English

Summary of course content and activities:

In English 10, the study of World Literature is used to examine structure and style (e.g. usage, diction, and character development) in writing, world view and Christian World view. This will include the study of a sampling of poetry, short stories, essays, plays and novels from various world backgrounds. We will be looking at the culture, the values, the assumptions, and contexts surrounding each of the pieces of literature. With each lesson, we will first examine the author to learn more about his or her own background so that we can better understand and interpret his/her work.

Some specific resources we use are My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.

Philosophy statement for and/or behind teaching this course:

To many people literature is reading. Reading; however, is not literature: it is simply the process through which we experience literature. Literature is a gift from God. Through literature God enables man to communicate, not only his experiences but also his ideas, feelings, and beliefs. We should not merely read literature to escape from the world. Rather we should use literature as a vehicle to encounter the world. Literature can put us face to face with man in his world - man that acts both in ways pleasing to God and in ways displeasing to God. Literature can help us to know more about creation, our fellow man, God, and ourselves. Good literature causes us to think.

Pre-requisite(s):

Language Arts 9

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Provided by NSA:

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
• English Language Arts Handbook for Secondary Students – Alberta Learning
• Various e-text readings provided with the lessons
• Variety of poetry
• Epics & Legends (King Arthur, and Don Quixote)
• Film Study

Recommended but not required:

• Hard copy Dictionary and Thesaurus

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

4-6 hours (In a regular school, you would have 6.7 hours of class time a week plus the time to do your homework. In a high school English class that could easily be 1-2 hours of homework a night. That's another 5-10 hours a week. This is for a one-semester English course, so divide the total 12-17 hours in half for a whole semester course and it would be 6-9 hours per week) So, if you are spending 4-6 hours each week on a lesson, you are doing great!

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

Assignments/Projects/Essays 40%
Participation 10%
Tests 30%
Final 20%

Additional activities:

Participation in the group discussions is mandatory and calculated as part of the course grade.

Summary of course content and activities:

In English 10, the study of World Literature is used to examine structure and style (e.g. usage, diction, and character development) in writing, world view and Christian World view. This will include the study of a sampling of poetry, short stories, essays, plays and novels from various world backgrounds. We will be looking at the culture, the values, the assumptions, and contexts surrounding each of the pieces of literature. 

Some specific resources we use are Goodbye Marianne by Kirstein Watts, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

Philosophy statement for and/or behind teaching this course:

To many people literature is reading. Reading; however, is not literature: it is simply the process through which we experience literature. Literature is a gift from God. Through literature God enables man to communicate, not only his experiences but also his ideas, feelings, and beliefs. We should not merely read literature to escape from the world. Rather we should use literature as a vehicle to encounter the world. Literature can put us face to face with man in his world - man that acts both in ways pleasing to God and in ways displeasing to God. Literature can help us to know more about creation, our fellow man, God, and ourselves. Good literature causes us to think.

Pre-requisite(s):

Language Arts 9

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Provided by NSA:

• Film Study: Fly Away Home
• Goodbye Marianne 
• The Alchemist
• Various e-text readings provided with the lessons
• A thesaurus ( online is ok)
• English Language Arts Handbook for Students (available online)

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

4-6 hours per week

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

There are four major grading periods, one after quarter. Exams and essays are weighted more heavily than regular assignments.

Additional activities:

Participation in the group discussions is mandatory and calculated as part of the course grade.

Summary of course content and activities:

English 20-1 is an academic course intended for students desiring to go on to university or other higher education. English 20-1 is a study of literature that begins with the writings of early Canadian poets and moves on up to some present-day writers. As we study literature, we will be looking at the culture, the values, the assumptions, and contexts surrounding each of the pieces of literature. With each lesson, we will first examine the author to learn more about his or her own background so that we can better understand and interpret his/her work. We study poetry, essays, short stories, and novels. Some specific resources we use are "Peace Shall Destroy Many" by Rudy Wiebe and "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare.

Philosophy statement for and/or behind teaching this course:

To many people literature is reading. Reading; however, is not literature: it is simply the process through which we experience literature. Literature is a gift from God. Through literature God enables man to communicate, not only his experiences but also his ideas, feelings, and beliefs. We should not merely read literature to escape from the world. Rather we should use literature as a vehicle to encounter the world. Literature can put us face to face with man in his world - man that acts both in ways pleasing to God and in ways displeasing to God. Literature can help us to know more about creation, our fellow man, God, and ourselves. Good literature causes us to think.

Pre-requisite(s):

English 10-1

This is an academic course for the grade 11 student who:

• Has successfully completed English 10 with at least a mark of 65%.
• Is intending to graduate from NorthStar Academy, or any other high school, with an academic diploma.
• Is intending to pursue university, college, or vocational training upon graduation from high school.

