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English

9th Grade Pre-IB/Honors English 9

10th Grade Pre-IB/Honors English 10

11th Grade IB/Honors English 11 Higher Level

12th Grade IB/AP English Higher Level

Philosophy
Young people today face a future in which change will be a primary characteristic. In order to prepare our students to function successfully in a dynamic world, schools must offer curricula and instruction designed to provide the skills necessary to meet the challenges inherent in such a shifting environment. Economically, this shift will necessitate a work force that is highly skilled and literate with the ability to change and adapt. Politically, a healthy, functioning democracy will continue to demand an informed, thoughtful citizenry, which understands its shared values and ethical principles. Socially, communities will require culturally literate adults who possess a strong sense of shared tradition, as well as an awareness of the diversity of individual heritage. Therefore, in addition to providing a firm foundation of basic skills, schools must prepare students who know how to think and to learn; who know how to gather, organize and analyze information and then apply it to solve problems. The English-Language Arts curriculum will meet this formidable task by incorporating dynamic, committed instruction with a body of challenging, rigorous course work that provides the skills and knowledge necessary to compete successfully in the ever-changing arenas of academics, business and society.

Program Components

  • A meaning-centered, literature-based program, representative of all genre, which reflects significant universal issues, dilemmas and values and which provides a rich language experience

  • The integration of the four communicative strands - reading, writing, listening and speaking into every unit of study across the curriculum

  • A research component, involving print, electronic and other resources which provides students with the skills necessary to become effective information managers

  • A writing program based on the principles and conventions of the writing process

  • A reading skills component embedded within the context of quality literature

Aims

  • To promote an international perspective through comparative study of works from the students' own and other cultures.

  • To engage in the study and analysis of classic and contemporary literature in a variety of genre, styles, structures

  • To develop confident and articulate individuals who can form, support, and express their ideas.

  • To develop individuals who are cognitive of and sensitive to diverse viewpoints and who recognize and appreciate the universal truths, which underlie diverse cultures

  • To develop lifelong learners who honor the creative spirit in themselves and others by promoting a supportive environment

  • To foster intellectual curiosity and integrity

Pre-IB English 9/10

Objectives
Students will:

  • read and respond to significant works of literature and produce evidence of comprehension by conducting in-depth analysis of recurrent patterns and themes.

  • demonstrate an awareness of the ways in which the formal aspects of a work of literature contribute to meaning.

  • develop reading strategies that enable students to read critically and creatively for nuances of meaning.

  • write coherent and focused essays that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument.

  • deliver polished and extemporaneous presentations that demonstrate command of standard English clear oral expression and appropriate register.

IB English - Higher Level Objectives
Students will:

  • read and respond to significant works of literature and produce evidence of comprehension by conducting in-depth analysis of recurrent patterns and themes.

  • demonstrate an awareness of the ways in which the formal aspects of a work of literature contribute to meaning.

  • develop reading strategies that enable students to read critically and creatively for nuances of meaning.

  • write coherent and focused essays that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument.

  • deliver polished and extemporaneous presentations that demonstrate command of standard English clear oral expression and appropriate register.

  • gather and evaluate material from a variety of sources in order to create a focused and coherent presentation that conveys a lucid perspective based on critical reading and reasoning.

  • formulate well-crafted judgments about oral communications and deliver focused and coherent presentations that convey clear and distinctive perspective and crisp reasoning.

  • demonstrate knowledge of the works studied as well as the relationship between groups of works studied.

  • demonstrate an appreciation of similarities and differences between literary works from different ages and/or different cultures.

  • present original work that expresses their interpretation and appreciation of literature they have studied to an audience of their peers.

Assessment: There are three areas of assessment for IB English at the higher level. The following is an outline of what will be assessed.

Area 1: World Literature Assignments - Externally Assessed For 20% Of The IB English Grade
Assignment #1

  • a paper/essay derived from PART I of the Course of Study and based upon two of the three works

  • the essay should be interpretive and formal and focus on narrative techniques, characterization, a portrayal of society, perspective of common human problems, or a portrayal of the family

  • it will be a minimum of 1200 words and a maximum of 1500 words

  • assessment will be based upon the Assignment #1 descriptors with a maximum score of 15.

Assignment #2

  • a paper derived from PART I, III, or IV of the Course of Study as long as it is a piece(s) of World Literature and not already addressed in Assignment #1

  • the method of approach or format is more openly creative

  • it may either be a detailed appreciation of an aspect of one of the five pieces of World Literature or a comparative study of an aspect of any two works

  • it can be the analysis of one or two key passages, a commentary on a passage, a pastiche, a formal essay, or other written approach approved by the teacher

  • it will be a minimum of 700 words and a maximum of 1000 words

  • assessment will be based upon the descriptors for Assignment #2 with a maximum score of 15.

Area #2: Oral Commentary - Internally Assessed And Externally Moderated For 30% Of The IB English Grade
Five Pieces Of Oral Work Derived From Parts II And IV Of The Course Of Study
Piece #1: A formal commentary from PART II (Detailed Study)

  • students will have 20 minutes to read the teacher chosen passage of about 40 lines and prepare notes

  • student will speak for 15 minutes using notes, guiding questions and follow-up questions

  • the speaker will be recorded on tape and assessed by the teacher according to the oral descriptors

  • student samples per school will be sent to the examiner

Piece #2. An individual Oral Presentation from PART IV of the Course of Study (or from PART II if not previously chosen)

  • Must be a minimum of 4 minutes

Pieces #3-5.

  • Another three selected oral assignments associated with PART II and PART IV of the Course of Study

  • All Oral Assessment is marked according to the Oral Descriptors

Area 3: A Four-Hour Written Examination Of Two Parts- Externally Assessed For 50% Of The IB English Grade

  • PART A - A formal written commentary based upon an unseen passage and assessed according to the Written Commentary Descriptors.

  • PART B - A choice between two essay questions based upon at least two of the four works studied in PART III of the Course of Study; it will be assessed according to the Written Paper Essay Descriptors.