Ridgefield Public Schools

High School - Grade 10 English

Standards: Connecticut has adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as the Connecticut State Standards (CSS). Standards are listed for each unit. Priority standards are listed with and asterisk(*).

Established Goals: Examine how perspective and social constructs affect the evolving self in society.

The units below reflect the learning objectives for Grade 10 students and the texts used to accomplish those objectives. Each unit is completed in one quarter of the school year and includes one core text and related supplemental texts (College-prep: 2 additional texts; Honors - 4 additional texts). There is no specific order to the texts covered. Additional texts may added to complete the curriculum based on student learning needs and interests.

All students are required to complete a "Research Project" which is connected to one of the year's four units. Teachers also meet with students in individual writing conferences.

Standards Quick Link ->

Grade 10 English Standards

Research Project

BIG IDEAS

How does an individual’s perspective alter one’s reality?
How do specific social constructs challenge the individual?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

To what extend do the opinions of others influence an individual’s perspective of reality?
How does the examination of multiple perspectives shape an individual’s truth?
To what extent do specific social constructs define an individual?
To what extent do specific social constructs challenge an individual?
How does an individual reconcile his/her beliefs with the beliefs of others?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2*, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1*, 1b, 2, 2b-e, 3, 3c, 7

Reading for Information: RI.9-10.1*, 2, 6, 8, 9

Language: L.9-10.1*, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4a*, 5

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

how to select relevant sources and will understand when sources are not relevant or scholarly.
how to use NoodleTools to build a bibliography, note cards, and an outline.
how to use online Databases and other digital sources to find information.
MLA style and how it applies to parenthetical citations and Work Cited lists.
the difference between paraphrased versus directly quoted information and when to use each and why.
how to synthesize source material to develop a unique claim.
how to embed sources gracefully into their writing.
what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

select relevant sources and determine which sources support their claim.
use Noodletools.
manipulate on-line Databases and other digital sources.
utilize MLA style.
distinguish between paraphrased and directly quoted information and use each appropriately.
synthesize source material to develop a unique and cohesive plan and claim.
embed sources into their writing.
recognize plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Frankenstein (by Mary Shelley)

BIG IDEAS

How does an individual make choices?
Should an individual feel obligated to make sacrifices for the greater good?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How do the people in an individual’s life influence the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual justify the choices he/she makes?
How do we define sacrifice and what does it mean to make a personal sacrifice for the greater good?
How does an individual make decisions and choices that define his/her life and the lives of others?
How does an individual reconcile his/her sacrifice when considering the effect it will have on others?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1*, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1*, 1d, 2, 2b-e, 3, 3b, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, 1a*, 1c, 1d

Language: L.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 4c*, 5

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

how narrative voice functions within the work to develop meaning.
how narrative structure contributes to understanding.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

analyze author’s craft and how it explores implications of character development.
compare different narrative voices and their impact on the reader’s understanding.
analyze the personal conflicts that determine multiple character’s choices.

MacBeth (by William Shakespeare)

BIG IDEAS

How does an individual make choices?
How does an individual’s perspective alter one’s reality?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How do the people in an individual’s life influence the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual justify the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual make decisions and choices that define his/her life and the lives of others?
How does an individual distinguish between his/her reality and a larger truth?
To what extent do the opinions of others influence an individual’s perspective of reality?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2, 3*, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1, 2*, 2b-e, 3, 3b, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, 1a, 1c, 1d, 3*, 4

Language: L.9-10.1, 1a*, 2, 3, 4, 5

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

how an author develops complex characters.
elements of drama.
use of blank verse.
internal and external conflict.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

analyze author’s craft and how it explores implications of character development.
analyze the personal conflicts that determine multiple character’s choices.

Fahrenheit 451 (by Ray Bradbury)

BIG IDEAS

How do specific social constructs challenge the individual?
How does an individual’s perspective alter one’s reality?
Should an individual feel obligated to make sacrifices for the greater good?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How do the people in an individual’s life influence the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual justify the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual make decisions and choices that define his/her life and the lives of others?
How does an individual distinguish between his/her reality and a larger truth?
To what extent do the opinions of others influence an individual’s perspective of reality?
Who decides what the greater good is?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9*

Writing: W.9-10.1, 1d*, 2, 2b-e, 3, 3b, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, 1a, 1c*, 1d, 3, 4

Language: L.9-10.1, 1b*, 2, 3, 4, 5

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

how historical context affects individuals and how it helps develop the setting and conflicts experienced by the narrator.
how people encounter flaws within their social structure and institutions and the extent to which an individual is able to reconcile him/herself to his/her community.
what a social construct is.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

analyze author’s craft and how it explores implications of character development.
analyze the personal conflicts that determine multiple character’s choices.
identify literary allusions and understand how they further develop various themes.

