ELA 9/10: Literary Analysis Section One
Literary Analysis Section One is a class designed to support students conducting critical reading of material. In section one of this course we will explore narrative texts of both fiction and nonfiction and use a range of techniques to unpack the material. Similar to other courses at Wahtonka, all language arts courses are content driven and standards based. Content driven means that it will incorporate things you learn in your other classes (math, science, social studies) because in life we do not separate subjects, they are all blended together in everything you do! Standards based means it will follow the national common core standards (this means we are following the learning goals of our nation). Career ready skills will also be practiced during your time in language arts in order to prepare you for life and finding your way along a career path.
Language arts will be inquiry-based and constructionist in style which means
Students learn by doing. We become strong readers by reading and reflecting upon how different authors approach topics, what devices they use, what words they use and how it impacts their message.
Students will be practicing critical thinking skills through learning how to critically discuss works and develop their own takeaways.
Students will be engaging in processes of design and refinement through sharing their takeaways from work, listening to those of others and reconsidering their own beliefs.
Students will be asked to take healthy risks as readers to both help themselves and their peers grow in their work.
In 9th / 10th grade students will learn to identify their own meaning from stories we read and how to critique the authors to learn lessons about how to improve our own writing. We will dive into a range of different books, articles, and stories over the course of the year together. Students will be expected to do reading both on their own and in class and engage in personal reflection and group discussions about each text. At the conclusion of each text students will be expected to share their analysis through one of several different ways including writing, creating a video, a podcast and more.
Course time frame: 44 weeks (1 year)
Daily 90 minutes
Credit: Language Arts (1.0)
Google classroom: https://classroom.google.com/u/0/c/MTE3MjYyMzY0Njc4
Course FAQs
What are my technology needs?
You will login to Google Classroom and utilize this platform for work submission. You will also need to be proficient in the use of Google Drive and GoogleDocs. Other programs we use include WeVideo.
What are the prerequisites I need in order to take this class?
None.
Why should I take this course/What are the benefits?
There are 3 specific reasons you should have a class in literary analysis:
Readers learn by reading: Great readers and writers learn about the power of storytelling through reading stories and thinking about what makes them work. At Wahtonka we do not believe that there is one meaning to a poem, or one interpretation of a book. You will be encouraged to make your own meaning, share that with your peers and learn about their understanding.
Thinking Critically: Great readers learn to think critically by diving deeply into books to develop their perspective, then learning to reconsider their perspective as they hear others. In Literary Analysis Section One you will be encouraged to share openly their takeaways then reconsider them as they hear from others. This process is imperative for students to develop strong critical thinking skills.
Encourages Teamwork: We all learn through experimentation and collaboration. In ELA you will learn how to hear perspectives other than your own, how to receive feedback and how to collaborate on ideas together. In every line of work teamwork is what makes us most successful.
What standards does this course cover?
Here is the Common Core Standards that apply to English Language Arts
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.5 Analyze in detail how an author's ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
How do you grade my work in this class?
Wahtonka Community School uses a proficiency based grading system. Your grade is based upon rubrics with specific standards and requirements. In order to gain credit for this class you must meet these standards at the proficient or mastery level.
Course grades are usually broken down as follows:
Mastery
Letter = A+, A, A-
GPA = 4.0, 3.75, 3.5
Credit = 0.33
Proficient
Letter = B+, B, B-
GPA = 3.25, 3.0, 2.75
Credit = 0.33
Developing
Letter = C+, C, C-
GPA = 2.5, 2.0, 1.75
Credit = 0.15 - 0.05
Basic/Emergent
Letter = D, F
GPA = 1.5, 0
Credit = 0