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Course Profile   Studies in Literature (ETS4U), Grade 12, University Preparation, Public

 

Course Overview

Policy Document:  The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, English, 2000.

Prerequisite:  English, Grade 11, University Preparation

Course Description

This course is for students with a special interest in literature and literary criticism. The course may focus on themes, genres, time periods, or countries. Students will analyse a range of forms and stylistic elements of literary texts and respond personally, critically, and creatively to them. They will also assess critical interpretations, write analytical essays, and complete an independent study project.

Course Notes

As students read, interpret, and respond to literary texts, they are introduced to schools of literary thought as a means of developing critical-thinking skills and empathy for diverse perspectives. The course is designed for students who enjoy reading.

The sequence of units was developed jointly by the Catholic and Public course profile writing teams. Over the last hundred years, there has been a progression of theoretical perspectives used in the formal response to literary texts. There range from the formalist criticism of the early 20th century through the mythopoeic criticism of Northrop Frye and reader response theory to Marxist, feminist, and deconstructionist approaches used more recently. These perspectives formed the basis for the development of the units.

The brief introductory unit develops the concept that there is more than one way to analyse a piece of literature. The remaining units reflect the historical progression of theoretical approaches starting with the more traditional approaches with which most students are familiar. In subsequent units, students explore literary texts using perspectives which may broaden their outlook, as well as broaden the nature of the texts they read. The final, culminating unit allows students to draw on these perspectives as they develop their own personal framework for responding to a selected work.

This course is designed to prepare students for the theoretical and critical-thinking skills required for university. Students are immersed in critical theories (e.g., structuralism, deconstructionism, feminism, Marxism, and marginalism) in university courses and they will benefit from exposure to them in secondary school. Critical theory is interdisciplinary in nature; students will encounter these theories at universities in their history, sociology, psychology, politics, philosophy, and cultural studies courses.

In secondary school, literary theory doesn’t need to be difficult. The teacher can summarize key points of a theory and students do not necessarily have to read the primary theory texts. Emphasis is put on the types of questions posed within the theoretical perspectives.

By understanding that everyone approaches a text from a theoretical perspective – whether or not she/he realizes it – students learn to recognize their own and others’ biases in interpreting texts. Students gain insight into their ‘self’ as they connect to texts in new ways and draw conclusions with confidence.

There are many resources for literary theory (see Resources); however, many of these theories are highly complex, ever evolving, and misunderstood. Teachers may increase their awareness of these theories and use them to support students in understanding different critical perspectives. After finding appropriate resources, the teacher may have to simplify complex ideas to facilitate student understanding.

The study of poetry, plays, media texts, and non-fiction should be integrated into units. The selection of texts should be rich in diversity and representative of various periods and countries.

In the culminating unit, Unit 6, students keep a journal of their reactions to their texts that will aid them in creating their own personal critical voices. Students should select their texts by the end of Unit 3.

The selection of texts should reflect a student’s natural curiosity and passion regarding issues.

Being sensitive to the personal nature of the experience and supporting students in avoiding disclosure and discussion of sensitive issues is critical.

Units:  Titles and Time

Unit 1

Overview: Schools of Thought and You

  5 hours

Unit 2

The Mosaic of Literature

25 hours

**Unit 3

Mythopoeic Criticism

20 hours

Unit 4

Issues of Power and Control

20 hours

* Unit 5

Being Outside Looking In, Being Inside Looking Out

20 hours

Unit 6

Culminating Unit: Advocating a Voice

20 hours

* This unit is fully developed in this Course Profile.

** This unit is fully developed in the Catholic Course Profile.

Unit Overviews

Unit 1:  Overview: Schools of Thought and You

Time:  5 hours

Unit Description

Students discuss “What is literature?” through a brief introduction to a variety of literary schools of thought, such as formalism (New Criticism), mythopoeic criticism, reader response theory, deconstructionism, post-modernism, Marxism, feminism, post-colonialism, and marginalism. Students take on a persona through which they analyse a short fiction piece. Students’ responses are audio- or videotaped for measuring growth at the end of the course. As a diagnostic activity, students analyse a second short fiction piece by writing a short piece using a specific school of thought.

