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English Language Arts 11 Introduction

Site: Cowichan Valley School District - Moodle
Course: ELA11, CSS, Cizeron
Book: English Language Arts 11 Introduction
Printed by: Guest user
Date: Sunday, 19 May 2024, 9:28 AM

Table of contents

ELA 11 Big Ideas

To meet the requirements of English Language Arts 11, students will choose ONE of the following courses:  Composition 11, Creative Writing 11, New Media 11, Spoken Language 11, Literary Studies 11.

Each course covers the following BIG IDEAS:

  • The exploration of text and story deepens our understanding of diverse, complex ideas about identity, others and the world
  • People understand text differently depending on their worldviews and perspectives.
  • Texts are socially, culturally, geographically, and historically constructed
  • Language shapes ideas and influences others.

Explanation of Course Format

The English Language Arts curriculum, while always centered around developing strong communication, writing, and critical thinking skills, provides opportunity for learners to select a focus for their study.  In ELA 11 you'll select one of five courses that will narrow your area of focus as you explore English Language Arts: 

      • Composition
      • Creative Writing
      • Literary Studies
      • New Media
      • Spoken Language 

This exciting approach will give you the freedom to explore areas of interest and passion, while covering all the same core competencies.   So, read through the course descriptions that follow and choose a focus for study that engages you.

Once you have chosen a course (Composition, Creative Writing, Literary Studies, New Media or Spoken Language)  you will begin the course.  All students will complete the same base assignments, however, at the end of each unit,  students will complete different final projects.  You must ensure you ALWAYS select the final project that corresponds to your chosen course.  You are not able to switch between courses after your initial course.   This will ensure that you remain on the path that was selected at the outset of the course.  

To help you make an informed decision about which course to choose, the following page provides summaries for each of the five options.  

Composition

Composition 11 is designed to support students as they refine, clarify, and adjust their written communication through practice and revision. Students will read and study compositions by other writers and be exposed to a variety of styles as models for the development of their writing. The course provides opportunities for students to, with increasing independence, study, create, and write original and authentic pieces for a range of purposes and real-world audiences. They will expand their competencies through processes of drafting, reflecting, and revising to build a body of work that demonstrates expanding breadth, depth, and evidence of writing for a range of situations. They will develop confidence in their abilities as they consolidate their writing craft.



The following are possible areas of focus within Composition 11:

    • narrative, expository, descriptive, persuasive, and opinion pieces
    • planning, drafting, and editing processes
    • writing for specific audiences and specific disciplines
    • how to cite sources, consider the credibility of evidence, and evaluate the quality and reliability of the source



BC Curriculum Source: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/english-language-arts/11/courses  

Creative Writing

Creative Writing 11 is designed for students who are interested in developing confidence and refining their writing skills through self-expression for various creative purposes. The course provides students with in-depth opportunities to explore personal and cultural identities, memories, and stories in a wide range of genres. Within a supportive community, students will collaborate and strengthen their skills through writing and design processes. Creative Writing 11 is grounded in the exploration and application of writing processes, inviting students to express themselves creatively as they reflect on, adjust, and extend their writing skills.



The following are possible areas of focus within Creative Writing 11:

    • short fiction and poetry – suggested content includes flash-fiction (micro-fiction, drabble, non-fiction, twitterature), graffiti, sub-genres (e.g., adventure, children’s literature, comic/graphic, fantasy, fan fiction, historical fiction, horror, sci-fi, dystopian, suspense, thriller, tragedy, romance), drama, script writing, poetry, authenticity versus sentimentality, literary devices and techniques, various forms, the relationship between form and function
    • creative non-fiction – suggested content includes columns, features, articles, queries, captions, layout, reporting, interviews, reviews (fashion, movie), advertising, titles, bylines, sample readings
    • memoir – suggested content includes place-based writing, narrative, film memoir, sample readings



BC Curriculum Source: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/english-language-arts/11/courses  

Literary Studies

Literary Studies 11 allows students to delve deeply into literature. Students can explore specific themes, periods, authors, or areas of the world through literary works (fiction and non-fiction) in a variety of media. Giving students the choice of a range of literary topics allows them to follow their passion and at the same time:

  • increase their literacy skills through close reading of appropriately challenging texts
  • enhance their development of the English Language Arts curricular competencies, both expressive and receptive
  • expand their development as educated global citizens
  • develop balance and broaden their understanding of themselves and the world
  • further develop higher-level thinking and learning skills



The following are possible areas of focus in Literary Studies 11:

    • canonical literature by era (Middle Ages, Renaissance, Restoration, Romantic, Victorian, 20th century)
    • genre-specific studies (poetry, short stories, novels, drama, graphic novels, children’s literature)
    • world literature
    • diasporic literature
    • feminist literature
    • Canadian literature
    • First Peoples texts
    • specific author studies
    • specific topic, theme, or inquiry
    • literature by era (Middle Ages, Renaissance, Restoration, Romantic, Victorian, 20th century)



BC Curriculum Source: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/english-language-arts/11/courses  

New Media

New Media 11 is a program of studies designed to reflect the changing role of technology in today’s society and the increasing importance of digital media in communicating and exchanging ideas. This course is intended to allow students and educators the flexibility to develop an intensive program of study centred on students’ interests, needs, and abilities, while at the same time allowing for a range of local delivery methods. New Media 11 recognizes that digital literacy is an essential characteristic of the educated citizen. Coursework is aimed at providing students with a set of skills vital for success in an increasingly complex digital world by affording numerous opportunities to demonstrate understanding and communicate increasingly sophisticated ideas through a wide variety of digital and print media. Compared with New Media 10, New Media 11 features tasks and texts of greater complexity and sophistication. As well, the Grade 11 course extends the depth and breadth of topics and activities offered in New Media 10.



