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Course Standards
General Course Information and Notes
Version Description
The purpose of this course is to enable students to learn and use writing and language skills for creative expression in a variety of literary forms. Emphasis will be on development of a personal writing style.General Notes
General Notes:The content should include, but not be limited to, the following:
- a study of a variety of short literary collections, including poetry, one-act plays, the short story, and memoir to determine and practice
- literary text craft and structure
- use of figurative, denotative, and connotative language
- appropriate voice and/or tone
- story structure, poetic forms, and creative pacing techniques
- reciprocal nature of content and form
- writing for varied purposes and in varied genres, including
- personal and dramatic narratives
- various poetic forms
- plays and multimedia productions
- multi-genre and creative nonfiction selections
- digital writing platforms
- effective listening, speaking, and viewing strategies with emphasis on the use of evidence to support or refute a claim in multimedia presentations, class discussions, and extended text discussions
- collaboration amongst peers, especially regarding peer reviews of multiple drafts
Special Notes:
Instructional Practices: Teaching from well-written, grade-level instructional materials enhances students’ content area knowledge and also strengthens their ability to comprehend longer, complex reading passages on any topic for any purpose. Using the following instructional practices also helps student learning.
- Reading assignments from longer text passages, as well as shorter ones when text is extremely complex.
- Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.
- Asking high-level, text-specific questions and requiring high-level, complex tasks and assignments.
- Requiring students to support answers with evidence from the text.
- Providing extensive text-based research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).
General Information
Educator Certifications
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorials
Learn how the sound devices of rhyme and repetition are used in the poem "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar and analyze how they contribute to the poem's meaning.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Study excerpts from the classic American novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott in this interactive English Language Arts tutorial. Using excerpts from chapter eight of Little Women, you'll identify key characters and their actions. You'll also explain how interactions between characters contributes to the development of the plot.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the form and meaning of William Shakespeare's “Sonnet 18.” In this interactive tutorial, you’ll examine how specific words and phrases contribute to meaning in the sonnet, select the features of a Shakespearean sonnet in the poem, identify the solution to a problem, and explain how the form of a Shakespearean sonnet contributes to the meaning of "Sonnet 18."
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to analyze the interaction among setting, character development, and plot using the classic short story "To Build a Fire." Examine how a story's setting frames the events of the entire story with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to paraphrase grade-level content in this tutorial that includes passages about some of America's most notable pioneers.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to identify aspects of setting and character as you analyze several excerpts from “The Yellow Wallpaper," a chilling short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman that explores the impact on its narrator of being confined to mostly one room. You'll also determine how the narrator’s descriptions of the story’s setting better reveal her emotional and mental state.
This interactive tutorial is Part One in a two-part series. By the end of Part Two, you should be able to explain how the narrator changes through her interaction with the setting. Click below to launch Part Two.
The Power to Cure or Impair: The Importance of Setting in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' -- Part Two
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Continue to examine several excerpts from the chilling short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, which explores the impact on its narrator of being confined to mostly one room. In Part Two of this tutorial series, you'll determine how the narrator’s descriptions of the story’s setting reveal its impact on her emotional and mental state. By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to explain how the narrator changes through her interaction with the setting.
Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to launch "The Power to Cure or Impair: The Importance of Setting in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' -- Part One."
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the mysterious poem “The House on the Hill” by Edwin Arlington Robinson in this interactive tutorial. As you explore the poem's message about the past, you’ll identify the features of a villanelle in the poem. By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to explain how the form of a villanelle contributes to the poem's meaning.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Continue to explore the significance of the famous poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus, lines from which are engraved on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
In Part Two of this two-part series, you’ll identify the features of a sonnet in the poem "The New Colossus." By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to explain how the form of a sonnet contributes to the poem's meaning.
Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two.
Click HERE to launch "A Giant of Size and Power -- Part One: Exploring the Significance of 'The New Colossus.'"
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Continue to examine how setting influences characters in excerpts from The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez with this interactive tutorial.
This is part 2 in a two-part series. Make sure to complete Part One first. Click HERE to launch "Analyzing the Beginning of The Red Umbrella -- Part One: How Setting Influences Events."
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Part One, explore the significance of the famous poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus, lines from which are engraved on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
This famous poem also happens to be in the form of a sonnet. In Part Two of this two-part series, you’ll identify the features of a sonnet in the poem. By the end of this tutorial series, you should be able to explain how the form of a sonnet contributes to the poem's meaning. Make sure to complete both parts!
