ENG2D (Grade 10 English)

Unit Titles and Descriptions

Poetry

Students will read a wide variety of poems and look at the techniques that poets use including poetic devices such as metaphor, verbs, similes, apostrophes, stanza length, powerful language, and how poets engage the readers’ senses. Students will write their own poems, they will hear poems read, and they will gain awareness of what makes effective delivery. Students will complete three polished writing assignments in this unit, search for inspiring poetry performances online, and make a video of their own spoken poetry.

Shakespeare

In this unit students will read Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, exploring the eternally relevant themes of militarism, personal conflict, ambition, and pride. Assignments include one that deals with imagery in the play, a speaking assignment giving advice to the characters, an assignment about irony, and a unit culminating essay.

Short Stories

Students are invited to read widely and explore the varied selection of stories provided. Three writing assignments will be completed on the stories chosen.

Novel Study

Students will read George Orwell's Animal Farm. In doing so, they will explore satire as a genre and irony as these techniques pertain to the author's allegory on communism in mid-twentieth-century Europe. Students will produce two academic essays, including an analysis of an anthem the animals adopted, and a media assignment.

Final Assessment

Exam

This is a proctored exam worth 30% of your final grade.

A. Oral Communication

A1

Listening to Understand: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes;

A2

Speaking to Communicate: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes;

A3

Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as listeners and speakers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in oral communication situations.

B. Reading and Literature Studies

B1

Reading for Meaning: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning;

B2

Understanding Form and Style: recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning;

B3

Reading With Fluency: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently;

B4

Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading.

C. Writing

C1

Developing and Organizing Content: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;

C2

Using Knowledge of Form and Style: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;

C3

Applying Knowledge of Conventions: use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;

C4

Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as writers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful at different stages in the writing process.

D. Media Studies

D1

Understanding Media Texts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;

D2

Understanding Media Forms, Conventions, and Techniques: identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them are used to create meaning;

D3

Creating Media Texts: create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;

D4

Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as media interpreters and creators, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in understanding and creating media texts.