Themes in Literature 12
South Kingstown High School
2009
Essential Question: What will I be?
Course Objectives
Students will:
o Develop an understanding of various themes in literature,
including but not limited to: the family, the language of
politics, the language of media, the individual, and the
journey.
o Develop an understanding of the larger context (cultural,
political, sociological, etc.) of the text
o Analyze elements of fiction and poetry in relation to
theme.
o Relate literature to life.
o Enhance spelling and grammatical skills and incorporate
into writing.
o Enhance vocabulary and incorporate into mature verbal
expression.
o Utilize library and media research resources effectively
and responsibly.
o Write creatively and analytically applying themes, literary
terms, grammar, and proper mechanics in the writing
process.
o Write utilizing a range of appropriate strategies, such as
providing facts, details, description, narrative, comparing
and contrasting claims or assertions
o Demonstrate mastery of multi-paragraph essay formats.
Performance Indicators
The student will:
o Participate in class discussions.
o Demonstrate effective work skills (independently and
collaboratively).
o Show understanding of texts by restating and
summarizing information.
o Show understanding of texts by making predictions,
drawing inferences, and analyzing what is read, heard,
and viewed.
o State and support warranted assertions about texts.
o Identify and analyze the elements of fiction: conflict, plot,
structure, point of view, setting, character and
characterization, tone and mood, irony and satire,
foreshadowing, symbolism.
o Identify and analyze figurative language: metaphor,
simile, personification, hyperbole.
o Draw various readings together to compare and contrast
themes, characters, and other aspects of literary form.
o Distinguish betwen extraneous and inappropriate
information in reading and writing.
o Demonstrate an understanding of the use of language
cues to indicate different levels of certainty.
o Use the writing process to develop skills in composing
effective paragraphs and essays.
o Write expository literary essays, personal reflections, and
narratives that engage the reader by establishing a
context, creating a persona, or otherwise developing
reader interest.
o Demonstrate command of text and sentence structure
through varied vocabulary and sentence lengths, parallel
sentence structure, and paragraph organization
appropriate to purpose.
o Demonstrate understanding and command of standard
English usage: nouns and verbs; complete and simple
sentences; subjects and predicates; adjectives, adverbs,
articles, prepositions, and coordinating and subordinating
conjunctions; direct and indirect objects; predicate
adjectives and nouns; verbals, gerunds, and infinitives.
o Demonstrate proficiency on a multi-paragraph
persuasive essay, using MLA documentation and
formatting requirements.
o Assess the quality of her/his own work and the work of
peers.
Student Assessment
o Teacher-made tests and quizzes
o Writing assignments
o Cooperative group activities
o Oral presentations
o Observation/ Teacher conferences
o Homework
Student Activities
o Guided/Free Reading
o Journal writing, or reading comprehension guides and
questions
o Response to literature thesis essays
o Group discussion
o Personal narrative
o Grammar study
o Long-range research projects
o Reading selections (mandatory texts in boldface):
Summer Reading (one of the following): Candide
(Voltaire); Flight (Alexie); Five Skies (Carlson); The
Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck); The Memory of Running
(McLarty); Moby-Dick (Melville);
Novels and Nonfiction (three or more of the following):
Ordinary People, Animal Farm, Being There, One Flew
Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Born on the Fourth of July, The
Color Purple, The Moon is Down, The Women of
Brewster Place, The Old Man and the Sea, A Lesson
Before Dying, Native Son, Slaughter-house Five;
Short Fiction and Essays:
Mission and Student Expectations Alignment
o A1: All students will demonstrate critical thinking skills by
acquiring and anlyzing information, and by employing
effective research skills.
o A2: All students will demonstrate effective
communication skills by reading and writing critically for a
variety of purposes, and by speaking and listening
accurately in a variety of settings.
o A3: All students will utilize technology effectively in
research, communication, and/or design.
o C5: All students will demonstrate an understanding of
human rights and diversity.
o S8: All students will identify goals, set priorities, and
manage their own progress.
