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COURSE OUTLINE

Course Title: Studies in Literature
Course Code: ETS4U
Grade: 12
Course Type: University Preparation
Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: ENG3U
Curriculum Policy Document: English, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, 2007 (Revised)
Department: English
Course Developer: Mr. John Smallwood
Development Date: August 2004
Course Revised by: Mr. John Smallwood
Revision Date: 2007

Course Description:

This course is for students with a special interest in literature and literary criticism. The course may focus on themes, genres, time periods, or countries. Students will analyse a range of forms and stylistic elements of literary texts and respond personally, critically, and creatively to them. They will also assess critical interpretations, write analytical essays, and complete an independent study project.

Unit	Titles and Descriptions	Time and Sequence
Unit 1	Poetry In a spirit of sharing with students their ideas and responses to the poems contained in the next few pages, they are invited to air their own views on the work, debate (yes, and question) views that the teacher of the course presents and, on some occasions, write poetry that reflects students’ own "voice" on the page. This Poetry unit will be presented chronologically, beginning with Chaucer and continuing on through English Elizabethan poets and on to American and Canadian poets, many of whom are very much alive and writing today. After each poet's work and the discussion notes, students will be provided a topic or two from which they may choose to write.	22 hours
Unit 2	Short Stories In the short story genre the prose writer must create a particular effect within a limited amount of time. Some critics have stated that only one or two of the elements of fiction; character, plot, setting and theme can be emphasized in any one story. The genre is simply too short to allow for the full exposition of all of the elements as readers would expect in the novel. Students will be invited to read and enjoy several short stories and try to decide for themselves which of the elements seems to dominate in each of the pieces. For each story there is background information on the writer, the actual story, follow up notes on the story to be read and discussed. Then for each group students will complete one written assignment.	27 hours
Unit 3	Shakespeare - Othello, The Moor of Venice Several critics have noted that Othello is Shakespeare's most formally written play. By this these critics have implied that the work comes closest to following the unities as set forth by classical playwrights and critics such as Aristotle, Aristophanes and Sophocles. These writers believed that the structure and content of their plays should exemplify certain rules: the unities of time, place and action. This unit will involve students in studying the unities as presented in Shakespeare’s Othello. Students will be asked to participate in Shallow Personas as the Discussions, Arguments as the formative assessment tasks and the Iago and Othello Essay as the summative evaluation.	28 hours
Unit 4	Novel Study In this unit students will study one of two novels: Timothy Findley’s Last of the Crazy People or Robertson Davies’ Fifth Business. Students will read the novel in sections and then the knots provided for those sections. They will reflect on effects and style and conclude the unit with the construction of a formal essay.	30 hours
	Final Evaluation The final assessment task for this course is a proctored three hour final examination worth 30% of the student’s final mark.	3 hours
	Total	110 hours

Teaching / Learning Strategies:

Since the over-riding aim of this course is to help students use language skillfully, confidently and flexibly, a wide variety of instructional strategies are used to provide learning opportunities to accommodate a variety of learning styles, interests and ability levels. These include:

Reading various works	Independent research	Directed Reading Activities
Essay Writing	Direct Instruction	Research Process
Independent Study	Writing Processes	Writing to Learn
Journal writing	Portfolio	Report
Conferencing	Textbooks	Expressing Another Point of View
Interviews	Guided Internet Research	Guided Writing
Creative Writing	Independent Reading	Reading Responses

Assessment and Evaluation Strategies of Student Performance:

Assessment is a systematic process of collecting information or evidence about student learning. Evaluation is the judgment we make about the assessments of student learning based on established criteria. The purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. This means that judgments of student performance must be criterion-referenced so that feedback can be given that includes clearly expressed next steps for improvement. Tools of varying complexity are used by the teacher to facilitate this. For the more complex evaluations, the criteria are incorporated into a rubric where levels of performance for each criterion are stated in language that can be understood by students.

