About the English Department
English is undoubtedly an essential and obligatory subject whose significance
is manifested in scientific as well as academic domains. Hence, students are
required to take and pass at least the three-point exam in order to be able to
get the Matriculation Certificate (i.e. Bagrut Certificate).
Moreover, it is preferable that the students take no less than the four-point
exam in order to fulfill the prerequisites of Israeli universities.
‫تعتبر اللغة اإلنجليزية موضوعا رئيسيا وإلزاميا وذا أهمية كبرى في مجاالت البحث العلمي‬
‫ لذا يتوجب على طالب المدرسة أن يُمتحنوا بمستوى ثالث وحدات على األقل للحصول‬.‫واألكاديمي‬
‫ ونظرا ألهمية الموضوع تنصح المدرسة طالبها وطالباتها دراسة الموضوع‬. ‫على شهادة البجروت‬
.‫بمستوى ال يقل عن أربع وحدات حتى يتسنى لهم تلبية شروط القبول للجامعات اإلسرائيلية‬
The Bagrut tests in English are based on a modular system. That is, students
of all levels are tested on a number of tests.
3 Points
–
Modules A +B +C
4 Points
–
Modules C + D + E
5 Points
–
Modules E + F + G
In addition, students are required to take an oral exam aimed at testing the
student's ability to hold a discussion on daily matters as well as present the
project they have been working on in the English class.
School Plan for the Modular Bagrut
2009 / 2010
11th Grade
12th Grade
Points
Winter
Summer
Winter
Summer
3
A
B
B
C
4
C
D
D
E
5
E
*
F
G
* Moed B for Module E
School Plan for the Modular Bagrut for 4 Points (10th Grade)
10th Grade
Requirements
Winter
Summer
Modules
11th Grade
Winter
Summer
C
12th Grade
Winter
Summer
D*
E
Final Draft
Project
Literature
2 Poems**
1 Short Story*
Oral Exam
Oral Exam
* Literature Exam
School Plan for the Modular Bagrut for 5 Points (10th Grade)
10th Grade
Requirements
Winter
Summer
Modules
Winter
E
Summer
12th Grade
Winter
Summer
F*
G
Final Draft
Project
Literature
11th Grade
2 Poems**
Oral Exam
* Literature Exam
1 Short Story*
Oral Exam
Module A comprises:
2 Reading Comprehension Texts
70%
1 Listening Comprehension
30%
Module B comprises:
1 Reading Comprehension Text
70%
1 Written Presentation (35-40 words long)
30%
Module C comprises:
1 Reading Comprehension Text
100%
Module D comprises:
Literature
100%
Module E comprises:
1 Reading Comprehension Text
70%
1 Listening Comprehension
30%
Module F comprises:
Literature
100%
Module G comprises:
1 Reading Comprehension Text
60%
1 Written Presentation
40%
Oral Exam
Students are required to take the oral exam by which their oral proficiency is
assessed. The exam takes place in the school towards the end of the 12 th
grade.
The oral exam consists of two parts; namely, the interview and the project. In
the interview, the student is required to answer the personal questions asked
by the examiner orally. As for the project part, the student is required to
answer the questions asked by the examiner on a project prepared by the
student. It is noteworthy that the project should be prepared in advance with
intensive guidance by the teacher based on the guidelines discussed in class.
Admission to School
Conference Hours
Teacher
Conference Hours
Ehab Zidan
Wednesdays, 10:45-11:30
Na'eem Zidan
Sundays, 09:30-10:15
Fayza Abu Foul
Sundays, 09:30-10:15
Yasmin Ali
Wednesdays, 9:30-10:15
News and Articles
Literature Program in Modules D and F
Since the school year of 2009/2010, Modules D and F will be replaced by
the Literature Modules. Therefore, students will be tested on literary
pieces which are taught and analyzed in class. It is noteworthy that the
current year's 11th and 12th grades will be tested according to the OLD
Bagrut Program.
Talent Seeker
Wanted!!! We are looking for talented students of all kinds (singers,
dancers, poets, writers, movie makers, etc.) for indoor or outdoor school
activities. For submission, contact any of the English teachers in the
school.
English Room
We are in the process of upgrading the English Room/Lab in the school.
It is a significant step which gives you the opportunity to take advantage
of the facilities offered in the English Room in the school. Students who
would like to take part in the preparations for the upgrade may turn to
Yasmin.
Winter Bagrut
The Winter Bagrut is due on January 21st, 2010. The table below
presents the Modules to be taken by grade and Bagrut points.
Level
11th Grade
12th Grade
3 Points
Module A
Module B
4 Points
Module C
Module D
5 Points
Module E
Module F
Creative Writing – an article
Essay Contest
The annual Yamma High School Essay Contest invites students to write
an original essay of their interest. Winning essay/s will be published on
the school's website. Moreover, winning essayists will receive a
certificate. Interested students may turn to their English teachers.
Poetry Contest
It's time to start writing poems. The annual Yamma High School Poetry
Contest invites students to experience writing poems. The poem should
have at least four lines. The winning poems will be published on the
school's website and you, the poet, will get a certificate…
Material
9th Grade
After taking the admission tests, 61 brilliant students were placed in two
classes. The students in these classes are responsible adults who show a lot
of enthusiasm for learning and academic achievements.
Our goal is to primarily maintain this enthusiastic spirit for learning, develop
the students' personality and have higher academic achievements.
Textbooks
The textbooks used in the 9th grade are:
1. Frontiers – UPP
2. Grammar Helper – UPP
3. Twenty Unseens 4
Language
Reading Comprehension
Listening
Useful Websites
Writing
Guidelines and Useful Tips for Writing
Useful Connectors
Writing Tasks
Requirements for the Writing Tasks
Abbreviations used for feedback in writing tasks
Miscue Analysis
Useful Websites
Speaking
Online Speaking Activities
Vocabulary
Previous Quizzes
Do and Make
Among and Between
Positive vs. Negative Connotations of Words
Grammar+
Past Simple
Past Progressive
Temporal Clauses
Literature
Introduction
Students will be acquainted with some of the literary pieces on which
they will be tested in the Bagrut exam. This further requires that we
further learn basic literary terms.
Literary Pieces
Genre
Literary Text
Site
One Short
Story
“A Summer’s Reading” by
Bernard Malamud
Two
Poems
“Prospective Immigrants Please
Note” by Adrienne Rich
http://rinabeana.com/poemoftheday/index.php/2008/0
3/13/prospective-immigrants-please-take-note-byadrienne-rich/
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-road-not-
Frost
taken/
Literary Terms
Supplementary
Calculation of the Grade
Links for Students
3 Pointers
Three-pointers are required to take three Modules (A, B, and C). Module A
consists of two reading comprehension texts and one listening
comprehension whose text is played twice. Module B consists of one reading
comprehension text and one written presentation task in which students are to
write 35-40 words. Finally, Module C is comprised of one reading
comprehension text.
Students are further required to take an internal oral exam for which a project
is prepared in advance with intensive guidance by the teacher. The oral exam
consists of two parts; namely, the interview and the written presentation.
Textbooks
10th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade
Reading Comprehension
Listening
Writing
Speaking
Oral Exam
Questions used in the personal interview
Guidelines for writing the project
Online Speaking Activities
Vocabulary
Grammar+
Project
What is the project used for
Guidelines for writing the project
Supplementary
Calculation of the Grade
Links for Students
4 Pointers
Four-pointers are required to take three Modules (C, D, and E). Module C
consists of one reading comprehension text. Module D consists of one
reading comprehension text and one written presentation in which students
are required to write a 100-word composition. Finally, Module E is comprised
of one reading comprehension text and one listening comprehension whose
text is played twice.
Students are further required to take an oral exam for which a project is
prepared in advance with intensive guidance by the teacher. The oral exam
consists of two parts; namely, the interview and the written presentation.