ELA Grade Span Expectations Alignment (NECAP)
o R–11: Reading Fluency and Accuracy (reads grade-level
appropriate material)
o R–1: Word Identification Skills and Strategies
Themes in Literature 12 — English Language Arts, South Kingstown High School — Page 2
o R–2: Vocabulary Strategies
o R–3: Breadth of Vocabulary
o R–4: Initial Understanding of Literary Texts
o R–5: Analysis and Interpretation of Literary Text, Citing
Evidence (analyzes and interprets elements of literary
texts)
o R–6: Analysis and Interpretation of Literary Text, Citing
Evidence (analyzes and interprets author’s craft)
o R–7: Initial Understanding of Informational Text
o R–16: Literary Texts: Generates a Personal Response
o R–12: Reading Strategies: Strategies for Monitoring and
Adjusting Reading
o R–13: Reading Strategies: Reading Comprehension
Strategies
o R–14: Habit of Reading Widely
o R–15: Reading for Research Across Content Areas
o W–10: Writing Process
o W–1: Structures of Language
o W–2: Writing in Response to Literary Text to Show
Understanding
o W–3: Writing in Response to Literary Text to Make
Analytical Judgments
o W–9: Writing Conventions: Applying Rules of Grammar,
Usage, and Mechanics
o OC–1: Oral Communications Strategies: Interactive
Listening
Applied Learning Alignment (New Standards™)
o A3a: The student gathers information to assist in
completing project work.
o A3b: The student uses on-line sources to exchange
information for specific purposes.
o A3c: The student uses word processing software to
produce a multi-page document.
o A4b: The student reviews his or her own progress in
completing work activities and adjusts priorities as
needed to meet deadlines.
o A4c: The student evaluates his or her performance.
o A5a: The student participates in the establishment and
operation of self-directed work teams.
Technology Standards Alignment (ISTE)
Students will:
o Use technology tools and resources for managing and
communicating information (NETS•S 2, 3, 4).
o Use online information resources to meet needs for
collaboration, research, publication, communication and
productivity (NETS•S 3, 4).
o Select and apply technology tools for research,
information analysis, problem-solving, and decisionmaking in content learning (NETS•S 3, 4, 6).
o Demonstrate an understanding of issues related to
technology and will practice legal and ethical behavior in
using technology (NETS•S 5).
Common Core of Learning Alignment (RIDE)
COMMUNICATION
Read widely and attentively by …
o Reading for a variety of purposes.
o Building meaning while reading.
o Reading critically.
o Following written instructions.
Write persuasively and expressively by …
o Writing for a variety of purposes and audiences and
creating suitable ways to communicate ideas.
o Writing as a way of discovering and clarifying ideas.
o Engaging in a process that involves planning, organizing,
revising and editing one’s own writing.
o Supporting ideas through the use of facts, examples,
quotations and arguments.
o Gathering information, taking accurate notes, and
summarizing accurately, noting sources properly.
o Using correct spelling, punctuation, grammar and other
language conventions.
o Making use of print and electronic reference tools, such
as handbooks and grammar and spelling check
programs, to locate language conventions.
Speak, listen and converse intelligently by…
o Listening and conversing in order to share information,
build relationships, and promote understanding.
o Asking and answering questions.
o Delivering an oral presentation to a group, using
appropriate language, information, gestures and media.
o Forming, expressing, and defending a point of view.
o Giving, understanding and following spoken instructions.
o Listening carefully and giving constructive feedback.
PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING
Learn continuously by…
o Setting high standards in developing personal learning
goals.
o Creatively accepting and pursuing challenges - stretching
personal limits.
o Using learning approaches that are suitable to personal,
community and work related settings.
o Giving, receiving and evaluating constructive criticism.
o Learning from both failures and successes to cultivate
and sustain efficient learning techniques.
Efficiently solve problems and make effective
decisions by…
o Accessing, organizing, applying, interpreting, recording,
evaluating and integrating information from a variety of
textual and non-written sources and subject areas.
o Questioning the validity of sources, recognizing fallacies,
detecting a writer’s or a speaker’s point of view, and
examining how facts and language are being used.
o Considering and weighing diverse perspectives.
o Evaluating the quality and success of their own work.
o Developing the ability to appropriately generalize from
specific experiences, observations, and understandings
and recognize when generalization is not appropriate.
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Respond to challenges with integrity, honesty and
courage by…
o Maintaining high standards of academic honesty.
o Acting in an honest manner when dealing with others.
o Accepting responsibility for personal decisions and
actions.
Display a strong sense of self-worth and personal
competency by…
o Exhibiting self-respect and respect for others.
o Relying on strong interpersonal skills.
o Setting challenging, realistic goals.