English 10 B Self-Paced

Throughout the centuries, literature has had a major impact on the world. Every region of the world has different cultural values, events, and societal issues that impact its literature. Students will embark on a journey of literature of the world in our English 10B course. We will study literature from several countries throughout the centuries. Students will discover what themes and ideas different cultures have in common through reading complex fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We will research events that are current and relevant today as well. We will discover what literature says about the world we live in and discover how it can promote change in society. Our English 10B course will teach students how to communicate ideas about the world through writing and speaking.

This half-credit course begins with students applying reading and writing strategies through an engaging research project. Students will research a global crisis that took place within the last few decades. They will synthesize information to create an annotated bibliography, essay, and presentation.

The second unit will introduce students to the civil war in Africa, specifically in Sierra Leone. Students will read a memoir account of a boy soldier during the civil war, titled A Long Way Gone. We will discuss elements of a memoir and continue to dissect language and literary elements.

The third unit will focus on contemporary poetry. We will read recent works and apply reading and writing strategies to our analysis of these works. Students will also focus on language and literary devices, as well as structure and poetic or sound devices. Students will have an opportunity to show their own creativity through a poetry portfolio.

The final unit will take students through a review of the genres from the course and will culminate in a final exam.

Our English 10B course is aligned with the Massachusetts English Language Arts Common Core standards for grades 9-10. Students will read a variety of texts and genres from around the world and across decades. Students will focus on active reading and annotating, as well as responding to questions thoroughly using the ACE and TPCASTT strategies. Students will also participate in grammar and vocabulary lessons. Most of the resources will be available within the course; however, students will need to secure a copy of A Long Way Gone.

About the Self-Paced Course Model

Self-Paced courses are designed for students who need flexibility in their academic schedule. Teachers answer questions and interact with students in Private Topics, provide feedback on work, and host weekly office hours. Students work independently on course activities; the course does not include class discussion assignments or other collaborative work.

This course has start dates on each Wednesday throughout the year. Students must maintain enrollment for a minimum of 4 weeks and have up to 16 weeks to complete all assignments in the course. It is expected that students will work for approximately 90 hours to complete this course, though the amount of time may vary depending on a student’s work habits and comfort with the material.

Acknowledgements

This course requires students to obtain copies of certain texts. Details provided in the Additional Requirements field of this course description.
Successful completion of English 10 A.
I acknowledge that this is a self-paced course.
This course contains an end-of-course proctored exam. Instructions for students to identify an appropriate adult proctor are included in the course lessons.

Course Objectives

Course Essential Questions:

How does literature from around the world show universal ideas and themes across cultures and regions?
How does literature from around the world influence us to make individual choices to promote positive change in society?
How do we effectively analyze a variety of complex texts?
How do we use language and conventions to write or communicate effectively?

Course Objectives:

Determine the central idea or theme of a text and analyze its development.
Determine the meaning of words and language through tone, context, connotation, and figurative language.
Analyze and explain the impact of an author's choices and purpose on the overall text.
Evaluate and analyze an author's choices in language, structure, style, or content.
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analyses, ideas, and arguments.
Develop clear and coherent writing in a variety of text types.
Develop an understanding and control of vocabulary and standard English conventions.

Additional Requirements

Students will need to obtain copies of the following text which is available at many school or local libraries or for purchase online for a small fee.

Needed in Unit 2: A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah