Big Ideas
Big Ideas
Language and story
narrative texts, whether real or imagined, that teach us about human nature, motivation, and experience, and often reflect a personal journey or strengthen a sense of identity. They may also be considered the embodiment of collective wisdom. Stories can be oral, written, or visual, and used to instruct, inspire, and entertain listeners and readers.
can be a source of creativity and joy.
Exploring stories
narrative texts, whether real or imagined, that teach us about human nature, motivation, and experience, and often reflect a personal journey or strengthen a sense of identity. They may also be considered the embodiment of collective wisdom. Stories can be oral, written, or visual, and used to instruct, inspire, and entertain listeners and readers.
and other textsText and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world.
- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
People understand text
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
differently depending on their worldviews and perspectives.
- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
are socially, culturally, and historically constructed.
- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
Content
Learning Standards
Content
Story/text
- formssuch as narrative, exposition, report, functionspurposes of text, and genresliterary or thematic categories such as fantasy, humour, adventure, biographyof textText and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
- text featureshow text and visuals are displayed
- literary elementscharacterization, narrative structures, setting
- literary devicessensory detail (e.g., imagery, sound devices); figurative language (e.g., metaphor, simile, hyperbole); irony, paradox, oxymoron
- elements of visual/graphic textslayout, infographics, emoticons, icons, symbols, interactive visuals, hypertext, colour; illustration style (realism, cartoon, sketch, outline)
Strategies and processes
- reading strategiesusing contextual clues; using phonics and word structure; visualizing; questioning; predicting; previewing text; summarizing; making inferences
- oral language strategiesfocusing on the speaker, asking questions to clarify, listening for specifics, expressing opinions, speaking with expression, staying on topic, taking turns
- metacognitive strategiestalking and thinking about learning (e.g., through reflecting, questioning, goal setting, self-evaluating) to develop awareness of self as a reader and as a writer
- writing processesmay include revising, editing, considering audience
Language features, structures, and conventions
- features of oral languagesuch as tone, volume, inflection, pace, gestures
- multi-paragraphingdeveloping multi-paragraph compositions that are characterized by unity, development, and coherence
- language changeLanguages change slowly but continually (e.g., Old English to Modern English):
- elements of stylediction, figurative language, tone, inclusive language, and degree of formality
- usagesuch as avoiding double negatives, mixed metaphors, malapropisms, word misuse
- syntax and sentence fluencyuse of a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences; correct pronoun use; subject-verb agreement; use of transitional words; awareness of run-on sentences and sentence fragments
- conventionscommon practices in all standard punctuation use, in capitalization, in quoting, and in Canadian spelling
- presentation techniquesAny presentation (in written, oral, or digital form) should reflect an appropriate choice of medium for the purpose and the audience, and demonstrate thought and care in organization.
- rhetorical devicesfigurative language, parallelism, repetition, irony, humour, exaggeration, emotional language, logic, direct address, rhetorical questions, and allusion
- connotation and denotation
Curricular Competency
Learning Standards
Curricular Competency
Comprehend and connect (reading, listening, viewing)
Access information and ideas for diverse purposes
such as to inquire, to explore, to inform, to interpret, to explain, to take a position, to evaluate, to problem solve, to entertain
and from a variety of sourcesincludes digital sources; students need to develop the language and tools to successfully navigate digital media (e.g., be familiar with terms and concepts such as browser, cookie, browsing history, hyperlinked text, thread, URL, fair use/copyright, plagiarism, posting etiquette, following social media, tweeting, privacy, digital identity, predictive text, evaluating digital resources, how search engines work, collaborative writing online, the language register of texting versus standard Canadian English, digital ownership, data mining)
and evaluate their relevanceStudents should be prompted to ask: Does it meet the purpose? Is it current? Does it add new information?
, accuracyStudents should be prompted to distinguish fact from opinion and to consider the source of the information, whether it is supported by evidence, whether it is factually correct, and whether other sources support it.
, and reliabilityStudents should be prompted to consider the credibility of the source’s voice, whether it is a primary or secondary source, and the trustworthiness and authority of the source.
