English I / Honors English I
The following learning targets represent the major concepts studied and assessed in this course.
Semester 1
Unit 1
- Create clear claims and support them with strong evidence
- Anticipate counterclaims and rebut them adequately
- Use information from a text in writing without plagiarizing and using MLA format
- Organize an argument in a logical order
- Create a powerful, clear argument by writing in the active voice, varying sentence structure, and avoiding vague pronouns
- Transition in and out of the four stages of the writing process smoothly and with limited support
- Recognize and utilize valid resources
- Use primary and secondary resources to help prove an argument
- Identify the claim in an argument and evaluate the effectiveness of the supporting evidence
- Identify the counterclaim in an argument and evaluate the effectiveness of the rebuttal
- Analyze an argument and determine if the logic is valid or fallacious
- Listen attentively for extended periods of time
- Identify the claim of a speech and determine the methods a speaker utilized to persuade the audience
- Speak without using fillers with appropriate volume, speed, and eye contact
Unit 2
- Cite evidence from the text to support interpretation of what the text says
- Use context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words in the text
- Analyze a text in order to determine its theme/themes
- Follow a writing process to produce clear and coherent writing
- Review, revise, and edit writing, looking specifically at word choice and spelling/grammar
- Actively participate in class discussions, using reasoning and evidence to support claims
Semester 2
Unit 3
- Recognize the difference between what the author states directly and what he/she implies in the text
- Identify the theme(s) or central idea(s) of a text
- Summarize a text
- Explain how characters can have multiple or conflicting motivations
- Identify how characters change or develop over the course of a story
- Analyze the interactions of characters
- Explain how the characters advance the plot or develop the theme
- Identify connotative meanings of certain words in a text
- Identify and show support for the author’s tone and mood through multiple words and phrases in the text
- Analyze how an author uses structure to create effects such as mystery, tension, or surprise
Unit 4
- Read and comprehend a text (literary and informational) independently
- Analyze an author’s argument and determine the validity of the argument
- Analyze a source to determine its validity and usefulness to the research process
- Utilize technology to produce a proficient writing product
- Analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance their point of view
- Produce clear and coherent writing and blend two different types of writing when appropriate
- Follow a process to review, revise, and edit writing
- Plan and deliver a presentation in front of peers utilizing multimedia in the presentation
- Use figurative language in writing