Textbooks
10th Grade
Ten (Coursebook + Workbook)
Practice Paper for Module C
11th Grade
Results for 4 Points
Practice Paper for Module D
12th Grade
Results for 4 Points
Practice Paper for Module D
Practice Paper for Module E
Language
Reading Comprehension
Listening
Guidelines and Useful Tips for Listening Comprehension
Online Listening Texts
Writing
Guidelines and Useful Tips for Writing
Useful Connectors
Writing Class
Requirements for the Writing Class
Abbreviations used for feedback in writing tasks
Miscue Analysis
Useful Websites
Speaking
Oral Exam
Questions used in the personal interview
Guidelines for writing the project
Online Speaking Activities
Vocabulary
Previous Quizzes
Do and Make
Among and Between
Positive vs. Negative Connotations of Words
Grammar+
Literature
Introduction
Since the school year of 2009/2010, Modules D and F will be replaced
by the Literature Modules. Therefore, students will be tested on literary
pieces which are taught and analyzed in class. It is noteworthy that the
current year's 11th and 12th grades will be tested according to the OLD
Bagrut Program.
Literary Pieces
Four Points
Genre
Literary Text
One Essay
My Secret World of Idiom by
James Thurber
Three
Short
Stories
“A Summer’s Reading” by
Bernard Malamud
Site
“The Split Cherry Tree” by Jesse
Stuart
http://www.americanliterature.com/SS/SS20.HTML
“Thank You, Ma’m” by Langston
Hughes
http://www.geocities.com/cyber_explorer99/hughesth
ankyou.html
Four
Poems
“Prospective Immigrants Please
Note” by Adrienne Rich
http://rinabeana.com/poemoftheday/index.php/2008/0
3/13/prospective-immigrants-please-take-note-byadrienne-rich/
“Grandmother” by Sameeneh
Shirazie
http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/2008/04/poetry
-for-seniors.html
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert
Frost
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-road-nottaken/
“Count That Day Lost” by George
Eliot
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/count-that-daylost/
Literary Terms
General
Terms
Across
Genres
Talking
about the
characters
Hero/heroine
The central male or female character of a literary text. Usually,
the hero or heroine has a high moral character and is courageous.
Protagonist
The main character of the story or drama, the hero, who is faced
with an opposing force he/she must overcome in order to achieve
his/her goal.
Antagonist
A person or a natural force that opposes the protagonist in the
main conflict of the story or drama.
Character
A person, or a thing presented as a person, in a literary text.
Characterization
What we know about a character. There are three fundamental
methods of characterization: 1) direct presentation of the physical
and moral aspects of the character by the narrator, either when
the character is first introduced in the story, or bit-by-bit
throughout the story. 2) The actions and speech of the character,
from which the reader infers the traits. 3) The inner thoughts of
the character, which are a window to his/her soul.
Stereotype
Presenting a person as if they represent the social group to which
they belong, by using physical appearances, accent, clothing,
foods etc. The emphasis on belonging to the group makes the
stereotyped person less individualized.
Dialogue
The conversations that take place between characters in a literary
work of narrative or drama and more rarely, in poetry.
Talking
about the
plot
Talking
about
meaning in
language
Style
Plot
The structure and pattern of events of the story in a narrative or
in a drama.
Climax
This is the point of highest interest, the crisis, and is therefore
also at the turning point of the action.
Conflict
The struggle between opposing forces. At least one of the
opposing forces is a character. We designate different kinds of
conflict: 1) a struggle against Nature. 2) a struggle against
another person. 3) a struggle against society. 4) a struggle within
the person themselves. The two sides of the conflict are the
protagonist and the antagonist.
Resolution
The conclusion of the story or drama, when all the problems are
solved in one way or another. It’s the logical outcome of
everything that happened before. It comes after the climax.
Foreshadowing
Events narrated at an earlier point in the story that hint at, and
prepare the reader, for something that will happen later in the
story.
Symbolism/symbol Something which is both itself and also represents an idea, for
example a rose may symbolize beauty.
Connotation
The associations which are attached to a word, as opposed to its
literal meaning, for example the color green may have the
connotation of youth, spring, and growth.
Paradox
A situation or statement that seems to contradict itself, but really
doesn’t.
Theme
Usually we can find the theme of a literary work by answering
the question: “What is this work about?” Theme looks at the
message or general idea of the work.
Genre
There are different types of literature categorized by subject
matter, form and technique; the following are examples of
genres: tragedy and comedy, novel and short story, poetry and
prose.
