Unit 1
Learning Goals
We are learning to recognize
different text forms, features,
and stylistic elements and
demonstrate how they
communicate meaning
Success Criteria
I can identify the following literary devices and
explain how they create meaning in poetry and
prose:
 Personification
 Hyperbole
 Onomatopoeia
 Oxymoron
 Paradox
 Assonance
 Consonance
 Euphony
 Alliteration
 Simile
 Metaphor
I can identify the following stylistic elements and
explain how they create meaning in poetry and
prose:
 Parallel structure
 Climactic order
 Polysyndetic construction
 Asyndetic construction
 Chiasmus
 Rhetorical question
I can identify the following rhetorical strategies
and use them to develop an argument:
 Logos
 Pathos
 Ethos
We are learning to edit,
proofread, and use knowledge
of conventions to correct errors
and present work effectively
I can use the following pieces of punctuation
correctly to create emphasis:
 Colon
 Semi-colon
 Dash
 Ellipsis
 Parenthesis
We are learning to write an
effective personal essay
I can…
 use keyhole structure which includes
o An introduction with:
 An effective hook
A general introduction that
gradually becomes more
specific then leads to the
thesis
 Thesis
o Body paragraphs (at least three)
 Organize the paragraphs in
terms of time, space, or
order of importance
 Use climactic order within
paragraphs so each
paragraph ends strongly
 Each topic sentence should
have a transitional tag to
ensure coherence
 Each topic sentence should
reflect the thesis.
 Within each paragraph, use
a literary device that creates
emphasis
 Within each paragraph
ensure that there is unity
and coherence
 The concluding sentence
connects to the topic
sentence
o Concluding paragraph
 Re-state thesis
 Summarize body
 Universal application (this
may or may not connect to
the hook)
use active voice
eliminate weak verbs
use proofreading and editing strategies to
eliminate errors in spelling, grammar, and
punctuation
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

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Mini lessons on: rhetoric, literary devices, punctuation, essay structure, descriptive
writing, unity and coherence, emphasis, active voice vs passive voice.
Unit 2
Learning Goals
We are learning to analyze
fiction using archetypal
patterns such as the hero, and
the quest pattern, and phases of
tragedy
We are learning to apply a
variety of reading strategies to
understand fiction
We are learning to use effective
research strategies and cite our
research using MLA format
We are learning to present an
effective seminar to the class
Success Criteria
 I can identify and explain Northrop Frye’s
phases of tragedy and use them to analyse
a work of literature (The Great Gatsby or
The Kite Runner)
 I can identify the features of the tragic
hero and use them to analyze a character
in a work of literature (The Great Gatsby
or The Kite Runner)
 I can identify the different elements of the
quest pattern and explain how an author
uses this to structure a narrative in work
of literature (The Great Gatsby or The Kite
Runner)
 I can identify the theme of a novel and
trace its development
 I can identify and explain how different
literary devices (see unit 1) enhance
meaning
 I can make connections between The Great
Gatsby or The Kite Runner and my own life
as well as the world around me.
 I can use the school databases and
advanced Google search strategies to find
relevant and reliable material for research
 I can use EasyBib (or a similar tool) to
keep track of my research notes
 I can use parenthetical citations in MLA
format in my writing
 I have a variety of strategies for figuring
out how to find information that I need
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

I can use keyhole structure to effectively
organize a presentation
I can prepare a works cited page for my
seminar that includes at least 4 relevant
secondary sources
I can use multimedia elements to enhance
my presentation
o Slides have unity and coherence
o Slides use images that are creative
commons licensed and referenced
appropriately


o Slides enhance the presentation
rather than stand in for the
presentation
I can speak clearly and with expression,
making eye contact with the audience
I can present without reading from my
notes
Literature circle meetings, lesson on research strategies, effective slide
presentations
Unit 3
Learning Goals
We are learning to analyze and
evaluate a more complex text
like William Shakespeare’s
Othello
We are learning to demonstrate
our understanding of a complex
text like Othello through a
dramatization.
We are learning to write a
formal literary essay
Success Criteria
 I can use a variety of reading strategies to
make meaning from the text
 I can identify and explain the use of
literary devices—especially symbolism
(see unit 1) in Othello
 I can classify Othello as a tragedy using
archetypal theory
 I can read critically, reading between the
lines of the text to make inferences that
are not obvious upon first reading
 I can identify bias in the text and critically
evaluate the missing voices in the text
 I can make connections between The Great
Gatsby or The Kite Runner and Othello
 I can recite a selection of text from
memory with clarity and expression
 I can demonstrate an understanding of
text through my body language, movement
and position on stage
 I can communicate my understanding of
the text through costume and set choices
 I can
 use keyhole structure which includes
o An introduction with:
 An effective hook
 A general introduction that
gradually becomes more
specific then leads to the
thesis
 Thesis
o Body paragraphs (at least three)
 Organize the paragraphs in
terms of time, space, or
order of importance
 Use climactic order within
paragraphs so each
paragraph ends strongly
 Each topic sentence should
have a transitional tag to
ensure coherence
 Each topic sentence should
reflect the thesis.
 Within each paragraph, use




a literary device that creates
emphasis
 Within each paragraph
ensure that there is unity
and coherence
 The concluding sentence
connects to the topic
sentence
o Concluding paragraph
 Re-state thesis
 Summarize body
 Universal application (this
may or may not connect to
the hook)
use active voice
eliminate weak verbs
use proofreading and editing strategies to
eliminate errors in spelling, grammar, and
punctuation
format quotations from Shakespeare
accurately in MLA format