Full course description
Course Description
Reading 1A is the first semester in a two-semester series designed to enhance students' reading skills, foster a love for literature, and develop critical thinking abilities. In Reading 1A, students will engage with a wide range of literary genres, including novels, short stories, poems, plays, and non-fiction texts. Emphasis will be placed on improving reading comprehension, expanding vocabulary, and honing analytical and interpretive skills. The course will focus on developing essential reading strategies such as active reading, annotation, and text analysis. Students will learn to identify and analyze literary elements, such as plot, character, setting, theme, and symbolism, allowing them to better understand the texts they encounter. They will also explore various literary devices and techniques used by authors to convey meaning and evoke emotions.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
UTHS courses are designed in alignment to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) which define the skills and content to be taught in each course and grade level in the state of Texas.
Semester Topics
- Unit 1: Active Reading
- Unit 2: Credible Sources
- Unit 3: Literary Circles
Course Objectives
Upon completing this course, you will be able to—
- comprehend texts using effective strategies;
- generate questions before reading to activate curiosity and preview the text;
- use summarizing strategies to identify the main ideas or central themes in a text;
- assess the relevance of informational sources to the topic or subject being studied, and determine the credibility of informational sources;
- evaluate the strength and quality of the evidence used by the author;
- identify and evaluate an author's motivation, stance, or position on the topic;
- identify the intended audience of a text.
Required Course Materials
Please visit the Computer Requirements page to view minimum device, internet, and application requirements for all UT High School courses. Generally, a desktop or laptop device five (5) years or newer with access to an office suite, such as Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, will be adequate to participate in most UTHS courses.
Unless otherwise noted, students are responsible for purchasing or securing all the following course materials:
- Textbook (eBook Included): Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with Literature – American Tradition (Grade 11), edited by Brenda Owens
- Publisher: Carnegie Learning Inc., 2021
- ISBN#: 978-1-53383-668-7
- Novel: Please select one from the list below:
- Flowers by Algernon by Daniel Keyes
- Kindred by Octavia Butler
- House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
- Interactive Notebook: A paper or digital composition book is acceptable. For paper composition books, please also have the following items on hand:
- Pens or Pencils
- Tape or Glue
Course Organization
Students must complete the course in sequence: You will not be able to access the next unit until all work in the preceding unit is completed. You may take your final exam only after completing all units and submitting all graded assignments.
- Units: Each unit includes multiple lessons and 2-4 graded assignments as well as ungraded practice quizzes to help you check your understanding of the material.
- Summative Assessments: Each course includes two online, virtually proctored summative assessments testing your understanding of the material presented in the preceding 2-3 Units.
- Format: Online, Multiple-choice
- Time Allowed: 1 hr 30 min
- Final Exam: Each course includes an online, virtually proctored final exam testing your knowledge of all material presented in the course.
- Format: Online, Multiple-choice
- Time Allowed: 3 hrs 20 min
Course Grade Weighting
Your final course grade is calculated by weighting the three assignment groups displayed in the table below:
| Assignment Group | Total Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Graded Assignments | 12-18 | 50% |
| Summative Assessments | 2 | 25% |
| Final Exam | 1 | 25% |
Online Proctored Exams
All course exams, including both summative assessments and the final exam, must be completed online. Students must test online with Proctorio and are required to add the Proctorio extension to either their Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome browser—installation instructions are provided in the student's course. Proctorio uses a student's computer, web camera, and microphone to record video of both the student and their desktop during the exam. Then, UTHS instructors review the student's exam video data collected by Proctorio. Only authorized UTHS staff and instructors can view the exam recordings. Student data is not shared with any persons or organizations outside of UTHS and are deleted after one year. We encourage you to visit Proctorio's Data Security and Privacy site pages to learn more about how we protect student date.