Course Descriptions
- ENGLISH 9A
- This course integrates all the language skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing) and the processes (language and literature) in a thematic organization. The over-arching theme for Grade 9 English, "Mirrors and Windows", is explored through the study of the following units: Independence, Conflict, and Choice. Students experience texts of different genres and forms related to each theme. They participate in a variety of individual and collaborative instructional strategies that help them develop skills and make literary and interdisciplinary connections. Students complete seven common tasks that primarily focus on the writing process. All students begin the compilation of a high school "showcase" portfolio that includes self-reflection of pieces selected for inclusion.
- ENGLISH 9B
- This course further develops the theme of "Mirrors and Windows"" through study of the following units: Communication, Relationships, and Change. Students continue their study of texts of different genres and forms related to each theme. They read at least three full-length works and various supplementary readings. Students complete six common tasks that include writing and speaking assignments. Students complete their Grade 9 "showcase" portfolio, selecting four pieces to show their Grade 10 teacher.
- English 9 is in the honors program. Students may take the course at the honors level by completing the required procedures and registering under the special honors code.
- ENGLISH 10A
- Literature study in this course follows a thematic approach that includes the close study of adult prose fiction and drama, noting their distinctive characteristics, conventions, and techniques. Students are required to study at least two novels, two plays (one Shakespearean), and a variety of short stories related to each theme, and participate in a variety of instructional techniques. Students also work to achieve unity and coherence in expository and other types of writing as they complete common tasks that focus on the writing process. Language study focuses on the mechanics and usage needs reflected in student writing; it also extends semantics study to the treatment of metaphor, semantic classification, and verbal analogies.
- ENGLISH 10B
- This course expands on the themes introduced in English 10A by continuing the study of literature under thematic classifications. In addition, students study the elements of the communication process. Students learn ways to improve listening skills, participate in small-group discussions, practice interview skills, exercise basic research skills, and prepare and deliver speeches. During the semester, students reflect on social and career communication by analyzing the ways group discussion proceeds and how persuasive and informative speeches work. This course also involves common tasks which focus on writing and which may require significant research components.
- English 10 is in the honors program. Students may take the course at the honors level by completing the required procedures and registering under the special honors code.
- ENGLISH 11A
- English 11A is organized thematically around the concept of Tapestry. A tapestry is a high art form involving complex patterns, textures, and techniques, but it is also a practical craft that emphasizes familiar materials and basic skills. It is this concern for form, function, style, and artistry that forms the basis for English study in Grade 11. The curriculum is designed to build upon skills addressed in Grades 9 and 10, particularly aiming to refine students' critical reading and writing skills. To this end, students will write structured essays and develop creative pieces, and they will add completed common tasks to their high school "showcase" portfolios. Students will study the various genres of literature through three units that focus on either theme or technique: Textures, Patterns, and Landscapes.
- ENGLISH 11B
- This curriculum expands on the features introduced in English 11A. Students will consider varying landscapes and people´s relationships to them, the harmony and dissonance of societies and cultures, and the impact of heritage, as well as distinct literary forms, problem-based inquiry, and the rhetorical features and structures of language. In addition, because many Grade 11 students take the PSAT test in October, the first unit, Textures, focuses on close textual reading and critical analysis. The Inquiry unit emphasizes the investigative process. The Heritage unit includes a service learning component that helps students to fulfill the service learning requirement for graduation. Language instruction, including grammar study, targets the Grade 11 indicators stated in English Core Learning Goal 3. Vocabulary is developed through reading and a variety of experiences with words written, viewed, and heard. The diverse elements of the course, focusing on themes and forms, come together to form an intricate tapestry of language and literature.
- English 11 is in the honors program. Students may take the course at the honors level by completing the required procedures and registering under the special honors code.
