Course Content
A. Understanding Main Ideas and Text Structure
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A.01. Identify the main idea of a simple passage.
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A.02. Determine the main idea of a complex passage with supporting details.
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A.03. Analyze how text structure (e.g., chronological order, compare/contrast) contributes to the main idea.
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A.04. Distinguish between the main idea and supporting details in various text types (e.g., narrative, expository).
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A.05. Summarize a passage, focusing on the main idea and key supporting points.
B. Audience, Purpose, and Tone
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B.01. Identify the intended audience of a text.
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B.02. Determine the author’s purpose (e.g., to inform, persuade, entertain).
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B.03. Distinguish between subjective and objective tone.
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B.04. Analyze how tone is created through word choice, sentence structure, and imagery.
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B.05. Evaluate the effectiveness of the author’s tone in achieving their purpose.
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B.06. Compare and contrast the tone and purpose of different texts on the same topic.
C. Literary Devices
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C.01. Identify common literary devices (e.g., simile, metaphor).
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C.02. Explain the effect of a simple literary device on the meaning of a text.
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C.03. Identify and interpret allusions, explaining their significance.
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C.04. Classify and analyze different types of figurative language (e.g., hyperbole, personification, oxymoron).
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C.05. Analyze the cumulative effect of multiple literary devices on meaning and tone.
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C.06. Evaluate the author’s use of literary devices to create specific effects (e.g., mood, atmosphere).
D. Analyzing Literature (Short Stories & Poetry)
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D.01. Identify key elements of a short story (e.g., plot, character, setting).
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D.02. Analyze the relationship between elements of a short story and its overall meaning.
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D.03. Analyze the development of a character in a short story.
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D.04. Identify and analyze poetic devices (e.g., meter, rhyme, imagery).
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D.05. Interpret the meaning and themes of a poem.
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D.06. Compare and contrast the themes and techniques in different short stories or poems.
E. Analyzing Informational Texts
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E.01. Identify the main idea and supporting details in an informational text.
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E.02. Trace the development of ideas in an informational passage.
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E.03. Analyze the author’s use of evidence to support claims.
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E.04. Identify and analyze different types of persuasive techniques (e.g., ethos, pathos, logos).
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E.05. Evaluate the credibility and bias of an informational text.
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E.06. Analyze the effectiveness of rhetorical strategies in historical texts.
F. Analyzing Novels (To Kill a Mockingbird)
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F.01. Identify key themes and characters in To Kill a Mockingbird.
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F.02. Analyze character development in To Kill a Mockingbird.
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F.03. Analyze the use of setting and symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird.
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F.04. Analyze the author’s use of narrative voice and point of view.
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F.05. Evaluate the novel’s social and historical context.
G. Analyzing Nonfiction (Night)
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G.01. Identify key themes and events in Night.
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G.02. Analyze the author’s use of tone and style in conveying experience.
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G.03. Evaluate the author’s use of imagery and figurative language.
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G.04. Analyze the impact of historical context on the narrative.
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G.05. Discuss the ethical and moral implications of the events described in the book.
H. Business Documents
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H.01. Identify the purpose and audience of workplace emails and memos.
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H.02. Summarize key information from business letters and notices.
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H.03. Analyze the format and structure of different business documents.
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H.04. Evaluate the clarity and effectiveness of business communication.
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H.05. Apply principles of business writing in composing emails and memos.
I. Graphic Organizers
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I.01. Interpret information presented in various graphic organizers.
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I.02. Use graphic organizers to analyze and synthesize information from texts.
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I.03. Create graphic organizers to represent information from texts.
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I.04. Evaluate the effectiveness of different types of graphic organizers for different purposes.
J. Organizing Writing
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J.01. Order topics logically from broadest to narrowest.
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J.02. Organize information using different methods (e.g., chronological, topical).
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J.03. Create outlines to organize ideas for writing.
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J.04. Use transitions effectively to connect ideas within a paragraph or essay.
K. Topic Sentences and Thesis Statements
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K.01. Identify the topic sentence in a paragraph.
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K.02. Write effective topic sentences that clearly state the main idea.
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K.03. Identify a thesis statement in an essay.
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K.04. Write a clear and concise thesis statement that outlines the main argument.
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K.05. Analyze how a thesis statement guides the development of an essay.
L. Developing and Supporting Arguments
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L.01. Distinguish between facts and opinions.
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L.02. Identify evidence that supports a claim.
