Paying attention to technology: Exploring a fictional technology

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 9 — English I

• Goal 1: The learner will express reflections and reactions to print and non-print text and personal experiences.
  • Objective 1.02: Respond reflectively (individually and in groups) to a variety of expressive texts (e.g., memoirs, vignettes, narratives, diaries, monologues, personal responses) in a way that offers an audience:
    • an understanding of the student's personal reaction to the text.
    • a sense of how the reaction results from a careful consideration of the text.
    • an awareness of how personal and cultural influences affect the response.
  • Objective 1.03: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print expressive texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
    • selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
    • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
    • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
    • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
    • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
    • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
    • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
    • making connections between works, self and related topics.
    • analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
    • analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
    • identifying and analyzing elements of expressive environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.
• Goal 3: The learner will examine argumentation and develop informed opinions.
  • Objective 3.02: Express an informed opinion that:
    • states clearly a personal view.
    • is logical and coherent.
    • engages the reader's interest or curiosity.
  • Objective 3.03: Support that informed opinion by:
    • providing relevant and convincing reasons.
    • using various types of evidence, such as experience or facts.
    • using appropriate and effective language, reasons, and organizational structure for the audience and purpose.
    • demonstrating awareness of the possible questions, concerns, or counterarguments of the audience.
• Goal 4: The learner will create and use standards to critique communication.
  • Objective 4.02: Read and critique various genres by:
    • using preparation, engagement, and reflection strategies appropriate for the text.
    • identifying and using standards to evaluate aspects of the work or the work as a whole.
    • judging the impact of different stylistic and literary devices on the work.
  • Objective 4.03: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print critical texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
    • selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
    • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
    • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
    • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
    • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
    • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
    • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
    • making connections between works, self and related topics.
    • analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
    • analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
    • identifying and analyzing elements of critical environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.
• Goal 5: The learner will demonstrate understanding of various literary genres, concepts, elements, and terms.
  • Objective 5.01: Read and analyze various literary works by:
    • using effective reading strategies for preparation, engagement, reflection.
    • recognizing and analyzing the characteristics of literary genres, including fiction (e.g., myths, legends, short stories, novels), non-fiction (e.g., essays, biographies, autobiographies, historical documents), poetry (e.g., epics, sonnets, lyric poetry, ballads) and drama (e.g., tragedy, comedy).
    • interpreting literary devices such as allusion, symbolism, figurative language, flashback, dramatic irony, dialogue, diction, and imagery.
    • understanding the importance of tone, mood, diction, and style.
    • explaining and interpreting archetypal characters, themes, settings.
    • explaining how point of view is developed and its effect on literary texts.
    • determining a character's traits from his/her actions, speech, appearance, or what others say about him or her.
    • explaining how the writer creates character, setting, motif, theme, and other elements.
    • making thematic connections among literary texts and media and contemporary issues.
    • understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts.
    • producing creative responses that follow the conventions of a specific genre and using appropriate literary devices for that genre.
  • Objective 5.02: Demonstrating increasing comprehension and ability to respond personally to texts by selecting and exploring a wide range of genres.
  • Objective 5.03: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print literacy texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
    • selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
    • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
    • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
    • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
    • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
    • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
    • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
    • making connections between works, self and related topics.
    • analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
    • analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
    • identifying and analyzing elements of literary environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.

Grade 11 — English III

• Goal 1: The learner will demonstrate increasing insight and reflection to print and non-print text through personal expression.
  • Objective 1.02: Reflect and respond expressively to texts so that the audience will:
    - discover multiple perspectives.
    - investigate connections between life and literature.
    - explore how the student's life experiences influence his or her response to the selection.
    - recognize how the responses of others may be different.
    - articulate insightful connections between life and literature.
    -consider cultural or historical significance.
• Goal 2: The learner will inform an audience by using a variety of media to research and explain insights into language and culture.
  • Objective 2.01: Research ideas, events, and/or movements related to United States culture by:
    - locating facts and details for purposeful elaboration.
    - organizing information to create a structure for purpose, audience, and context.
    - excluding extraneous information.
    -providing accurate documentation.
  • Objective 2.02: Examine and explain how culture influences language through projects such as:
    - showing the evolution of forms of communication in the United States (e.g., the Pony Express, telegraph, telephone, fax, e-mail).
    - tracing the development of technology in a particular area such as audio or video recordings, radio, television, and film.
    - demonstrating proficiency in accessing and sending information electronically, using conventions appropriate to the audience.
• Goal 3: The learner will demonstrate increasing sophistication in defining issues and using argument effectively.
  • Objective 3.02: Select an issue or theme and take a stance on that issue by:
    - reflecting the viewpoint(s) of Americans of different times and places.
    - showing sensitivity or empathy for the culture represented.
    - supporting the argument with specific reasons.
  • Objective 3.03: Use argumentation for:
    - interpreting researched information effectively.
    - establishing and defending a point of view.
    - addressing concerns of the opposition.
    - using logical strategies (e.g., deductive and inductive reasoning, syllogisms, analogies) and sophisticated techniques (e.g., rhetorical devices, parallelism, irony, concrete images).
    -developing a sense of completion.

Grade 12 — English IV

• Goal 1: The learner will express reflections and reactions to print and non-print text as well as to personal experience.
  • Objective 1.02: Respond to texts so that the audience will:
    - empathize with the voice of the text.
    - make connections between the learner's life and the text.
    - reflect on how cultural or historical perspectives may have influenced these responses.
    - examine the learner's own response in light of peers' responses.
    -recognize features of the author's use of language and how the learner relates these features to his/her own writing.
• 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.
  • Objective 2.02: Analyze general principles at work in life and literature by:
    - discovering and defining principles at work in personal experience and in literature.
    -predicting what is likely to happen in the future on the basis of those principles.
  • Objective 2.03: Compose texts (in print and non-print media) that help the audience understand a principle or theory by:
    - researching experience for relevant principles that relate to themes in literature and life.
    - presenting a thesis, supporting it, and considering alternative perspectives on the topic.
    -adjusting the diction, tone, language, and method of presentation to the audience.
• Goal 3: The learner will be prepared to enter issues of public concern as an advocate.
  • Objective 3.01: Research and define issues of public concern by:
    - using a variety of resources such as the media center, on-line resources, interviews, and personal reflection.
    -specifying the nature of an issue, including the various claims made and the reasoning that supports these claims.
  • 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.