Poetry

To interpret and appreciate poems through their sense, sound, and images.

POSSIBLE INSIGHTS

• In poetry, tone is set by the images and sounds that the poet chooses to use.
• Language conveys. Language transforms.

SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How does the language in this poem transform the ordinary to the extraordinary?

• Who is talking in this poem, and what is happening to the speaker? The listener?

Narrative Writing

To write a clear, compelling, and cohesive narrative by focusing on who is telling the story and why.

POSSIBLE INSIGHTS

• Knowing who is telling the story helps me understand the story better.
• The omniscient narrator is a more versatile point of view, although the first person point of view establishes a relationship with the reader.

SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• Who is telling this story?
• What clues reveal this point of view?
• How does the point of view influence the story and its meaning?

Writing a Biographical Sketch

To write a biographical sketch that enables the reader to better understand the person whose life story is being narrated.

POSSIBLE INSIGHTS

• Vivid details are key in painting a picture of a person.

SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• How do background and experiences influence the development of character?
• How can I tell his/her life story in a way that makes him/her more “real” to the reader?

Interpretation of a Text

To interpret a literary text based on the conventions of its genre and to defend the soundness of one’s interpretation.

POSSIBLE INSIGHTS

• We interpret a text based not only on the author’s intention (whether actually known or merely inferred), but also on our own context as readers and most importantly, on the text.

SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• How do we interpret and understand a text?

Effective Communication in Another Language

To understand and be understood by native speakers, able to ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics and handle simple situations or transactions

POSSIBLE INSIGHTS

• Learning a second language will offer opportunities professionally and personally.
• The goal is effective communication, not word-for-word translation.
• Learning a language is an ongoing process that requires motivation, perseverance, and practice.

SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• What are my expectations about learning another language?
• How do I develop proficiency in a second language?