- ENGLISH 11: ADVANCED PLACEMENT LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION
- AP Language and Composition A and B are designed for the highly motivated student who wishes to read complex texts with understanding and to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers. The basis of this full-year course is rhetorical analysis, the interrelationship of subject, speaker, purpose, and audience. The student will learn to read critically and to write effectively. In both semesters the AP Class is paper intensive; there are frequent timed writings and many formal papers. Tests are almost non-existent. The student will read and analyze essays, poetry, and long works of non-fiction during the course and write essays that proceed through several stages or drafts, with revision aided by teacher and peers. The course assumes that the student already understands and uses standard English grammar. At the end of the course the student is prepared and should take the annual Advanced Placement Examination and may receive college English credit or advanced, preferential placement in English at the college level. This course fulfills part of the student service learning graduation requirement.
- ENGLISH: BRIDGE A/B
- This course provides an instructional bridge between ESOL classes and regular English classes. Students exiting ESOL by test will receive the training they need for success in regular English. Skills taught in the class include organizing essays, analyzing selected literary texts, writing about literature, recognizing literary devices, taking vocabulary quizzes, taking notes, and doing research.
- In order to function truly as a bridge, the course should be the only English credit that the student is taking. This is NOT A BASIC SKILLS CLASS. No one enters this class unless s/he has recently exited ESOL by test, is recommended by the ESOL teacher, and has not taken a regular English class before. Bridge is organized so that a student may take two semesters if necessary. No student should take more than two semesters; otherwise, s/he will be repeating the credit.
- ENGLISH 12 A & B
- This course requires the students to understand a wide variety of texts, including traditional works of literature, and understand and produce practical and persuasive forms of communication that involve speaking, writing, and listening skills, and modern media such as film, television, magazines, and newspapers. In the course, students compare texts from various cultures and historical periods, develop their own voices as writers and speakers, and combine literary study with writing. Students are prepared to take an end-of-course assessment to measure how well they have mastered the central concepts and skills of the course.
- English 12 is in the honors program. Students may take the course at the honors level by completing the required procedures and registering under the special honors code.
- ENGLISH 12 A & B – CONCENTRATED
- This course fulfills all of the objectives and covers all of the skills and materials in the traditional English 12 A & B (see above). The difference will be that the course will meet for two periods in Semester 1, and both A and B terms will be completed in that semester. The class is heterogeneous in skill level, and is taken for regular English 12 credit. Students taking this class will be encouraged, but not required, to participate in the senior projects program during their spring semester. One aim of this course is to give seniors more flexibility in their second semester schedules in order to explore options through additional electives, internships, work/study programs and senior projects.
- ENGLISH 12: ADVANCED PLACEMENT LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION
- Prerequisite: Advanced Placement Language and Composition or English 11 Honors (with a grade of A or B), successful completion of the Entrance Exam, and Teacher Recommendation
- This course challenges the student to read mature literary pieces that will motivate him/her to greater understanding and insightful approaches to reading and analysis. The student must, in response to the demands of the course, be an active participant in class discussion and must be prepared to have his/her point of view challenged. However, the student learns that there is no "one correct answer"; s/he discovers instead that there is only "the well-supported answer." Use of textual evidence is stressed throughout the year, and the student develops a natural sense of the most effective method of presenting his opinion.
- The timed writing is often used to help the student learn to present his ideas in a clear, organized manner in an established time frame, thus reinforcing skills that he must demonstrate during the Advanced Placement Exam in May.
- The required summer reading furnishes raw material for appropriate introductory experiences in group presentation and critical analysis.
- JOURNALISM 1 and 2: NEWSPAPER (GRADES 10-12)
- These courses are designed for all students interested in learning about journalism and for those students interested in working on school publications. Instruction will focus on techniques of gathering and reporting news; on skills of editing, copyreading, and proofreading; and on the techniques for designing newspaper pages. In the courses, students are provided instruction and practical experiences in recognizing what constitutes news value, in identifying and evaluating news sources, in preparing and conducting interviews and surveys, in writing various kinds of newspaper copy, and in designing different types of pages for school newspapers.
- JOURNALISM 1 and 2: YEARBOOK (GRADES 10-12)
- The courses in Yearbook Journalism are intended for all students interested in learning about journalism and for those students interested in working on the school yearbook. Instruction will focus on techniques of gathering and reporting news, on skills of editing, copyreading, and proofreading, and on techniques of designing layouts. They will also become acquainted with the realities of covering events, groups, and people; assigning and managing staff; dealing with a printing plant; and managing advertising and public relations.