Strategy	Purpose	Who	Assessment Tool
Portfolio	Diagnostic	Self	Anecdotal records
Discussion Board Posting / Exercise Questions	Assessment	Self/teacher	Checklist
Brainstorming	Assessment	Self/peer/teacher	Anecdotal records
Response Journal	Assessment	Self/teacher	Marking scheme
Interview	Assessment	Self	Anecdotal records
Internet Research	Assessment	Teacher	Rating scale
Peer Teaching	Assessment	Peers	Anecdotal records
Creative Writing	Assessment	Teacher	Checklist
Issue Based Analysis	Assessment	Teacher	Checklist
Response Journal	Evaluation	Teacher	Rating scale
Essay Writing	Evaluation	Teacher	Rubric
Comparative Essay Writing	Evaluation	Teacher	Rubric
Unit Tests	Evaluation	Teacher	Marking scheme
Project	Evaluation	Teacher	Rubric
Final Exam	Evaluation	Teacher	Marking Scheme

Assessment is embedded within the instructional process throughout each unit rather than being an isolated event at the end. Often, the learning and assessment tasks are the same, with formative assessment provided throughout the unit. In every case, the desired demonstration of learning is articulated clearly and the learning activity is planned to make that demonstration possible. This process of beginning with the end in mind helps to keep focus on the expectations of the course as stated in the course guideline. The evaluations are expressed as a percentage based upon the levels of achievement.

Overall Expectations - ETS4U

STUDIES IN LITERATURE
Overall Expectations
ESL.01	Understanding Texts: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary texts from different countries, cultures, and historical periods;
ESL.02	Analysing Texts: respond to and analyse literary texts to develop and extend their understanding of how content, form, and style in combination communicate meaning and enhance a text’s effectiveness;
ESL.03	Critical Literacy: demonstrate an understanding that the perspective of the author, the reader, and the text all influence the reading experience;
ESL.04	Literary Criticism: use literary criticism to enhance their understanding of literature;
ESL.05	The Role of Literature in Society: assess the importance of literature as a social and cultural force.

The Final Grade:

The evaluation for this course is based on the student's achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning.

The percentage grade represents the quality of the student's overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline.

A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student's grade is 50% or higher. The final grade for this course will be determined as follows:

• 70% of the grade will be based upon evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student's most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of achievement.



• 30% of the grade will be based on an evaluation of a single final exam administered at the end of the course. This will be evaluated using marking scheme.

The report card will focus on two distinct but related aspects of student achievement; the achievement of curriculum expectations and the development of learning skills. The report card will contain separate sections for the reporting of these two aspects.

A Summary Description of Achievement in Each Percentage Grade Range and Corresponding Level of Achievement
Percentage Grade Range	Achievement Level	Summary Description
80-100%	Level 4	A very high to outstanding level of achievement. Achievement is above the provincial standard.
70-79%	Level 3	A high level of achievement. Achievement is at the provincial standard.
60-69%	Level 2	A moderate level of achievement. Achievement is below, but approaching, the provincial standard.
50-59%	Level 1	A passable level of achievement. Achievement is below the provincial standard.
below 50%	Level R	Insufficient achievement of curriculum expectations. A credit will not be granted.

Achievement Chart: English, Grades 9-12

Categories	50-59% (Level 1)	60-69% (Level 2)	70-79% (Level 3)	80-100% (Level 4)
Knowledge and Understanding - Subject-specific content acquired in each course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding)
	The student:
Knowledge of content (e.g., forms of text; strategies used when listening and speaking, reading,writing, and viewing and representing; elements of style; literary terminology, concepts, and theories; language conventions)	demonstrates limited knowledge of content	demonstrates some knowledge of content	demonstrates considerable knowledge of content	demonstrates thorough knowledge of content
Understanding of content (e.g.,concepts; ideas; opinions; relationships among facts, ideas,concepts,themes)	demonstrates limited understanding of content	demonstrates some understanding of content	demonstrates considerable understanding of content	demonstrates thorough and insightful understanding of content
Thinking - The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes
	The student:
Use of planning skills (e.g., generating ideas, gathering information, focusing research, organizing information)	uses planning skills with limited effectiveness	uses planning skills with moderate effectiveness	uses planning skills with considerable effectiveness	uses planning skills with a high degree of effectiveness
Use of processing skills (e.g., drawing inferences, interpreting, analysing, synthesizing, evaluating)	uses processing skills with limited effectiveness	uses processing skills with some effectiveness	uses processing skills with considerable effectiveness	uses processing skills with a high degree of effectiveness
Use of critical/creative thinking processess (e.g., oral discourse, research, critical analysis, critical literacy, metacognition, creative process)	uses critical / creative thinking processes with limited effectiveness	uses critical / creative thinking processes with some effectiveness	uses critical / creative thinking processes with considerable effectiveness	uses critical / creative thinking processes with a high degree of effectiveness
Communication - The conveying of meaning through various forms
	The student:
Expression and organization of ideas and information (e.g., clear expression, logical organization) in oral, graphic, and written forms, including media forms	expresses and organizes ideas and information with limited effectiveness	expresses and organizes ideas and information with some effectiveness	expresses and organizes ideas and information with considerable effectiveness	expresses and organizes ideas and information with a high degree of effectiveness
Communication for different audiences and purposes (e.g., use of appropriate style, voice, point of view) in oral, graphic, and written forms, including media forms	communicates for different audiences and purposes with limited effectiveness	communicates for different audiences and purposes with some effectiveness	communicates for different audiences and purposes with considerable effectiveness	communicates for different audiences and purposes with a high degree of effectiveness
Use of conventions (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage), vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline in oral, graphic, and written forms, including media forms	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with limited effectiveness	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with some effectiveness	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with considerable effectiveness	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with a high degree of effectiveness
Application - The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts
	The student:
Application of knowledge and skills (e.g.,literacy strategies and processes; literary terminology, concepts, and theories) in familiar contexts	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with limited effectiveness	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with some effectiveness	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with considerable effectiveness	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with a high degree of effectiveness
Transfer of knowledge and skills (e.g., literacy strategies and processes; literary terminology, concepts, and theories) to new contexts	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with limited effectiveness	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with some effectiveness	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with considerable effectiveness	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with a high degree of effectiveness
Making connections within and between various contexts (e.g., between the text and personal knowledge and experience, other texts, and the world outside school)	makes connections within and between various contexts with limited effectiveness	makes connections within and between various contexts with some effectiveness	makes connections within and between various contexts with considerable effectiveness	makes connections within and between various contexts with a high degree of effectiveness