Unit Overview Chart

Activity

Learning Expectations

Assessment Categories

Tools

Focus

1.1
Short Story Reading and Persona Activity

RIV.01, RIV.03, RTV.01, RI1.03, RI1.04, RI3.05, RT1.01

Knowledge/Understanding

Thinking/Inquiry

Communication

Anecdotal feedback

Reading of short story

Persona role play

Class discussion

1.2
Introduction to Schools of Thought

RIV.03, RIV.04, RI3.02, RI4.01, RI3.02, RI4.02

Knowledge/Understanding

Thinking/Inquiry

Communication

Application

Anecdotal feedback

Summary of schools of thought

Class discussion

1.3
Second Short Story Reading

RIV.03, RIV.04, RI3.02, RI4.01

Knowledge/Understanding

Thinking/Inquiry

Communication

Application

Anecdotal feedback

Reading of second story

Answering of questions

Writing using a particular school of thought

1.4
Short Writing Piece

RIV.01, RIV.03, RTV.01, RI1.01, RI3.02, RI3.04, RT1.02

Knowledge/Understanding

Thinking/Inquiry

Communication

Application

Paragraph checklist

Short Writing Piece

 

Unit 2:  The Mosaic of Literature

Time:  25 hours

Unit Description

Students are introduced to formalist, reader response, and deconstructionist approaches to literature. Students select one of these schools of literary thought and explore it further through research and a presentation. Activities include a prewriting exercise followed by a round table discussion, journal entries, minor research, and a short essay. In the culminating activity, students design a mosaic representing a literature work studied, which is reflective of one of the schools of literary thought, and present a rationale of their interpretation. Expectations are grouped to create an environment where students can analyse and write independently as well as collaborate and create with their peers.

Unit Overview Chart

Activity

Learning Expectations

Assessment Categories

Tools

Focus

2.1
The Issue and the Angle

RIV.02, RIV.03, RI2.03, RI3.02, RI3.04

Knowledge/ Understanding

Communication

Thinking/ Inquiry

Conference checklist

Note making

Issue-based analysis

Reflection

2.2
Voicing the Issue

RIV.02, RIV.03, RI2.01, RI3.01

Communication

Application

Thinking/ Inquiry

Presentation rating scale

Round table discussion

Collaboration

Literature circles

Facilitation

2.3
Responding to the Issue

RIV.01, RIV.04, RI1.01, RI4.01

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Application

Essay rubric

Peer-editing checklist

Reading response

Writing process

2.4
The Global Issue – Oral Explanation

RIV.01, RTV.01, RI1.02, RL1.01

Thinking/ Inquiry

Communication

Application

Anecdotal feedback to response journal

Conference checklist

Guided viewing

Media analysis

Inquiry process

Guided writing

Questioning process

2.5
Collaborators

RIV.01, RIV.03, RTV.01, RI1.04, RI3.03, RL1.01

Thinking/ Inquiry

Communication

Application

Self-assessment

Anecdotal feedback to response journal

Conference checklist

Brainstorming/ collaboration

Concept clarification/ collaboration

Sketching to learn

Research process/ collaboration

Facilitation

2.6
Pieces of the Moment

RTV.01, RTV.02, RL1.01, RL2.01, RL2.02, RL2.03

Thinking/ Inquiry

Communication

Application

Presentation rubric

Anecdotal feedback to response journal

Exhibition/ Demonstration rating scale

Simulation

Multimedia applications

Panel discussion

Conference

 

Unit 3:  Mythopoeic Criticism

Time:  20 hours

Unit Description

Mythopoeic theory holds that both the author and the reader share unconscious memories. These memories are explored through a variety of archetypes that appear in myths, fables, fairy tales, and scripture. Students are encouraged to keep a journal of their reactions while exploring archetypal representations. As a pre-reading activity, students discuss familiar stories to recognize the role of archetypes in their cultural experiences. Students come to the understanding of mythopoeic theory through the use of techniques of drama that can be applied to the novel study. As a culminating performance-task activity, students create a text, e.g., drama, script, poem, fable, etc., that places archetypes in a new context.

Unit Overview Chart

Activity

Learning Expectations

Assessment Categories

Tools

Focus

3.1
The Familiar Stories: Myth/Fable/ Fairy Tale

RIV.01, RIV.02, RI1.01, RI1.04, RI2.01

Communication

Application

Group presentation – self-assessment checklist

Directed reading

Jigsaw

Reading of literature

3.2
The Prodigal Son

RIV.03, RIV.04, RI3.01, RI3.04, RI4.01, RI4.02

Communication

Application

Thinking/ Inquiry

Cloze reading – checklist

Presentation rubric

Anecdotal feedback to response journal

Teacher-directed learning

Tableau

Presentation of archetypes

Dramatization

3.3
Memories and Motifs

RIV.03, RTV.03, RI3.04, RT1.01

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/Inquiry

Communication

Application

Questions and answers – marking scheme

Anecdotal feedback to response journal

Directed reading

Journal entry

Literature circles

Round circle

3.4
Retelling the Memory

RTV.01, RT1.01, RT1.02

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Communication

Application

Performance task checklist

Anecdotal feedback to response journal

Tableau

Storyboard

Conferencing

Brainstorming

3.5
Archetypes in Action

RTV.02, RT2.01, RT2.02, RT2.03

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Communication

Application

Exhibition/ demonstration rating scale

Conference checklist

Performance task rubric

Multimedia applications

Writing process

 

Unit 4:  Issues of Power and Control

Time:  20 hours

Unit Description

Students explore issues of power and how they are addressed through narrative. Students gain an understanding of the means by which positions of power or powerlessness reveal themselves in texts. Students investigate language and its construction as a means of understanding positions of power. In the culminating activity, students represent these concepts by writing about a collection of objects symbolic of the characters in the text and their relative status.

