English Language Arts 20 NEW

September 11, 2026

Teacher - Danielle Sasbrink-Harkema

Developed by Josh Lipka, MJ Sherven, and Danielle Sasbrink-Harkema for Fall 2026

Course Description

This course is organized into two thematic units, each threading all five ELA 20 writing/reading modalities (Poetry, Descriptive, Narrative, Persuasive, Expository) around a central inquiry. Every text and assessment asks students to identify and apply logos, ethos, and pathos; giving you as a distance learner, a consistent analytical lens across this self-paced course.

Module One:
Search for Self

Poetry

23 Days

Readings & Lessons

- What is poetic genre?
- How to annotate poetry?

Assignments

- Poem Annotation #1 “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou
- Poem Annotation #2 “Fifth Grade Autobiography” by Rita Dove
- Poem Annotation #3 “White Lies” by Natasha Trethewey
- Poem Annotation #4 “History Lesson” by Jeannette Armstrong
- Poem and Art Matchmaker
- Mentor Text Assessment

Module Two:
Search for Self

Descriptive

23 Days

Readings & Lessons

- What is the descriptive genre?

- Elements of Short Stories

- TEEL Formatting

- Four Short Stories:
“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
“Once More to the Lake” by E.B. White
“The Way to Rainy Mountain – Prologue” by N. Scott Momaday
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber

Assignments

- Bundle of Descriptive Stories TEEL Responses

- Descriptive Writing AI Re-create Image Assessment

- “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” Assessment

Module Three:
Search for Self

Narrative

23 Days

Readings & Lessons

- What is the Narrative Genre?
- Poverty & Homelessness
- “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls memoir

- The Power of Personal Narrative

Assignments

- Homelessness/Unhoused Reflection
- “The Glass Castle” – Double entry journal and vocabulary assessment

- “The Glass Castle” – Formal Literary Analysis Essay
- Personal Narrative Assessment

Midterm Exam
3 days to study and attempt exam.

Exam on modules 1-3

Proctored Exam – book a time

Module Four:
Equity & Ethics

Poetry

23 Days

Readings & Lessons

- Poetry: Equity and Ethics Lens
- Poem Annotation – Written and Spoken Word

- Songs as a Voice for Change

Assignments

- Written & Spoken Word Poetry Comparison: “An Ode We Owe” by Amanda Gorman
- Your Equity and Ethics Poetry EP

Module Five:
Equity & Ethics

Expository

23 Days

Readings & Lessons

- What is Expository Genre?
- Expository readings:
“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (oral)
“We Need to Talk About an Injustice” by Bryan Stevenson (oral)
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Human Flow: The Global Refugee Crisis” (visual)

- Contemporary Analysis & Connection “The Power of Powerless” by Vaclav Havel (written)
- “Principled and pragmatic: Canada’s Path” by Prime Minister Mark Carney (oral)

Assignments

- TED Talk: An idea worth sharing

- Equity and Ethics Infographic Assessment

Module Six:
Equity & Ethics

Persuasive

23 Days

Readings & Lessons

- What is Persuasive Writing?
- The Truman Show slides
- “Robot Dreams” by Isaac Asimov
- A warning to the young just say not to AI” by Aaron MacLean (Persuasive Article)

- Art, AI and the “The Next Rembrandt’ Project

Assignments

- The Truman Show Editorial Assessment
- “Robot Dreams” Assessment
- Art vs AI Generated Art Debate – TEEL Response
- Equity and Ethics Persuasive Essay

Final Exam

4 days to study and attempt the exam

Exam on modules 1-6 but focus is mainly on 4-6

Proctored Exam – book a time