English/Language Arts

DOE: 1002

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

This course is designed to improve the oral and written communication skills of students who have difficulty with English. Students will write at least 4 compositions including narration, description, and a character analysis. A study of grammar will be included. Literature units will include the novel, drama, biography, autobiography, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction.

DOE: 1002

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

Prerequisite/s: None

English 9 is designed to improve all language arts skills, grammar, spelling/vocabulary, literature/reading, composition, and oral communication. Literature units include Romeo and Juliet, Animal Farm, The Odyssey, mythology, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

DOE: 1002

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

Registration is by application and nomination only. Selection is based upon standardized test scores, English grades, and teacher recommendations. The course is literature-based with challenging written and oral projects throughout the year. Vocabulary and composition are emphasized. Major works in this course include The Odyssey, To Kill a Mockingbird, Great Expectations, Romeo and Juliet, The Chosen, and Animal Farm. Students will complete a research paper, create a media project, and present their work orally. Grammar, mechanics, and usage will be included as necessary. Students are expected to read regularly, work independently, think critically and creatively, and participate in class discussions.

DOE: 1004

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

Basic English 10 is for students who have difficulty with English and does not count toward Core 40 Diploma. The course is designed to build upon oral and written communication skills developed in the 9th grade Basic English. Literature units and longer compositions, including process, persuasion, and exposition, will be included.

DOE: 1004

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

English 10, designed to build upon the skills acquired in English 9, provides further instruction in the fundamentals of literature, grammar, composition, and spelling/vocabulary. All genres of literature are included in this course; specifically, one Shakespearean play and one novel will be studied.

DOE: 1004

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

Prerequisite/s: English 9 Honors

Registration is by application and nomination only. Selection will be based upon standardized test scores, English grades, and teacher recommendations. The course is literature-based with challenging written and oral projects throughout the year. Vocabulary and composition are emphasized. Independent study will constitute an important aspect of this class, thereby allowing students to explore concepts with creative projects of their own design. Readings may include The Canterbury Tales, Dandelion Wine, Macbeth, Doctor Faustus, Antigone, Lord of the Flies, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Cry, the Beloved Country. Students will research topics, analyze literature, write essays, lead discussions, master vocabulary, and synthesize information. Formal mechanics, grammar, and usage instructions will be included as necessary.

DOE: 1006

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

This course, designed for students who experience difficulty in reading, builds upon skills developed in the 9th and 10th grade Basic English classes. This course does not count toward Core 40 Diploma. American Literature is the focus of the reading in 11th grade. A variety of genres will be included: poetry, nonfiction, drama, short stories, and the novel. Also included are longer compositions and a limited research paper/project.

DOE: 1006

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

English 11 is designed to give students an in-depth understanding and appreciation for eras, genres, concepts and authors in the history of American literature. Poetry, nonfiction, drama, short stories, and a novel are included each semester with emphasis on reading comprehension and literary analysis. Students will complete a minimum of six compositions including a research project or paper. Students will organize and present ideas effectively both orally and in writing according to the specific purposes of the assignment. Vocabulary study is a core component of the course.

DOE: 1006

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

This is a literature/composition course designed to give students a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the world of American authors. Using either a chronological or thematic approach, teachers will guide students in examining ideas and events that have helped to shape American literature. Students will read at least one novel and write a minimum of six compositions including an in-depth, literature-based research paper or project.

HHS Only

DOE: 1006

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

Prerequisite/s: English 10 Honors

Registration by application and nomination only. Selection is based upon standardized test scores, English grades, and teacher recommendation. This course will cover American writers of all time periods and all genres. Emphasis will be on the American Dream and the various ways it is portrayed in literature as well as how it has changed according to time and author. In addition to the selections in the anthology, students will read several novels. In the past, these have included The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Scarlet Letter, The Grapes of Wrath, Moby Dick, A Farewell to Arms, and The Great Gatsby. Students will write a minimum of six compositions, including modeling of authors’ styles and a documented literature-based research paper or project. Students will also learn literacy terms and analytical techniques, applying these in timed writing responses to sample Advanced Placement exam prompts.

MHS Only

DOE: 1056

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

Prerequisite/s: English 10 Honors, Registration by application and nomination only

This course will focus on preparing students to “write effectively and confidently in their college courses across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives” (The College Board, AP English course Description) through a rigorous study of predominantly American fictional literature and nonfiction documents. The class emphasizes refining skills or rhetorical analysis and expression through various composition modes. The intensive literary study emphasizes in-depth oral and written analyses including brief, informal responses that explore basic understanding; formal essays that interpret and evaluate meaning; timed, practice AP exams; and lengthy, researched arguments-all produced in the context of instructor guidance and feedback. As the equivalent of an introductory freshman-level composition course in universities, AP English Language & Composition demands that students read critically, think analytically, and communicate clearly both in writing and speech.

DOE: 1008

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

This course is designed to build upon and improve oral and written communication skills developed in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade Basic English classes. This course does not count toward Core 40 Diploma. The course will include appropriate literature and composition units, as well as practical communication skills—writing a resume, filling out forms, completing applications, and practicing for job interviews.

