English
The English Department provides a comprehensive and challenging curriculum in reading, composition, grammar, vocabulary development, and literary analysis. Beginning with a strong foundation course in literature and moving to a study of world literature and American literature, the program culminates in a richly varied selection of senior electives. All college preparatory courses, and the honors program that culminates in Advanced Placement English, provide a strong foundation in study and critical thinking skills that prepare students for college level work. On all levels, writing and discussion emphasize analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
Criteria for Honors and AP placement:
- Freshmen and sophomore students must achieve grade of "A" in a college prep. class or a "B+" in the English 1 Accelerated or the English 2 Honors class. Junior students must achieve grade of "A" in American Literature or "B+" in the English 3AP class.
- Current teacher must recommend the student for consideration
- Student must apply for honors placement with the English department chair
- Students not currently in an honors class must take and pass the honors challenge exam.
- Student must be approved for advanced class placement by the department chair
English I - Grade 9 - Year-long course
English I is a college preparatory course aimed at providing ninth grade students with the skills necessary to advance through the succeeding years in English. The course is intended to provide fundamental instruction in writing and reading, as well as grammar and vocabulary. Furthermore, students will learn skills in close reading, brainstorming, prewriting, note taking, and outlining. Literature is arranged by genre, offering a comprehensive overview of many different forms of literature students will study during the next four years. The writings are generally expository in nature and literature based, and the opportunity for creative writing is also offered at different times throughout the course.
English I Accelerated - Grade 9 - Year-long course
English I Accelerated is a college preparatory course designed for those freshmen showing the highest level of skill development in English. The literary study in this class will focus on the characteristics of various genres, specifically short story, poetry, nonfiction, drama, and novel. A comprehensive study of grammar and composition principles, as well as extensive vocabulary development, is also a part of the English I Accelerated curriculum. Essays, written both in class and at home, are generally expository in nature, requiring students to respond to literature persuasively, analytically, and critically. Creative projects will also be offered throughout the year. Oral expression is emphasized through public speaking seminars, and class discussion. Projects, writings, and discussions in this course will emphasize critical thinking skills.
World Literature - Grade 10 - Year-long course
World Literature is a college preparatory course for sophomores aimed at providing students with the skills necessary to continue to advance through the succeeding years in English. The course is intended to build upon and develop fundamental instruction in writing and reading, as well as grammar and vocabulary. Students will continue to practice skills in close reading, prewriting, speaking, note taking, and outlining. More emphasis on various types of essay writing will occur, as students gain confidence and independence with their writing abilities. Reading focuses on a chronological development of world literature. The first semester moves chronologically, examining writers from the Greek, Roman, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Enlightenment, and 20th Century. The second semester explores various regions of the world including Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and Latin America. In addition to the readings, students will be exposed to the art and culture of these various times and places.
English II Honors - Grade 10 - Year-long course
This is an accelerated English course, challenging students to take a humanistic approach to the subject of World Literature. Through the course of the year, students will explore the relationship between the literature, history, and culture of various civilizations while emphasizing the development of collegiate level writing, SAT Preparation, vocabulary, and presentation skills.
Prerequisite: English I Accelerated with a "B+" both semesters. English I with an "A" both semesters, teacher recommendation, department chair approval, and successful completion of challenge exam.
American Literature - Grade 11 - Year-long course
This junior level college preparatory course examines American Literature from its colonial origins to the present, including changes in subject matter and style. This course incorporates creative and expository writing, including literary analysis and research.
Additionally, this course emphasizes oral presentation skills, SAT Subject Test preparation, and grammar instruction. Students will be challenged to participate in class discussions and outside reading, and will learn to explore, as critical thinkers, the major themes of American literature and history.
English III AP - Grade 11 - Year-long course
The Advanced Placement Course in English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of nonfiction prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both the writing and the reading will make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. The course will focus on American Literature and will allow students to write in a variety of forms—narrative, exploratory, expository, argumentative, and analytical – and on a variety of subjects from personal experiences to public policies, from imaginative literature to popular culture. While preparation for the AP exam will be the focus, students will also write literary analysis essays. The overarching purpose is to enable students to write effectively and confidently.
Students enrolled in this course are required to take the AP examination in May. No final exam is administered in this course in the spring semester.
Prerequisite: English II Honors with a "B+" both semesters. World Literature with an "A" both semesters, teacher recommendation, and department chair approval.
