English Language Arts 10

Course Description

The English 10 course uses the theme of "Conformity and Rebellion'" to draw students into rich reading, writing and discussion. The course draws from a selection of classic and contemporary as well as nonfiction texts. As in every grade at Boston Latin Academy, a Shakespearean play is also required reading. In English 10, students will focus on essential questions such as "When should one 'conform' and when should one 'rebel?' '" and "How are the roles of men and women represented in literature throughout time?'" Students will use literary devices to discuss layers of meaning in text, as well as the meaning of the work as a whole, will write an at least six paragraph literary analysis, will "talk to the text" through close reading, annotation and dialectical journals. In addition, students will conduct an in-depth review and study of writing well-developed paragraph literary analysis essays with strong theses statements, unified paragraphs with compelling evidence to support logical arguments. This study will also focus on continuing with analysis and using transition words to push this analysis. Finally, this course will hone their argumentation skills, using argumentative tactics that they will need to know in their later English coursework. Titles read in this course include: Much Ado About Nothing, Catcher in the Rye, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Night by Elie Wiesel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Homegoing by Ya Gyasi