English teachers rewrite English 10 curriculum
PHOTO: As distance learning progresses, so does a change in the English 10 course makeup.
By Jack Stilling,
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff-
It’s not every day that a run-of-the-mill class goes through a great deal of change at Davis High, but that’s just what happened in this past year.
English 10 has seen a complete shift in curriculum, and thus a newer, more-fitting title: “Identity and Ethnic Literature.”
The movement began in the fall of 2019, when English 10 teachers believed that a change in the course’s curriculum was overdue.
One of these teachers was Christine Baker.
“Last school year, a group of English 10 teachers began to meet and discuss the need for a new, updated curriculum […] One of our concerns was that the texts were older and outdated. They also lacked a diverse perspective,” Baker said.
Teachers then spent the following spring and summer completely rewriting English 10 and bringing it into fruition. In addition, the course was renamed to be more reflective of new material.
Spencer Elliott, also an English teacher at DHS, thinks that the new title, “Identity and Ethnic Literature,” is a good fit.
“The new name provides a glimpse of the topics and ideas that students will examine in the course. English 10, on the other hand, is somewhat vague,” Elliott said.
Per the new course description, “Identity and Ethnic Literature is a college prep survey course that helps students understand and interpret the human condition and experience in all its diversity and nuance.” Sophomores from this point on will explore new texts and themes, with an emphasis on more diverse perspectives.
Identity and Ethnic Literature’s new curriculum involves a number of new books: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, The Color of Water by James McBride, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, and Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka.
In addition to Baker and Elliott, the team of teachers responsible for the course’s revamp and renaming includes Thomas Kurth, Matt Edwards and David Achimore.