The Bean Trees (by Barbara Kingsolver)

BIG IDEAS

How does an individual make choices?
How does an individual’s perspective of reality alter one’s reality?
How do specific social constructs challenge the individual?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How does an individual’s environment affect the choices he/she makes?
To what extent do the opinions of others influence an individual’s perspective of reality?
To what extent do specific social constructs define an individual?
How does an individual reconcile his/her beliefs with the beliefs of others?
What role does empathy play in the evolution of an individual in conflict with his/her society?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2*, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1, 1b*, 2, 2b-e, 3, 3b, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, 1a, 1c*, 1d, 3, 4

Language: L.9-10.1, 1a, 1c, 1d*, 2, 3, 4

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

how socioeconomic and historical context affects individuals and how it helps develop the setting and conflicts experienced by the narrator
how people encounter flaws within their social structure and institutions and the extent to which an individual is able to reconcile him/herself to his/her community

...what a social construct is

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

analyze author’s craft and how it explores implications of character development .
analyze the personal conflicts that determine multiple character’s choices.
identify literary allusions and understand how they further develop various themes.

The Odyssey (by Homer)

BIG IDEAS

How does an individual make choices?
How do specific social constructs challenge the individual?
Should an individual feel obligated to make sacrifices for the greater good?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How do the people in an individual’s life influence the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual justify the choices he/she makes?
To what extent do specific social constructs define an individual?
How does an individual make decisions and choices that define his/her life and the lives of others?
Who decides what the greater good is?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5*, 6, 7, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1, 1b*, 2, 2b-e, 3, 3b, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, 1a, 1b*, 1c, 1d, 3, 4

Language: L.9-10.1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5a*

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

the values of Ancient Greek culture.
relevant Greek myths.
elements of an epic poem.
the hero’s journey.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

analyze author’s craft and how it explores implications of character development.
analyze the personal conflicts that determine multiple character’s choices.
identify the various steps of the hero’s journey and how they apply to Odysseus’ odyssey.

Into the Wild (Jon Krakauer)

BIG IDEAS

How does an individual make choices?
How does an individual’s perspective alter one’s reality?
How do specific social constructs challenge the individual?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How does an individual’s environment affect the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual distinguish between his/her reality and a larger truth?
To what extent do the opinions of others influence an individual’s perspective of reality?
To what extent do specific social constructs define an individual?
To what extent do specific social constructs challenge an individual?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4*, 5, 6, 7, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1, 1b, 2, 2b*-e, 3, 3b, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1*, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 3, 4

Language: L.9-10.1, 1, 2, 2a*, 3, 4, 5

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

the geography of Chris’ journey.
the elements of nonfiction.
existentialism.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

trace non-linear story through a framed structure.
analyze author’s craft and how it explores implications of character development.
compare different narrative voices and their impact on the reader’s understanding.
analyze the personal conflicts that determine multiple character’s choices.
discuss how bias affects narrative voice.

A Raisin in the Sun (by Lorraine Hansberry)

BIG IDEAS

How does an individual make choices?
How do specific social constructs challenge the individual?
Should an individual feel obligated to make sacrifices for the greater good?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How does an individual’s environment affect the choices he/she makes?
How do the people in an individual’s life influence the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual justify the choices he/she makes?
To what extent do specific social constructs define an individual?
To what extent do specific social constructs challenge an individual?
How does an individual reconcile his/her beliefs with the beliefs of others?
How does an individual make decisions and choices that define his/her life and the lives of others?
Who decides what the greater good is?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1, 1b, 2, 2b-e, 3, 3c*, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, 1a, 1b*, 1c, 1d, 3, 4*

Language: L.9-10.1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4a*, 5

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

the social implications of the setting.
elements of drama.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

analyze the personal conflicts that determine multiple character’s choices.
analyze author’s craft and how it explores implications of character development.
identify symbols and understand how they further develop various themes.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (by Robert Louis Stevenson)

BIG IDEAS

How does an individual make choices?
How does an individual’s perspective alter one’s reality?
Should an individual feel obligated to make sacrifices for the greater good?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How do the people in an individual’s life influence the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual justify the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual distinguish between his/her reality and a larger truth?
How does understanding a larger truth complicate one’s reality?
To what extent do the opinions of others influence an individual’s perspective of reality?
How does the examination of multiple perspectives shape an individual’s truth?
How do we define sacrifice and what does it mean to make a sacrifice for the greater good?
How does an individual make decisions and choices that define his/her life and the lives of others?
How does an individual reconcile his/her sacrifice when considering the effect it will have on others?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2, 3*, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1, 1b, 2, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f*, 3, 3c, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, 1a*, 1b, 1c, 1d, 3, 4

Language: L.9-10.1, 1, 1b*, 2, 3, 4, 5

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

how an author develops complex characters.
what multiple personality disorder is.
how narrative structure contributes to understanding.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

analyze author’s craft and how it explores implications of character development.
analyze the personal conflicts that determine multiple character’s choices.