Resources:

• ETS4U online course of study
• Poetry: Selections from Chaucer, Shakespeare, Donne, Blake, Coleridge, Dickinson, Lampman, Williams, Klein, Atwood and Ondaatje
• Short Stories: Selections from Hawthorne, Faulkner, Jackson, Ross, Munro, McLeod and Reaney
• Othello, The Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare
• Last of the Crazy People by Timothy Findley or Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
• dictionary
• thesaurus
• various internet websites

Program Planning Considerations for English:

Teachers who are planning a program in English must take into account considerations in a number of important areas. Essential information that pertains to all disciplines is provided in the companion piece to this document, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: Program Planning and Assessment, 2000. The areas of concern to all teachers that are outlined there include the following:

• types of secondary school courses
• education for exceptional students
• the role of technology in the curriculum
• English as a second language (ESL) and English literacy development (ELD)
• career education
• cooperative education and other workplace experiences
• health and safety

Considerations relating to the areas listed above that have particular relevance for program planning in English are noted here.

Education for Exceptional Students. In planning courses in English, teachers should take into account the needs of exceptional students as set out in their Individual Education Plan. English courses reflect the creative part of our literary world, which offers a vast array of opportunities for exceptional students. Students who use alternative techniques for communication may find a venue for their talents as writers. Just as English responds to the needs and demands of the greater world of work, English courses are largely shaped by the needs and demands of students who will all eventually end up in this greater world.

The Role of Technology in the Curriculum. Information technology is considered a learning tool that must be accessed by English students when the situation is appropriate. As a result, students will develop transferable skills through their experience with word processing, internet research, presentation software, and telecommunication tools, as would be expected in any business environment. 

English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD). This English course can provide a wide range of options to address the needs of ESL/ELD students. Detailed analysis of the parts of speech, vocabulary and sentence, paragraph and essay structure will help ESL students in mastering the English language and all of its idiosyncrasies. In addition, since all occupations require employees with a wide range of English skills and abilities, many students will learn how their backgrounds and language skills can contribute to their success in the larger world.

Career Education. English definitely helps prepare students for employment in a huge number of diverse areas. The skills, knowledge and creativity that students acquire through this English course are essential for a wide range of careers. Being able to express oneself in a clear concise manner without ambiguity would be an overall intention of this English course, as it helps students prepare for success in their working lives.

Cooperative Education and Other Workplace Experiences. By applying the skills they have developed, students will readily connect their classroom learning to real-life activities in the world in which they live. Cooperative education and other workplace experiences will broaden their knowledge of employment opportunities in a wide range of fields. In addition, students will increase their understanding of workplace practices and the nature of the employer-employee relationship. Teachers of English should maintain links with community-based businesses to ensure that students have access to hands-on experiences that will reinforce the knowledge they have gained in school.

Health and Safety. The English program provides the reading skills for the student to be able to explore the variety of concepts relating to health and safety in the workplace. Teachers who provide support for students in workplace learning placements need to assess placements for safety and ensure that students can read and understand the importance of issues relating to health and safety in the workplace.