Inferencing
Drawing conclusions or forming opinions on the basis of what a
character says or does.
Tone
The attitude with which a story is told, or the attitude with which
something or someone is described, for example, ironic, cynical,
humorous.
Terms for
Narrative
Texts
(Novels
and Short
Stories)
Short story
A short narrative work. The length of a short story varies from
one or two pages up to forty pages.
Setting
The background against which the story unfolds. This includes
1) the geographic location, scenery, and the inside of homes or
other places; 2) the social community in which the story unfolds
(upper class, working class etc); 3) the season, or period (the
period of the French Revolution in A Tale of Two Cities)
Flashback
Providing information about events that happened before the story
begins, usually through the memory of one of the characters, or by
narrating the events to someone. A flashback interrupts the sequence
of events that is happening now in the story or play.
Novel
A narrative work that tells a story that is quite long, usually at
least 100 pages.
Narrative
How the story is told: the style, the characters, descriptions, and
events, that make up the telling of the story.
Point of View
The focus from which the story or drama is told. The story can be
told 1) by one of the characters who experienced the events, 2)
by an all-knowing narrator who knows the ‘whole’ story, or 3) by
a character telling someone else’s story.
Terms for
Poetry
Terms for
Drama
Imagery
Words used in images in poetry that use our five senses: sight,
smell, hearing, taste, and touching.
Metaphor
Describing one thing in terms of something else e.g. the bronze
sun.
Simile
The resemblance of two things, usually introduced by ‘like’ or
‘as’.
Oxymoron
An image made up of two opposing qualities, or that may seem a
contradiction in terms: Bittersweet,
Rhyme
used in poetry most often at the end of lines when the last
syllables of the words at the ends of the lines share the same
sound, homophony. For example:
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near (Robert Frost)
Rhyme scheme
The pattern of rhymed words at the end of lines in a stanza or
throughout a poem.
Stanza
A group of lines, which form a unit in a poem. This unit usually
repeats itself in the poem.
Verse
A single line of a poem usually using rhythmed language. Poetic
form as distinguished from prose.
Alliteration
A sound pattern repeated at the beginning of words or repeated
within words, usually consonants. For example: “I have stood
still and stopped the sound of feet” (Robert Frost).
Comedy
A literary text that is funny and ends well, even though there is
usual some tension along the way.
Tragedy
Tragedy is a type of drama that ends badly for the hero or
protagonist. It is usually a story that focuses on one person, the
protagonist, whose life changes from a happy one to suffering
and disaster.
Scene
A sub-division of an act in a play, but also the place where the
action takes place. Usually, each act has several scenes. Many
scenes may take place in the same place (scene).
Act
One of the major divisions of a play. There are usually 5 acts to a
play, but sometimes only 3. In any case there are always an
uneven number of acts in a play.
Drama
A literary work that is written in dialogue to be performed by
actors acting the story on the stage
Comedy
A literary text that is funny and ends well, even though there is
usual some tension along the way.
Lower and Higher Order Skills
Lower-Order Thinking Skills
Higher-Order Thinking Skills
Predicting
predict the content or the outcome of the
text, either before or during reading
based on available information.
Applying
apply previously learned concepts, terms, How can you apply ___ to your own life?
techniques and skills to new situations.
How can you apply ___ to something else you
have learned?
Thinking Skill
Recognizing
key vocabulary,
setting,
characters and
events in the
text
How do you think ___ will react?
How do you think the story will end?
Students will be able to:
relate to the literal meaning of the text.
Sample Tasks/Questions
Who? What?
Where? When?
Do you know…?
Can you identify…?
Inferring
infer implicit meaning from the text by
being able to read-between-the-lines.
What do you think the character meant when
s/he said, “___”?
What does ___’s behavior suggest? What is the
purpose or function of this information?
What different meanings can be inferred from
this line in the poem?
Reflecting
reflect by articulating their thoughts
about what they have learned and their
thinking process.
Which skill did you use to answer this
question? Explain
Explain how you learned this poem/story and
how the way it was taught aided your
understanding of the piece of literature.