Unit Overview Chart

Activity

Learning Expectations

Assessment Categories

Tools

Focus

4.1
Introduction

RIV.03, RI3.04

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Communication

Application

Diary checklist

Group discussion

Class discussion

Application of theory to common situations

Reading and analysis

4.2
Text Study

RIV.01, RIV.02, RIV.03, RTV.01, RI1.02, RI1.04, RI2.02, RI3.01, RI3.02, RT1.01, RT1.02, RT1.03

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Anecdotal feedback on response journal

Checklist on response to critical analysis

Introduction of shoebox activity

Reading of text and critical analysis

Examination of issues

Response to critical analysis

4.3
Text and Context

RIV.04, RI4.01, RI4.02

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Application

Checklist

Research

Small-group reports on research

Group presentation

4.4
Commentaries on Power

RIV.01, RIV.03, RIV.04, RTV.01, RI1.04, RI3.01, RI3.03, RI3.04, RI4.01, RT1.01, RT1.03

Knowledge/ Understanding

Application

Checklist on writing task

Reading of poetry/short pieces

Focus group discussion for analysis

Writing task

4.5
Personal Commentary on Power

RTV.02, RT2.01, RT2.02, RT2.03

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Communication

Application

Rubric on dramatization analysis

Group brainstorming

Analysis of societal power structures (e.g., family, school, peer group)

Development and presentation of dramatization

Analysis of dramatization

4.6
Culminating Activity – The Shoebox

RIV.01, RIV.04, RTV.01, RTV.02, RI1.04, RI4.01, RI4.02, RT1.01, RT2.01, RT2.02, RT2.03

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Communication

Application

Checklist on oral presentation

Rubric for shoebox

Writing task

Development of real or virtual shoebox

Oral presentation of shoebox

 

Unit 5:  Being Outside Looking In, Being Inside Looking Out

Time:  20 hours

Unit Description

Students read a variety of materials and engage in a discussion of marginalized voices. Students explore texts using questions that are generated from the application of both formalism and marginalized voices theory. Students write an opinion piece supporting a particular literary work for inclusion in this course. While developing problem-solving skills, students engage in a forum wherein they argue either for the retention or for the removal of pieces of literature from the curriculum. After the forum, students assess the strengths and weaknesses of their peers’ performances as well as their own.

Unit Overview Chart

Activity

Learning Expectations

Assessment Categories

Tools

Focus

5.1
Marginalized Voices

RIV.01, RIV.02, RIV.03, RTV.01, RI1.03, RI2.02, RI2.03, RI3.01, RI3.02, RT1.01

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Questions and answers – self-assessment

Brainstorm and completion of past literature studied chart

Discussion of literary canon

Analysis of two texts using literary conventions

Question-and-answer period

Discussion of texts as examples of new literary voices

Brief discussion of marginalized voices

5.2
Establishing Identities

RIV.01, RIV.02, RIV.03, RTV.01, RI1.01, RI1.03, RI1.04, RI2.02, RI2.03, RI3.01, RI3.03, RI3.02, RI3.05, RT1.01, RT1.02, RT1.03

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Communication

Application

Self-assessment

Analysis – anecdotal feedback and checklist

Response to a poem about home

Discussion of home and identity

Reading of a myth or allegory

Discussion of colonization and of post-colonial and race theory perspectives

Whole class text analysis using one short text

Reading and analysis of four short texts and submission of one analysis

5.3
Silenced Identities

RIV.01, RIV.02, RIV.03, RIV.04, RI1.01, RI1.03, RI1.04, RI2.02, RI2.03, RI3.01, RI3.02, RI3.04, R14.02, RT1.01, RT1.02

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Communication

Application

Position paper – checklist

Viewing of visual text

Reading and analysis of poetry

Reading of three short stories

Group analysis and discussion

Question exchange

Group work: what should we keep?

