Page 147 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

1. Understanding Texts: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of Canadian literary texts from different cultures, regions, and historical periods;
2. Analysing Texts: respond to and analyse Canadian literary texts to develop and extend their understanding of how content, form, and style in combination communicate meaning and enhance a text’s effectiveness;
3. Critical Literacy: demonstrate an understanding that Canadian authors, readers, and texts have particular perspectives that influence the reading experience;
4. Literary Criticism: use literary criticism to enhance their understanding of Canadian literature;
5. The Role of Literature in Society: assess the importance of Canadian literature as a social and cultural force.
1. Understanding Texts
2. Analysing Texts
CANADIAN LITERATURE
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of this course, students will:
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | English
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
By the end of this course, students will:
Variety of Texts
1.1 read a variety of types of Canadian literary texts by authors from different backgrounds, regions, and time periods (e.g., create a regional bibliog- raphy of Canadian texts to show a timeline of major works of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries; compare how several authors treat the immigrant experience; keep a list of unfamiliar and/or distinctive Canadian words and expressions while reading a play; generate a list of award- winning Canadian stage, film, and television dramas, and identify elements those works have in common)
Teacher prompts: “What similarities do you see in the works of these Canadian play- wrights?” “Do you know of other Canadian poets who explore this theme?”
Reading With a Purpose
1.2 identify the purpose (or purposes) for reading particular Canadian literary texts (e.g., an essay by a Canadian author, to identify the author’s perspective or bias; a literary reference text, for information about Canadian motifs, archetypes, and themes; a website, for information about contemporary Canadian authors)
Teacher prompts: “Why have you selected this particular Canadian author as a focus for intensive study?” “What information on the website would be useful in helping you to select a Canadian poet for intensive study?”
Using Reading Comprehension Strategies
1.3 identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use them before, during, and after reading to enhance their understanding of Canadian literary texts (e.g., develop a series of questions while reading a text; use margin notes to show the structural relationship between the beginning, middle, and end of a poem; use graphic organizers to show the plot structure of a novel and to track the relationships between characters)
Teacher prompt: “How can online journal exchanges with your reading partner help you to understand confusing passages in the text?”
By the end of this course, students will:
Responding to Texts
2.1 respond to Canadian literary texts in a variety of ways, before, during, and after reading,
to extend their understanding of the ideas, themes, and issues explored in the texts
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