City of Angels School Independent Study Los Angeles Unified School District Contemporary Composition Instructional Guide This is the instructional guide for the course that covers one semester of the eleventh grade required English Language Development reading, writing, and speaking curriculum. The other semester requirements for eleventh grade ELD are covered by the American Literature and Composition course. Content This course provides students opportunities to increase awareness of the audience, purpose, and progression of the stages of the writing process and writing conventions to produce narrative, persuasive, expository, and descriptive texts. Standards The following state content standards for English Language Development are covered in this course: Reading: Grade 12: R 2.1 R 2.4; R 3.2 and R 3.8 Writing: Grade 12: W 1.1 W 1.6, W. 1.9, W 2.1, W 2.3, W 2.4 Listening and Speaking: Grade 12: LS 1.4, SA 2.1, SA 2.2, SA 2.3, SA 2.4 A complete text of the state content standards for English Language Development can be obtained by going to http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/. Textbook Glencoe Writer s Choice: Grammar and Composition Assignments and Grades Student course work will be rated using the following breakdown: A 90-100% B 80-89% C 70-79% D 60-69% F 0-59%
ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK #1: Personal Writing (Unit 1) 1. Read Unit 1: Writing in the Real World, pages 4-6. 2. Read Lesson 1.1: Writing to Discover. 4. Read Lesson 1.3: Writing to Learn. 6. Read Lesson 1.5: Writing a College Application Essay. 8. Read any other lesson of your choice in Unit 1. 1. What vivid details did you use when writing about a personal episode (Lesson 1.1)? 2. Give an example of an incorrect pronoun shift. 3. What was one question that you came up with in your learning log (Lesson 1.3) about a school subject that you re having difficulty with? 4. Give an example of inconsistent verb tense. 5. What details did you use to emphasize a point you were making in your college application essay (Lesson 1.5). 6. Differentiate between a comma and a semi-colon. Revised 8/20/13 #130312 http://www.lausd.net/city_of_angels/igs.html Page 2 of 8
ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK #2: The Writing Process (Unit 2) 1. Read Unit 2: Writing in the Real World, pages 48-50. 2. Read Lesson 2.1: Writing: A Five-Stage Process. 4. Read Lesson 2.2: Prewriting: Finding Ideas. 6. Read Lesson 2.3: Prewriting: Questioning to Explore a Topic. 8. Read Lesson 2.6: Drafting: Achieving Unity. 1. Identify the five stages of the Writing Process (Lesson 2.1). 2. Explain why the word good is used incorrectly in the following sentence: He did good on the test. 3. Correct the error in the following sentence: It s paint is faded due to overexposure to sunlight. 4. Give an example of one creative and one analytical question that you used to explore your topic (Lesson 2.3). 5. Around what thesis statement did you unify your draft? (Lesson 2.6). 6. Give an example of a sentence in which a pronoun does not agree with its antecedent. Revised 8/20/13 #130312 http://www.lausd.net/city_of_angels/igs.html Page 3 of 8
ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK #3: Descriptive Writing (Unit 3) 1. Read Unit 3: Writing in the Real World, pages 124-126. 2. Read Lesson 3.2: Using Sensory Details. 4. Read Lesson 3.3: Creating a Mood. 6. Read Lesson 3.5: Describing an Event. 8. Read any other lesson of your choice in Unit 3. 1. Cite a sensory detail you used in your description of a community site (Lesson 3.2). 2. Give an example of a double negative in a sentence. 3. Rephrase your answer to #2 by eliminating the double negative. 4. What were two vantage points you used in your news story? (Lesson 3.5) 5. Add a restrictive and nonrestrictive clause to the following sentence: The runner raced across the finish line. Revised 8/20/13 #130312 http://www.lausd.net/city_of_angels/igs.html Page 4 of 8
ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK #4: Narrative Writing (Unit 4) 1. Read Unit 4: Writing in the Real World, pages 168-170. 2. Read Lesson 4.1: Characters in Biographical Narratives. 4. Read Lesson 4.2: Writing a Biographical Sketch. 6. Read Lesson 4.3: Structuring the Long Narrative. 8. Read either Lesson 4.4 or 4.5. 1. What link did you establish in your narrative (Lesson 4.1) between the situation you described and your interpretation of character. 2. Correct the following sentence: Aunt Lisa knew everyone s name. 3. How did you narrow your subject in the biographical sketch (Lesson 4.2)? 4. Punctuate the nonrestrictive participle in the following sentence: Tim rushing to the men s restroom finally arrived at the school. 5. Cite three events in the chronological timeline you prepared for your biographical narrative (Lesson 4.3). 6. Insert quotation marks in the following sentence: President Kennedy said, Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. Revised 8/20/13 #130312 http://www.lausd.net/city_of_angels/igs.html Page 5 of 8
ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK #5: Expository Writing (Unit 5) 1. Read Unit 5: Writing in the Real World, pages 210-212. 2. Read Lesson 5.1: Writing Expository Paragraphs. 4. Read Lesson 5.2: Explaining a Process. 6. Read Lesson 5.3: Analyzing Cause-and-Effect Connections. 8. Read any other lesson of your choice in Unit 5. 1. What is expository writing? 2. Cite a transitional word you used to clarify relationships between ideas in your expository paragraph (Lesson 5.1). 3. In your assignment on explaining a process (Lesson 5.2), how did you adapt your explanation to the knowledge level of your audience? 4. Rephrase the following sentence to remove the dangling modifier: After sitting in the refrigerator for over a year, he finally removed the rotting cheese. 5. Cite the cause and effect relationship you wrote about in Lesson 5.3. (You should have at least two causes. 6. Rephrase the following sentence to correct mistakes in verb tenses: Teresa dived into the pool and swims to the other side. Revised 8/20/13 #130312 http://www.lausd.net/city_of_angels/igs.html Page 6 of 8
ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK #6: Persuasive Writing (Unit 6) 1. Read Unit 6: Writing in the Real World, pages 266-268. 2. Read Lesson 6.1: Stating Your Case. 4. Read Lesson 6.2: Sifting Fact from Opinion. 6. Read Lesson 6.4: Inductive and Deductive Reasoning. 8. Read Lesson 6.5: Recognizing Logical Fallacies. 1. In your persuasive note (Lesson 6.1), how did you organize your supporting evidence in decreasing or increasing order of importance? 2. Rephrase the following sentence to remove any unnecessary commas or capital letters: Popular Tourist Attractions in Florida include, Disney World, Palm Beach, and the Everglades. 3. List three facts you used to support your argument in the opposing editorial you wrote (Lesson 6.2). 4. Which form of the verb in parentheses correctly completes this sentence: The basketball team (depends/depend) upon one another for inspiration during their grueling season. 5. Differentiate between inductive and deductive reasoning. 6. Cite one logical fallacy in the telegram (Lesson 6.5). Revised 8/20/13 #130312 http://www.lausd.net/city_of_angels/igs.html Page 7 of 8
ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK #7: Research Paper Writing (Unit 7) 1. Read Lesson 7.1: Prewriting: Planning and Researching. 2. Complete both Writing Activities: Skills Practice and Your Research Paper. 3. Read Lesson 7.2: Prewriting: Developing an Outline. 4. Complete both Writing Activities: Skills Practice and Your Research Paper. 5. Read Lesson 7.3: Drafting. 6. Complete both Writing Activities: Skills Practice and Your Research Paper. 7. Read Lesson 7.4: Citing Sources. 8. Complete both Writing Activities: Skills Practice and Your Research Paper. 9. Read Lesson 7.5: Revising. 10. Complete both Writing Activities: Skills Practice and Your Research Paper. 11. Read Lesson 7.6: Editing and Presenting a Model Paper. 12. Complete both Writing Activities: Skills Practice and Your Research Paper. ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK #8: Sentence Combining 1. Read Style Through Sentence Combining, pages 360-363. 2. Complete Lesson 8.1: Description Exercises A-D. 3. Complete Lesson 8.2: Narration Exercises A-D. 4. Complete Lesson 8.3: Exposition Exercises A-D. 5. Complete Lesson 8.4: Persuasion Exercises A-D. 6. Complete Lesson 8.5: Literature Exercises A-B. :. Revised 8/20/13 #130312 http://www.lausd.net/city_of_angels/igs.html Page 8 of 8