Individual writing task – position paper

5.4
Forum

RIV.01, RIV.02, RIV.03, RIV.04, RTV.01, RTV.02, RI1.04, RI2.01, RI3.01, RI3.02, RI3.04, RI3.05, RI4.01, RI4.02, RT1.01, RT1.02, RT1.03, RT2.01, RT2.03

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/ Inquiry

Communication

Application

Forum rubric

Self-assessment Checklist

Preparation of and rehearsal for forum

Forum over two days

Self-assessment

 

Unit 6:  Culminating Unit: Advocating a Voice

Time:  20 hours

Unit Description

This culminating unit is an independent study; students reinforce the critical-thinking, analytical, presentation, and writing skills they developed in the preceding units to read, interpret, and respond to literary texts. The final task has three components: an analytical essay, a creative presentation, and a self-assessment sheet. Students choose a literary text, e.g., play, novel, anthology of poetry or short stories, or combination, and then write an analytical essay that applies the school of thought to which the student feels the greatest connection. Students are encouraged to blend the schools of thought into a framework that works best for them. Next, students produce a creative multimedia presentation, e.g., poetry reading, dramatic monologue, mock interview, that re-writes or adapts a character or scene from their text using a school of thought. Finally, students revisit their tapes from Unit 1 (and the diagnostic writing pieces they wrote) and write a self-reflection outlining their degree of personal growth throughout the course.

Unit Overview Chart

Activity

Learning Expectations

Assessment Categories

Tools

Focus

6.1
Own Choice: Reading of Text

RIV.01, RIV.02, RTV.01, RI1.01, RI1.03, RI1.04, RI2.01, RI2.02, RI3.03, RT1.01, RT1.03

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/Inquiry

Communication

Application

Anecdotal feedback to reading journals

Reading of text(s)

Writing of journals

Research of critical interpretations on text

6.2
Analytical Essay Writing

RIV.01, RIV.03, RIV.04, RTV.01, RI1.04, RI3.02, RI3.03, RI3.04, RI3.05, RI4.01, RT1.02, RT1.03

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/Inquiry

Communication

Application

Essay rubric

Essay writing

Peer editing

6.3
Creative Presentation

RIV.01, RIV.03, RTV.02, RI1.04, RI3.01, RI3.02, RI3.04, RI3.05, RT2.01, RT2.02, RT2.03

Knowledge/ Understanding

Thinking/Inquiry

Communication

Application

Rubric for presentation

Self-reflection sheet

Planning of creative presentation

Creative presentation

Self-reflection based on tape and writing piece from Unit 1

 

Teaching/Learning Strategies

Students have successfully completed the Grade 11 University Preparation course and have a special interest in literature and literary criticism. The teacher needs to select a diverse range of literary texts as students are required to respond personally, critically, and creatively to the literature studied in the course from various periods and countries.

Strategies used within the whole-class, small-group, and individual activities incorporate a variety of approaches to develop skills (for more detailed information on these strategies, see the Electronic Curriculum Planner, Ministry of Education, Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2001).

Whole-Class Activities

The teacher can model expectations for students with regard to in-depth literary analysis using clear and concise communication. Whole-class discussions can demonstrate and clarify the use of the many “lenses” through which a literary text can be considered.

Teacher-Directed Activities

·         Direct instruction

·         Socratic method

·         Review

·         Reading aloud to students

Student-Directed Activities

·         Seminars

·         Reading

·         Presentations

Small-Group Activities

Collaborative processes allow students to explore an array of perspectives and to extend and clarify their own ideas, as well as to gain insight from others’ observations. Small groups, ranging in size from two to five students, are also useful for peer assessment as a strategy for improving student learning.

·         Pre-reading activities (brainstorming, webbing)

·         Writing groups (pre-writing activities, conference partners, revision, and editing groups)

·         Discussion/seminar groups

·         Literary circle (small-group discussion of a shared text, based on individual reading and response journals. Allows for choice of texts.)

·         Panels, debates, round table discussions

·         Think/pair/share

Individual Activities

Individual activities require students to develop and exhibit critical-thinking skills that incorporate several schools of literary criticism. These perspectives form the basis of personal, critical, and creative responses to texts. The independent study project gives students an opportunity to pursue individual interests as well as to craft their own theory of literary criticism. Students are encouraged to read materials from a range of historical periods, cultures, and voices. Specific, ongoing assessment of individual activities assists students in maximizing their abilities in all aspects of the curriculum.

·         Reader response activities

·         Analytical essays

·         Creative writing

·         Tests and quizzes

·         Student-teacher conferences

·         Self-assessment

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

Assessment is essential for monitoring student learning and allows teachers to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses. Effective assessment gives students the information they need to improve performance.

Evaluation is a judgment based on specific criteria (from the Achievement Chart and curriculum expectations). Emphasis is placed on assessment tasks that are varied in nature, administered over a period of time, and designed to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a meaningful context. The diversity of student experiences and learning styles must be respected and incorporated into the assessment strategies that will be the basis for evaluation.

The Achievement Chart for English, as outlined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12, Program Planning and Assessment, 2000, is the basis for reporting on student progress. The goal of the ongoing assessment is to provide varied and frequent opportunities to evaluate student performance. Seventy per cent of the grade will be based on assessments and evaluations conducted throughout the course. Thirty per cent of the grade will be based on a final evaluation in the form of an examination, performance, essay, and/or other methods of evaluation.

