Grade 10 Reading and Writing Course
Congratulations! You have taken a very important step in your successful high school English Language Arts learning journey by choosing to take this course.
Yes, by following this course guide, and applying the unique how-to strategies, you will achieve two important goals: getting more correct answers in reading comprehension and writing better essays.
This course is 20 weeks long. Altogether, you will watch 20 instructional videos, practice comprehending 40 different types of texts, and write 19 paragraphs or essays. Completing all the demanding tasks, you will become a stronger reader and a better writer.
Each week (except the first one), you are expected to follow the same routine strictly to work on different things set out in each week’s plan:
- Watch one or two instructional videos, making notes of what you have learned while watching.
- After reading two texts from the previous week by following the unique how-to strategies of after-reading, learning anything new to you, check the samples to see how well you did.
- Write one paragraph or an essay by following unique how-to strategies from 5 Steps to Quality Writing and 3 Levels of One Paragraph and/or Structure of An Informative Essay. Make necessary corrections.
- Practice (pre-read and while-read) comprehending two new reading texts by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading, then check the answers using the answer key.
Week 1:
- Watch video: 1 How to Pre-Read (here) and make notes of what you have learned; then pre-read MIGRATION (here) and tell what the passage is about in your own words.
- Watch video: 2 How to Read Informative Texts (here), then answer the questions of MIGRATION (here). The expectation is that whenever you put down an answer, the answer has to be correct because you can find proof of where you got the answer from by following the strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
- Answer the questions of THE ENIGMA OF THE ECHIDNA (here) by following the unique how-to strategies from the two videos. The same expectation applies. Check your answers.
- Review the strategies you learned from the two videos and make notes about the strategies using your own words.
Week 2:
- Watch video 3 How to After-Read Informative Texts and make notes of what you have learned.
- After-read: 1 MIGRATION from Week 1, write down what you have learned; then after-read 2 THE ENIGMA OF THE ECHIDNA from Week 1, write down what you have learned, check the samples (Key 1 and Key 2) to see how well you did.
- Watch video: 4 How to Complete Homework, write down the order of the things you need to do as homework, and make sure you follow the order.
- (4) Write: Read Question #36 of 1 MIGRATION, highlight the important words in the questions, and write down in your own words what your job for writing is; then after MIGRATION again find the information you need to prepare for the writing. Write Question #36 as part of your homework.
- Read 3 RATS and 4 HELMET LAW by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. The same expectations apply. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 3:
- Watch the video: 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and make notes of what you learned in your own words, and then check to see if you were following the writing steps when you were completing Question #36 of MIGRATION.
- Watch the video: 6 Structure of an Informative Essay, and make notes of what you learned.
- After reading: 3 RATS and 4 HELMET LAW, label different components using 6 Structure of an Informative Essay, check the samples (key 3 and Key 4) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question # 9 of 3 RATS. After RATS one more time to find information for your writing, then complete the writing assignment by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing.
- Read 5 Energy Drinks and 6 Fencing Essentials by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 4:
- Watch the video: 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph and make notes of what you have learned in your own words, then check against your writing of Question #9 of 3 RATS and make necessary corrections.
- After: 5 Energy Drinks and 6 Fencing Essentials, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (key 5 and key 6) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #36 from 5 Energy Drinks by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Steps to Quality Writing and 3 Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read 7 The Science Behind Why We Love Ice Cream and 8 Toy Story by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 5:
- Watch video: 8 How to Answer Main Idea Question, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After: 7 The Science Behind Why We Love Ice Cream and 8 Toy Story, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (key 7 and key 8) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #8 of Toy Story, highlight the important words, and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read: 9 Is Google Making Us Stupid? and 10 Don’t Burn Out by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 6:
- Watch the video How to Figure Out the Meaning of an Unfamiliar Word, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After-Read: 9 Is Google Making Us Stupid? and 10 Don’t Burn Out, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (keys 9 and 10) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #35 of 10 Don’t Burn Out, highlight the important words, and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Steps to Quality Writing and 3 Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read 11 Speech and Eulogy and 12 The Mooring Mast by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 7:
- Watch video: 10 How to Distinguish “such as” and “for example”, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After: 11 Speech and Eulogy and 12 The Mooring Mast, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (keys 11 and 12) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #27 of 11 Speech and Eulogy, highlight the important words, and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read 13 Ah-Choo and 14 Powder by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 8:
(1) Watch video: 11 How to After-Read Narratives, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
(2) After Ah-Choo and Powder, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (keys 13 and 14) to see how well you did.
