Name: English (ENG3U)
Price: 499 CAD
Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)

Course Description

This course emphasizes the development of literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills necessary for success in academic and daily life. Students will analyse challenging literary texts from various periods, countries, and cultures, as well as a range of informational and graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on using language with precision and clarity and incorporating stylistic devices appropriately and effectively. The course is intended to prepare students for the compulsory Grade 12 university or college preparation course.

Prerequisite
English, Grade 10, Academic

Unit Titles and Descriptions	Time Allocated
Unit 1: Reading Like a Writer	25 hours
Unit 2: Online Identity	25 hours
Unit 3: What Can Literature Teach us About Ourselves?	25 hours
Unit 4: What Identities are we Constructing?	16.5 hours
Unit 5: Identity: A Digital Anthology (Culminating Task)	16.5 hours
Final Assessment
Exam	2 hours
Total	110 hours

Required Software, Equipment, Textbooks

Because students are completing media works that must be submitted in electronic form, they are expected to have at least minimum access to appropriate software and hardware. Because the media work assignments contain some choice of format to be submitted, a student who does not, for example, have access to a digital video camera, will still be able to use other forms of media to complete the work. If, however, they have no software or equipment, completing the assignments will become problematic.

At minimum, students should have access to:

Adobe Acrobat Reader
Geometer’s Sketchpad
Powerpoint Reader
Adobe Flash Player
OSAPAC software as required

Teachers will need to be flexible in terms of what a student uses to complete media works, as long as the work meets the expectations of the assignment and can be submitted electronically in a standard format.

Policies

Assignment Submission

All assignments are expected to be submitted by the deadline noted in the calendar and/or announcement area of the course. Students must submit the assignments online as directed. All assignments will be placed into the appropriate dropbox. Alternate submission methods must be approved by the teacher. If you have a problem with a date – talk to the teacher before the date has passed.

Plagiarism and/or Cheating

Plagiarism of print or Internet material on assessment/evaluation tasks is illegal and therefore, forbidden.
Cheating on tests/examinations or submitting assessment tasks copied from another student is forbidden.
Administration and parent/guardians will be notified of student plagiarism/cheating and the incident will be recorded.
The use of computerized translator software is forbidden for foreign languages.
Inappropriate use of web Site services

Participating in online courses is a privilege. You are expected to behave in an appropriate manner while logged into your online course(s). Any inappropriate use of language, use of the site facilities for purposes other than course related activities or malicious actions taken against others through these facilities are not permitted. These violations will be dealt with and may result in suspension or expulsion from online learning. Please remember, your actions within the site can and will be monitored. Any communications on the Internet, whether through email, private chat room, or other methods are not private. Be aware that anything you communicate may be viewed by others. If you don’t want it known, do not type it into your computer.

Grading Policies

Students will be provided with numerous and varied opportunities to demonstrate the full extent of their achievement of the curriculum expectations, across all four categories of knowledge and skills. Progress will be monitored on an on-going basis using a variety of assessment tools, including written work, formal testing, weekly quizzes, teacher-student communication, discussion boards and chat rooms.

Achievement Chart

Categories	Level 1 (50 – 59%)	Level 2 (60 – 69%)	Level 3 (70 – 79%)	Level 4 (80 – 100%)
Knowledge and Understanding	Specific content acquired in each grade (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding)
Knowledge of content (e.g., forms of text; strategies used when listening and speaking, reading, writing, and viewing and representing; elements of style; literary terminology, concepts, and theories; language conventions)	demonstrates limited knowledge of content	demonstrates some knowledge of content	demonstrates considerable knowledge of content	demonstrates thorough knowledge of content
Understanding of content (e.g.,concepts; ideas; opinions; relationships among facts, ideas,concepts,themes)	demonstrates limited understanding of content	demonstrates some understanding of content	demonstrates considerable understanding of content	demonstrates thorough understanding of content
Thinking	The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes
Use of planning skills (e.g., generating ideas, gathering information, focusing research, organizing information)	uses planning skills with limited effectiveness	uses planning skills with some effectiveness	uses planning skills with considerable effectiveness	uses planning skills with a high degree of effectiveness
Use of processing skills (e.g., drawing inferences, interpreting, analysing, synthesizing, evaluating)	uses processing skills with limited effectiveness	uses processing skills with some effectiveness	uses processing skills with considerable effectiveness	uses processing skills with a high degree of effectiveness
Use of critical/creative thinking processes (e.g., oral discourse, research, critical analysis, critical literacy,metacognition, creative process)	uses critical/creative thinking processes with limited effectiveness	uses critical/creative thinking processes with some effectiveness	uses critical/creative thinking processes with considerable effectiveness	uses critical/creative thinking processes with a high degree of effectiveness
Communication	The conveying of meaning through various forms
Communication for different audiences and purposes (e.g., use of appropriate style, voice, point of view) in oral, graphic,and written forms, including media forms	communicates for different audiences and purposes with limited effectiveness	communicates for different audiences and purposes with some effectiveness	communicates for different audiences and purposes with considerable effectiveness	communicates for different audiences and purposes with a high degree of effectiveness
Use of conventions (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage), vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline in oral, graphic, and written forms, including media forms	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with limited effectiveness	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with some effectiveness	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with considerable effectiveness	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with a high degree of effectiveness
Expression and organization of ideas and information (e.g., clear expression, logical organization) in oral, graphic, and written forms, including media forms	expresses and organizes ideas and information with limited effectiveness	expresses and organizes ideas and information with some effectiveness	expresses and organizes ideas and information with considerable effectiveness	expresses and organizes ideas and information with a high degree of effectiveness
Application	The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts
Application of knowledge and skills (e.g.,literacy strategies and processes; literary terminology, concepts, and theories) in familiar contexts	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with limited effectiveness	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with some effectiveness	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with considerable effectiveness	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with a high degree of effectiveness
Transfer of knowledge and skills (e.g., literacy strategies and processes; literary terminology, concepts, and theories) to new contexts	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with limited effectiveness	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with some effectiveness	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with considerable effectiveness	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with a high degree of effectiveness
Making connections within and between various contexts (e.g., between the text and personal knowledge and experience, other texts, and the world outside school)	makes connections within and between various contexts with limited effectiveness	makes connections within and between various contexts with some effectiveness	makes connections within and between various contexts with considerable effectiveness	makes connections within and between various contexts with a high degree of effectiveness