Response journals and reading logs can be used throughout the course as a means of providing anecdotal formative feedback to students. A portfolio could be used for the collection of major tasks, and also as the basis for self-assessment in Unit 6.

The culminating Unit 6 could be used as part or all of the 30% final evaluation. Students read a text, write journals, write an analytical essay, and design a creative presentation that integrates all of their learning in the course. A final examination could incorporate activities from Unit 6 or could
complement it.

Assessment Tools

Rubrics are used to evaluate student achievement on performance activities. They can be developed in conjunction with students and be used to address specific expectations. They are particularly useful when evaluating essays, presentations, and creative projects.

Checklists monitor student progress and are excellent tools for self- and peer assessment for ensuring process work is complete.

Conferences are used in conjunction with a rubric, marking scheme, or checklist to aid in student learning.

Assessment tools have been suggested in the Unit Overview Charts as well as in the developed unit. In some cases, they have been provided as part of the unit; in other cases, teachers generate their own tools or use other sources, such as teacher’s guides or other course profiles.

The teacher determines the tasks and tools used for diagnostic and formative feedback and the tasks and tools used for summative evaluation. Generally, the tasks provided earlier in the units can be used for formative evaluation, while the final performance task for each unit is summative. However, the teacher may allow resubmission of some final tasks to encourage student growth and skill development.

Accommodations

Teachers should consult student Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for specific direction on accommodations for individuals.

Teachers may need to make accommodations to ensure students’ success. The following are accommodations that could be applicable to this course:

·         Where appropriate, use compact lessons regarding the mechanics of writing to facilitate learning of advanced editing skills.

·         Provide opportunities for open-ended inquiry.

·         Incorporate primary and secondary sources of information, as well as numerous technologies.

·         Encourage the use of technology.

·         Encourage oral discussion prior to and after reading to increase students’ level of comprehension.

·         Provide graphic organizers for recording information and responding to text.

·         Ensure provision of alternate modes for information sharing, e.g., videos, plays, graphics, tapes, to support reading comprehension.

·         Allow additional time for completion of reading activities and assignments.

·         Clarify questions for students and encourage students to rephrase questions in their own words.

·         Make use of verbal tests or provide the student with a reader or a scribe.

·         Provide test materials in large print, Braille, or audio-tape if required.

·         Ensure that the classroom is accessible to students who use mobility aids, e.g., canes, crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs.

Resources

Units in this Course Profile make reference to the use of specific texts, magazines, films, videos, and websites. The teachers need to consult their board policies regarding use of any copyrighted materials. Before reproducing materials for student use from printed publications, teachers need to ensure that their board has a Cancopy licence and that this licence covers the resources they wish to use. Before screening videos/films with their students, teachers need to ensure that their board/school has obtained the appropriate public performance videocassette licence from an authorized distributor, e.g., Audio Cine Films Inc. The teachers are reminded that much of the material on the Internet is protected by copyright. The copyright is usually owned by the person or organization that created the work. Reproduction of any work or substantial part of any work from the Internet is not allowed without the permission of the owner.

The URLs for the websites were verified by the writers prior to publication. Given the frequency with which these designations change, teachers should always verify the websites prior to assigning them for student use.

Professional Resources and Literary Theory

Print

Abrams. M.H. Glossary of Literary Terms, 3rd ed. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1997. ISBN 0030765854

Ashcroft, B., G. Griffiths, and H. Tiffin, eds. The Post-Colonial Studies Reader. New York: Routledge, 1995. ISBN 0-415-09622-7

Ashcroft, B., G. Griffiths, and H. Tiffin, eds. The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-Colonial Literatures. New York: Routledge, 1989. ISBN 0-415-01209-0

Bornstein, K. My Gender Workbook. New York: Routledge, 1998. ISBN 0415916739

Eagleton, M. Feminist Literary Theory; A Reader. Blackwell, 1992. ISBN 0631197346

Friend, M., W. Bursick, and N. Hutchinson. Including Exceptional Students. A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers. Scarborough: Allyn and Bacon, 1998. ISBN 0205283810

Goodwin, A.L., ed. Assessment for Equity and Inclusion. Embracing All Our Children. New York: Routledge, 1997. ISBN 0415914736

Hawthorne, J.A. A Concise Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory. London: Oxford U.P., 1998. ISBN 0340692227

Makaryk, I.R., ed. Encyclopaedia of Contemporary Literary Theory: Approaches, Scholars, Terms. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997. ISBN 080206860X

New, W.H., ed. Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada. University of Toronto Press, 2002.
ISBN 0802007619

Rius, T.E., ed. Marx for Beginners: Philosophy, Economic Doctrine, Historical Materialism. 1990.
ISBN 0679725121

Ryan, M. Literary Theory: A Practical Introduction. Malden: Blackwell, 1999. ISBN 0631172750

