Reading

Standard 1:

The student uses the reading process effectively. (LA.A.1.4)

1. selects and uses prereading strategies that are appropriate to the text, such as discussion, making predictions, brainstorming, generating questions, and previewing, to anticipate content, purpose, and organization of a reading selection.

2. selects and uses strategies to understand words and text, and to make and confirm inferences from what is read, including interpreting diagrams, graphs, and statistical illustrations.

3. refines vocabulary for interpersonal, academic, and workplace situations, including figurative, idiomatic, and technical meanings.

4. applies a variety of response strategies, including rereading, note taking, summarizing, outlining, writing a formal report, and relating what is read to his or her own experiences and feelings.

Standard 2:

The student constructs meaning from a wide range of texts. (LA.A.2.4)

1. determines the main idea and identifies relevant details, methods of development, and their effectiveness in a variety of types of written material.

2. determines the author’s purpose and point of view and their effects on the text.

3. describes and evaluates personal preferences regarding fiction and nonfiction.

4. locates, gathers, analyzes, and evaluates written information for a variety of purposes, including research projects, real-world tasks, and self-improvement.

5. identifies devices of persuasion and methods of appeal and their effectiveness.

6. selects and uses appropriate study and research skills and tools according to the type of information being gathered or organized, including almanacs, government publications, microfiche, news sources, and information services.

7. analyzes the validity and reliability of primary source information and uses the information appropriately.

8. synthesizes information from multiple sources to draw conclusions.

Writing

Standard 1:

The student uses writing processes effectively. (LA.B.1.4)

1. selects and uses appropriate prewriting strategies, such as brainstorming, graphic organizers, and outlines.

2. drafts and revises writing that: is focused, purposeful, and reflects insight into the writing situation; has an organizational pattern that provides for a logical progression of ideas; has effective use of transitional devices that contribute to a sense of completeness; has support that is substantial, specific, relevant, and concrete; demonstrates a commitment to and involvement with the subject; uses creative writing strategies as appropriate to the purposes of the paper; demonstrates a mature command of language with freshness of expression; has varied sentence structure; has few, if any, convention errors in mechanics, usage,  punctuation, and spelling.

3. produces final documents that have been edited for: correct spelling; correct punctuation, including commas, colons, and common use of semicolons; correct capitalization; correct sentence formation; correct instances of possessives, subject/verb agreement, instances of noun/pronoun agreement, and the intentional use of fragments for effect; and correct formatting that appeals to readers, including appropriate use of a variety of graphics, tables, charts, and illustrations in both standard and innovative forms.

Standard 2:

The student writes to communicate ideas and information effectively. (LA.B.2.4)

1. writes text, notes, outlines, comments, and observations that demonstrate comprehension and synthesis of content, processes, and experiences from a variety of media.

2. organizes information using appropriate systems.

3. writes fluently for a variety of occasions, audiences, and purposes, making appropriate choices regarding style, tone, level of detail, and organization.

4. selects and uses a variety of electronic media, such as the Internet, information services, and desktop publishing software programs, to create, revise, retrieve, and verify information.

Listening, Viewing, and Speaking

Standard 1:

The student uses listening strategies effectively. (LA.C.1.4)

1. selects and uses appropriate listening strategies according to the intended purpose, such as solving problems, interpreting and evaluating the techniques and intent of a presentation, and taking action in career-related situations.

2. describes, evaluates, and expands personal preferences in listening to fiction, drama, literary nonfiction, and informational presentations.

3. uses effective strategies for informal and formal discussions, including listening actively and reflectively, connecting to and building on the ideas of a previous speaker, and respecting the viewpoints of others.

4. identifies bias, prejudice, or propaganda in oral messages.

Standard 2:

The student uses viewing strategies effectively. (LA.C.2.4)

1. determines main concept and supporting details in order to analyze and evaluate nonprint media messages.

2. understands factors that influence the effectiveness of nonverbal cues used in nonprint media, such as the viewer’s past experiences and preferences, and the context in which the cues are presented.

Standard 3:

The student uses speaking strategies effectively. (LA.C.3.4)

1. uses volume, stress, pacing, enunciation, eye contact, and gestures that meet the needs of the audience and topic.

2. selects and uses a variety of speaking strategies to clarify meaning and to reflect understanding, interpretation, application, and evaluation of content, processes, or experiences, including asking relevant questions when necessary, making appropriate and meaningful comments, and making insightful observations.