Thinking Skill
Sequencing
Identifying
parts and
whole
Classifying
Comparing and
contrasting
Explaining
patterns
Students will be able to:
explain how the sequence of events in a
text, when not in a chronological order,
affects understanding of the text.
explain how the parts function together
within the whole text.
Sample Tasks/Questions
Sequence the events in chronological order.
How do flashbacks affect your understanding of
the text/plot?
Why do you think the events are not in
chronological order?
How does one part of the story contribute your
understanding to the whole text?
How does the title/ending relate to different
parts of the story/poem/play?
categorize the elements of the text
according to criteria.
find similarities (comparing) and
differences (contrasting) and draw
conclusions.
identify and explain different patterns in
the text and explain their significance.
What does the rhyme scheme of the poem
contribute to the whole poem?
Categorize the characters according to their
relationships/values.
Compare and contrast the conflicts/ problems/
dilemmas in two stories or poems.
Compare and contrast the text and the film.
Compare and contrast characters in a text.
Explain why certain lines/ phrases/words are
repeated.
What behavior does the character repeat?
Where is the rhyme scheme of the poem broken
and why?
Explaining
cause and
effect
Distinguishing
different
perspectives
describe and explain the causal
relationships between actions or events
in a text.
identify the different perspectives within
the text and/or among the readers of the
text.
Thinking Skill
Problem
Solving
Students will be able to:
identify a problem/dilemma and either
identify its solution in the text or suggest
a possible solution, taking into account
the constraints and the options present in
the text.
What were the results of ___‘s action?
What caused ___ to think that ___?
Identify how different characters respond to a
central event in the story. How does your
understanding of the characters’ actions/events
in the story change as you read?
Do you share the same perspective as the
narrator? Explain.
How does your understanding of the story/the
character/the scene differ from other students in
your class?
Sample Tasks/Questions
Define the problem facing the protagonist.
How should ___ decide what to do?
What should ____ take / have taken into
account?
What is the central conflict in this text and how
Uncovering
motives
identify motives that explain the
character’s behavior and support this
with evidence from the text.
Generating
possibilities
create something new on the basis of
what is understood from the text.
is it resolved? Explain.
What dilemma does ___ face at this point in the
story?
Why do you think that __ did __? Support your
answer.
What made ___ change his/her mind? Give
supporting details.
Create a new character for the story.
Explain how s/he will affect the development
Synthesizing
integrate different aspects of/insights to
the text.
Making
connections
make connections between specific
aspects of the text.
make connections between the text and
other contexts in relation to historical,
and cultural contexts or pertinent
information from the author’s
biography.
make judgments about different aspects
of the text and justify opinions and/or
evaluate someone else’s opinion.
Evaluating
Generate possible options for characters
/plot outcomes/sequels or prequels.
Add an element/an event to the existing text
that influences the development and/or the
outcome of the plot.
Write a summary of the story.
How does information we learn later in the text
change the way we understand a
character/issue/conflict?
How does the description of the setting connect
to the characterization of __?
To what extent do events in the text reflect
events in the life of the author?
How does your understanding of the story/the
character/the scene differ when you learn about
a topic related to the literary text?
What makes this a good story? Explain.
Is ___ a believable character? Explain.
Is the resolution of the conflict satisfying?
Explain.
Calculation of the school grade for the literature program
The Literature Bagrut examination assesses the students’ understanding of the
literary texts and their ability to use both lower-order and higher-order
thinking skills that they have learned and applied in the learning process.
The calculation of the school grade for students doing the Literature Bagrut
examination is comprised of the following elements:
Four Points
Elements
Short Story
% of Final Grade
18%
Grade
Short Story
18%
Short Story
18%
Essay
18%
Poem
7%
Poem
7%
Poem
7%
Poem
7%
TOTAL
100%
Project
What is the project used for
Guidelines for writing the project
Supplementary
Calculation of the Grade
Links to Websites
5 Pointers
Five-pointers are required to take three Modules (E, F, and G). Module E is
comprised of one reading comprehension text and one listening
comprehension whose text is played twice. Modules F and G consist of one
reading comprehension text and one written presentation in which students
are required to write a 120-140 long composition.