Seldon, R., P. Widdowson, and P. Brooker. A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory. London: Prentice Hall, 1997. ISBN 0134919521

Warhol, Robyn R. and D. Price Herndl, eds. Feminisms: an Anthology of Literary Theory and Criticism. New Jersey: Rutgers UP, 1993. ISBN 0-8135-1732-X

Woolf, Virginia. Women and Writing. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980. ISBN0-15-693658-5

Websites

Canadian Literature Review – www.canlit.ca (includes reviews of many Canadian texts)

CanLiterary: CanLinks – www.lucking.net/canlinks/cl_canliterary.htm (extensive list of links to Canadian literature sites, including poems, reviews, and author information)

The differences between Literary Criticism, Literary Theory, and ‘theory itself’
– www.brocku.ca/english/courses/4F70/crit.vs.theory.html
(part of a site that is widely referenced on other websites)

English Language Arts Network – www.elan.on.ca (useful materials and links)

Glossary of Literary Terms – www.galegroup.com/free_resources/lit_kit/glossary.htm

The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism
– www.press.jhu.edu/books/Hopkins_guide_to_literary_theory_and_criticism/g-topics-ideas.htm
(sample materials available for public a
ccess; subscription is US$35 per year)

The Literary Canon – http://educ.queensu.ca/~qbell/update/tint/postmodernism/canon1.html

The Literary Criticism Web – www.cumber.edu/litcritweb/theory/newhistoricism.htm

UVic Writer’s Guide – http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/StartHere.html

VirtuaLit Critical Approaches – www.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/critical.html
(concise descriptions for a variety of critical approaches, with sample essays using some of the approaches, available in PDF)

Reading Materials for In-Class Use

Boards continue to have responsibility for the selection and approval of supplementary resources that would include literature texts for use in their schools.

Abraham, P. The Romance Reader. New York: Berkeley, 1996. ISBN 1573225487

Anderson-Dargatz, G. A Cure for Death by Lightning. Toronto: Knopf, 1996. ISBN 0394281578

Angelou, M. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Signal Hill, 1989. ISBN 0929631048

Atwood, M. Alias Grace. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1996. ISBN 077100835X

Atwood, M. Cat’s Eye. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1988. ISBN 077100871

Atwood, M. Lady Oracle. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1976. ISBN 0771008155

Atwood, M. The Blind Assassin. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 2000. ISBN 0771008635

Atwood, M. The Handmaid’s Tale. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1986. ISBN 0395404258

Atwood, M. The Robber Bride. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1993. ISBN 007100821X

Banks, R. The Sweet Hereafter. New York: Harper Collins, 1999. ISBN 00060167033

Bauer, M.D., ed. Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence. New York: Harper Trophy, 1996.
ISBN 0064405877

Bradley, M.Z. Mists of Avalon. New York: Knopf, 1982. ISBN 0394524063

Bradley, M.Z. The Firebrand. New York: Pocket Books, 1988. ISBN 0671667033

Brand, D. In Another Place, Not Here. Toronto: Vintage Canada, 1996. ISBN 0394281779

Brand, D. Land To Light On. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1997. ISBN 077101645X

Burnard, B. A Good House. Toronto: Harper Collins, 1999. ISBN 000648526X

Cart, M. My Father’s Scar. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1996. ISBN 031218137X

Cohen, M. Elizabeth and After. Toronto: Knopf, 1999. ISBN 0676971709

Cunningham, M. The Hours. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1998. ISBN 0374172897

Findley, T. Not Wanted on the Voyage. Markham: Penguin, 1985. ISBN 014007306X

Findley, T. The Piano Man’s Daughter. Toronto: Harper Collins, 1995. ISBN 0002243792

Findley, T. The Wars. Toronto: Penguin, 1986. ISBN 0140050116

Findley, T. You Went Away. Toronto: Harper Collins, 1996. ISBN 0002243857

Fowles, J. The French Lieutenant’s Woman. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1969. ISBN 0451135989

Frazier, C. Cold Mountain. New York: Atlantic Monthly, 1997. ISBN 0871136791

French, M. Leaving Home. Toronto: New Press, 1972. ISBN 0887707122

Govier, K. Angel Walk. Toronto: Little, Brown and Co., 1996. ISBN 0316319066

Gowdy, B. Mister Sandman: A Novel. Toronto: Somerville House, 1995. ISBN 1895897548

Heyer, M. The Weaving of a Dream. Markham: Puffin, 1986. ISBN 0140505288

Hurston, Z.N. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper Perennial, 1998. ISBN 0060931418

Irving, J. A Prayer for Owen Meaney. Toronto: Ballantine, 1990. ISBN 0345361792

Kingsolver, B. The Bean Trees: A Novel. New York: Harper Perennial, 1989. ISBN 0060915544

