About the course
This course emphasizes the consolidation of the literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills necessary for success in academic and daily life. Students will analyse a range of challenging literary texts from various periods, countries, and cultures; interpret and evaluate informational and graphic texts; and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on using academic language coherently and confidently, selecting the reading strategies best suited to particular texts and particular purposes for reading, and developing greater control in writing. The course is intended to prepare students for university, college, or the workplace.
English - University
Course Credit
1
Course Price
$ 550.00
Course Developer
My Learning Oasis
Prerequisite(s) (Text)
Grade 11 English, University Preparation(ENG3U)
Course Code
Department Head & Contact Information
ENG4U
Ravi Sharma (ravi@mylearningoasis.com)
Course Type
University
Grade Level
Grade 12
Course Development Date
June 10, 2021
Course Outline
Oral Communication
In order to facilitate efficient note-taking from oral presentations in university or the workplace, students will explore and examine strategies to listen and comprehend oral texts, all this while taking notes in an effective manner. They will be exposed to videos of speakers with various accents and speaking on non-fictional issues or giving fictional accounts of different works. They will be exposed to political speeches as well. Students will then reexamine their note-taking ability and make necessary changes as needed. They will develop their own strategy with the help of peers and the classroom teacher to hone that skill.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 21 Hours
Media Awareness
Students will examine various media works and decipher facts from opinions and explore biases by the presenter. For instance, they may look at two opposing political media platforms and compare their strategies for presenting the same material. Students will then make their own presentation on a topic, with or without bias. They will examine various media outlets and analyse the types of biases and opinions they deliver at different times of the day, with a particular focus on the types of demographics being targeted for the various biases they present. Students will then select a current news piece, examine how it is being covered by at least three different news outlets, separate facts from opinions and make a conclusion on the ‘news-worthiness’ from each outlet with supporting evidence.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 24 Hours
Novel Study
Students have a selection of books in this unit. They will examine one or two books of choice that deliver an important message to the world like George Orwell’s Animal Farm novel, or Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane or Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi. The student will then write an scholarly paper that draws on the media mindfulness closes the unit.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 36 Hours
Romeo and Juliet
Students will examine Romeo and Juliet and will study the play in acts. At the end of each act students will discuss the impact it leaves on the story at that point. They will examine the reason for the necessary symbolisms and setting. Students will look at the dynamics between the characters and how Shakespeare skillfully used them to build and intensify the plot. Students will give their reaction to the plot and in an intellectual essay, comment on the ending. And discuss the impact that the ending has on them. They will make connections with real-life instances, past and present, with Romeo and Juliet.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 26 Hours
Final Exam
This is a proctored exam worth 30% of your final grade.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 2 Hours
Total: 110 Hours
Resources
The course material (class notes and necessary handouts) will be provided by the teacher.
The students will be required to have:
● Access to a library or the Internet to do research
● Access well as electronic devices for note taking and communication for those taking the class online
● Novels and movies that will be studied
Overall Curriculum Expectations
A. Oral Communication
A1: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes;
A2: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes;
A3: 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: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning;
B2: recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning;
B3: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently; B4 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: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
C2: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;
C3: use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;
C4: 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: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;
D2: identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them are used to create meaning;
D3: create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;
D4: 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.
Special Accommodations
Only Some students are able, with accommodations, to be part of a regular course curriculum and to demonstrate independent learning. These accommodations allow access to the course without any dilution of the knowledge and skills the student is expected to demonstrate. These required accommodations to facilitate the student’s learning will be identified in his or her IEP (see IEP Standards, 2000, page 11*). It is likely that IEP for many or all courses will reflect the same accommodations. The instructions and accommodations are geared to meet the diverse needs of learners.
The three types of accommodations that are going to be used are:
i) Instructional accommodations - changes in teaching/learning strategies facilitated by different styles of presentation; methods of organization; the use of technology and multimedia.
ii) Environmental accommodations - Certain classroom settings and preferential seating may benefit these students.
iii) Assessment: assessment procedures that enable the student to demonstrate his or her learning, such as Multiple Intelligence Theory, giving more time to complete tasks (see page 29 of the IEP Resource Guide, 2004, for more examples).
For students who require accommodations for only the mathematics courses, the assessment and evaluation of their achievement will be based on the appropriate course curriculum expectations and the achievement levels outlined in this document. The IEP box on the students’ Provincial Report Cards will not be checked, and no information on the provision of accommodations will be included.
