English 11

Lance Castonguay lcastonguay@sd43.bc.ca

Hello and welcome to English 11. During this course we will continue to build upon the skills you learned in
grade 10 and continue to improve and learn new skills in: reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing,
representing, and working in groups. This is accomplished through completing assignments in these skill areas
and studying literature from the traditional genres in English (short stories, novels, drama, poetry, non-fiction,
media). In English 11, you will be consuming and creating works of fairly significant sophistication.


Listening, Representing and Speaking
group and class discussions
note taking
individual and group representations
dramatization
formal and informal debates
visual representations
trip presentations

Composition / Journal
Form and Function Essay Writing Process
descriptive thesis statement pre-writing
narrative introductory paragraph drafting
argumentative body paragraphs revision
expository concluding paragraphs editing
effective paragraphs publishing


Language
Skills and Strategies Grammar and Usage
Spelling and Vocabulary development parts of speech
Dictionary and thesaurus use punctuation
Context clues sentence errors

Literature

Novel
Students will study theme, plot, character studies, and analyze quotations.

Short Stories
Students will study the short story as a genre, and become familiar with the literary terms relevant to the stories
they read so that meaningful discussions can arise. Students will review and study short story elements (plot,
character, conflict, irony, foil, suspense, satire, tone theme, setting, etc.)

Poetry
Students will learn and develop an appreciation of poetic devices, choral work, figurative language, poetic
forms, and writing and analysis.

Drama
Students will study Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. Students will learn about the life and times of
Shakespeare, dramatic convention, subtexts, dramatization, use of voice, character analysis, and development of
theme.

Ongoing Class Activities
Students will write journals, book reports, study spelling and vocabulary and participate in sustained silent
reading throughout the semester.

Evaluation
Because English doesnt always lend itself well to numbers, you will usually receive letter grades on your
assignments. When percentages are required, at report card time, they will be assigned as follows:

A+ 100 % C+ 70 %
A 94 % C 65 %
A- 86 % C- 55 %
B+ 84 % P 50 %
B 79 % I 40 %
B- 73 % IF 15%

Students who are in a failing position need to talk to me to see about amending their position.
Remember that re-doing work or doing missed work late is not a right, it is a privilege that isnt always
granted. It is much better to stay on top of things!
Hand in your work on time: once an assignment is marked and handed back to the class, the opportunity
for that assignment is over.

EXPECTATIONS
Come to class on time every day, prepared for work with all necessary materials.
Let me know in advance if you are going to be away
Treat yourself and others with respect
Getting behind? Come and see me before things snowball!
Electronic distractions are not welcome in class
All work handed in is original work (no plagiarism)
Students should utilize flex on a regular basis.

I will use my website http://lcastonguay.weebly.com and the portal to communicate assignments, grades, and
resources. Parents and students are advised to check the blog first if they are away or have a question.


Students Signature:____________________ Parents Signature:_____________________