The Alchemist (by Paulo Coelho)

BIG IDEAS

How does an individual make choices?
How does an individual’s perspective alter one’s reality?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How do the people in an individual’s life influence the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual distinguish between his/her reality and a larger truth?
How does understanding a larger truth complicate one’s reality?
To what extent do the opinions of others influence an individual’s perspective of reality?
How does examination of multiple perspectives shape an individual’s truth?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1*, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1, 1b, 2*, 2b-e, 3, 3c, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, 1a, 1b, 1c*, 1d, 3, 4

Language: L.9-10.1, 1, 2, 3, 3a*, 4, 5

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

how an author develops complex characters.
how an author develops complex themes.
what elements are associated with the genre of “magical realism”.
how to interpret literature on a literal and metaphorical level.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

analyze the personal conflicts that determine the main character’s choices.
analyze author’s craft and how it explores implications of character and theme development.
identify symbols and understand how they further develop various themes.

Their Eyes Were Watching God (by Zora Neale Hurston)

BIG IDEAS

How does an individual make choices?
How does an individual’s perspective alter one’s reality?
How do specific social constructs challenge the individual?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How do the people in an individual’s life influence the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual justify the choices he/she makes?
To what extent do the opinions of others influence an individual’s perspective of reality?
How does an examination of multiple perspectives shape an individual’s truth?
To what extent do specific social constructs define an individual?
To what extent do specific social constructs challenge an individual?
How does an individual make decisions and choices that define his/her life and the lives of others?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6*

Writing: W.9-10.1, 2*

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, 1a, 1c, 1d*, 3, 4

Language: L.9-10.1, 2, 3*, 4, 5

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

the social implications of the setting.
elements of American history that affect setting.
elements of drama.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

analyze the personal conflicts that determine multiple character’s choices.
analyze author’s use of dialect and its implications on character development.
identify symbols and understand how they further develop various themes.

Great Expectations (by Charles Dickens)

BIG IDEAS

How do specific social constructs challenge the individual?
How does an individual’s perspective alter one’s reality?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual distinguish between his/her reality and a larger truth?
How does understanding a larger truth complicate one’s reality?
To what extent do the opinions of others influence an individual’s perspective of reality?
How does examination of multiple perspectives shape an individual’s truth?
To what extent do specific social constructs define an individual?
To what extent do specific social constructs challenge an individual?
How does an individual reconcile his/her beliefs with the beliefs of others?
What role does empathy play in the evolution of an individual in conflict with his/her society?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1, 1b, 2, 2b-e, 3, 3c*, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1*, 1a, 1b*, 1c, 1d, 3, 4*

Language: L.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 4a*, 5

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

the relevance of a sustainable system as it relates to the work.
the role and significance of “expectations” in our lives.
the fundamental premise that human culture is connected to the physical world, affecting it and affected by it.
the significance of setting and it’s relationship to a character’s development.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

make connections between Pip and other characters and then view and analyze the lens of a sustainable paradigm and understand how Dicken’s world was or was not sustainable.
discuss how the impact of the industrial revolution affected Dicken’s society and what were the ramifications of the Industrial Revolution during the Industrial Era.
identify and analyze the role of “expectations” in the novel.
analyze author’s craft and how it explores implications of character development.
identify symbols and motifs and understand how they further develop various themes.

A Long Way Gone (by Ishmael Beah)

BIG IDEAS

Students will know how political turmoil affects the characters directly.
Students will consider the choices Ishmael made in order to survive.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How does an individual’s environment affect the choices he/she makes?
How do the people in an individual’s life influence the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual justify the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual make decisions and choices that define his/her life and the lives of others?
Who decides what the greater good is?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5*, 6, 7, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1, 1b, 2, 2b*-e, 3, 3b, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, 3, 4, 5*

Language: L.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4*

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

the social implications of the setting.
a historical background of the political unrest in western Africa.
elements of a memoir.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

analyze the personal conflicts that determine multiple character’s choices.
evaluate how power motivates the characters’ behavior.
identify the positive and negative elements of Ishmael’s decision throughout his ordeal.

1984 (by George Orwell)

BIG IDEAS

How does an individual make choices?
How do specific social constructs challenge the individual?
Should an individual feel obligated to make sacrifices for the greater good?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does an individual identify the choices available and their consequences?
How does an individual’s environment affect the choices he/she makes?
How do the people in an individual’s life influence the choices he/she makes?
How does an individual justify the choices he/she makes?
To what extent do specific social constructs define an individual?
To what extent do specific social constructs challenge an individual?
How does an individual reconcile his/her beliefs with the beliefs of others?
How does an individual make decisions and choices that define his/her life and the lives of others?
Who decides what the greater good is?

STANDARDS

Reading: RL.9-10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*, 9

Writing: W.9-10.1, 1b, 2, 2b-e, 3, 3c*, 7

Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, 1a, 1b*, 1c, 1d, 3, 4*

Language: L.9-10.1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4a*, 5

CONTENT - Students will know . . .

the social implications of the setting.
elements of drama.

SKILLS - Students will be able to . . .

analyze the personal conflicts that determine multiple character’s choices.
analyze author’s craft and how it explores implications of character development.
identify symbols and understand how they further develop various themes.

Report abuse