Apply appropriate strategies to comprehend written, oral, and visual texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
, guide inquiry- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
asking creative and critical questions supported and inspired by texts
, and extend thinkingmay include questioning and speculating, acquiring new ideas, analyzing and evaluating ideas, developing explanations, considering alternative points of view, summarizing, synthesizing, problem solving
Synthesize ideas from a variety of sources to build understanding
Recognize and appreciate how different features, forms, and genres of texts
vary depending on the purpose and audience of the text; students should be encouraged to focus on the relationship between form and function (e.g., considering the role in various texts of elements such as negative space in graphic novels, advertisements on websites, lighting and camera angles in film and photography, use of music, paragraph length, line breaks in poetry, silence and intonation in spoken word, and colour)
reflect different purposes, audiences, and messages
Think critically, creatively, and reflectively
questioning, interpreting, comparing, and contrasting a range of texts (e.g., narrative, poetry, visual texts); students should be encouraged to think outside the box, moving beyond the text and comparing texts; useful strategies include “exit slips,” “one star, one wish,” and quick activities to identify thinking
to explore ideas within, between, and beyond textsText and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Recognize and identify the role of personal, social, and cultural contexts, values, and perspectives
Students should be prompted to understand the influence of family, friends, activities, education, religion, gender, age, place, settlement patterns, immigration, economic factors, and political events (local and beyond); to understand that authors write from a perspective influenced by such factors; and to understand the relationship between text and context.
in textsText and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Recognize how language constructs personal, social, and cultural identity
Our sense of individuality and belonging is a product of the language we use; oral tradition, story, recorded history, and social media; voice; cultural aspects; literacy history; linguistic background (English as first or additional language); register; and language as a system of meaning. Students should recognize that how we use language defines who we are in the world.
Construct meaningful personal connections between self, text
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
, and world
- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Respond to text
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
in personal, creative, and critical ways- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Students should be prompted to demonstrate comprehension, understanding of connection, and thoughtfulness; support positions with evidence/reasoning; identify and challenge their own assumptions; show awareness of their emotional and cognitive reactions and of their own point of view; and show they can consider texts from different point of views.
Explain how literary elements, techniques, and devices enhance and shape meaning
for example, metaphor brings a fresh perspective to the common; irony can add social critique to an argument; allusion suggests connections between diverse elements; form often reflects function; diction influences emotion, persuasiveness, and meaning
Recognize an increasing range of text
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
structures and how they contribute to meaning
- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Recognize and appreciate the role of story
narrative texts, whether real or imagined, that teach us about human nature, motivation, and experience, and often reflect a personal journey or strengthen a sense of identity. They may also be considered the embodiment of collective wisdom. Stories can be oral, written, or visual, and used to instruct, inspire, and entertain listeners and readers.
, narrative, and oral tradition in expressing First Peoples perspectives, values, beliefs, and points of view
Develop an awareness of the diversity within and across First Peoples societies
variety of worldviews and perspectives, diverse traditions, range of historical experiences, wealth of human experiences
represented in textsText and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Recognize the influence of place in First Peoples and other Canadian texts
Create and communicate (writing, speaking, representing)
Exchange ideas and viewpoints
collaborating in large and small groups through activities such as think-pair-share, debates, four corners, quiet conversation, and lit circles (in which students take on new roles); using active listening skills and receptive body language; paraphrasing and building on others’ ideas; disagreeing respectfully; extending thinking (e.g., shifting, changing) to broader contexts (social media, digital environments)
to build shared understanding and extend thinking
Use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create engaging and meaningful literary and informational texts
Students should be supported in planning, drafting, and editing multimedia and multimodal texts, such as paragraph compositions that include a theme (subject and author’s opinion) and TAG (title, author, genre); other examples of texts include opinion pieces, poetry, short stories, narratives, slams, spoken word texts, storyboards and comic strips, and masks
for a variety of purposes and audiencesStudents at this level expand their understanding of the range of audiences to include children, peers, authorities, and technical and business audiences, and are introduced to evidence-based writing for a variety of audiences.
Assess and refine texts
using techniques such as adjusting diction and form according to audience needs and preferences, using verbs effectively, using repetition and substitution for effect, using active instead of passive voice, maintaining parallelism, adding modifiers, replacing be verbs with stronger verbs, varying sentence types, using precise diction, eliminating wordiness
to improve their clarity, effectiveness, and impact according to purpose, audienceStudents at this level expand their understanding of the range of audiences to include children, peers, authorities, and technical and business audiences, and are introduced to evidence-based writing for a variety of audiences.
, and message
Use an increasing repertoire of conventions of Canadian spelling
focus is on Canadian spelling (e.g., -our, -re, and –ize endings; doubled consonants in words such as counselled and travelled; words such as grey, licence)
, grammar, and punctuation
Use and experiment with oral storytelling processes
creating an original story or finding an existing story (with permission), sharing the story from memory with others, using vocal expression to clarify the meaning of the text, using non-verbal communication expressively to clarify the meaning, attending to stage presence, differentiating the storyteller’s natural voice from the characters’ voices, presenting the story efficiently, keeping the listener’s interest throughout, using an expanding repertoire of techniques to enhance audience experience
Select and use appropriate features, forms, and genres according to audience, purpose, and message
Transform ideas and information to create original texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Express an opinion and support it with credible evidence