English 130

Students inquire about and comprehend key ideas and details in a variety of texts. 

Students investigate the craft and structure of a variety of texts.

Students integrate knowledge to make meaningful connections between ideas in diverse texts.

Students apply their knowledge of text types and purposes.

Students use various processes to produce and distribute a wide range of their writing.

Students research to build and present knowledge in writing.

Students present their knowledge and ideas orally and comprehensibly.

Students apply strategies for listening and collaborate with others to comprehend what is heard and spoken

 Students apply strategies to comprehend and utilize vocabulary appropriately in a variety of contexts: social, instructional, and academic.

Students recognize and apply conventions of English in order to produce oral and written texts.

Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly and what the text infers, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain

Determine central ideas and themes in grade-level texts; analyze development over the course of each text, including how they interact and build on one another; and provide a summary of the text

Examine a set of ideas and selected literary elements, and analyze how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text

Determine the meaning of words and phrases, including figurative and connotative meanings, as they are used in various texts and media, and analyze the effect of specific word choices on attitude and tone

Analyze arguments in grade-level texts, and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether or not the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging

Investigate multiple sources of information presented in different text forms, including media, and compare the way each approaches information, addresses a question, and/or solves a problem

Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem evaluating how each version interprets the source text

Write arguments to support claims, using valid reasoning and sufficient relevant evidence

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection and organization of content

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, well- chosen details, and well-structured event sequences

Produce clear and coherent writings in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience

Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information

Conduct short, as well as more sustained research projects, to answer a question (including a self- generated question) or solve a problem, using multiple sources

Present information on a range of formal and informal tasks by conveying a clear and distinct perspective, by providing a clear line of reasoning that addresses alternative or opposing perspectives, and by organizing carefully to suit the purpose and intended audience

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate

Listen to grade-appropriate live or media presentations about various topics, and take notes to confirm comprehension and participate in discussions

Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choices, points of emphasis, and tone

Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners— one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led—on relevant grade 12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas, and expressing own ideas clearly and convincingly

Apply various strategies to discover the meaning of unknown words and phrases and demonstrate academic readiness in gathering vocabulary knowledge of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases common at the college and career level

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings

Demonstrate an increasing command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing

Demonstrate a developing practice of organizing writing according to an identified purpose, academic or technical

Compare a print text (story, drama, poem) with a media presentation (e.g., live or recorded reading, play, or film), and interpret the authors’ purposes, meanings, and attitudes and make observations about how the texts are similar and different; diagram/chart the information, and then talk and write about it

Use understanding of Samoan culture and tradition as an approach in analyzing a non-Pacific story, drama, or poem; use technology to make a presentation

Develop two opposing claims, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases; distinguish one to be the claim and the other the counterclaim

Organize and write an argument essay that introduces a clearly stated claim (thesis), establishes the reason for the claim, gives knowledgeable support, recognizes an opposing claim, and provides a concluding paragraph that follows from and supports the argument

Demonstrate the ability to establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions for writing argument

Modify the essay, as required, to ensure that transition words and phrases (e.g., adverbs like therefore, on the other hand, consequently) and conjunctions (so, but, because, although, if...then) make clear the relationships between claim(s) and reasons and between claim(s) and counterclaims

Write essays that define and explain concepts from grade 12 content (e.g., terminology related to literature, science, mathematics, social studies), and develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to an identified audience

Construct an essay that has unity of thought, including an introduction; a “hook” and thesis statement; a body that supports the thesis with relevant ideas; concepts and information; and a conclusion

Revise writing, paying attention to format (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures; tables), and multimedia as required, as well as conventions of standard grammar and usage

Review and rewrite to use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, to create cohesion, and to clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts; select precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques (e.g., metaphor, simile, imagery, analogy) to manage the topic

Identify a real or believable experience of paradox or dilemma, and, in a group, construct a skeleton story with conflict and action, suitable characters, and potential setting and tone

Write a narrative, working individually, from a group-developed story outline; develop a clear plot line and suitable story elements (i.e., specific details for setting, characterization, and plot development) using narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection; and do an oral reading of excerpts or the complete narrative

Talk and write about the experience of being a story writer, sharing the process, the challenges, the expected effects, and the overall meaning/purpose

Choose a form and format that suits the tasks, purposes, and audiences (e.g., narrative, essay, report, online article, informational text with visual representations)

Write texts that each have an appropriate form or “shape” (i.e., an introduction, thesis, body, and conclusion); produce strong topic sentences and thesis statements that control the writing; include only details, reasons, and examples that support the main idea (i.e., omit irrelevant information or examples); and organize the ideas to accomplish unity, fluency, and cohesion

Demonstrate proper format (e.g., titles and headers, spacing, punctuation, referencing and citing resources)

 Use the writing process to accomplish a task on a given topic, including prewriting activities and multiple drafts with revisions and edits

Peer edit for others, and respond to editing done by peers (i.e., read each other’s work in order to ask questions and offer suggestions for change and improvement)

Use the computer to find information for selected writing assignments, and use technology to present information (e.g., word process essays; prepare PowerPoint presentations that include graphs and charts; create a class blog on a topic)

Select a topic of national or international interest to do a research project, narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate, and synthesize multiple sources on the subject

Gather information from primary resources (e.g., personal interviews, notes from a live speech), and secondary resources (e.g., print and media materials), and record the source information according to a style sheet (e.g., MLA) in a reference list

Create an annotated bibliography of four sources encountered during research (i.e., a 3–5 sentence summary of the content and/or usefulness of a resource)

Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the subject under investigation; write an outline for a presentation, and present it to the class; and write a (journal) reflection on the research done and on the usefulness and challenges of research in general

Participate in a class “town hall” meeting on a controversial local or school issue: prepare a speech to deliver a specific perspective on the issue, and be ready to respond to challenges by others