English IV AP - Grade 12 - Year-long course
English IV AP is a senior level world literature course designed to challenge the most advanced student to increase the breadth and depth of his/her knowledge of world literature and of philosophy, to improve his/her writing, to expand his/her vocabulary, and to refine his/her grammatical skills. The course is primarily structured chronologically; a central focus is an articulation of the developmental changes in world literature and philosophy from the Golden Age of Greece to the present. But material is also considered thematically, with a concern for transitions in the history of ideas and how those transitions are revealed in literature. Students will be required to read numerous pieces of literature and philosophy from a group of authors represented in the Course Syllabus. Writing will primarily be interpretive, and eight to ten major essays will be required during the year. In addition, students will be required to submit shorter essays on a weekly basis. Vocabulary work will focus on typical SAT items and on words from the literature. The grammar emphasis for the year is on problem areas that regularly are revealed in writing, most notably parallel structure, placement of modifiers, and problems of agreement. The development of personal tone will also be addressed. Preparation for the AP exam will also be a focus of each unit. The course emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills. Students will be confronted with numerous opportunities for oral argumentation, which help the student to develop his/her ability to articulate original, well-documented positions.
Students enrolled in this course are required to take the AP examination in May. No final exam is administered in this course in the spring semester.
Prerequisite: American Literature with an "A" both semesters, teacher recommendation, department chair approval, and successful completion of challenge exam. Students in English III AP must receive a grade of B+ or better at the end of the first semester and second semester.
Senior Courses
English electives have been divided into two groups, Group A and Group B. Seniors are scheduled for one course from each group. These are semester courses. The following is a list of elective offerings. Courses in Group B with low student interest may not be offered.
Group A
Oral Composition - Grade 12 - Semester course
Oral Composition is a one-semester course designed to train students in the preparation, delivery, and assessment of public speaking in formal and informal situations. Additionally, students continue to develop and hone their writing skills through a series of essays and short writing assignments. The speeches and essays become more complex, moving from media analysis to formal debate, incorporating research and technology as students learn to organize and deliver information through written and oral communication.
Written Composition - Grade 12 - Semester course
Writing Composition is a one-semester, elective course designed to prepare students for college-level composition, including in-class and out-of-class essays. This class will help the student enhance his or her skills as a critical reader, writer, editor, and speaker. The course’s main focus will be practicing various writing techniques, experimenting with voice and style, and improving essay evaluation skills. Ultimately, the writing skills taught will ensure that every student is immediately prepared, proficient, and ready for all entry-level collegiate writing requirements. Nonfiction essays by professional and student writers will be used as models for writing. Some types of papers students will write include evaluation, comparison/contrast, speculating about causes, and persuasion. Major requirements for the course are timed, in-class essays, out-of-class essays, and an essay/speech involving extensive research.
Group B
African-American Literature - Grade 12 - Semester course
This course provides a survey of African-American literature from the 19th century to the present. In this course, the students will look at African-American culture through the lenses of fiction, poetry, song, non-fiction, and film. These cultural texts will allow them to see how the American notions of freedom, equality, gender, and literature have impacted African-American life.
British Literature - Grade 12 - Semester course
This course focuses on a chronological overview of selected British writers and works, beginning with the first narrative written in English and continuing with selections of poetry, stories, and essays of different eras. Students will study the development of the English language, the changing focus of subject matter and the evolution of British writing styles over the last ten centuries.
Contemporary Authors - Grade 12 - Semester course
This course focuses on the study of four contemporary novels in which the characters are on a journey of self-discovery. In discussing and analyzing the issues and obstacles these characters face in their search for self, students can learn about themselves and the contemporary world. Students are encouraged to question themselves and their surroundings, which can often be a long and involved journey, and during this process, students may be enabled in their search to formulate a clear path leading to self-affirmation.
Cultures in Conflict - Grade 12 - Semester course
This course focuses on novels from various parts of the world: Africa, the Middle-East, Asia, and South America. Particular emphasis will be placed on how the literature reflects the culture. Students will focus on the culture and the conflicts that develop due to outside forces, gender, religion, politics, and customs. The stories in the chosen books will be analyzed in light of these “conflicts” that develop within these societies and how they impact the characters.
The Literature of Rebellion - Grade 12 - Semester course
Literature and Rebellion examines where and how we "fit" into our social structure. We will read about heroes and antiheroes who have defied social norms, and through that defiance have forced the reader to examine his/her own morals and life choices. The works that we read demonstrate times when we must live according to the laws given to us in order to lead an honest existence; however, they also demonstrate times when we must stand against the crowd and determine on our own what is truly right. We will address the question as to whether it is natural to live alone or in community, as well as discuss our responsibility and individual roles in society during times when we find injustice.
Shakespeare - Grade 12 - Semester course
Why is William Shakespeare considered one of the greatest writers who ever lived? Why are the values, insights, and wisdom he revealed about human nature as valuable today as they were 400 years ago? Students will formulate opinions on these questions and examine the controversy over whether or not Shakespeare actually wrote these plays. The course begins with an overview of Shakespeare's life and the Elizabethan theatre and will focus on the study of four plays. Additionally, students will analyze and compare the same scene from different movie versions of play to try to understand the impact a director has on a rendition of the text and they will analyze famous scenes and speeches from plays not studied in their entirety. Overall, students will broaden their understanding of the range of Shakespeare's plays.
