English 30

 

INTRODUCTION There are two basic aims of senior high school English language arts. 

 Alberta Curriculum for English  

Diploma Exam Info. 

Q: How do I prepare for an English 30 diploma?

A: The most effective way to prepare for your diploma examination is to be actively involved in all aspects of your English Language Arts 30 classroom experience. Use every opportunity in your coursework to develop effective reading, writing, and communication skills.


What is English 30 2 in Alberta?

English Language Arts 30-2 - ELA 3105

Study a novel, short stories, poetry, drama, and a feature film. Evaluate TV news, advertisements, and cartoons. Represent your ideas visually or through class presentations. Learn the skills needed to pass the provincial diploma examination.   


The following novels are available to 30-2 students: 

Keeper'n Me

by Richard Wagamese

When Garnet Raven was three years old, he was taken from his home on an Ojibway Indian reserve and placed in a series of foster homes. Having reached his mid-teens, he escapes at the first available opportunity, only to find himself cast adrift on the streets of the big city.

Having skirted the urban underbelly once too often by age 20, he finds himself thrown in jail. While there, he gets a surprise letter from his long-forgotten Indigenous family. The sudden communication from his past spurs him to return to the reserve following his release from jail. Deciding to stay awhile, his life is changed completely as he comes to discover his sense of place, and of self. While on the reserve, Garnet is initiated into the ways of the Ojibway — both ancient and modern — by Keeper, a friend of his grandfather, and last fount of history about his people's ways. (From Anchor Canada)

Tuesdays with Morrie

by Mitch Albom

First published in 1997, Tuesday's with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson, is a nonfiction memoir that describes author Mitch Albom's visits to a beloved college professor who is dying of Lou Gehrig's disease, and the lessons he learns there. 

Medicine River

Novel by Thomas King

When Will returns to Medicine River, he thinks he is simply attending his mother’s funeral. He doesn’t count on Harlen Bigbear and his unique brand of community planning. Harlen tries to sell Will on the idea of returning to Medicine River to open a shop as the town’s only Native photographer. Somehow, that’s exactly what happens.

Through Will’s gentle and humorous narrative, we come to know Medicine River, a small Albertan town bordering a Blackfoot reserve. And we meet its people: the basketball team; Louise Heavy man and her daughter, South Wing; Martha Old Crow, the marriage doctor; Joe Bigbear, Harlen’s world-traveling, storytelling…

What is English 30 1 in Alberta?

Prerequisite: A 65% minimum final mark in English 20-1, or 65% minimum in English 30-2 on teacher recommendation. This diploma-level course is the third and final course of a program designed for students intending to pursue further academic studies at the university level.  

This course concentrates on the six communication skills: speaking, writing, reading, listening, viewing, and representing. Being an online course, there will be less emphasis on speaking, however, the student will develop greater English skills, especially in reading and writing through the study of the short story, the novel, poetry, a Shakespearean play, and a modern drama. Emphasis throughout the course of the study is on critical analysis. 


The following novels are available to 30-1 students: 


Some Examples of Available Novel Studies 30-1

Broken Circle by Theodore Fontaine

The Handmaid's Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian novel set in a version of the United States that has been overthrown by religious fundamentalists. In what was once most likely Massachusetts, under the militaristic regime of the Republic of Gilead, women no longer have civil rights or autonomy. 

Truth and Bright Water

Novel by Thomas King

The book follows the relationship between two boys, narrator Tecumseh and Lum, and the story, set in motion by a mystery, takes place among Blackfoot Indians living on the U.S./Canadian border in two towns separated by the Shield river (Truth is in Montana, and Bright Water is on an Ottawa Indian reservation). 


 ELA 30-1

One of the following Shakespeare texts:

Every school does different novels, but Alberta Ed did produce an authorized novel list for each grade/course in 2005.

You can see the specific novels they recommend for 30-1.

select the link on the right

Here are a few suggestions for texts

There is no set reading list for ELA 30-1 

... and at least two of the following texts:

... and watch at least two of the following films/dramatic pieces: