443 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, M4S 2L8
COURSE OUTLINE
Subject
English
Department
English
Course Title
Grade 10 Academic English
Ministry Course Code ENG2D
Grade
10
Credit Value
1.0
Course Developer(s)
Heather Wright, Stephanie Smith, Garth Nichols
Ministry Documents
Used
The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 and 10: English, 2007
Prerequisite
Revision Date
Course
Description
Grade 9 Academic English
September 2013
This course is designed to extend the range of oral communication, reading, writing,
and media literacy skills that students need for success in their secondary school
academic programs and their daily lives. Students will analyse literary texts from
contemporary and historical periods, interpret and evaluate informational and
graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An
important focus will be on the selective use of strategies that contribute to effective
communication. This course is intended to prepare students for the compulsory
Grade 11 university or college preparation course.
Oral Communication
1. Listening to Understand: listen in order to understand and respond
appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes;
2. Speaking to Communicate: use speaking skills and strategies
appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of
purposes;
3. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their
strengths as listeners and speakers, areas for improvement, and the
strategies they found most helpful in oral communication situations.
Overall Course
Expectations
Reading and Literature Studies
1. Reading for Meaning: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of
literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct
meaning;
2. Understanding Form and Style: recognize a variety of text forms, text features,
and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help
communicate meaning;
3. Reading With Fluency: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read
fluently;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as
readers, areas for
improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful before, during,
and after reading.
Writing
1. Developing and Organizing Content: generate, gather, and organize ideas and
information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style: draft and revise their writing, using a
variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms and stylistic elements
appropriate for the purpose and audience;
3. Applying Knowledge of Conventions: use editing, proofreading, and
publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct
errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as
writers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful at
different stages in the writing process.
Media Studies
1. Understanding Media Texts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of
media texts;
2. Understanding Media Forms, Conventions, and Techniques: identify some
media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them
are used to create meaning;
3. Creating Media Texts: create a variety of media texts for different purposes and
audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as
media interpreters and creators, areas for improvement, and the strategies they
found most helpful in understanding and creating media texts.
Unit 1: Reading, Writing, and Critiquing
The unit will focus on close reading techniques and writing structures. We will also
work towards reading and writing more critically, drawing connections between
texts, and forming opinions on the ideas and themes expressed within a piece of
writing. The course themes of love, hate, and relationships will be introduced in this
unit, along with a series of learning modules aimed at developing research skills.(12
hours)
Unit 2: Shakespeare
We will examine the Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet, using a multimedia approach. Students will explore the themes of love, hate, and relationships
within the play, draw connections to other texts, and further develop essay-writing
skills. (25 hours)
Unit titles and
hours devoted
to each unit
Unit 3: Novel Study
In this unit students will have a choice of several novels to read, and will work in
small groups to explore the themes of their chosen text. Students will learn how to
write a literary essay, using their chosen novel as a focus for their writing. Students
will also develop their ability to write comparison essays, comparing their chosen
texts to other narratives read this year. (13 hours)
Unit 4: War and Hate
Students will read Night by Ellie Wiesel, along with various short stories set in WWI
and WWII. Students will examine the themes of love, hate, and relationships
throughout these works, and draw connections between texts. Students will write
their own stories, incorporating the content learned from their Canadian History
course. (25 hours)
Unit 5: Comedy
Students will study various forms of comedy, with an emphasis on satire. Students
will read and watch a variety of humourous materials, and work towards creating
their own comedic pieces. (15 hours)
Culminating Activity and Exam: 9 hours
Unit 1: Reading, viewing, structured discussion, cooperative learning structures,
presentations, active listening, peer and teacher feedback, and modelling
Unit 2: Group readings, templates, modelling, discussion, lecture, text analysis, film
viewing, peer and teaching feedback, viewing of a live production, and
journal writing
Teaching and
Learning
Strategies
Unit 3: group reading, independent reading, active reading strategies, creative
writing prompts, modelling of research skills, group discussion, and teacher
feedback
Unit 4: Independent reading, small group reading, templates, modelling, teacher
feedback, self-evaluation, literature circles, exemplar analysis, and
discussion
Unit 5: Analysis, Viewing various media pieces, reading as a group, independent
reading, presentations, active listening, peer and teacher feedback, and
speech delivery
Unit 1:
 Sight passage in-class assessment
Unit 2:
 Literary Essay
 Dramatic Reading
 Romeo and Juliet Test
Ongoing
Evaluation from
September to
May (70% of
overall mark)
Unit 3:
 Comparison Essay
 Book Club Contributions
 Reading Quizzes
Unit 4:
 Integrated Short Story
 In-class essay
Unit 5:
 Satirical Writing
 Comedic Speech
Categories of achievement will be evaluated as follows:
Knowledge and Understanding ............................. 25%
Thinking and Inquiry .............................................. 25%
Communication ..................................................... 25%
Application…………………………………………….25%
Program and
Planning
Considerations
Description of
Culminating
Activity (June)
(30% of overall
evaluation)
Resources

Effective teaching approaches involve students in the use of higher-level thinking
skills and encourage them to look beyond the literal meaning of texts and to think
about fairness, equity, social justice, and citizenship in a global society.

The use of flexible groupings for instruction and the provision of ongoing
assessment are important elements of programs that accommodate a diversity of
learning needs.

Learning resources that reflect the broad range of students’ interests,
backgrounds, cultures, and experiences are an important aspect of an inclusive
English program. In such a program, learning materials involve protagonists of
both sexes from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Information and communications technologies (ICT) provide a range of tools that
can significantly extend and enrich teachers’ instructional strategies and support
students’ language learning. ICT tools include multimedia resources, databases,
Internet websites, digital cameras, and word-processing programs.
Exam (20%)
Students will be asked to analyze a given text, and demonstrate their ability to apply
course concepts in an exam setting
Culminating Activity (10%)
Students will complete an in-class activity with an active listening component. They
will produce a piece of writing based on the given piece of media, and their
knowledge of course concepts.
Various novels, articles, and short stories
Romeo and Juliet, Oxford Online Edition
Night by Ellie Wiesel
OSSLT Preparation Materials