Students are further required to take an oral exam for which a project is
prepared in advance with intensive guidance by the teacher. The oral exam
consists of two parts; namely, the interview and the written presentation.
Textbooks
10th Grade
Bagrut Quest 5
New Focus on Module E
11th Grade
Bagrut Quest 5
New Focus on Module E
12th Grade
Success for F and G
Bagrut Quest 5
Language
Reading Comprehension
Listening
Writing
Speaking
Oral Exam
Questions used in the personal interview
Guidelines for writing the project
Online Speaking Activities
Vocabulary
Grammar+
Literature
Introduction
Since the school year of 2009/2010, Modules D and F will be replaced
by the Literature Modules. Therefore, students will be tested on literary
pieces which are taught and analyzed in class. It is noteworthy that the
current year's 11th and 12th grades will be tested according to the OLD
Bagrut Program.
Literary Pieces
Genre
One Play
or Novel
Literary Text
Site
All My Sons by Arthur Miller
The Wave by Morton Rhue
One Essay
Three Days to See by Helen Keller
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/33jan/keller.htm
Three
Short
Stories
“Mr. Know All” by W. Somerset
Maugham
http://maugham.classicauthors.net/knowall/
“A Summer’s Reading” by
Bernard Malamud
“Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan
http://jjhs.klschools.org/www/jjhs/site/hosting/Summ
er%20Assignments%202009/English%209%20Sum
mer%20Assignment%202009%20%20Rules%20of%20The%20Game.doc
Five
Poems
“Prospective Immigrants Please
Note” by Adrienne Rich
http://rinabeana.com/poemoftheday/index.php/2008/0
3/13/prospective-immigrants-please-take-note-byadrienne-rich/
“As I Grow Older” by Langston
Hughes
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/as-i-grew-older/
“Introduction to Poetry” by Billy
Collins
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/001.html
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert
Frost
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-road-nottaken/
“Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe
Shelley
http://www.online-literature.com/shelley_percy/672/
Literary Terms
General
Terms
Across
Genres
Talking
about the
characters
Hero/heroine
The central male or female character of a literary text. Usually,
the hero or heroine has a high moral character and is courageous.
Protagonist
The main character of the story or drama, the hero, who is faced
with an opposing force he/she must overcome in order to achieve
his/her goal.
Antagonist
A person or a natural force that opposes the protagonist in the
main conflict of the story or drama.
Character
A person, or a thing presented as a person, in a literary text.
Characterization
What we know about a character. There are three fundamental
methods of characterization: 1) direct presentation of the physical
and moral aspects of the character by the narrator, either when
the character is first introduced in the story, or bit-by-bit
throughout the story. 2) The actions and speech of the character,
from which the reader infers the traits. 3) The inner thoughts of
the character, which are a window to his/her soul.
Stereotype
Presenting a person as if they represent the social group to which
they belong, by using physical appearances, accent, clothing,
foods etc. The emphasis on belonging to the group makes the
stereotyped person less individualized.
Dialogue
The conversations that take place between characters in a literary
work of narrative or drama and more rarely, in poetry.
Talking
about the
plot
Talking
about
meaning in
language
Style
Plot
The structure and pattern of events of the story in a narrative or
in a drama.
Climax
This is the point of highest interest, the crisis, and is therefore
also at the turning point of the action.
Conflict
The struggle between opposing forces. At least one of the
opposing forces is a character. We designate different kinds of
conflict: 1) a struggle against Nature. 2) a struggle against
another person. 3) a struggle against society. 4) a struggle within
the person themselves. The two sides of the conflict are the
protagonist and the antagonist.
Resolution
The conclusion of the story or drama, when all the problems are
solved in one way or another. It’s the logical outcome of
everything that happened before. It comes after the climax.
Foreshadowing
Events narrated at an earlier point in the story that hint at, and
prepare the reader, for something that will happen later in the
story.
Symbolism/symbol Something which is both itself and also represents an idea, for
example a rose may symbolize beauty.
Connotation
The associations which are attached to a word, as opposed to its
literal meaning, for example the color green may have the
connotation of youth, spring, and growth.
Paradox
A situation or statement that seems to contradict itself, but really
doesn’t.
