English 4A Course Description


English 4A will focus on answering the question, “Is the American dream uniquely American?” To answer this question, the course will engage in a comparative study of foundational American, British, and world literature.   Writing will be emphasized as a means of expressing students’ knowledge and learning.  This course will assume a college preparatory course, and thus emphasize reading and writing skills that reflect that path.  Grammar instruction will focus on mastery of the ten composition errors.  

Focused Standards

*The following CommonCore State Standards will be emphasized in English 4. While all 12th grade CCSS will be covered, the following are areas of identified weaknesses/focus for the course.

§   RL.11-12.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

§   RL.11-12.9 Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

§   RI.11-12.2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.

§   RI.11-12.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.

§   W.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

§   W.11-12.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

§   W.11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

§   SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. (Also SL.11-12.1a-e)

Main Texts

*The following texts will be taught in English 4A; however, the curriculum is not limited to these texts.

§  Jane Eyre

§  Frankenstein

§  Of Mice and Men

§  Shakespeare

§  Detective Fiction

§  Fantasy Literature

Main Assessments

*The following assignments are projects that are unique to English 4A and are crucial to advancement in the ELA course sequence.

§  Multi-Genre Project

§  Response Papers

§  Literary Criticism

§  8-10 page Research Paper

Technology Benchmarks

English 4A students will be expected to demonstrate mastery of English 1 and English II skills, while also independently knowing when and how to appropriately implement each type of technology. Students will seek out new opportunities to incorporate technology. 

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