Bill Woodward School​ - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Winter 2018

Introduction​__________________________________________________________________ 
Welcome to English Language Arts 10-1 & 10-2! I really look forward to working 
and learning with you this semester ☺ 
This is the first of the three five- credit English courses you need to obtain a high 
school advanced diploma.  
  
As a class, we will review, develop and practice skills in the six language arts 
strands of ​reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and representing​. These 
six areas of communication are interrelated and interdependent; facility in one 
strengthens and supports the other.  
 

Course Outline______________________________________________________________ 
According to Alberta Education, the following General Learner Outcomes will 
guide this course. There are 5 General Learner Outcomes for ELA 10-1 which will 
be achieved through a variety of assignments, experiences, tasks, and 
assessments. The Outcomes for ELA 10-1 are: 
● Students will listen, speak, write, view, and represent to: 
o Explore thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences. 
o Comprehend literature and other texts in oral, print, visual 
and multimedia forms, and respond personally, critically, and 
creatively. 
o Manage ideas and information. 
o Create oral, print, visual, and multimedia texts. And enhance 
the clarity and artistry of communication. 
 o Respect, support, and collaborate with others. 
 
Course Content:______________________________________________________ 
 
Unit 1: Writer’s Workshop 
● Narrative writing and personal responses to visual prompts. 
● Grammar and sentence structure.  
 
Unit 2: Truth & Reconciliation 
● TRC Calls to Action. 
● Secret Path ​by Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire. 
● Wenjack ​by Joseph Boyden. 
● Toronto at Dreamer’s Rock ​by Drew Hayden Taylor. 
● Poetry from a variety of Indigenous authors will be used as supplement 
resources in this unit. 
Unit 3: Nonfiction Unit 
● Media literacy. 
● Introduction to MLA citations. 
● Plagiarism 101 
● “‘Fake News’ and How to Find It”. 
● Persuasive writing. 
Unit 4: Novel Study 
● The Chrysalids​ by John Wyndham. 
● Elements of fiction: theme, author’s purpose, characterization, plot 
development, and figurative language. 
● Literary Exploration essay. 
Unit 5: Drama  
● Romeo and Juliet ​by William Shakespeare 
● A variety of poetry, music, short-stories and non-fiction texts will be used to 
supplement this unit. 
 
● Ongoing ​Writers Workshops, ​peer conferencing and 1-1 teacher 
conferencing.  
*Units of study and their order are subject to change* 
 
Assessment______________________________________________________________ 
 
Assignments: 20% 
Journal Prompts: 15% 
Projects: 20% 
Essays 15% 
Final Exam 30% 
 

All assignments are subject to change 

Expectations & Policies_______________________________________________________ 
 
Students expected to follow the code of conduct as outlined in the BWS Student 
Handbook for 2017-2018, this includes the cell-phone/PCD policy.  
The cell phone policy states that no cell phones are to be used in school unless 
for educational purposes designated by the teacher. Students who do not 
comply with this policy will have their device confiscated until the end of the 
day. 
Late Assignment Policy 
 
Assignments, projects, and homework is expected to be completed on time. If 
students require an extension a request must be made at least 48 hours before 
the assignment due date.  
Late assignments will follow the BWS Late Assignment Policy which states: 
“​According to the BWS Student Handbook 2017 the late assignment policy is as 
follows: 
● Unexcused late assignments: 10% late penalty per school day, to a 
maximum of 50%. 
● In the event that a student has met the maximum late penalty and if the 
assignment is not passed in the following day the assignment will no longer 
be accepted and the student will receive a 0%”. 
Plagiarism  
Plagiarism is a serious offence and will be dealt with as such. Plagiarism is when 
a student uses another individual’s work as his or her own; the other individual 
may be a peer, an artist, a writer, an author, etc. Plagiarism will not be 
tolerated in this course. Remember to cite and quote your sources!  
 
Plagiarism Protocol: 
● 1st Offence – the student will receive a grade of zero and a conversation 
between myself and the student will occur. This assignment can be made 
up.  
 
● 2nd Offence – the student will receive a zero for the assignment. The 
teacher will discuss the issue with the students’ parents or guardians. 
 
● 3rd Offence – The student received a grade of 0 for the assignment. The 
teacher will discuss the issue with the student, the parents and guardians 
of the student, and a member of the BWS administration team. Further 
disciplinary action will be determined.