In literature, interpretation is the thing

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 12

• Goal 1: The learner will express reflections and reactions to print and non-print text as well as to personal experience.
  • Objective 1.01: Compose reflective texts that give the audience:
    - an understanding of complex thoughts and feelings.
    - a sense of significance (social, political, or philosophical implications).
    - a sense of encouragement to reflect on his or her own ideas.
• Goal 2: The learner will inform an audience by exploring general principles at work in life and literature.
  • Objective 2.01: Locate, process, and comprehend texts that explain principles, issues, and concepts at work in the world in order to:
    - relate complex issues from a variety of critical stances.
    - discern significant differences and similarities among texts that propose different ideas related to similar concepts.
• Goal 3: The learner will be prepared to enter issues of public concern as an advocate.
  • Objective 3.02: Organize and deliver an argument so that an intended audience respects it by:
    - wording the claim clearly.
    - specifying reasons in support of the claim that are likely to be convincing.
    -- adopting an appropriate tone and stance toward the issue.
• Goal 4: The learner will analyze and critique texts from various perspectives and approaches.
  • Objective 4.01: Develop critiques that enable an audience to judge claims and arguments by:
    -establishing and applying clear, credible criteria for evaluation.
    - substantiating assessments with reasons and evidence.
  • Objective 4.02: Develop critiques that give an audience:
    - an appreciation of how themes relate among texts.
    -an understanding of how authors' assumptions, cultural backgrounds, and social values affect texts.
    -an understanding of how more than one critical approach affects interpretation.
• Goal 5: The learner will deepen understanding of British literature through exploration and extended engagement.
  • Objective 5.01: Explore British literature by:
    - recognizing common themes that run through works, using evidence from the texts to substantiate ideas.
    - relating the cultural and historical contexts to the literature and identifying perceived ambiguities, prejudices, and complexities.
    - making associations between historical and current viewpoints.
    -understanding how literary movements influence writers.
• Goal 6: The learner will apply conventions of grammar and language usage.
  • Objective 6.01: Apply knowledge of literary terms, grammar, and rhetoric in order to write clearly, succinctly, and accurately by:
    - understanding how to use and apply grammatical, metaphorical, or rhetorical devices.
    - recognizing how to use different language conventions (such as loose or periodic sentences, effective use of passive voice, or the importance of strong verbs).
    - revising writing to enhance voice and style, sentence variety, subtlety of meaning, and tone in considerations of questions being addressed, purpose, audience, and genres.
    - contrasting use of language conventions of authors in different time periods of British literature.
    - analyzing the power of standard usage over nonstandard usage in formal settings such a job interviews, academic presentations, or public speaking events.