DOE: 1008

Credit/s: 1

Semester/s: 1

English 12 is a composition course designed to prepare students for postsecondary writing situations. Students will write a variety of formal compositions (e.g., narrative/descriptive, persuasive, comparison/contrast, character description, etc.), compose resumes and business letters, and complete a research paper or project. Students will review the rules of English grammar and mechanics and apply these skills to the writing process. Vocabulary study will be a core component of the course. Literature (fiction and/or non-fiction) also will provide the basis for writing and compositions.

DOE: 1008

Credit/s: 1

Semester/s: 1

Academic English 12 is a rigorous class designed to prepare seniors for the academic workload expected at the college level. Required papers include a research paper and a variety of compositions such as narrative/descriptive, comparison/contrast, persuasive, and literary criticism. Students are expected to have a solid understanding of the basics of standard English usage and grammar before entry into the class. Advanced understanding of grammar, usage, mechanics, vocabulary and spelling is an integral part of the class. Vocabulary and spelling are emphasized.

HHS Only

DOE: 1056

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

Prerequisite/s: English 11 Honors, Registration by nomination and application only

This course is designed to prepare students for the national AP exams administered in May by the College Board. Selection is based upon self-nomination, verbal scores on standardized tests, English grades, and teacher recommendation. Course content consists of major British and American authors and works, from Shakespeare to contemporary writers. Weekly writing assignments focus on the critical analysis of literature and the types of writing covered in Academic English 12. Class work focuses on student presentation and analysis of works studied. Sample works include Hamlet, Heart of Darkness, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and nine weeks of poetry. Frequent timed essays and sample objective exams are taken as practice for the AP exams, which are required of students in this class. These exams are given in the spring; costs may be as much as $92.

MHS Only

DOE: 1058

Credit/s: 2

Semester/s: 2

Prerequisite/s: English 11 Language and Composition A/P, Registration by application and nomination only

English Literature and Composition, Advanced Placement, is an advanced placement course based on content established by the College Board. An AP English course in Literature and Composition engages students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students consider a work's structure, style, and themes as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. The course includes intensive study of representative works from various genres and periods, concentrating on works of recognized literary merit. A comprehensive description of this course can be found on the College Board AP Central Course Description web page at: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/descriptions/index.html.

· Recommended Grade Level: Grades 11 and 12

· Credits: 2 credits, a two-semester course with 1 credit per semester

· Fulfills an English Language Arts requirement for the General, Core 40, Core 40 with Academic Honors, Academic

Honors with Distinction, and Core 40 with Technical Honors diplomas

DOE: 1026

Credit/s: 1

Semester/s: 1

Prerequisite/s: Senior Level

This course is designed to acquaint students with (a) the creation and destruction myths of four major cultures (Babylonian, Egyptian, Hindu, Norse), and (b) heroic sagas from Babylonian, Indian, Norse, and Celtic mythologies. Other ancient mythologies may be incorporated at the discretion of the instructor. Students will be encouraged to understand myths as historical, cultural, and spiritual records as well as to appreciate them as aesthetic artifacts. Students will discover the unique elements of the specified mythologies as well as those patterns that bind one mythology to another. The course involves reading, essay writing, oral presentations, and projects.

DOE: 1030

Credit/s: 1

Semester/s: 1

Prerequisite/s: A or B in Academic 11

This academic level course is intended for the serious English student. Similar to the American literature class taken during the junior year, this course is a survey of the historical and literary traditions of all genres of British literature from Beowulf to the present. Evaluation will be based upon analysis of the literature, discussion, synthesis of ideas, vocabulary, compositions, quizzes, and tests.

DOE: 1042

Credit/s: 1

Semester/s: 1

Prerequisite/s: Senior Level

Novels is a one-semester class designed for the Academic or General English student who wants to read full-length fiction. The course will focus on 20th century novels of different cultural backgrounds. Each semester the teacher will choose five to six culturally diverse novels from the list of titles available. Each unit will center on a novel and will include a major exam, project, and/or composition. Teachers will direct the students in activities that develop literary analysis skills, apply literary terms, explore the context and culture of the novels, and investigate the background of the author.

DOE: 1076

Credit/s: 1

Semester/s: 1

Basic Speech follows the same course direction as Speech, but is designed for students who may require additional assistance in reading, writing skills such as outlining, and speaking in public situations.

DOE: 1076

Credit/s: 1

Semester/s: 1

Speech is a required course designed to introduce the student to the elements of oral communication and to develop the student’s competence and confidence in formal and informal group and individual speaking situations. Evaluation will be based upon the student’s oral performance, individual effort and progress, group participation, and written assignments.

DOE: 1052

Credit/s: 1

Semester/s: 1

Prerequisite/s: Senior Level

World Literature is a one-semester class designed for the General English student who wants to learn about different countries in the world through their literature. Students will read, analyze, and respond to various selections – short stories, poetry, non-fiction, two novels – along with learning about the geography and culture of the countries represented. Evaluation will be based upon discussion, composition, vocabulary study, reading comprehension questions, tests, quizzes, and projects involving research.