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L.03. Evaluate the quality and relevance of evidence.
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L.04. Analyze how evidence supports a claim.
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L.05. Identify and evaluate counterclaims.
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L.06. Construct logical arguments using claims, evidence, and analysis.
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L.07. Use transition words and phrases to connect claims, evidence, and analysis.
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L.08. Identify common logical fallacies.
M. Persuasive Strategies
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M.01. Identify appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in persuasive texts.
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M.02. Analyze the effectiveness of different persuasive techniques.
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M.03. Use appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in persuasive writing.
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M.04. Evaluate the ethical implications of persuasive techniques.
N. Creative Techniques
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N.01. Use personification effectively in writing.
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N.02. Explore other figurative language techniques to enhance writing.
O. Writing Clearly and Concisely
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O.01. Use transitions with conjunctive adverbs correctly.
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O.02. Avoid double, illogical, and unclear comparisons.
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O.03. Identify sentences with parallel structure.
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O.04. Use parallel structure to create clear and concise sentences.
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O.05. Remove redundant words or phrases to improve conciseness.
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O.06. Edit writing for clarity, conciseness, and precision.
P. Active and Passive Voice
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P.01. Identify active and passive voice in sentences.
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P.02. Rewrite sentences from passive to active voice.
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P.03. Understand the stylistic implications of using active vs. passive voice.
Q. Editing and Revising
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Q.01. Use the correct frequently confused word (e.g., their, there, they’re).
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Q.02. Identify and correct errors with frequently confused words.
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Q.03. Identify and correct errors with frequently confused pronouns and contractions.
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Q.04. Correct errors with commonly misspelled words.
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Q.05. Correct errors in punctuation and grammar.
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Q.06. Suggest appropriate revisions to improve clarity, coherence, and style.
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Q.07. Apply editing and revision strategies to improve the overall quality of writing.
R. Research Skills (MLA 8th-9th Editions)
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R.01. Understand the components of a Works Cited entry.
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R.02. Recognize the different parts of a Works Cited entry.
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R.03. Use in-text citations correctly.
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R.04. Identify plagiarism and understand its consequences.
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R.05. Evaluate the credibility and reliability of sources.
S. Prefixes and Suffixes
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S.01. Identify common prefixes and suffixes.
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S.02. Use prefixes and suffixes to determine word meanings.
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S.03. Apply knowledge of prefixes and suffixes to expand vocabulary.
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S.04. Use context clues to determine the meaning of words with prefixes and suffixes.
T. Greek and Latin Roots
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T.01. Identify common Greek and Latin roots.
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T.02. Use Greek and Latin roots to determine word meanings.
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T.03. Analyze the etymology of words to understand their meanings.
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T.04. Explain how knowledge of roots expands vocabulary understanding.
U. Homophones
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U.01. Use the correct homophone in context.
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U.02. Identify and correct errors involving homophones.
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U.03. Explain the difference in meaning between homophones.
V. Foreign Words and Expressions
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V.01. Use etymologies to determine word meanings.
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V.02. Use context clues to understand foreign expressions.
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V.03. Use foreign words and expressions appropriately in writing.
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V.04. Research the origins and meanings of foreign words and expressions.
W. Word Choice and Usage
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W.01. Choose words with precise connotations and denotations.
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W.02. Use a thesaurus effectively to find synonyms.
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W.03. Evaluate the appropriateness of word choice in different contexts.
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W.04. Analyze the impact of word choice on tone and meaning.
X. Analogies
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X.01. Solve analogies based on relationships between words.
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X.02. Create analogies to demonstrate understanding of word relationships.
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X.03. Analyze complex analogies involving multiple relationships.
Y. Context Clues
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Y.01. Determine word meanings using synonyms in context.
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Y.02. Determine word meanings using antonyms in context.
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Y.03. Use context clues to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words.
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Y.04. Explain different types of context clues.
Z. Reference Skills
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Z.01. Use dictionary entries effectively.
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Z.02. Use thesaurus entries effectively to find synonyms and antonyms.
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Z.03. Evaluate the reliability and usefulness of different reference sources.
AA. Sentences, Fragments, and Run-ons
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AA.01. Identify declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences.
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AA.02. Identify sentence fragments.
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AA.03. Identify run-on sentences.
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AA.04. Correct sentence fragments and run-on sentences using appropriate punctuation.
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AA.05. Explain the grammatical rules governing sentence structure.
