- wear appropriate dress and be physically well-groomed demonstrate good
speaking and/or interviewing skills
- complete all written forms (letter of application, resume, required forms, legal
documents) provide a portfolio that shows special products, skills, experiences,
achievements, awards
D. Cultural Relevance:
Alaska Content Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools: Student Standards A-E
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- respect ones own cultural heritage, traditions, and language
- interview elders in order to compile personal genealogies and/or a local history
- identify local cultural values and traditional responsibilities to the environment
- respect and live in tune with local cultural values and traditions
- build on local knowledge and skills to achieve future success in the world at large
by
- using methods from ones own traditions to learn about the world beyond ones village understanding
how the local culture relates to others in the area, state, nation, and world
- making appropriate choices regarding the long-term consequences of ones own actions
- participate in a variety of traditional activities related to the local culture,
including
- subsistence activities, arts and crafts, dance and music, sports and recreation
- community government, tribal, and church affairs
- total wellness programs (drug and alcohol free programs, parenting, nutrition, exercise)
- engage in family-related activities based on traditional ways of knowing and learning,
including
- consistent, respectful, loving interactions with Parents and Elders that show appreciation of
their roles as providers and care givers, culture bearers, and educators in the community
- self-assess ones own strengths and needs in order to make appropriate life choices
- explain the processes, forces, and interactions of the world and its varied cultures,
includinng the
- interrelationships of the spiritual, natural, and human world
- geographical and ecological resources of the local environment
- impact of the environment on the origins of culture and ones personal cultural perspective
- the nature of diversity and the need for change over time
- cross-cultural influences, interactions, conflicts, communications, and resolutions
INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND MATERIALS
A. Community Resources Related to Course
Each individual and/or team of instructors, with the help of long time staff, students,
parents and other concerned community members should cooperatively compile and periodically
update a list of village elders, parents, local government leaders, business persons, and other concerned, active members of the community willing to share their
wealth of experiences, knowledge and skills.
B.
Major Internet Web Site Addresses Related to Course
(a tiny sample)
Darling's Guide to Grammar: http://webster.commnet.edu/HP/pages/darling/grammar.htm
Common Errors in English: http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors.html
AskERIC Lesson Plans: http://ericir.syr.edu/virtual/lessons/lang_arts/index.html
ABE Adult Education
Guide to Writing a Research Paper: http://cctc.commnet.edu/mla.htm
Inkspot: http://www.inkspot.com/young
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators: http://www.capecod.net/schrockguide/arts/artlit.htm
Key Pals: http://www.reedbooks.com.au/heinemann/global1.html
Kid News: http://www.vsa.cape.com/~powens/kidnews.html
Mr. William Shakespeare: http://daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare
Myths & Legends: http://pubpages.unh.edu/~cbsiren/myth.html
Bartleby Library: http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/bartlett
Outta Ray's Head English Lesson Plans: http://www3.sympatico.ca/ray.saitz
C. Media Center: Southwest Region School District
Contact Roz Goodman, the Southwest Region Media Specialist, for help. She has
lists of materials related to specific subject areas and will help you find Internet
resources or other materials
- The Alaska State Framework for English Language Arts Content Standards (This resource
is full of suggestions for activities, teaching/assessment strategies, lesson
plans, web site addresses etc.
)
- Teaching Study Skills & Strategies in High School (includes activities); Active
Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject (includes activities)
- Reconnecting Youth: A Peer Group Approach to Building Life Skills; Teaching Social
Studies With the Internet (booklet and CD ROM);
- Lion's Quest: Skills for Adolescence (instructional manual/student activities)
D. Itinerant Travel Kits and/or Permanent Core Skills Instructors' Materials
ABC Schoolhouse Rock: Grammar
. With short videos that teach concepts related to nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs,
prepositions, pronouns, interjections, and conjunctions
- Simulations and/or Activity Packets Related to Course
to be determined at a later date
- CD ROMs/Software Related to Course
Encarta 97
Infopedia
Grolier's Encyclopedia
- Text and/or Supplemental Books Related to Writing
Writing by Doing: Learning to Write Effectively;
(Elaine Hughes)
Strategies for Writing: A Basic Approach
(Healy)
- Text and/or Supplemental Books Related to Speaking and Listening:
Speaking by Doing: A Speaking-Listening Text
(Joseph A. Quattrini)
- Text and/or Supplemental Books Related to Literature:
Literature and the Language Arts: The American Tradition
(EMC/Paradigm pub.)
