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Maybe change would not be hard if we knew where it was all going. This course is not about telling fortunes, but it is about seeing how people and ideas have changed. It is also about discovering which ideas have lasting value for each student.
Books, poems, and songs are filled with stories about people discovering the world around them and the world inside them. Authors share their reflections about how people respond to changes and challenges. In this course, students encounter the many faces of change. They are also challenged to define and describe their place in a changing world.
The purpose of this course is to give students the tools to understand and express who they are and where they want to go. By the end of the course, each student’s portfolio of writings will provide a descriptive self-portrait of a young adult growing up.
Segment 1 Advanced includes: Novel Study
Segment 2 Advanced includes: Poetry Study
Students will demonstrate an understanding of themes and main ideas by explaining theme development in narrative fiction, comparing story representations in different media, explaining strategies for determining word meaning, and creating an objective summary expressing the main idea of a text.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of informational writing by summarizing the process of gathering and organizing research, explaining the language and structure of informational texts, and creating a cause and effect article.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of narrative elements by explaining the impact of narrative point of view on a story, creating a narrative with an organized plot, and explaining the impact of dialogue and temporal transitions on a narrative.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the presentation and expression of ideas by comparing texts on the same topic with conflicting ideas, evaluating mediums for presenting information, explaining a modern presentation of a universal theme, and analyzing an author’s use of word choice and order to express ideas in a poem.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of literary analysis and presentation by describing the conflict and dialogue of a story, creating a movie pitch for an adaptation of a work of fiction, and presenting ideas using speaking skills.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of argumentation by explaining the purpose of argumentative writing, integrating credible research into argumentative writing through direct and indirect quotation, and creating an argumentative text respectful of its audience.
Projects allow students to demonstrate competence and understanding of concepts and skills by completing a career-related task. For example, the assignment might be to create a mural, a package design, a speech, a film review, or a movie set – you name it! These creative projects are about applying your learning acquired through in-depth research to real-world career tasks.
Each competency will be addressed through a project that is based on a real-life career task. Here are the careers you will explore: Literary Publicist, Atmospheric Scientist, Video Game Designer, Editor, Filmmaker, and Pediatrician.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of themes and main ideas by explaining theme development in narrative fiction, comparing story representations in different media, explaining strategies for determining word meaning, and creating an objective summary expressing the main idea of a text.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of informational writing by summarizing the process of gathering and organizing research, explaining the language and structure of informational texts, and creating a cause and effect article.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of narrative elements by explaining the impact of narrative point of view on a story, creating a narrative with an organized plot, and explaining the impact of dialogue and temporal transitions on a narrative.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the presentation and expression of ideas by comparing texts on the same topic with conflicting ideas, evaluating mediums for presenting information, explaining a modern presentation of a universal theme, and analyzing an author’s use of word choice and order to express ideas in a poem.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of literary analysis and presentation by describing the conflict and dialogue of a story, creating a movie pitch for an adaptation of a work of fiction, and presenting ideas using speaking skills.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of argumentation by explaining the purpose of argumentative writing, integrating credible research into argumentative writing through direct and indirect quotation, and creating an argumentative text respectful of its audience.
Projects: Honors is awarded by earning "Exceeds" on all rubric assessments.