Theme
Usually we can find the theme of a literary work by answering
the question: “What is this work about?” Theme looks at the
message or general idea of the work.
Genre
There are different types of literature categorized by subject
matter, form and technique; the following are examples of
genres: tragedy and comedy, novel and short story, poetry and
prose.
Inferencing
Drawing conclusions or forming opinions on the basis of what a
character says or does.
Tone
The attitude with which a story is told, or the attitude with which
something or someone is described, for example, ironic, cynical,
humorous.
Terms for
Narrative
Texts
(Novels
and Short
Stories)
Short story
A short narrative work. The length of a short story varies from
one or two pages up to forty pages.
Setting
The background against which the story unfolds. This includes
1) the geographic location, scenery, and the inside of homes or
other places; 2) the social community in which the story unfolds
(upper class, working class etc); 3) the season, or period (the
period of the French Revolution in A Tale of Two Cities)
Flashback
Providing information about events that happened before the story
begins, usually through the memory of one of the characters, or by
narrating the events to someone. A flashback interrupts the sequence
of events that is happening now in the story or play.
Novel
A narrative work that tells a story that is quite long, usually at
least 100 pages.
Narrative
How the story is told: the style, the characters, descriptions, and
events, that make up the telling of the story.
Point of View
The focus from which the story or drama is told. The story can be
told 1) by one of the characters who experienced the events, 2)
by an all-knowing narrator who knows the ‘whole’ story, or 3) by
a character telling someone else’s story.
Terms for
Poetry
Terms for
Drama
Imagery
Words used in images in poetry that use our five senses: sight,
smell, hearing, taste, and touching.
Metaphor
Describing one thing in terms of something else e.g. the bronze
sun.
Simile
The resemblance of two things, usually introduced by ‘like’ or
‘as’.
Oxymoron
An image made up of two opposing qualities, or that may seem a
contradiction in terms: Bittersweet,
Rhyme
used in poetry most often at the end of lines when the last
syllables of the words at the ends of the lines share the same
sound, homophony. For example:
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near (Robert Frost)
Rhyme scheme
The pattern of rhymed words at the end of lines in a stanza or
throughout a poem.
Stanza
A group of lines, which form a unit in a poem. This unit usually
repeats itself in the poem.
Verse
A single line of a poem usually using rhythmed language. Poetic
form as distinguished from prose.
Alliteration
A sound pattern repeated at the beginning of words or repeated
within words, usually consonants. For example: “I have stood
still and stopped the sound of feet” (Robert Frost).
Comedy
A literary text that is funny and ends well, even though there is
usual some tension along the way.
Tragedy
Tragedy is a type of drama that ends badly for the hero or
protagonist. It is usually a story that focuses on one person, the
protagonist, whose life changes from a happy one to suffering
and disaster.
Scene
A sub-division of an act in a play, but also the place where the
action takes place. Usually, each act has several scenes. Many
scenes may take place in the same place (scene).
Act
One of the major divisions of a play. There are usually 5 acts to a
play, but sometimes only 3. In any case there are always an
uneven number of acts in a play.
Drama
A literary work that is written in dialogue to be performed by
actors acting the story on the stage
Comedy
A literary text that is funny and ends well, even though there is
usual some tension along the way.
Lower and Higher Order Skills
Lower-Order Thinking Skills
Higher-Order Thinking Skills
Predicting
predict the content or the outcome of the
text, either before or during reading
based on available information.
Applying
apply previously learned concepts, terms, How can you apply ___ to your own life?
techniques and skills to new situations.
How can you apply ___ to something else you
have learned?
Thinking Skill
Recognizing
key vocabulary,
setting,
characters and
events in the
text
How do you think ___ will react?
How do you think the story will end?
Students will be able to:
relate to the literal meaning of the text.
Sample Tasks/Questions
Who? What?
Where? When?
Do you know…?
Can you identify…?
Inferring
infer implicit meaning from the text by
being able to read-between-the-lines.
What do you think the character meant when
s/he said, “___”?
What does ___’s behavior suggest? What is the
purpose or function of this information?
What different meanings can be inferred from
this line in the poem?