Click HERE to launch "A Giant of Size and Power -- Part Two: How the Form of a Sonnet Contributes to Meaning in 'The New Colossus.'"
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore excerpts from the beginning of the historical fiction novel The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez in this two-part series. In Part One, you'll examine how setting influences events. In Part Two, you'll examine how setting influences characters.
Make sure to complete both parts! Click HERE to launch Part Two.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate essential and nonessential elements in a sentence. In Part Two, you'll learn about essential and nonessential phrases and clauses and how to use commas with nonessential phrases and clauses in a sentence.
This is Part Two of a two-part tutorial series. Click HERE to launch Part One.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate essential and nonessential elements in a sentence in this two-part tutorial series. In Part One, you'll learn about appositives and how to use commas with appositives when they provide nonessential information in a sentence.
When you're done, make sure to complete Part Two. Click HERE to launch Part Two.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate a mysterious punctuation mark--the dash--in this interactive two-part tutorial. In this series, you'll learn about two types of dashes and their different uses. In Part Two, you'll learn about the em dash and practice using it correctly.
We recommend that you complete Part One first! Click HERE to launch Part One.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate a mysterious punctuation mark—the dash—in this interactive two-part tutorial. In this series, you'll learn about two types of dashes and their different uses. In Part One, you'll learn about the en dash and practice using it correctly. In Part Two, you'll learn about the em dash and practice using it correctly. We hope by the end of this series that the dash will no longer be quite so mysterious!
Make sure to complete Part Two! Click HERE to launch Part Two.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Don't be mystified by commas! This interactive tutorial will help you better understand how to correctly use this often mysterious punctuation mark. You'll learn several ways commas are commonly misused to help make sure you don't make these same mistakes in your own writing. Then, you'll learn several ways to correctly use a comma.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Check out a mysterious punctuation mark—the apostrophe—in this interactive tutorial. You'll learn several important rules and guidelines to help you demystify this punctuation mark so you can use it correctly in your own writing.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn 12 new academic vocabulary terms in this interactive tutorial! You'll practice the words' synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and context clues in order to add them to your vocabulary.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn a number of important rules that will help you master the mysterious comma. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn how commas are used to separate three or more items in a series and to “set off” certain aspects of a sentence.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Examine how the story elements of plot, setting, and character interact in an excerpt from the novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to recognize and fix one of the most common grammar errors—the run-on sentence—as you complete this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn more about that dreaded word--plagiarism--in this interactive tutorial that's all about citing your sources and avoiding academic dishonesty!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn the rules of capitalization in this interactive tutorial! By the end, you'll have undergone a "crash course" in correct capitalization.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn 12 new academic vocabulary words in this interactive tutorial! You'll practice the words' synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and context clues in order to add them to your vocabulary.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn 12 new academic vocabulary words in this interactive tutorial! You'll practice the words' synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and context clues in order to add them to your vocabulary.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn 12 new academic vocabulary words using synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and context clues in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn the difference between formal and informal writing in this interactive tutorial. You'll review the key differences between informative and argumentative writing. You'll also learn to tailor your writing based on your task, purpose, and audience.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how poems are organized to express and develop themes. In this interactive tutorial, you'll read "My Pretty Rose Tree" by William Blake and "'Hope' is the thing with feathers" by Emily Dickinson. Using these classic poems, you'll examine the structure of poetry and review several relevant terms including stanzas, diction, and mood.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Review common uses of the comma and learn how it can be properly used to set off nonrestrictive elements--like phrases and words--in a sentence. This interactive tutorial will also give you the chance to complete practice activities to check your understanding.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to use commas to connect two sentences, how to use commas with coordinate adjectives, and how to use the Oxford comma. In this interactive tutorial, you will complete practice exercises and read several short passages about primates, including gorillas and baboons.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to refine your writing by identifying language that is wordy, repetitive, or redundant. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice identifying wordy language and replacing it with more concise language.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how clauses are used to form different types of sentences. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice identifying four common sentence types: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. You'll also practice rewriting a short paragraph to include these various types of sentences.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Examine the important differences between historical fiction and factual historical accounts. In this interactive tutorial, you'll read the poem "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. You'll examine how Longfellow reshaped the events of history to create this renown piece of historical fiction.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to identify sound devices such as repetition, alliteration, and assonance in the poems of Edgar Allan Poe. As you complete this interactive tutorial, you'll read portions of "The Raven," "The Bells," and "Annabel Lee."