BB. Phrases and Clauses
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BB.01. Distinguish between phrases and clauses.
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BB.02. Identify prepositional phrases.
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BB.03. Identify appositives and appositive phrases.
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BB.04. Identify dependent and independent clauses.
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BB.05. Identify simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.
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BB.06. Combine sentences using relative clauses to create more complex sentences.
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BB.07. Analyze the function of different types of phrases and clauses within a sentence.
CC. Nouns
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CC.01. Form and use plurals of nouns, including irregular plurals.
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CC.02. Form and use plurals of compound nouns.
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CC.03. Identify different types of nouns (e.g., common, proper, concrete, abstract).
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CC.04. Understand the grammatical function of nouns in sentences.
DD. Pronouns
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DD.01. Identify and correct errors with subject and object pronouns.
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DD.02. Use pronouns correctly after “than” and “as”.
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DD.03. Use relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) correctly.
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DD.04. Identify and correct vague pronoun references.
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DD.05. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.
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DD.06. Explain the rules governing pronoun usage.
EE. Verb Types
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EE.01. Identify transitive and intransitive verbs.
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EE.02. Identify linking verbs, predicate adjectives, and predicate nouns.
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EE.03. Identify participles and gerunds and their functions in sentences.
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EE.04. Identify infinitives and infinitive phrases and their functions.
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EE.05. Analyze how different verb types contribute to sentence structure and meaning.
FF. Subject-Verb Agreement
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FF.01. Identify and correct errors with subject-verb agreement in simple sentences.
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FF.02. Identify and correct errors with subject-verb agreement in complex sentences.
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FF.03. Identify and correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement.
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FF.04. Identify and correct verb agreement with compound subjects.
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FF.05. Explain the rules governing subject-verb agreement.
GG. Verb Tense and Mood
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GG.01. Form the progressive verb tenses (present, past, future).
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GG.02. Form the perfect verb tenses (present, past, future).
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GG.03. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
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GG.04. Identify the verb mood (indicative, imperative, subjunctive).
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GG.05. Correct errors with verb mood.
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GG.06. Understand the use of verb tense and mood to convey meaning and time.
HH. Adjectives and Adverbs
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HH.01. Choose between adjectives and adverbs correctly.
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HH.02. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives.
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HH.03. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs.
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HH.04. Understand the grammatical function of adjectives and adverbs.
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HH.05. Analyze how adjectives and adverbs modify meaning.
II. Conjunctions
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II.01. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions.
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II.02. Identify and use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions correctly.
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II.03. Understand the role of conjunctions in sentence structure.
JJ. Misplaced Modifiers
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JJ.01. Identify misplaced modifiers.
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JJ.02. Correct misplaced and dangling modifiers.
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JJ.03. Understand the grammatical rules governing modifier placement.
KK. Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Elements
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KK.01. Distinguish between restrictive and nonrestrictive elements.
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KK.02. Use commas correctly with restrictive and nonrestrictive elements.
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KK.03. Understand the impact of punctuation on meaning.
LL. Commas
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LL.01. Use commas correctly with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, interrupters, and antithetical phrases.
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LL.02. Use commas correctly with series, dates, and places.
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LL.03. Use commas correctly with compound and complex sentences.
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LL.04. Use commas correctly with coordinate adjectives.
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LL.05. Explain the rules governing comma usage.
MM. Semicolons, Colons, and Commas
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MM.01. Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses.
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MM.02. Use semicolons, colons, and commas with lists.
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MM.03. Explain the differences in usage between semicolons, colons, and commas.
NN. Dashes, Hyphens, and Ellipses
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NN.01. Use dashes correctly for parenthetical expressions and abrupt breaks.
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NN.02. Use hyphens correctly in compound adjectives.
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NN.03. Use ellipses correctly to indicate omitted words or sentences.
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NN.04. Explain the appropriate usage of dashes, hyphens and ellipses.
OO. Apostrophes
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OO.01. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns.
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OO.02. Identify and correct errors with compound and joint possession.
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OO.03. Explain the rules governing apostrophe usage.
PP. Capitalization
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PP.01. Correct capitalization errors in sentences and titles.
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PP.02. Understand the rules of capitalization.
QQ. Formatting
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QQ.01. Format quotations and dialogue correctly.
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QQ.02. Capitalize and format titles correctly.
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QQ.03. Understand and apply formatting conventions.