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Provided by NSA:

• Peace Shall Destroy Many by Rudy Wiebe
• Smoke Signals DVD

Purchased by students

• Hard copy Dictionary and Thesaurus

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

7-8 hours - there is a lot of reading in this course, so students who are slower readers
should expect to spend more time than this per lesson.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

• Course Work, 50%
• Essays and projects, 30%
• Midterm Exam, 10%
• Final Exam, 10%
• Total Course Mark = 100%

Summary of course content and activities:

English 20 is a study of literature that begins with some early Canadian poets and moves on up to some present day writers. This course presents a broad and varied array of authors and stories. As we study literature, we will be looking at the culture, the values, the assumptions, and contexts surrounding each of the pieces of literature. With each lesson, we will first examine the author to learn more about his or her own background so that we can better understand and interpret his/her work. We study poetry, essays, short stories, and novels. Some specific resources we use are "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, "The Price of Freedom" by Simon Ivascu and Wesley Pop, and "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare. 

Pre-requisite(s):

English 10-1 or English 10-2

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

PROVIDED BY NorthStar Academy

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Non Fiction: The Price of Freedom

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

6-7 hours per week

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

• Course Work, 35%
• Essays, 30%
• Midterm Exam, 15%
• Final Exam,15%
• Group Discussion, 5%
• Total Course Mark = 100%

Summary of course content and activities:

English 30-1 is an academic course intended for students desiring to go on to university or other higher education. In English 30-1, students study a variety of literary texts and respond personally and critically, developing their abilities to comprehend and understand the author's purpose and the choices he or she made in creating those works. Students will write essays analyzing universal themes expressed in literature.
They will develop their own creative and analytical writing skills. Upon completion of this course, students will be prepared to write the Alberta diploma examination.

Pre-requisite(s):

English 20-1

This is an academic course for the grade 12 student who:

• Has successfully completed English 20-1 with at least a mark of 65%.
• Is intending to graduate from NorthStar Academy, or any other high school, with an
  academic diploma. 
• Is intending to pursue university, college, or vocational training upon graduation from
  high school.

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Provided by NSA:

• Life is Beautiful DVD
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• Hamlet by Shakespeare
• The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

Purchased by students

• Hard copy Dictionary and Thesaurus
• Writing Handbook – make sure that it is one that is acceptable to take in to the
  diploma exam

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

7-8 hours per week - there is a lot of reading in this course, so students who are slower
readers should expect to spend more time than this per lesson.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes and tests.

Student grades are calculated according to the following.

• Assignments: 45%
• Essays and projects: 55%
  (In-class exams will be included in the essays and projects category)

Grade level: 

Grade 12

Number of Credits: 

5 Credits

Summary of course content and activities:

In English 30-2, we study a variety of literary texts and respond personally and critically, developing our abilities to comprehend and understand the author’s purpose and the choices he or she made in creating those works. We develop our own creative and analytical writing skills. Upon completion of this course, students will be prepared to write the Alberta diploma examination.

Philosophy Statement for Teaching This Course:

To many people literature is reading. Reading; however, is not literature: it is simply the process through which we experience literature. Literature is a gift from God. Through literature God enables man to communicate, not only his experiences but also his ideas, feelings, and beliefs. We should not merely read literature to escape from the world. Rather we should use literature as a vehicle to encounter the world. Literature can put us face to face with man in his world - man that acts both in ways pleasing to God and in ways displeasing to God. Literature can help us to know more about creation, our fellow man, God, and ourselves. Good literature causes us to think.

Major Course Goals:

• Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.
• Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend literature and other texts in oral, print, visual and multimedia forms, and respond personally, critically and creatively.
• Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information.
• Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to create oral, print, visual and multimedia texts, and enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.

Pre-requisite(s):

English 20-1 or English 20-2

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Provided by NSA:

• Life is Beautiful DVD
• A Canadian Writer’s Reference 4th Edition by Diana Hacker
• All other resources are included online with the lessons.

Materials and Resources Purchased by Student:

• Dictionary and Thesaurus

Who Should be Taking This Course? For Whom Is this Course Designed and Intended?

• Has successfully completed English 20-2.
• Is intending to graduate from NorthStar Academy, or any other high school, with an academic diploma.

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

6-7 hours

Description of student evaluations, quizzes and tests.

• Course Work: 45%
• Essays & Projects: 25%
• Midterm Exam: 15%
• Final Exam: 10%
• Group Discussion: 5%

Additional Activities: Participation in the group discussion is mandatory and calculated as part of the course grade.