English Language Arts

Tierra Adentro, and arts charter school, offers Common Core aligned curriculum through the Humanities department. The English Language Arts courses are vertically-aligned and focus on four common areas: reading comprehension, speaking and listening, language use, and writing. TANM also employs TESOL endorsed teachers that are qualified to provide ELL students with proper accommodations. Students 10th-12th grade may also have the opportunity to enroll in Dual Credit courses.

English 1- 9th Grade

English-9 emphasizes skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students review grammar, mechanics, usage, sentence structure, and paragraph development in their writing. In English 9 the student surveys the underpinning elements of various types of literature from around the world. The student recognizes and understands the concepts of theme, plot, characterization, point of view, explores various genres and the unique characteristics of each (e.g. the oral tradition, poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction, drama, the novel) and reads numerous selections by a wide variety of authors. Regardless of the approach(es) used, the student applies critical thinking skills through reading, speaking, viewing and listening strands of language arts, through writing and research and through the use of technology as a learning tool.

English 2- 10th Grade

Prerequisite: Successful completion of English 9 (or substitute).

In English 10, the student surveys and samples a wide variety of multi-cultural literatures from diverse authors, various time periods, and various genres. The student studies and considers a broad spectrum of themes and perspectives from around the globe and makes connections to his or her own ancestry and to the ancestry of other peoples of the world. Regardless of the approach(es) used, the student applies critical thinking skills through reading, speaking, viewing and listening strands of language arts, through writing and research and through the use of technology as a learning tool. Students begin to focus on presentation of ideas and publication of written works.

English 3- 11th Grade

Prerequisite: Successful completion of English 10 (or substitute).
In English 11, the student surveys selections from the literary history of America using a particular approach designed by the teacher and supported with appropriate instructional materials. With a chronological approach, the student surveys selected samples from the Colonial Period (1607-1765) to the Post-Modern Period (1970 –Present) including political and social history and literary movements within each period. With a thematic approach, the student surveys selections of American literature across time grouped by themes, (e.g., Struggle for Independence, the

American Dream, Individual Thought and Action). With a genre approach, the student surveys various time periods and themes in American literature through selected genre across time periods (e.g., early journals, poetry, verse, sermons, oratory, short stories, novels, and plays). With a humanities or interdisciplinary approach, the student makes connections to corresponding time periods and themes through the study of U.S. History and/or other subject areas. Regardless of the approach(es) used, the student applies critical thinking skills through reading, speaking, viewing and listening strands of language arts, through writing and research, and through the use of technology as a learning tool.

English 4- 12th Grade

Prerequisite: Successful completion of English 11 (or substitute)

In English 12, the students applies all the various skill’s built from the previous years. Students participate in many real-world application units including: mock trial, interviewing with local business leaders, and school- wide speech presentations. Regardless of the approach(es) used, the student applies critical thinking skills through reading, speaking, viewing and listening strands of language arts, through writing and research (50% of the course) and through the use of technology as a learning tool. One half of the course work is devoted to composition.