* Taken from: Ministry of Education, Ontario. Extracted from The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007; (Pg:- 28-30) Date of extraction: Sunday, March 14, 2021
Program Considerations For English Language Learners
Students from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. For many of these students, English is not their spoken language. They may be coming from highly sophisticated educational systems, while others may have come from regions where access to formal schooling was limited. These students offer a rich addition to the classroom experience by way of their background knowledge and experience. All teachers will assist with their English- language development. In mathematics the teachers will include appropriate adaptations and strategies in their instructions and assessments to facilitate the success of the English language learners in their classrooms. Some of these strategies and adaptations are: modification of some or all of the course expectations so that they are challenging but attainable for the learner at his or her present level of English proficiency, given the necessary support from the teacher.
Teaching/Learning Strategy
The key learning strategy at My Learning Oasis Elite Private School is Constructivism. This format facilitates learning by many techniques, most or all of which will be adopted in the classroom. The most dominant of these is group learning. The facilitator places students of different backgrounds in the same group so that they can feed off each other. Each may bring to the table a different reasoning strategy to facilitate problem-solving. Now, each student becomes a learner and a teacher at the same time, as he/she has to communicate his/her solution. This builds the students' knowledge base and by default, increases their confidence to speak in a crowd, albeit a small group at the beginning. The famous educationalist, Vygotsky, proved that by placing students in a group they function at the upper level of their zone of proximal development, each one scaffolding the other.
This strategy is further enhanced by the teacher asking leading questions as opposed to giving the answer outright, then allowing for group discussion. The students are encouraged to make connections between what they have learnt and their life experiences, then share with the group. The effect of this strategy is intrinsic motivation and learning. Each student develops an expanded appreciation of the topic at hand by seeing how it applies in different settings around the world by way of listening to their group members.
This Constructivist approach will be further accentuated by implementing “fish-bowling”. There are many ways to implement this technique. The one that will mostly be used will be by dividing up the larger problem (technical, mathematics, science, or otherwise) into smaller bits and have each student thoughtfully master one part. That student then teaches the group and facilitates a discussion reflection about the strategy (computational or otherwise) used in the solution. Each student in turn does this.
The above techniques enable students to reflect on the material learnt, make real life connections, and develop problem solving skills. One important by-product of the technique of Constructivism is that each student develops an appreciation of each other’s culture. This cultivates healthy people’s skill, which is not only important for the professional world but for life itself.
Constructivism lends itself well to students whose first language is not the language of instruction and who is new to the class. While other strategies will be used for students having difficulty with the English Language, this technique will definitely be used to enhance their English skill.
Assessment And Evaluation
At My Learning Oasis, course facilitators do not wait for a quiz or exam to determine how well a student is doing. Here, evaluation is an on-going exercise. The pedagogical techniques (refer to Teaching and Learning Strategies) used at My learning Oasis are perhaps the best techniques suited for on-going assessment, hence, they being an integral part of our delivery methodologies.
Concrete assessments are made through projects and assignments. However, the evaluation is based on “our flavor” of the Mastery Teaching technique. This ensures that the emphasis is on the quality of learning and NOT grading. Students' projects and homework will continuously be evaluated and re-evaluated with appropriate guidance to meet the school’s and Ministry’s expectations. At My Learning Oasis, we will work with the students until the projects meet a minimum of a B-grade, unless in extreme circumstances where the willful negligence of the students force lower grades. While this is a lot more taxing on the facilitator, it does not matter because My Learning Oasis is a Learner-centered institution NOT a Grade-Centered nor a Teacher-Centered institution. Four categories of knowledge and skills are outlined in the achievement chart - knowledge and understanding, thinking, communication, and application. Student’s work is assessed and evaluated with respect to these categories, and that achievement of particular expectations is considered within the appropriate categories. A final grade will then be recorded for this course and if that grade is 50% or higher, a credit is granted to the student and recorded for this course. The final grade for this course will be determined as follows:
● For material evaluated throughout the course, seventy percent of the grade will be assigned. This portion of the grade should reflect the student's consistency in his/her level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration should be given to more recent evidence of achievement.
● Thirty percent of the grade will be based on a final evaluation, which is administered towards the end of the course.
Final Exam: 30%
Grading for all course work, projects, presentation, participation, interim quizzes and exams: 70%
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