Decades of Science Fiction
(Applewhite Minyard)
World Mythology
(Rosenberg)
World Literature
(Rosenberg)
- Text and/or Supplemental Books Related to Grammar and Mechanics:
Basic English Grammar
(Bonnie L. Walker)
Simple Sentence Skills
(Barbara Hansen)
The Elements of Style
(Strunk & White)
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
(Joseph Gibaldi)
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(Assessment Guidelines and Grading still "under construction" and awaiting additional
in-put)
Teacher-made tests of content units will be required: pre-tests, quizzes, Unit Tests,
Final Exams
Processes/Skills will be assessed Rubrics, checklists, et.al.
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(The Following Still Needs Input, Thought, and Work)
ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES AND GRADING
The primary goal of this class is to give all
students an opportunity to gain essential new knowledge, comprehension, and skills.
To determine if all
students are actually attaining this goal, regular, in-progress
assessment
of student progress will be part of daily in-progress activities and final student
projects.
- cooperatively develop traditional teacher-made daily/weekly quizzes, unit tests,
and final trimester exams
designed to measure student knowledge and comprehension of basic course content.
- cooperatively plan and consistently apply a variety of student performance assessments
(rubrics,
check-lists) to evaluate in-progress and summary student skill development.
CONTENT KNOWLEDGE TESTS
Minimum Requirements
: At the very least, course Content
will be regularly assessed with traditional
Teacher-made Tests
(multiple choice, completion, true/false, matching, short essay).
- daily or weekly Quizzes
should be given as part of normal, on-going classroom procedures.
- periodic reviews and subsequent summary Unit Exams
will be given in every course.
- comprehensive reviews and summary Trimester Final Exams
will be given in every course. Unit and Trimester Final Exams should measure
student retention and comprehension of the most
important
factual content (who, what, where, when, why, how) and
improvement of basic
skills (recall, reading, thinking, writing, calculating).
Suggestions:
- Pretest
or use the test-study-test
method
rather than simply study-test
. Pretesting at the start of a unit helps both students and teachers discover
What They Already Know
and What They Need to Learn
.
- Wh en necessary develop individualized tests to account for individual learning styles
and/or special learning difficulties. Consult Special Education teachers and
counselors for help.
- Reteach
and Retest
when needed to improve and/or reinforce student knowledge and comprehension.
- Promptly grade and review results of all quizzes, tests, or exams. Students want,
need, and have the right to quickly know how they have done on tests.
- Use tests as a teaching tool: require students to correct all factual errors and/or
process mistakes.
- Teach students How to Take Tests
. Important skills are involved and students need to learn them.
CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS (CRT's)
- Core Skills
Language Arts and Mathematics teachers at the secondary level still have the duty
of teaching, testing, and accurately recording student progress on the district's
standardized CRT Tests
and are accountable for accurately recording student progress on these tests.
- Note:
Because all
secondary teachers are members of collaborative teams, all
secondary teachers are expected to assist their team partners help all
students successfully complete, at the very least, Banks 7 and 8
of the CRT's
.
STUDENT PERFORMANCE RUBRICS
- Rubrics
will be used to better teach and assess the development
of essential Skills
(listening, reading, speaking, critical thinking,writing, research, cooperative
group work, discussion, problem solving, decision-making, use of technology, social
behavior, employability, social behavior/citizenship, cultural relevance) and
to determine the quality
of final products
- Rubrics
must include clearly stated, easily understood directions, and specific information
about what students will be expected to do and learn. Quality standards and deadlines
should be included.
- Rubrics
will be assigned at the beginning of any activity whose major objective is the acquisition
and application of essential Skills. Carefully explain exactly how a particular
rubric will be used.
- Use rubrics as a teaching tool. Teach all
students how to use rubrics to self-assess the quality of their own work and/or
that of their classmates--and their teachers.
EXTRA CREDIT WORK
In order to encourage students to pursue high level performances and quality products,
all
students who have completed required work, including any expected revisions, should
be given an opportunity and encouraged to do Extra Credit
work that might increase the depth and/or breadth of their understanding.
- Note that extra
does not
mean in place of
; rather, extra
means in addition to
. Students should thus be allowed and encouraged to voluntarily complete additional,
challenging tasks that might broaden or deepen their understanding.
- Assessment of Extra Credit
work should follow the same systematic guidelines and/or utilize the same type of
assessment rubrics
, tests, or other techniques used to evaluate required work.
GRADING
All
students will be held accountable for meeting the minimum requirements of all courses
and will earn grades based on their ability to demonstrate the acquisition of basic
content knowledge and comprehension, and their ability to apply specific essential
skills to produce quality finished products. Final Grades in all courses will follow
on a traditional "A", "B", "C", "D", "F", "I", system.
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