3. uses details, illustrations, analogies, and visual aids to make oral presentations that inform, persuade, or entertain.

4. applies oral communication skills to interviews, group presentations, formal presentations, and impromptu situations.

5. develops and sustains a line of argument and provides appropriate support.

Literature

Standard 1:

The student understands the common features of a variety of literary forms. (LA.E.1.4)

1. identifies the characteristics that distinguish literary forms.

2. understands why certain literary works are considered classics.

3. identifies universal themes prevalent in the literature of all cultures.

4. understands the characteristics of major types of drama.

5. understands the different stylistic, thematic, and technical qualities present in the literature of different cultures and historical periods.

Standard 2:

The student responds critically to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. (LA.E.2.4)

1. analyzes the effectiveness of complex elements of plot, such as setting, major events, problems, conflicts, and resolutions.

2. understands the relationships between and among elements of literature, including characters, plot, setting, tone, point of view, and theme.

3. analyzes poetry for the ways in which poets inspire the reader to share emotions, such as the use of imagery, personification, and figures of speech, including simile and metaphor; and the use of sound, such  as rhyme, rhythm, repetition, and alliteration.

4. understands the use of images and sounds to elicit the reader’s emotions in both fiction and nonfiction.

5. analyzes the relationships among author’s style, literary form, and intended impact on the reader.

6. recognizes and explains those elements in texts that prompt a personal response, such as connections between one’s own life and the characters, events, motives, and causes of conflict in texts.

7. examines a literary selection from several critical perspectives.

8. knows that people respond differently to texts based on their background knowledge, purpose, and point of view.

Skills and Techniques

Standard 1:

The student acts by developing, communicating, and sustaining characters in improvisation and formal or informal productions. (TH.A.1.4)

1. uses classical, contemporary, and vocal acting techniques and methods to portray the physical, emotional, and social dimensions of characters from various genres and media.

Standard 2:

The student directs by interpreting dramatic texts and organizing and conducting rehearsals for formal and informal productions. (TH.A.2.4)

1. uses unified production concepts and techniques (e.g., auditioning, directing, producing, and scheduling) for various media (e.g., theatre, film, television, and electronic media).

Standard 3:

The student designs, conceptualizes, and interprets formal and informal productions. (TH.A.3.4)

1. uses scientific and technological advances to develop visual and aural staging elements that complement the interpretation of a text.

2. understands the technical (physical and chemical) aspects of theatre production to safely create  properties, sound, costumes, and makeup.

3. designs, implements, and integrates all sound effects into the production concept.

4. understands all technical elements used to influence the meaning of the drama.

Creation and Communication

Standard 1:

The student improvises, writes, and refines scripts based on heritage, imagination, literature, history, and personal experiences. (TH.B.1.4)

1. understands how actors, directors, and designers create and refine dialogue and stage directions that convey the playwright’s intent.

Cultural and Historical Connections

Standard 1:

The student understands context by analyzing the role of theatre, film, television, and electronic media in the past and present. (TH.C.1.4)

1. understands cultural and historical influences on dramatic forms (e.g., theatre, film, and television).

2. understands how the development of theatrical forms and production practices are used to discover symbolic clues in dramatic texts.

Aesthetic and Critical Analysis

Standard 1:

The student analyzes, criticizes, and constructs meaning from formal and informal theatre, film, television, and electronic media. (TH.D.1.4)

1. compares the artistic content as described by playwrights, actors, designers, and/or directors with the final artistic product.

2. understands allegoric and symbolic references in plays.

3. understands theatrical performances from the perspective of current personal, national, and international issues, through the evaluation of artistic choices in film, television, and electronic media (e.g., different depictions of the story of Aladdin).

Applications to Life

Standard 1:

The student understands applications of the role of theatre, film, television, and electronic media in everyday life. (TH.E.1.4)

1. understands how to use various arts media to enhance communication in theatrical productions.

2. understands the reasons for personal and audience reactions to theatre from various cultures and time periods (e.g., French farce, Greek tragedy, and Japanese Noh).

3. understands the pertinent skills necessary to pursue theatre careers and avocational opportunities in theatre (e.g., production skills for managing, administering, organizing, publishing, accounting, and marketing).

4. understands the necessity of goal-setting, self-discipline, punctuality, meeting deadlines, and fulfilling responsibilities when mounting a theatrical production.

5. recognizes the significant works and major contributions of major playwrights, performers, designers, directors, and producers in American theatre.