The following are possible focus areas in New Media 11:

    • media and film studies – suggested content/topics include the globalization of the media industry, influence of media on users’ perceptions, and documentaries in the age of digital media
    • journalism and publishing – suggested content/topics include the changing roles and structures within news organizations; and risks, challenges, and opportunities associated with professional journalism
    • digital communication – suggested content/topics include blogging, writing for the web, writing for social media, gaming, and podcasting



BC Curriculum Source: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/english-language-arts/11/courses  

Spoken Language

Spoken Language 11 is designed to support students as they refine, clarify, and adjust their spoken communication through practice and revision. The course provides opportunities for students to, with increasing independence, study, create, write, and present original and authentic pieces for a range of purposes and real-world audiences. They will expand their competencies through processes of drafting, reflecting, and revising to build a body of work that demonstrates expanding breadth, depth, and evidence of spoken language genres for a range of situations. They will develop confidence in their abilities as they consolidate their spoken language skills.



The following are possible areas of focus in Spoken Language 11:

    • performance – suggested content/topics include spoken word/slam poetry, poetry recitation, oral storytelling, readers’ theatre, radio/podcasts/video posts
    • oral tradition – suggested content/topics include oratory, local story knowledge, oral history
    • professional applications – suggested content/topics include speech writing/presenting, proposals, interviewing, event facilitation, radio/podcasts/video posts (information items), voice-overs



BC Curriculum Source: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/english-language-arts/11/courses  

Assessment

This 4-credit course will be broken down as follows:

 

20%     Unit 1:  Communication 

10%     Unit 2:  Independent Novel Study

20%     Unit 3:  Personal and Cultural Identity

18%     Unit 4:  Personal and Social Responsibility

18%     Unit 5:  Creative and Critical Thinking

Final Exam is worth 14% of the overall grade.

Submitting Assignments

  1. Click the assignment link.
  2. Click Add submission.
  3. If you are adding ONLINE TEXT, type or copy/paste your assignment in the editing box.
  4. If you are UPLOADING a FILE(S), drag the file from your computer into the box under File Submissions OR
    • Click Add
    • Browse (to find the file on your computer) and
    • Upload this file.
  5. Make sure you click Save Changes at the end.

*Please save your files using your last name and the title of the assignment.

eg. Brown Family Journal

Plagiarism

1. Definition of Plagiarism

When you make research your own, your writing will sound like you. That is exactly what you want. But what you don’t want is to mislead people into thinking that all these ideas are your own. If you do, you may be guilty of plagiarism - the act of presenting someone else’s ideas as your own.

  • In word-for-word plagiarism, a researcher repeats the exact words of a source without giving the necessary credit.
  • Paraphrase plagiarism occurs when a researcher says basically the same thing as an original source with just a few words changed.
  • In spot plagiarism, a researcher uses only a source’s key words or phrases as his or her own without giving credit.

You owe it to your sources, your readers, and yourself to give credit for the ideas you use, unless the ideas are widely accepted as “common knowledge.” Information is considered common knowledge if most people already know it, or if it can be found in nearly any basic reference book on the subject. (The fact that there are 365 days in the year is common knowledge; the fact that it rained 210 days in Seattle during 1990 is not.) (Sebranek, Meyer and Kemper 179)

  1. What is citation?

“Citation” refers to the process of precisely documenting evidence gathered from various sources. These sources are usually print-based, but they may also take other forms, such as an oral interview, a video, or a painting.

  1. When to Cite?

Students MUST document where they found their evidence. This does not mean that you have to document every sentence in your essay or assignment, but you must document the following:

    • direct quotations

    • paraphrased information

    • information that is not “common knowledge” or that could not be found in a standard reference book.

For example, the fact that the North-West rebellion took place in 1885 is a standard piece of information and need not be cited. But information that does not seem to be standard-- i.e., that the rebellion was a conspiracy engineered by the Tories—does need to be documented if found in a reference because it is not common knowledge and is not your own idea.

Advice for Success: Top 10 List

After years of teaching online English courses, I have compiled a top ten list for success in the course... here goes...

#1:  Communication.  Read the messages your teacher sends.  Email or message back right away when you have questions.  Don't get stuck.

#2:  Read the assignment details AND the criteria in the rubric before submitting your work.

#3:  Use the provided graphic organizers to brainstorm and organize your work.  No one writes a perfect first draft.

#4:  Proofread and then edit AGAIN before you submit your work.

#5:  Start your novel study (the final section) right away.  Do NOT leave this till the last minute.

#6:  Collaborate with friends either online or face-to-face.  Ask for advice.

#7:  Use the material in the course to help you.  Click on the hyperlinks.  They are there for you.

#8:  Develop a plan for completion.  Everybody needs deadlines.

#9:  Did I say start your novel study right away?  I can't really emphasize that more.

#10:  Communicate!!  Seriously, ask lots of questions. If you want to do a different type of assignment or question, you only need ask.  Choice is an important part of English Language Arts 11.