Page 149 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

Grade 11, Open
3. Critical Literacy
4. Literary Criticism
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | English
By the end of this course, students will:
The Author's Perspective
3.1 demonstrate an understanding of how a Canadian author’s writing has been influ- enced by factors such as gender, time period, cultural background, and social and political conditions and events (e.g., relate themes and events in a text to biographical information about the author; use materials from a variety
of online and print sources to create a collage illustrating relevant aspects of the period when
a novel was written; relate the work of selected Canadian women writers to movements for social change in Canada; relate the work of selected Aboriginal authors to historical, political, or social developments that affected the lives of Aboriginal peoples in Canada)
Teacher prompt: “Is there evidence in the story that the author was influenced by significant historical or political events?”
Audience Perspectives
3.2 analyse Canadian literary texts in terms of how social, cultural, and regional contexts and different readers’ perspectives may influence readers’ interpretations of the texts (e.g., pre- dict responses in different regions of Canada to texts that focus on the theme of“two solitudes”; predict the responses of people from different social, cultural, and political backgrounds to texts that focus on the immigrant experience; compare the treatment of a theme in a Canadian text to the treatment of the same theme in texts from other countries and suggest reasons for the similarities and differences; explain why they think a particular text does or does not have the ability to“resonate with”a broad spectrum of diverse groups in Canada)
Teacher prompts: “How do you think your experiences as a young man/woman have influenced your response to this text?” “What examples can you think of that show how a reader’s background knowledge and experi- ence influence the way he or she constructs meaning when reading?”
Perspectives in the Text
3.3 analyse Canadian literary texts to identify particular perspectives presented in them and the stylistic and/or structural means used to communicate those perspectives (e.g., identify whose perspective(s) or psychology is/are fore- grounded in a text – those of characters from “mainstream”society or those of characters in
a “marginal” position in society; identify the
regional or cultural positions, voices, and inter- ests represented in a text and explain how lan- guage, imagery, and structure are used to com- municate information about them)
Teacher prompts: “Does the text present an unconventional perspective on the issues it raises? Do you support or oppose this per- spective, and why?” “What do you infer from the fact that some characters in the text are ‘rounded’ while others seem to be stereo- types or even caricatures?”
By the end of this course, students will:
Understanding Literary Concepts and Terms
4.1 demonstrate an understanding of key concepts and specialized terms that are used in literary criticism focusing on Canadian literary texts (e.g., consult a dictionary or glossary of literary terms, or specialized reference sources, to deter- mine the meaning of unfamiliar terminology
and allusions, and keep a record of their findings; explain concepts and specialized language used in critical interpretations of drama, fiction, or poetry; use relevant literary concepts and terms to identify and describe the conventions employed in texts in various genres, consulting appropriate references and works of criticism for clarification when necessary)
Teacher prompt: “What new critical terminol- ogy have you learned that has helped you to express your ideas about the work of a particular Canadian writer?”
Applying Concepts
4.2 use key concepts or approaches of literary criticism to help them analyse and interpret Canadian literary texts (e.g., in a classroom discussion, explain how the theory of archetypes helps in the interpretation of a short story; in
a seminar presentation, interpret a text in the light of a particular critical approach or literary theory; use a Marxist or feminist critical per- spective to determine which characters in a novel hold power)
Teacher prompt: “Which approach to literary criticism have you found most helpful in extending your understanding of the text and/or writer you are studying?”
Researching and Evaluating Critical Interpretations
4.3 assess critical interpretations found in print and electronic sources to extend their understand- ing of specific works of Canadian literature (e.g., write a brief synopsis of a critical article
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