The purpose of this book is to help students achieve the learning objectives of their English 12 course. English 12 teaches students how to

• Write intelligently, clearly, and fluently;
• Understand and employ effectively the conventions of various forms of school and college writing assignments;
• Read actively and critically;
• Understand and appreciate diverse and inclusive works of imaginative literature; and
• Think critically, creatively, and reflectively.

By achieving these goals, English 12 helps students find success in all the academic courses they take, whether they complete high school or earn their Adult Graduation Diploma. This course also helps prepare students for further work at the post-secondary level if they choose to continue their formal education and for successful employment if they choose to enter the workforce after they have earned their Graduation Diploma.

Organization of this book

• “Chapter One: The Writing Process” reviews, explains, and presents the components of the process of completing writing assignments successfully at the Grade 12 level. It covers how to generate ideas, research a topic, compose a thesis, make a plan, write a draft, revise the draft, edit the draft, provide a source list. It includes questions for study and discussion and suggestions for small group activities.
• “Chapter Two: Common Writing Assignments” provides instruction and models of writing assignments commonly used in Grade 12 English: the narrative essay, examples essay, process essay, compare/contrast essay, cause/effect essay, and argumentative essay. The models are annotated to explain why they are successful representatives of their genre. The chapter includes questions for study and discussion and suggestions for small group activities.

• Chapter Three introduces students to the study of poetry. It contains many poems and links to other poems that are not in the public domain. It contains brief biographies of the authors, an authoritatively edited text of the poems, appropriate footnotes, questions for study and discussion, suggestions for small group activities, and links that provide additional relevant information.
• Chapters Four, Five, and Six introduce students to the study of fiction: short stories, novellas, and novels. It contains many works of fiction and links to other works that are not in the public domain. It contains brief biographies of the authors, an authoritatively edited text of the stories, appropriate footnotes, questions for study and discussion, suggestions for small group activities, links to video productions of about half of the stories anthologized, and other relevant links.
• Chapter Seven introduces students to the study of drama. It contains plays and links to plays that are not in the public domain. It contains brief biographies of the authors, an authoritatively edited text of the plays, appropriate footnotes, questions for study and discussion, suggestions for small group activities, links to video productions of about half of the plays in the anthology, and other relevant links.

This book also contains appendices: a glossary of literary terms, a handbook of English grammar and usage, and an appendix on writing about literature.