Page 188 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

peer’s interpretation of a text, noting both useful insights and possible misinterpretations and supporting their own opinions with evidence from the text; reflect and comment on the critical response of a peer in a Say Something activity)
Teacher prompt: “To what extent do you agree with your classmate’s analysis of the text? What specific evidence from the text and your own reading experience would you use to support an alternative interpretation?”
5. The Role of Literature in Society
By the end of this course, students will:
Fostering Social, Cultural, and Political Awareness
5.1 explain how literary texts raise awareness about a range of topics, issues, ideas, cultures, events, and people (e.g., compare literary essays on a particular issue or topic written from differ- ent perspectives, describe the effect of the essays on their own thinking, and determine which view, if any, they are most likely to agree with; explain how a story by an Aboriginal writer affected their understanding of some of the current social and/or political concerns of Aboriginal peoples; read a text that discusses an international conflict and reflect, in a journal entry, on insights they have gained from the text into the causes of the conflict and/or the psy- chology of the opposing parties)
Teacher prompt: “How do these authors’ ideas about social justice compare with your own?”
Engaging the Intellect and the Imagination
5.2 identify ways in which literary texts can pro- mote readers’ intellectual and imaginative growth (e.g., describe how a work of science fic- tion or a graphic novel has stimulated their imagination or intellectual curiosity; identify three quotations or passages from a novel that challenged them intellectually, and explain why the passages were challenging; identify three poetic images that inspired them and analyse their effect)
Teacher prompt: “Which of these texts made you want to learn more about the topic? Which made you question your assump- tions? Which made you want to write a story of your own?”
Promoting Personal and Social Change
5.3 identify ways in which literary texts might promote social and personal change (e.g., explain why a contemporary text is considered controversial; identify a controversial text from
the past and explain why it is or is not still con- troversial today; design an advertising campaign to“sell”a point of view about an issue raised in a text they have read; write a“theme song”for a marginalized character depicted in a text they have read)
Teacher prompts: “What have you read that has changed your opinions or behaviour?” “Do you think there is truth in the saying ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’? Why, or why not?”
Exploring Human Nature
5.4 explain how the study of literature has con- tributed to their understanding of human nature (e.g., identify passages from literary texts that illustrate the capacity for forgiveness in human beings; identify a text that depicts human behaviour in difficult circumstances and comment on what they have learned from it, using words, visuals, or some other form of expression; use a Venn diagram to compare the views of human nature presented in texts by two different authors)
Teacher prompts: “Can reading literary works help you to develop empathy?” “What does this character’s desire for revenge reveal about our human need to be respected and valued?” “What part of the text suggests to you that the author’s view of humanity is generally positive?”
Developing Personal Awareness
5.5 explain how their study of literature has enhanced their understanding of themselves as readers and as individuals (e.g., identify and monitor the development of their reading skills in a reflective journal, and recognize their progress; identify fix-up strategies that they find most useful during reading; identify ways in which their own social and cultural contexts may enhance or limit their understanding of texts; in a literature circle, explain how a partic- ular reading strategy helped them gain insight into a passage from a text; select a text that taught them a powerful life lesson and explain to a small group why it has particular meaning for them)
Teacher prompts: “Has your participation in the book club meetings changed how you think about ideas and issues presented in texts?” “What, if any, personal benefit do you think you derive from reading literary texts?”
STUDIES IN LITERATURE
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Studies in Literature
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