Kogawa, J. Obasan. Toronto: Doubleday, 1994. ISBN 0385468865

Lowry, L. Number the Stars. New York: Bantam Doubleday, 1986. ISBN 0440220335

Matas, C. Daniel’s Story. New York: Scholastic, 1993. ISBN 0590465880

McCourt, F. Angela’s Ashes. A Memoir. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996. ISBN 1568953968

Michaels, A. Fugitive Pieces. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1996. ISBN 0771058837

Mistry, R. A Fine Balance. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1995. ISBN 0771060521

Mistry, R. Such a Long Journey. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1993. ISBN 0771098979

Naipaul, V.S. A Bend in the River. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. ISBN 0679722025

O’Brien, T. In the Lake of the Words. Toronto: Penguin, 1995. ISBN 0140250948

Ondaatje, M. Anil’s Ghost. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 2000. ISBN 077106893X

Ondaatje, M. Coming Through Slaughter. Toronto: General Publishers, 1982. ISBN 0773670289

Ondaatje, M. In the Skin of a Lion. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1987. ISBN 0771068875

Ondaatje, M. Running in the Family. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1982. ISBN 0771068840

Ondaatje, M. The English Patient. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1992. ISBN 0771068867

Polacco, P. Mrs. Katz and Tush. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1992. ISBN 0440409365

Proulx, A. The Shipping News. Toronto: Scribner’s, 1993. ISBN 068419337X

Ricci, N. In a Glass House. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1993. ISBN 0771074522

Ricci, N. Where She Has Gone. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1997. ISBN 0771074549

Rushdie, S. East, West: Stories. Toronto: Knopf, 1994. ISBN 0394280938

Rushdie, S. Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991. London: Granta, 1991.
ISBN 014014224X

Rushdie, S. The Ground Beneath Her Feet. Toronto: Knopf, 1999. ISBN 0676970621

Russell, W. Shirley Valentine. London: Methuen, 1988. ISBN 0413189503

Ryga, G. The Ecstasy of Rita Joe and Other Plays. Toronto: New Press, 1971. ISBN 0887700721

Salinger, J.D. Catcher in the Rye. Toronto: Little and Brown, 1991. ISBN 0316769487

Schlink, B. The Reader. New York: Vintage Books, 1998. ISBN 0375707972

Selvadurai, S. Cinnamon Gardens. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1998. ISBN 0771079559

Shields, C. Larry’s Party. Toronto: Random House, 1997. ISBN 0679308776

Shields, C. The Stone Diaries. Toronto: Random House, 1993. ISBN 0394223624

Sutcliffe, W. New Boy. New York: Penguin, 1996. ISBN 0140279105

Tan, A. The Joy Luck Club. New York: Ballantine, 1990. ISBN 0804106304

Tan, A. The Kitchen God’s Wife. New York: Ballantine, 1991. ISBN 080410753

Thomas, A. Coming Down From Wa. Toronto: Viking, 1995. ISBN 0670863661

Urquhart, J. Away. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1993. ISBN 0771086598

Urquhart, J. Changing Heaven. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1994. ISBN 0771086628

Urquhart, J. The Underpainter. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1997. ISBN 0771086644

Vanderhaeghe, G. Homesick. Toronto: Emblem Editions, 1987. ISBN 0771086911

Vanderhaeghe, G. The Englishman’s Boy. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1996. ISBN 0771086938

Vassanji, M.G. The Book of Secrets. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1997. ISBN 0771087217

Walker, A. The Color Purple. New York: Pocket Books, 1982. ISBN 0671019074

Watts, I.N. Good-Bye Marianne. Toronto: Tundra, 1998. ISBN 0887764452

Weiler, D. Bad Boy. Toronto: Groundwood, 1989. ISBN 0888990839

Wong, J. Red China: My Long March from Mao to Now. Toronto: Doubleday, 1996. ISBN 0385254903

OSS Considerations

This course may be used as an optional credit or an additional compulsory credit for diploma purposes


Coded Expectations, Studies in Literature, Grade 12, University Preparation, ETS4U

Reading and Interpreting Literary Texts

Overall Expectations

RIV.01 · read and demonstrate an understanding of a range of literary texts from various periods and countries;

RIV.02 · demonstrate an understanding of how form, diction, syntax, voice, and style are used to communicate meaning and enhance the impact of literary texts;

RIV.03 · demonstrate an understanding of a range of critical interpretations of literary texts;

RIV.04 · assess the function and significance of literature in society.

Specific Expectations

Understanding the Meaning of Literary Texts

RI1.01 – analyse a range of literary works, with an emphasis on in-depth study of particular genres, authors, themes, time periods, or countries;

RI1.02 – analyse literary texts in performance or recorded on film or tape;

RI1.03 – select, use, and adapt reading strategies to interpret challenging literary texts (e.g., research the social, cultural, and political context of a literary period before reading; reread a text to identify connections among ideas, incidents, characters, images, and themes; research critical assessments of an author’s work);

RI1.04 – analyse how literary texts provide insight into diverse human experiences and perspectives (e.g., compare the representations of heroes in a range of poems and novels).