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to distinguish between figurative and literal language in context. In this interactive tutorial, you'll examine excerpts of speeches from John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack Obama. You'll practice identifying the following types of figurative language: similes, metaphors, personification, and onomatopoeia. You'll also practice determining the intended meaning of these examples of figurative language.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Practice identifying and examining the evidence used to support a specific argument. In this interactive tutorial, you'll read several short texts about the exploration of Mars to practice distinguishing relevant from irrelevant evidence. You'll also practice determining whether the evidence presented is sufficient or insufficient.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Tutorials
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice using commas correctly in sentences. For each practice item, you must use commas in a sentence only where appropriate. After every response, you will get immediate feedback.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice using commas correctly in sentences. For each practice item, you must use commas in a sentence only where appropriate. After every response, you will get immediate feedback.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice fixing comma errors in sentences. For each practice item, you must select the best choice to revise a sentence so that it uses commas correctly. After every response, you will get immediate feedback.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice fixing comma errors in sentences. For each practice item, you must correct the comma error in a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. The site also provides an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked "Comma Tip” that appears with feedback.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice avoiding misplaced and dangling modifiers. For each practice item, you must determine how to complete a sentence to avoid a misplaced or dangling modifier. After every response, you will get immediate feedback.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing misplaced and dangling modifiers. For each practice item, you must select only the sentence that does not contain a misplaced or dangling modifier. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There’s also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing misplaced and dangling modifiers. For each practice item, you must identify whether a sentence contains a misplaced or dangling modifier. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There’s also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing misplaced and dangling modifiers. For each practice item, you must select only the sentence that does not contain a misplaced or dangling modifier. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There’s also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing misplaced and dangling modifiers. For each practice item, you must identify whether a sentence contains a misplaced or dangling modifier. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There’s also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice correcting two common types of run-on sentences: comma splices and fused sentences. For each practice item, you must identify the best way to correct either a comma splice or a fused sentence. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There’s also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice identifying two common types of run-on sentences: comma splices and fused sentences. For each practice item, you must identify whether a run-on sentence is a comma splice or a fused sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There’s also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing sentence fragments types. For each practice item, you must identify the type of fragment being presented. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There's also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This interactive exercise will give you practice simplifying sentences with apostrophes. For each practice item, you must simplify a sentence by typing a revision that demonstrates the correct use of an apostrophe. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. If you don’t know which word or words to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This interactive exercise will give you practice simplifying sentences with apostrophes. For each practice item, you must simplify a sentence by typing a revision that demonstrates the correct use of an apostrophe. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. If you don’t know which word or words to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This interactive exercise will give you practice in correcting sentence fragments. For each practice item, you must select the best choice to correct a fragment in a short passage. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There's also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study; simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in correcting sentence fragments. For each practice item, you must select the best choice to correct a fragment in a short passage. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There's also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in correcting sentence fragments. For each practice item, you must select the best choice to correct a fragment in a short passage. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There's also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This is a guide to the composition and usage of clauses, including independent and dependent clauses. A PowerPoint and several practice quizzes are provided to help students with independent clauses and recognizing clause functions.
Type: Tutorial
This is a comprehensive guide to the proper use of prepositions and prepositional phrases. Several interactive quizzes are provided.
Type: Tutorial
This is a comprehensive guide to adverb usage. Detailed definitions, explanations, and examples are provided. It also provides links to two quizzes for students to individually practice their skills at using adverbs correctly. There is also a video from Schoolhouse Rock on adverbs.
Type: Tutorial
This is a comprehensive guide to conjunctions and their usage. The resource also includes the engaging video "Conjunction Junction" from Schoolhouse Rock; it explains the various functions of conjunctions.
Type: Tutorial
This is a comprehensive guide to the usage of nouns. Interactive quizzes are provided, as well as an engaging video from Schoolhouse Rock on the use of nouns.
Type: Tutorial
This guide explains how to vary sentence length and structure to add interest and expression to writing. It includes several online quizzes covering variety in modifier placement, variety in subject placement, and identifying sentence types. Quizzes include the correct answers with explanations.
Type: Tutorial
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