Page 107 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: English, 2007 (Revised)

Grade 10, Open
2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 AND 10 | English
Teacher prompts: “What labels would you use for each of the parts of the graphic organiz- er?” “What connections can you see between different types of information in the graphic organizer?” “How might this organizer help you as you plan your writing?”
Organizing Ideas
1.5 identify and order main ideas and supporting details and group them into units that could be used to develop a multi-paragraph piece of writing, using a variety of strategies and orga- nizational patterns (e.g., organize information by topic and subtopic using teacher-and-student- generated headings; use index cards to organize information from a documentary in chronologi- cal order; complete a Venn diagram to show sim- ilarities and differences between two cultural perspectives on a topic)
Teacher prompts: “What organization seems most logical for this topic?” “What headings will you use?”
Reviewing Content
1.6 determine whether the ideas and information gathered are relevant to the topic and sufficient for the purpose, and do more planning and research if necessary (e.g., assess the accuracy
of information by comparing it with information from another source; use a graphic organizer to explain their material in a teacher conference, and ask for feedback to identify gaps; use a set of teacher-and-student-generated guiding questions to assess the breadth and depth of the informa- tion gathered)
Teacher prompts: “How do you know when you have enough information?” “How cur- rent are the sources you consulted?” “Does the information you have provide a complete overview of the topic?” “What other sources could you use to expand your research?” “What information did you find that you did not use? Why?”
By the end of this course, students will:
Form
2.1 write texts of different lengths and for different purposes and audiences using a variety of forms (e.g., a summary of a magazine article for a class report; a short narrative about a celebrity or superhero for the school magazine; a support- ed opinion piece presenting their point of view on a community or global issue for a class assignment)
Teacher prompts: “What different forms could you choose for this celebrity profile?” “How does the purpose of your writing affect the choice of form?”
Voice
2.2 establish an identifiable voice in their writing, adapting language and tone to suit the form, audience, and purpose for writing (e.g., use formal language in a short essay describing the theme of a graphic novel; use informal language and the first person in a letter to a friend; use colloquial language in an e-mail to a friend describing an incident at work)
Teacher prompts: “Is the language appropriate to the topic and audience?” “Does your own personality come across in the writing? How?”
Word Choice
2.3 use appropriate descriptive and evocative words, phrases, and expressions to make their writing clear, vivid, and engaging for the reader (e.g., use a variety of adjectives and adverbs to create a detailed, specific impression; use concrete images to create a vivid picture of a setting; use inclusive, bias-free language to show respect for readers)
Teacher prompts: “What is another way of saying this?” “How could we get across the same idea in a way that is respectful to all potential readers?”
Sentence Craft and Fluency
2.4 write complete sentences that communicate their meaning clearly and accurately, varying sentence type, structure, and length to suit dif- ferent purposes and making logical transitions between ideas (e.g., vary the word order in sen- tences for emphasis and interest; use transition words to link paragraphs in a letter; combine sentences to eliminate wordiness and sharpen the focus)
Teacher prompts: “Where do your sentences work together nicely?” “Would combining these sentences make your meaning clearer?”
Point of View
2.5 explain how their own beliefs, values, and experiences are revealed in their writing (e.g., identify words and phrases in their writing that reveal their own mood or attitude; explain why they have included or omitted references to a particular point of view in their writing)
Teacher prompts: “Have you used inclusive and non-discriminatory language in your writing?” “What do these short, sharp sentences tell us about your feelings on the subject?”
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