High School Electives – English
American Sign Language 1a: Introduction
Description
Did you know that American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most commonly used language in North America? American Sign Language 1a: Introduction will introduce you to vocabulary and simple sentences so that you can start communicating right away. Importantly, you will explore Deaf culture – social beliefs, traditions, history, values and communities influenced by deafness.
Pre-Requisites:
Credits: 0.5
Estimated Completion Time: 1 segment / 16-18 weeks
Major Topics and Concepts
- Unit 1: The Basics
- Unit 2: Let’s Introduce Ourselves!
- Unit 3: Express Yourself: Feelings, Colors, & Questions
- Unit 4: School’s in Session
American Sign Language 1b: Learn to Sign
Description
The predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States, American Sign Language is a complex and robust language. American Sign Language 1b: Learn to Sign will introduce you to more of this language and its grammatical structures. You will expand your vocabulary by exploring interesting topics like Deaf education and Deaf arts and culture.
Pre-Requisites: Please provide the course name as it appears in Agilix.EDL – American Sign Language 1a: Introduction v18
Credits: 0.5
Estimated Completion Time: 1 segment / 16-18 weeks
Major Topics and Concepts
- Unit 1: Who’s Who?
- Unit 2: Well, It’s About Time
- Unit 3: Taking the Stage By Storm!
- Unit 4: Expanding Your Vocabulary
American Sign Language 2a: Communicating
Description
Building upon the prior prerequisite course, emphasis in this course is placed upon comprehension and signing. Learners will also continue to establish their communication skills and foster their understanding of deaf culture. In addition to learning classifiers, glossing, and mouth morphemes, students will explore vocabulary for descriptions, directions, shopping, making purchases, and dealing with emergencies.
Pre-Requisites: ASL 1a and ASL 1b
Credits: 0.5
Estimated Completion Time: 1 segment / 16-18 weeks
Major Topics and Concepts
- Unit 1: Describe It!
- Unit 2: Getting Around Town
- Unit 3: Emergency Situations
- Unit 4: Fun Activities
- Unit 5: Everyday Activities
American Sign Language 2b: Advancing Communication Skills
Description
Building upon the prior prerequisite course, students will increase their proficiency by learning about sequencing, transitions, role-shifts, and future tenses. Students will learn how to tell a story and ask questions, benefiting with greater exposure to deaf culture. Speed, conversations, signing skills, and cultural awareness are characteristic of this course.
Pre-Requisites: EDL – American Sign Language 2a: Communicating v18
Credits: 0.5
Estimated Completion Time: 1 segment / 16-18 weeks
Major Topics and Concepts
- Unit 1: Making Plans
- Unit 2: What’s New?
- Unit 3: Just A Story
- Unit 4: Poetry in Motion
- Unit 5: Get Outta Town!
Intensive Reading: A Universe of Reading
Description
The purpose of this course is to provide instruction that enables students to accelerate the development of reading and writing skills, and to strengthen those skills so they are able to successfully read and write grade-level text independently. Instruction emphasizes reading comprehension, writing fluency, and vocabulary study through the use of a variety of literary and informational texts that encompass a broad range of text structures, genres, and levels of complexity. Texts used for instruction focus on a wide range of topics, including content-area information, in order to support students in meeting the knowledge demands of increasingly complex text. Students enrolled in the course will engage in interactive text-based discussions, question generation, and research opportunities. They will write in response to reading and cite evidence when answering text-dependent questions orally and in writing. The course provides extensive opportunities for students to collaborate with their peers. Scaffolding is provided as necessary as students engage in reading and writing increasingly complex text, and is removed as the reading and writing abilities of students improve over time.
Pre-Requisites:
Credits: 1.0
Estimated Completion Time: 24-28 weeks
Major Topics and Concepts
Segment 1
Module 1
Concepts
- Theme
- Central idea
- Domain-specific language
- Precise language
- Author’s purpose
Skills
- Analyzing informational texts
- Finding details
- Compare/contrasting
- Using context clues
- Summarizing
- Applying text features to aid comprehension
Module 2
Concepts
- Writing process
- Research
Skills
- Collecting research
- Evaluating reliable sources
Module 3
Concepts
- Fiction
- Short story
- Genre
- Plot structure
- Theme
- Characterization
- Comprehension
Skills
- Note-taking
- Text-marking
- Answering text-dependent questions
Segment 2
Module 4
Concepts
- Central idea
- Domain-specific language
- Text structure
- Tone
- Mood
- Diction
- Connotation and denotation
Skills
- Reading and analyzing informational text
- Summarizing
- Using context clues
- Answering text-dependent questions
Module 5
Concepts
- Drama
- Poetry
- Figurative language
- Comparing/contrasting
Skills
- Analyzing characters
- Analyzing language
- Comparing interpretations of source material
- Writing an adaptation of source material
Module 6
Concepts
- Compare and contrast
- Argument analysis
- Characteristics of an effective claim
- Appeals to logic, emotion, and ethics
- Domain-specific language
- Precise language
Skills
- Analyzing arguments
- Stating a claim
- Analyzing rhetorical devices
- Answering text-dependent questions on argument
- Understanding parts of an argument
Intensive Reading: Fields of Reading
Description
The purpose of this course is to provide instruction that enables students to accelerate the development of reading and writing skills, and to strengthen those skills so they are able to successfully read and write grade-level text independently. Instruction emphasizes reading comprehension, writing fluency, and vocabulary study through the use of a variety of literary and informational texts that encompass a broad range of text structures, genres, and levels of complexity. Texts used for instruction focus on a wide range of topics, including content-area information, in order to support students in meeting the knowledge demands of increasingly complex text. Students enrolled in the course will engage in interactive text-based discussions, question generation, and research opportunities. They will write in response to reading, and cite evidence when answering text-dependent questions orally and in writing. The course provides extensive opportunities for students to collaborate with their peers. Scaffolding is provided as necessary as students engage in reading and writing increasingly complex text, and is removed as the reading and writing abilities of students improve over time.
Pre-Requisites:
Credits: 1.0
Estimated Completion Time: 24-28 weeks
Major Topics and Concepts
Module 1
Concepts
- Theme
- Central idea
- Domain-specific language
- Precise language
- Author’s purpose
- Tone and diction
Skills
- Analyzing informational texts
- Finding details
- Compare/contrasting
- Using context clues
- Summarizing
- Applying text features to aid comprehension
Module 2
Concepts
- Writing process
- Research
Skills
- Collecting research
- Evaluating reliable sources
- Creating a thesis
- Writing a research paper
Module 3
Concepts
- Fiction
- Short story
- Genre
- Plot structure
- Theme
- Characterization
- Comprehension
Skills
- Note-taking
- Text-marking
- Answering text-dependent questions
Module 4
Concepts
- Central idea
- Domain-specific language
- Text structure
- Tone
- Mood
- Diction
- Connotation and denotation
Skills
- Reading and analyzing informational text
- Summarizing
- Using context clues
- Answering text-dependent questions
Module 5
Concepts
- Drama
- Figurative language
Skills
- Analyzing characters
- Analyzing language
- Comparing interpretations of source material
- Writing an adaptation of source material
Module 6
Concepts
- Compare and contrast
- Argument analysis
- Characteristics of an effective claim
- Appeals to logic, emotion, and ethics
- Domain-specific language
- Precise language
Skills
- Analyzing arguments
- Stating a claim
- Analyzing rhetorical devices
- Answering text-dependent questions on argument
- Understanding parts of an argument