Course Overview

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.

Course Outline

This course has the following units of study:

• Unit 1: Short Fiction and Writing Development (28 Hours)
• Unit 2: King Lear (28 Hours)
• Unit 3: The Great Gatsby (26 Hours)
• Unit 4: Media Studies and Poetry (20 Hours)
• Course Cumulative Project (8 Hours)

ENG4U has a course cumulative project and a final exam, each worth 15% of the final grade calculation.

Curriculum Expectations

ORAL COMMUNICATION

• Listening to Understand: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes;
• Speaking to Communicate: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes;
• Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as listeners and speakers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in oral communication situations

READING AND LITERATURE STUDIES

• Reading for Meaning: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning;
• Understanding Form and Style: recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning;
• Reading With Fluency: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently;
• Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading.

WRITING

• Developing and Organizing Content: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
• Using Knowledge of Form and Style: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;
• Applying Knowledge of Conventions: use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;
• Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: 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.

MEDIA STUDIES

• Understanding Media Texts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;
• Understanding Media Forms, Conventions, and Techniques: identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them are used to create meaning;
• Creating Media Texts: create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;
• Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: 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.”””