English III
The following learning targets represent the major concepts studied and assessed in this course.
Semester 1
Unit 1
- Summarize the meaning of a text
- Support claims with textual evidence
- Identify possible themes in a text
- Recognize the use of literary elements
- Explain how an author’s era influences his/her writing
- Read and understand a text independently
- Produce an essay that analyzes the literary themes and/or elements of a text
- Collaborate with my peers
Unit 2
- Make inferences about the text and support the inferences with evidence
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases including figurative and connotative meanings
- Evaluate the author’s choice and how it contributes to the overall meaning and tone
- Explain multiple central ideas in a text and relate the ideas to contemporary human nature
- Synthesize information from multiple texts to articulate the complexity of the issue
- Evaluate how the text reflects the author’s historical and cultural perspective
- Follow a writing process to produce a clear, coherent, and organized argumentative essay
- Respond to diverse perspectives presented in diverse media and appropriately justify my own views and make new connections when evidence is presented
Semester 2
Unit 3
- Draw conclusions and infer by citing relevant textual evidence to support an analysis about the text
- Determine two or more themes and analyze their development throughout the text
- Relate the themes to human nature and the world
- Synthesize multiple texts about a similar topic or theme to articulate the complexity of the theme
- Evaluate the author's choices in the structure of the text to contribute to an overall meaning of the text
- Evaluate the author’s argument and reasoning for effectiveness, validity, logic, credibility and relevance of the evidence
- Conduct research to answer a question or solve a problem
- Gather information from multiple authoritative sources and cite my resources efficiently
- Follow a writing process to create a cohesive and developed research essay
- Revise, edit and review writing
- Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives including ones presented in diverse medias and synthesize the claims on all sides of an issue for a full understanding
- Work with peers to promote a civil, democratic discussion
- Speak audibly and to the point using language appropriate to task, purpose and audience when presenting
Unit 4
- Draw conclusions and make inferences from nonfiction texts
- Use context clues or reference materials to determine the meanings of words and phrases
- Interpret and draw conclusions from visual elements of a text
- Identify the main arguments of a nonfiction text and explain how they are developed throughout that text
- Explain how an author’s stylistic choices contribute to the meaning of a text
- Distinguish between what is explicitly stated and what is implied in a nonfiction text