Debate on various local and national issues, and invite visitors (from the school or community) to watch and respond

Write a speech on a topic about “wisdom for life,” and deliver the speech, using appropriate style and formality, to two different audiences (e.g., a community group, a teacher panel, a parent group, another grade group, an employer, a team of peers)

Write and present three related two-voice dialogues about a local or international concern for three different situations: a news story, an informal conversation between friends and family, and a discussion in a formal academic or business meeting (e.g., controversial proposal for a change in the community, local environmental issue, world event or issue)

Listen to a formal “debate” (e.g., visit or watch a movie clip of a courtroom, government in session, town hall meeting, or local debate); take notes of main ideas and key supporting details (e.g., examples, reasons, evidence); discuss; and then write, to explore reflective responses

Identify examples of verbal and nonverbal choices a speaker uses to communicate effectively (e.g., rhetorical devices, cohesion, word choice, emphasis, tone, stance, emotionality)

Critique a well-known or recorded speech (e.g., political, motivational, educational) through an analysis of content, point of view, style, tone and purpose; share ideas in a panel discussion; and write about the speech

Compare two speakers (on media, in the community, in class); use an evaluation tool (e.g., rubric, customized graphic organizer) to evaluate and critique speakers’ messages and approaches; and determine a best and worst example, and defend the choice

Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched the material under study, and explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas

Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views); to set clear goals; establish boundaries (e.g., time limits, deadlines, turn-taking); and negotiate taking individual roles as needed (e.g., facilitator, recorder, time/task monitor, devil’s advocate)

Ask and respond to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions

Contribute to a class website or blog that presents tips on “how to” organize and facilitate guest speakers and collegial discussion, and provide a chronological record of class experiences, personal reflections, and “quotable quotes”

Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to meanings of recognizable and academic words (e.g., symbol, symbolic, symbolism, symmetry, symbiotic), and discuss with examples the value of knowing word parts

Consult print/digital reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses) to find the pronunciation of a word, determine or clarify its precise meaning, or its part of speech

Use word origin information in a dictionary to determine the derivations of selected words from a reading

Interpret figures of speech (e.g., paradox, irony, literary, biblical, mythological allusions, or references) in context, and discuss examples in class

Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., conflict/dilemma; critique/critical; global/international/multinational) to make better connections between each of the words, and write sentences that clearly reveal the distinctions and connections

Distinguish among the connotations, or associated feelings/attitudes of words, with similar denotations, or literal definitions (e.g., assertive, aggressive, emphatic, confident, insistent, overbearing); create drawings or use dramatic expression to show meanings (e.g., caricatures; verbal and nonverbal expression)

Demonstrate effective parallel structure in a PowerPoint presentation

Recognize errors and make corrections to participial and prepositional phrases that have been misplaced (dangling and misplaced modifiers)

Recognize three kinds of dependent clauses: adjective, adverb, and noun clauses, and demonstrate skill to use them

Demonstrate knowledge and skill of combining sentences using subordinate conjunctions and relative pronouns

Demonstrate proper use of the semicolon, with and without a conjunctive adverb, to link two closely related independent clauses

Demonstrate proper use of commas with restrictive (no commas) and nonrestrictive (pair of commas) clauses and phrases

Spell grade-level words correctly

Revise and edit own writing, with the help of a peer and/or teacher

Format a Word document correctly (e.g., font, spacing, titles, margins, header) for an essay with a title page and for a report (e.g., for a business or technical purpose)

Include a chart and/or diagram in an essay or report, and document the source according to guidelines provided

Find quotes or information from a book, journal, newspaper, and Internet site to put into an academic essay, and follow guidelines for citing sources (in-text citation) according to the MLA or APA style sheet

Compile a list of various sources (citations) used for a research report, using the APA (called references) or MLA (called works cited) style sheet

Examine literary and expository texts; identify examples of information that are stated explicitly and implicitly; use a graphic organizer to record observations and/or comparisons; and explain, with reasons for questioning or agreeing/disagreeing with selected information

Maintain a journal to record reflections about the readings through the year, relating them to personal life experiences

Identify central idea(s) in a text, examine how the idea is developed in the text, and explain in writing

Identify the theme of a selected text, discuss what it reveals about human nature, and write a theme statement (summary)

Compare central ideas and themes in multiple texts, exploring similarities to identify whether or not the theme is universal, and participate in a panel discussion

Examine two or more characters, the plot development, and key details of a literary text in order to analyze and explain dynamic relationships among these elements; i.e., make meaningful connections between the elements (e.g., how two characters impact one another; how the atmosphere affects the key characters; how the atmosphere reflects the conflict and highlights the plot development)

Use context clues to determine the meanings of unknown words and/or phrases in a text; explore examples of imagery, metaphor, hyperbole, and paradox; and discuss how these contribute to the impact of the text

Analyze specific words and phrases in a text that an author chooses to create particular impressions and tensions, explore an example of irony, and write a personal response to that example

Examine expository text; identify words in various textbooks that may have differing denotative and connotative meanings related to genre (e.g., a technical word in science or math having a different [specialized] meaning or use in literature or social studies); and create a “dictionary entry” for two or more of the words, using drawings and explanations

Analyze, with support, an author’s argument: Identify the claim statement and the key supporting points, identify any counter claim(s), and write a personal response

Use a graphic organizer to diagram the flow of all claims and support in a text, explain how the structure and language are used to present the argument, and critique whether or not the argument is clear and convincing

Use the claim to create a statement for debate, and prepare and participate in a class debate

Examine two versions of the same story or informational text (e.g., story or script made into a drama; a text made into a documentary), and determine if it stays faithful to, or departs from, the original; discuss opinions

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different media (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea, and write a composition that expresses an opinion