ENG4U — English, Grade 12 University Preparation

Curriculum Policy Document · Ontario Ministry of Education · The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English (2007, Revised) · Aligned to Growing Success (2010)

1. Course Description

This course emphasizes the consolidation of literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills necessary for success in academic and daily life. Students will analyse a range of challenging literary texts from various periods, countries, and cultures; interpret and evaluate informational and graphic texts; and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on using academic language coherently and confidently, selecting the reading strategies best suited to particular texts and particular purposes for reading, and developing greater control in writing. The course is intended to prepare students for university, college, or the workplace.

2. Fundamental Concepts

3. Big Ideas (by Strand)

• Oral Communication (A): Listening and speaking purposefully build understanding, deepen interpretation of texts, and prepare students for academic and civic life.
• Reading and Literature Studies (B): Reading a wide range of literary, informational, and graphic texts critically expands knowledge, perspective, and aesthetic appreciation.
• Writing (C): Writing is a recursive process; effective writers control content, organisation, form, style, and conventions to communicate meaningfully across forms.
• Media Studies (D): Media texts construct reality through deliberate choices; informed citizens analyse media critically and create media texts purposefully.

4. Strand A — Oral Communication (embedded across all units)

Overall Expectations

• A1. listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes;
• A2. use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes;
• A3. reflect on and identify their strengths as listeners and speakers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in oral-communication situations.

Specific Expectations (selected)

• A1.1 identify the purpose of a wide range of listening tasks and set goals for specific tasks;
• A1.3 identify and use several active-listening strategies (note-taking, paraphrasing, asking probing questions);
• A2.2 communicate in a clear, coherent manner, using a structure and style appropriate to the purpose, the subject matter, and the intended audience;
• A2.3 use appropriate words, phrases, and terminology, and a variety of stylistic devices, to effectively communicate their meaning and engage their intended audience;
• A2.6 use appropriate vocal effects (e.g., tone, pace, volume, emphasis), non-verbal cues, and visual aids;
• A3.1 explain which of a variety of listening and speaking strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after listening and speaking.

5. Strand B — Reading and Literature Studies (Units 1, 3, 4, 5)

Overall Expectations

• B1. read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning;
• B2. recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning;
• B3. use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently;
• B4. reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading.

Specific Expectations (selected)

• B1.1 read a variety of student- and teacher-selected texts from diverse cultures and time periods (e.g., Shakespeare, modern Canadian short fiction, Indigenous oral narrative, post-colonial novel);
• B1.3 identify the most important ideas and supporting details in texts and explain how they relate to each other and to the central thesis;
• B1.5 extend understanding of texts by making connections between the ideas in them and personal knowledge, experience, and insights, other texts, and the world around them;
• B2.1 identify a variety of characteristics of literary, informational, and graphic text forms and explain how they help communicate meaning;
• B2.3 identify a variety of text features and explain how they help communicate meaning (e.g., use of stage directions in drama, line breaks in poetry, layout in a graphic novel);
• B3.1 automatically use decoding skills to read familiar and unfamiliar words;
• B4.1 explain which of a variety of strategies they found most helpful in reading a range of texts.

6. Strand C — Writing (Unit 2 + cross-cutting)

Overall Expectations

• C1. generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
• C2. draft and revise their writing, using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;
• C3. use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;
• C4. reflect on and identify their strengths as writers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful at different stages in the writing process.

Specific Expectations (selected)

• C1.2 generate, expand, explore, and focus ideas for potential writing tasks, using a variety of strategies and print, electronic, and other resources;
• C2.1 write for different purposes and audiences using a variety of literary, graphic, and informational forms (e.g., literary-analysis essay, persuasive essay, expository essay, short story, op-ed);
• C2.2 establish a distinctive voice in their writing, modifying it for different forms, audiences, and purposes;
• C3.3 use punctuation correctly and effectively to communicate their intended meaning;
• C3.5 produce pieces of published work that follow the conventions of the chosen form (MLA 9th edition); credit sources accurately to avoid plagiarism;
• C4.1 explain which of a variety of strategies they used before, during, and after writing.

7. Strand D — Media Studies (Unit 6 + cross-cutting)

Overall Expectations

• D1. demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;
• D2. identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them are used to create meaning;
• D3. create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;
• D4. reflect on and identify their strengths as media interpreters and creators, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in understanding and creating media texts.

Specific Expectations (selected)

• D1.2 interpret media texts, identifying and explaining the overt and implied messages they convey;
• D1.3 evaluate how effectively information, ideas, issues, and opinions are communicated in media texts and decide whether the texts achieve their intended purposes;
• D2.1 identify a wide variety of forms of media texts and explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them are used to create meaning (camera angle, framing, sound design, typography);
• D3.1 describe the topic, purpose, and audience for media texts they plan to create, and identify specific challenges they may face in achieving their purpose;
• D3.4 produce media texts for several different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques (e.g., a public-service announcement, a film review, a news segment).

8. Strand-to-Unit Mapping

9. Achievement Chart (Growing Success, 2010)

10. Evaluation Policy (70/30)

• Term Work — 70% of final mark, comprised of unit tests, essays, oral assignments, media-creation tasks, in-class writing. Most-recent and most-consistent evidence is used.
• Final Evaluation — 30% of final mark, comprised of the Independent Study Unit (15%) and the Final Examination (15%) administered near the end of the course.

All four Achievement Chart categories are addressed throughout, in both Term Work and Final Evaluation.

11. Assessment Practices

• Assessment AS Learning — student-directed self-assessment (practice quizzes, reading-journal entries, peer-edit checklists, reflection on writing process).
• Assessment FOR Learning — diagnostic, descriptive teacher feedback (no mark); informs instruction (e.g., diagnostic essay, prereq grammar check, ISU proposal feedback).
• Assessment OF Learning — graded summative (unit tests, formal essays, oral presentations, ISU, final exam).

12. Differentiated Instruction & Universal Design for Learning

The course offers multiple means of representation (audio readings, graphic-organisers, captioned video), multiple means of engagement (student-selected ISU novel, choice of essay topic, choice of media form for creation task), and multiple means of expression (essay, podcast, video, infographic) to meet the needs of diverse learners and to honour the principles of Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools.

13. Learning Skills & Work Habits

Reported separately on the report card: responsibility, organization, independent work, collaboration, initiative, self-regulation. Particularly important in ENG4U for sustaining the multi-week ISU project and for participation in oral-communication tasks.