Reflecting
reflect by articulating their thoughts
about what they have learned and their
thinking process.
Which skill did you use to answer this
question? Explain
Explain how you learned this poem/story and
how the way it was taught aided your
understanding of the piece of literature.
Thinking Skill
Sequencing
Identifying
parts and
whole
Classifying
Comparing and
contrasting
Explaining
patterns
Students will be able to:
explain how the sequence of events in a
text, when not in a chronological order,
affects understanding of the text.
explain how the parts function together
within the whole text.
Sample Tasks/Questions
Sequence the events in chronological order.
How do flashbacks affect your understanding of
the text/plot?
Why do you think the events are not in
chronological order?
How does one part of the story contribute your
understanding to the whole text?
How does the title/ending relate to different
parts of the story/poem/play?
categorize the elements of the text
according to criteria.
find similarities (comparing) and
differences (contrasting) and draw
conclusions.
identify and explain different patterns in
the text and explain their significance.
What does the rhyme scheme of the poem
contribute to the whole poem?
Categorize the characters according to their
relationships/values.
Compare and contrast the conflicts/ problems/
dilemmas in two stories or poems.
Compare and contrast the text and the film.
Compare and contrast characters in a text.
Explain why certain lines/ phrases/words are
repeated.
What behavior does the character repeat?
Where is the rhyme scheme of the poem broken
and why?
Explaining
cause and
effect
Distinguishing
different
perspectives
describe and explain the causal
relationships between actions or events
in a text.
identify the different perspectives within
the text and/or among the readers of the
text.
Thinking Skill
Problem
Solving
Students will be able to:
identify a problem/dilemma and either
identify its solution in the text or suggest
a possible solution, taking into account
the constraints and the options present in
the text.
What were the results of ___‘s action?
What caused ___ to think that ___?
Identify how different characters respond to a
central event in the story. How does your
understanding of the characters’ actions/events
in the story change as you read?
Do you share the same perspective as the
narrator? Explain.
How does your understanding of the story/the
character/the scene differ from other students in
your class?
Sample Tasks/Questions
Define the problem facing the protagonist.
How should ___ decide what to do?
What should ____ take / have taken into
account?
What is the central conflict in this text and how
Uncovering
motives
identify motives that explain the
character’s behavior and support this
with evidence from the text.
Generating
possibilities
create something new on the basis of
what is understood from the text.
is it resolved? Explain.
What dilemma does ___ face at this point in the
story?
Why do you think that __ did __? Support your
answer.
What made ___ change his/her mind? Give
supporting details.
Create a new character for the story.
Explain how s/he will affect the development
Synthesizing
integrate different aspects of/insights to
the text.
Making
connections
make connections between specific
aspects of the text.
make connections between the text and
other contexts in relation to historical,
and cultural contexts or pertinent
information from the author’s
biography.
make judgments about different aspects
of the text and justify opinions and/or
evaluate someone else’s opinion.
Evaluating
Generate possible options for characters
/plot outcomes/sequels or prequels.
Add an element/an event to the existing text
that influences the development and/or the
outcome of the plot.
Write a summary of the story.
How does information we learn later in the text
change the way we understand a
character/issue/conflict?
How does the description of the setting connect
to the characterization of __?
To what extent do events in the text reflect
events in the life of the author?
How does your understanding of the story/the
character/the scene differ when you learn about
a topic related to the literary text?
What makes this a good story? Explain.
Is ___ a believable character? Explain.
Is the resolution of the conflict satisfying?
Explain.
Calculation of the school grade for the literature program
The Literature Bagrut examination assesses the students’ understanding of the
literary texts and their ability to use both lower-order and higher-order
thinking skills that they have learned and applied in the learning process.
The calculation of the school grade for students doing the Literature Bagrut
examination is comprised of the following elements:
Five Points
Elements
% of Final Grade
Play
20%
Short Story
12%
Grade
Short Story
12%
Short Story
12%
Essay
12%
Poem
6%
Poem
6%
Poem
6%
Poem
6%
Poem
6%
TOTAL
Project
What is the project used for
Guidelines for writing the project
Supplementary
Calculation of the Grade
Links to Websites
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