(3) Write: Read Question #27 of 14 Powder, highlight the important words, and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
(4) Read: 15 Continental Drift and 16 The Farewell by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 9:
- Watch video: 12 How to Learn New Words, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After: 15 Continental Drift and 16 The Farewell, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (keys 15 and 16) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #35 of 16 The Farewell, highlight the important words, and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read Frankenstein and Open Wide the Freedom Gates by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 10:
- Watch video 13 Secrets of Getting High Scores in Reading Comprehension Tests, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After: 17 Frankenstein and 18 Open Wide the Freedom Gates, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (keys 17 and 18) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #27 of 17 Frankenstein, highlight the important words, and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read 19 The Things They Carried and 20 The Trial by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 11:
- Watch the video: 14 How to Change a Regular Verb into the Past Form, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After-read: 19 The Things They Carried and 20 The Trial, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (keys 19 and 20) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #27 of 20 The Trial, highlight the important words, and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read 21 World’s Fair and 22 Black Boy by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 12:
- Watch video 15 Structure of a Persuasive Essay, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After: 21 World’s Fair and 22 Black Boy, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (keys 21 and 22) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #18 of 22 Black Boy, highlight the important words write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read 23 Bridges of Sighs and 24 Speech at the surrender of Japan, ending World War II by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 13:
- Watch the video: 16 Four Types of Verbs, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After: 23 Bridges of Sighs and 24 Speech at the surrender of Japan, ending World War II, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (key 23 and key 24) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #27 of 23 Bridges of Sighs, highlight the important words, and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read 25 Fifty-Nine in ‘84 and 26 Love in the Time of Cholera by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 14:
- Watch video: 17 How to Find the Right Answer in Reading Comprehension, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After: 25 Fifty-Nine in ‘84 and 26 Love in the Time of Cholera, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (key 25 and key 26) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #36 of 25 Fifty-Nine in ‘84, highlight the important words, and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read 27 Oliver Twist and 28 The Fountainhead by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 15:
- Watch the video: 18 Four Types of Questions, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After: 27 Oliver Twist and 28 The Fountainhead, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (keys 27 and 28) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #27 of 28 The Fountainhead, highlight the important words, and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read 29 Buried in the Sky and 30 The Underground Railroad by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 16:
- Watch the video: 19 How to Form Past Form and Past Participle of Regular Verbs, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After: 29 Buried in the Sky and 30 The Underground Railroad, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (keys 29 and 30) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #9 of 29 Buried in the Sky, highlight the important words, and write down what your job is, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read 31 When Mindfulness Meets the Classroom, Instead of Detention, These Students Get Meditation and 32 The Wave by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 17:
- After-read: 31 When Mindfulness Meets the Classroom, Instead of Detention, These Students Get Meditation and 32 The Wave, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (key 31 and key 32) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #18 of 31 When Mindfulness Meets the Classroom, Instead of Detention, These Students Get Meditation, highlight the important words and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read: 33 Jaws, Swimming with Nightmares, and 34 Frederick Douglass by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 18:
- Watch the video: 20 How to After Read Poems, and make notes of what you have learned in your own words.
- After: 33 Jaws, Swimming with Nightmares, and 34 Frederick Douglass, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (key 33 and key 34) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #27 of 33 Jaws, Swimming with Nightmares, highlight the important words write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read: 35 The Spartan Creed and 36 The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 19:
- After-read: 35 The Spartan Creed and 36 The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (key 35 and key 36) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #18 of 35 The Spartan Creed and 36 The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica, highlight the important words, and write down what your job is, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read: 37 The Lonely Land and 38 Sonnet 73 by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.
Week 20:
- After-read: 37 The Lonely Land and 38 Sonnet 73, write down what you have learned, and check the samples (keys 37 and 38) to see how well you did.
- Write: Read Question #19 of 37 The Lonely Land, highlight the important words, and write down your job, then complete the writing. Check your writing by following the unique how-to strategies from 5 Five Steps to Quality Writing and 7 Three Levels of One Paragraph. Make necessary corrections.
- Read 39 Blizzard and 40 Quilts by following the unique how-to strategies of pre-reading and while-reading. Don’t make guesses for questions you have difficulty with. Check your answers.