Course Content
A. Main Idea and Audience (copy)
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A.01. Identify the central idea in a short passage.
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A.02. Determine the main idea of a longer, more complex passage.
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A.03. Identify the intended audience of a text.
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A.04. Analyze the author’s purpose in writing a text.
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A.05. Distinguish between subjective and objective tone.
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A.06. Analyze how tone contributes to the overall meaning of a text.
B. Literary Devices
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B.01. Identify common literary devices (e.g., simile, metaphor).
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B.02. Recognize and explain the effect of figurative language on meaning.
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B.03. Interpret the meaning of allusions and their source material.
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B.04. Classify and analyze various figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, irony).
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B.05. Analyze the impact of literary devices on tone and mood.
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B.06. Compare and contrast different narrative points of view and their effects.
C. Analyzing Texts
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C.01. Analyze the structure and development of informational passages.
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C.02. Identify and analyze the author’s argument and supporting evidence.
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C.03. Evaluate the effectiveness of rhetorical strategies in persuasive texts.
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C.04. Analyze short stories, identifying key elements like plot, character, and theme.
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C.05. Analyze elements of poetry (e.g., rhyme, meter, imagery).
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C.06. Compare and contrast different types of texts and their purposes.
D. Novel and Nonfiction Study
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D.01. Analyze passages from The Great Gatsby, focusing on character development and themes.
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D.02. Analyze passages from The Prince, focusing on political philosophy and rhetoric.
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D.03. Compare and contrast the writing styles and themes of The Great Gatsby and The Prince.
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D.04. Analyze the use of literary devices in The Great Gatsby and The Prince.
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D.05. Evaluate the historical context and significance of both novels.
E. Business Documents
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E.01. Understand and interpret company policies and procedures.
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E.02. Identify key information within business documents.
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E.03. Analyze the structure and purpose of different business documents.
F. Organizing and Developing Writing
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F.01. Order information logically, from broadest to narrowest topic.
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F.02. Craft effective topic sentences that clearly state the main idea of a paragraph.
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F.03. Develop clear and concise thesis statements.
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F.04. Distinguish between facts and opinions.
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F.05. Evaluate the strength of evidence used to support claims.
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F.06. Select and integrate relevant evidence to support an argument.
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F.07. Construct logical transitions between claims, evidence, and analysis.
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F.08. Identify and address counterarguments effectively.
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F.09. Recognize and avoid common logical fallacies.
G. Persuasive Strategies
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G.01. Identify appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in various texts.
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G.02. Utilize appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in persuasive writing.
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G.03. Analyze the effectiveness of persuasive techniques in advertisements and speeches.
H. Writing Style and Mechanics
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H.01. Use transitions effectively to improve clarity and coherence.
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H.02. Avoid double negatives and other errors in sentence structure.
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H.03. Use parallel structure correctly.
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H.04. Eliminate redundant words and phrases.
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H.05. Use precise and accurate word choices.
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H.06. Correct errors in commonly misspelled words.
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H.07. Suggest revisions to improve clarity and effectiveness of writing.
I. Editing and Proofreading
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I.01. Identify and correct errors in frequently confused words (e.g., their, there, they’re).
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I.02. Correct errors in pronoun usage.
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I.03. Correct errors in punctuation and capitalization.
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I.04. Proofread and edit writing for grammar, mechanics, and style errors.
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I.05. Apply appropriate formatting conventions for different types of writing.
J. Research Skills
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J.01. Understand and correctly use in-text citations (MLA 8th-9th editions).
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J.02. Create accurate Works Cited entries (MLA 8th-9th editions).
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J.03. Identify and avoid plagiarism.
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J.04. Evaluate the credibility and reliability of sources.
K. Vocabulary
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K.01. Identify and use prefixes and suffixes to determine word meaning.
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K.02. Understand and utilize Greek and Latin roots to decipher word meaning.
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K.03. Correctly use homophones.
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K.04. Use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
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K.05. Use a thesaurus to expand vocabulary and refine word choices.
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K.06. Analyze the connotations and denotations of words.
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K.07. Understand and apply etymologies to enhance vocabulary.
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K.08. Analyze analogies to understand relationships between words.
L. Grammar and Mechanics
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L.01. Identify and correct sentence fragments and run-on sentences.
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L.02. Identify and classify different types of phrases and clauses.
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L.03. Identify and correct errors in pronoun usage (case, agreement, reference).
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L.04. Identify and correct errors in subject-verb agreement.
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L.05. Identify and correct errors in verb tense.
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L.06. Correctly use adjectives and adverbs.
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L.07. Correctly use misplaced and dangling modifiers.
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L.08. Use commas, semicolons, colons, dashes, hyphens, and apostrophes correctly.
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L.09. Apply correct capitalization rules.
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L.10. Properly format quotations and dialogue.
