English, Grade 12, University Preparation
Curriculum Policy
English, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, 2007 (Revised)

Course Description:
This course focuses on enhancing literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills essential for success in academic and everyday life. Students will engage with a diverse selection of challenging literary texts from various periods, countries, and cultures. They will also interpret and evaluate a range of informational and graphic texts while creating oral, written, and media texts in different formats. A significant emphasis will be placed on using academic language effectively and confidently, choosing appropriate reading strategies for specific texts and purposes, and refining writing skills. The course is designed to prepare students for university, college, or the workplace.

Chapters and Descriptions:

• Unit One: The Art of Writing
  This unit begins with an exploration of the concept of the status quo, laying the groundwork for effective writing. Students will focus on developing concise, creative, descriptive, and impactful writing skills, which will be emphasized throughout the course. Key topics include understanding purpose and audience, mastering punctuation and sentence structure, refining diction, and utilizing poetic and literary devices to cultivate a unique written voice. Students will analyze personal essays and apply the lessons learned to their own writing. The unit concludes with a focus on delivery and presentation skills, culminating in a recorded video presentation of their personal essays.
• Unit Two: New Media
  Building on the status quo theme, this unit delves into the realm of new media—mass digital communication through computers and the internet. Students will examine media concepts relevant to social media and culture, including bias, misinformation, obsolescence, and opinion. A documentary will serve as a case study for exploring bias. Throughout the unit, students will reflect on the role of new media in provoking change and express their opinions on various topics. Assignments include a formal reflection on bias, a lateral reading exercise for source verification, and an opinion piece presented in both written and visual formats.
• Unit Three: Novel Study—Status Quo or No?
  In this unit, students will select, read, and analyze a novel from a choice of four: Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Great Gatsby, or Mister Pip. Expanding on the status quo theme, students will use reading guides to delve into their chosen novel, focusing on perspective and voice. An introduction to various literary theories will encourage students to explore how perspective shapes text interpretation and consider both included and excluded voices. Assignments will include a comparison-contrast essay and a multi-genre project.
• Unit Four: Short Stories and Poetry—Diverse Voices
  This unit investigates the short story and poetry genres, emphasizing synthesis by bringing together a range of diverse texts to develop a cohesive thesis for a final literary essay. Students will engage with a course anthology featuring 12 short stories and 12 poems from a variety of authors, cultures, and historical contexts. Assignments for this unit include a text analysis presentation, a formal reader response, and a literary essay.