Understanding the Forms, Language, Voice, and Style of Literary Texts

RI2.01 – identify elements of literary forms and evaluate their effectiveness in communicating meaning and enhancing the impact of texts (e.g., write an essay explaining how variations in chronological order or point of view are used to achieve multiple layers of meaning in a novel; compare how a similar idea is expressed in a sonnet and a free-verse poem);

RI2.02 – describe the diction and syntax used in literary texts and evaluate how effectively they help communicate meaning and enhance impact (e.g., assess the effect on the reader of inverted word order in a poem; describe how diction is used to reveal the social class of characters in a novel);

RI2.03 – describe the voice and style used in literary texts and evaluate how effectively they help communicate meaning and enhance impact (e.g., describe the distinctive voices in a novel with multiple narrators and assess the effect of their use for an independent study project on the contemporary novel).

Understanding Interpretations of Literary Texts

RI3.01 – analyse and assess their own and others’ responses to a range of literary texts (e.g., record and assess a group’s responses to sections of a novel; write an analytical academic essay comparing critical reviews of a poem with their own interpretation);

RI3.02 – demonstrate an understanding of key concepts and specialized terms in literary criticism (e.g., consult a glossary of literary terms or specialized reference sources to understand unfamiliar terminology and allusions; explain concepts and specialized language used in critical interpretations of a film; use the specialized language of literary criticism appropriately and effectively in an analytical academic essay);

RI3.03 – analyse and assess critical interpretations of literary texts researched through the use of print and electronic sources (e.g., write a brief synopsis of a critical article and assess the degree to which it increases understanding of a play; create an annotated bibliography of secondary sources, assessing their usefulness for helping readers understand a novel);

RI3.04 – analyse literary texts by applying key literary concepts (e.g., explain the use of archetypes in short stories; analyse the power relationships among characters from different social classes in a novel or film; discuss how a psychoanalytical interpretation helps clarify the motivations and actions of a tragic hero; debate whether a poem has only one meaning that resides solely in the text or whether each reader negotiates a unique meaning based on personal background and experience);

RI3.05 – analyse how social, cultural, and political contexts and the perspectives of various readers influence the interpretation of literary texts (e.g., explain the appeal of a play that has been presented successfully in different parts of the world; analyse the influence of contemporary social attitudes about gender and race on our understanding and interpretation of a play or novel from another historical period).

Understanding the Social Purposes of Literary Texts

RI4.01 – analyse the relationships between literary texts and the social, cultural, and political contexts in which they were created (e.g., explain why certain authors have been persecuted or certain literary texts suppressed; conduct research to explain the effect of literary works that have had a significant impact on society);

RI4.02 – analyse and assess the social functions of literary texts (e.g., prepare an independent study project about how literature defines, reinforces, or challenges commonly held values; explain how a contemporary novel or play contributes to public dialogue on a social issue; explain the impact on society of selected works of literature).

Responding to Literary Texts

Overall Expectations

RTV.01 · produce personal and critical responses to a range of literary texts and criticism;

RTV.02 · produce creative responses to a range of literary texts and criticism.

Specific Expectations

Responding Personally and Critically to Literary Texts

RT1.01 – explain ideas, intuitions, and feelings evoked by literature (e.g., discuss possible interpretations of an image to understand a theme in a poem; keep a graphic record of personal reactions to ideas from primary and secondary sources; describe and explain personal responses in a group to clarify and challenge the ideas, issues, and themes in a text and to negotiate a common interpretation);

RT1.02 – produce critical responses to ideas, themes, and issues presented in a range of literary texts (e.g., evaluate the relationship between the structure and ideas in a sonnet; challenge the values conveyed in plays of the Theatre of the Absurd for an independent study project);

RT1.03 – produce critical responses to interpretations of texts and theories of literary criticism (e.g., analyse a particular interpretation of a novel to identify significant evidence from the text that is not included in the interpretation; debate the critical view that meaning resides solely in the text).

Responding Creatively to Literary Texts

RT2.01 – design and create, individually or collaboratively, literary or media works in response to literary texts (e.g., write a satire exposing the human foibles and social follies of characters in literary texts; write and perform an original short play extending a theme in literature);

RT2.02 – adapt a character, scene, or idea from a literary text for presentation in another form or medium (e.g., role-play characters from a novel in a trial situation; use ideas and themes from a poem as the basis of a short story);

RT2.03 – assess the extent to which their created or adapted works expand understanding of ideas, themes, and issues in the original literary texts (e.g., use a class-developed rubric to assess the effectiveness of the created or adapted works; make an oral presentation explaining how the work created or adapted underlines the continuing relevance of the original text).

 

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