Teaching and Learning Strategies:

Students in English 3U study a number of genres in addition to a Shakespearean play and two novels. Through the use of videos, communication posts, and teacher feedback and draft opportunities, students produce a variety of assignments ranging from oral presentations to formal essays on literature.

Video presentations allow students to focus on topics such as bias, developing listening skills, and speaking technique.
In preparation for the creation of student videos teachers approve topics, review the essentials of good speeches, and evaluate mind maps.
Teaching and comprehensive notes on Macbeth allow students to understand the play and formulate their own ideas.
Scaffold assignments beginning with thesis statements, outlines, and drafts provide a process through which students can improve their performance as writers and critics.
Teaching and notes on the novella (Anthem) and Frankenstein allow students to see correspondences between the works and to understand different writing techniques in these two radically different, yet similar, works.
Through discussion posts, students study and reflect on the contrasting prose styles in the novels.

Note on Oral Communication: Because this is an online course, oral communication is taught and assessed throughout the course using two devices. Students will be required throughout the course to participate in discussions. Some of these will take place on discussion boards where students will post their ideas about a topic at hand in guided discussion format. Students will be required to respond to the ideas of their course-mates. All students will be assessed on their ability to listen, to speak and to think about the strategies they use to do so. In addition students will see icons of speakers throughout the course which they will click on to hear ideas being spoken about and to tape themselves doing the same.

Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting Strategies of Student Performance:

Our theory of assessment and evaluation follows the Ministry of Education’s Growing Success document, and it is our firm belief that doing so is in the best interests of students. We seek to design assessment in such a way as to make it possible to gather and show evidence of learning in a variety of ways to gradually release responsibility to the students, and to give multiple and varied opportunities to reflect on learning and receive detailed feedback.

Growing Success articulates the vision the Ministry has for the purpose and structure of assessment and evaluation techniques. There are seven fundamental principles that ensure best practices and procedures of assessment and evaluation by Institute of Canadian Education teachers. ICE assessments and evaluations,

are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students;
support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit;
are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students;
are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the course and at other points throughout the school year or course;
are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning;
provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement;
develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.

The Final Grade:

The evaluation for this course is based on the student’s achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning. The final percentage grade represents the quality of the student’s overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline. A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student’s grade is 50% or higher. The final grade will be determined as follows:

70% of the grade will be based upon evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of achievement.
30% of the grade will be based on final evaluations administered at the end of the course. The final assessment may be a final exam, a final project, or a combination of both an exam and a project.

The Report Card:

Student achievement will be communicated formally to students via an official report card. Report cards are issued at the midterm point in the course, as well as upon completion of the course. Each report card will focus on two distinct, but related aspects of student achievement. First, the achievement of curriculum expectations is reported as a percentage grade. Additionally, the course median is reported as a percentage. The teacher will also provide written comments concerning the student’s strengths, areas for improvement, and next steps. Second, the learning skills are reported as a letter grade, representing one of four levels of accomplishment. The report card also indicates whether an OSSD credit has been earned. Upon completion of a course, ICE will send a copy of the report card back to the student’s home school (if in Ontario) where the course will be added to the ongoing list of courses on the student’s Ontario Student Transcript. The report card will also be sent to the student’s home address.

Program Planning Considerations:

Teachers who are planning a program in this subject will make an effort to take into account considerations for program planning that align with the Ontario Ministry of Education policy and initiatives in a number of important areas.