essential english

This course offers students practice with reading comprehension, writing for purpose, vocabulary development, and opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills. During this course, students read three novels paired with short stories, poems, and non-fiction text to enrich students’ understanding of topics, symbols and themes of the novels. In particular, we will explore the themes of Individual, Familial and Social Identities and study how identity is formed through individual choices and choices impacted by our family and society. Students are expected to engage actively in class discussions that promote higher-level critical thinking and inference skills. Their writing will also progress through building strong thesis statements and paragraph development. After completing this course, students will develop writing and verbal skills needed for test taking, academic work, and future professional careers. Students will practice critical thinking of texts, writing short informal

Topics Covered

UNIT 1: INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY

Understanding Ourselves Through Literature: Engaging in class discussions to explore how poetry serves as a friend in our journey of self-discovery. We will examine how poetry, nature, and inner peace contribute to our understanding. Additionally, we will delve into the themes of intelligence and disability in literature and assess whether Charlie serves as a reliable or unreliable narrator. Through critical thinking, we will analyze the themes and dilemmas faced by Charlie and explore the symbolism in his relationship with Algernon. Diction and wording will be discussed in relation to Charlie's future, culminating with a comprehensive conclusion on Flowers For Algernon.

UNIT 2: IDENTITY AND FAMILY

Session 10: This section will focus on identity and family within American Chinese culture, encouraging dialogue that gives a voice to written characters. We will also investigate the blurred boundaries between genre, specifically fiction and nonfiction, while enhancing our vocabulary development.

UNIT 3: IDENTITY AND SOCIETY

Session 13: In this introduction to identity and society as presented in The Giver, students will learn how to develop an essay thesis topic. The sessions will also focus on writing skills, emphasizing the creation of persuasive text-based body paragraphs that enhance reading comprehension.

Outcomes

Topics Covered

In our class discussions, students will engage in critical analysis of texts to practice their critical thinking skills. They will also learn to write evidence-based arguments, honing their writing skills through the creation of argumentative essays. Additionally, students will gain practice in logically organizing sentences and paragraphs, which will enhance their reading comprehension and contribute to their vocabulary development.

essential english

Topics Covered

Topics Covered

Topics Covered

Outcomes

Topics Covered

Topics Covered