Language Arts

100/101 9 Honors English (A & B) – TP, Two Semesters – NCAAF,

This course is a fast paced course that emphasizes written and verbal communication using grammar, composition and literary skills. Several formal papers, higher order thinking skills, good organizational ability, and active class discussion will be expected of the students. In addition to assigned texts, students will also be expected to participate in daily choice reading and complete book talks to share with their peers. This course is graded on a five-point scale. TEACHER PERMISSION IS REQUIRED.

 

102/103 9 English (A & B) – F, Two Semesters NCAA, GR

This course concentrates on grammar fundamentals, literary concepts, and writing mechanics. The literature involved is an introduction to short stories, poems, plays, and novels. In addition to assigned texts, students will also be expected to participate in daily choice reading and complete book talks to share with their peers.

 

110/111 10 Honors English (A & B) – TP, SO, Two Semesters NCAA

This course is a rigorous course designed to give students an in-depth understanding and appreciation of literature, language, and writing skills. The emphasis is on analysis and composition. This class presents students with a variety of literary forms including drama, poetry, and the novel. A research paper is required. In addition to assigned texts, students will also be expected to participate in daily choice reading and complete book talks to share with their peers. This course is graded on a 5 point scale. MUST HAVE the recommendation of Honors 9 teacher, or test into Honors 10.

 

112/113 10 English (A & B) – SO, Two Semesters NCAA, GR

This course emphasizes fundamental writing, grammar, and literary skills by exploring a wide variety of literary themes, including two novels and a play. Students are presented with various writing techniques that are incorporated into a required research paper. In addition to assigned texts, students will also be expected to participate in daily choice reading and complete book talks to share with their peers.

 

120/121 11 Honors English (A & B) – TP, J, Two Semesters NCAA

The central focus of this course is to interpret and analyze the literature of classic American authors in relation to the historical mood of the times in which the prose and poetry were written. Considerable emphasis is placed on each author’s motivation, intent, and style, as well as the artist using his or her voice for change through persuasive rhetoric. Since the SAT essay is a literary analysis of persuasive techniques, students will spend considerable time analyzing mentor texts such as famous American speeches and the foundational documents of American democracy.

The course will contain instruction and practice in developing analytical skills both through written compositions, oral discussion and a culminating group project. Students will be encouraged to explore, compare and contrast their contemporary views and feelings with that of each author. Students will be expected to participate in daily reading assignments, written homework, oral presentations, persuasive research papers, and periodic evaluation instruments. In addition to assigned texts, students will also be expected to participate in daily choice reading and complete book talks to share with their peers. Students MUST HAVE the recommendation of previous Honors teacher, or test into Honors 11.

 

122/123 11 English (A & B) – J, Two Semesters NCAA, GR

The central focus of this course is to interpret and analyze classic American literature of in relation to the historical mood of the times in which prose and poetry were written. Emphasis will be on each author’s motivation, intent, purpose, and style. Persuasive writing and its social and political purposes in various times and circumstances will also be studied. Since the SAT essay is a literary analysis of persuasive techniques, students will spend considerable time analyzing mentor texts such as famous American speeches and the foundational documents of American democracy.

This course is designed to continue the development of English skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Essay writing is stressed through persuasive and expository papers. Major persuasive papers will be written in both semesters with different foci and perspectives. Students will be expected to participate in daily reading assignments, written homework, oral presentations, research papers, and periodic evaluation instruments. In addition to assigned texts, students will also be expected to participate in daily choice reading and complete book talks to share with their peers.

 

156 Film Studies – F, SO, J, S, Semester

The film studies class is a comprehensive appreciation of the various components of movies. The focus is on film history, technique, theory and analysis. These areas will be studied simultaneously because the developing techniques and equipment of film making, the critical theories that attempt to understand and explain the process of filmic art, and the ever-evolving body of world films from silents to talkies and on to the digital age progress historically. In addition to film techniques and elements, students will look critically at popular film genres as they would a written text. The writing component of the class will involve film analysis. Numerous films from all historical periods will be reviewed, discussed and analyzed.

 

162 12 AP Literature and Comp. (A and B) – TP, S,Two Semesters – NCAA

This course is designed to teach the content of similar first-year college writing courses, and follows the curricular requirements described in the Advanced Placement English Course Description. The culmination of the class is the mandatory Advanced Placement test. If successfully fulfilled, this test will substitute with full credit required first-year college classes.

This class includes an intensive study of representative American and British works from various genres and historical periods, which will be explored together through class discussion and writings of various lengths, expectations, and forms. At least six novels, short works of fiction, essays, poetry, and plays will be read for analysis of meaning and how that meaning is conveyed through an author’s rhetorical choices, style, purpose, tone, intended audience, and use of figurative language. In other words, the individual literary bricks will be examined with reference to the works’ historical context to see and understand how the overall thematic literary edifice has been created. Recommendation from an English teacher is required.

 

132 12 British Literature A – S, Semester NCAA

A major portion of this course stresses English grammar, usage and English mechanics through the development of language skills, letters and resume writing, report and application writing, and other communication skills necessary to most professions and vocations. A minor portion of this class examines short stories, plays, poems and a novel. Meets 12th grade English requirement.

 

133 12 British Literature B – S, Semester NCAA

A major portion of this course stresses English grammar, usage and English mechanics through the development of language skills, letters and resume writing, report and application writing, and other communication skills necessary to most professions and vocations. A minor portion of this class examines short stories, plays, poems and a novel. Meets 12th grade English requirement.

 

128 Theatre Arts – Origins and Early Development – F, SO, J, S, Semester – VPA

This is theatre arts course includes acting, staging, basic directing, writing, and theatre history. Student actors will be introduced to the Stanislavski system of acting, also known as Method acting. This system assists actors in the development of both an interior and exterior characterization promoting a realistic and fully developed performance. Performances will include contemporary and modern multi-character scenes, monologues, poetic interpretation, improvisation, and story-telling. Staging and basic directing will be taught in relation to scene work. Writing will consist of an analytic acting essay. Students will be introduced to the Ancient Greek origins of Western theatre through its genesis with the Roman and Medieval historical periods.

 

129 Theatre Arts – Toward a Mature Theatre F, SO, J, S, Semester - VPA

This theatre arts course includes acting, staging, basic directing, writing, and theatre history. The techniques of the Stanislavski system of acting, also known as Method acting, will be reinforced in order to help the student actor develop both an interior and exterior character for a realistic and fully developed performance. Performances will include modern and classic multi-character scenes, monologues, and improvisation. Staging and basic directing will be taught in relation to scene work. Writing will consist of analytic acting essays. Students will learn how the seeds of modern Western theatre developed during the Renaissance, through the Elizabethan period, and into the Restoration.

 

137 Speech Communications – F, SO, J, S, Semester, NCAA - VPA

As speech communication is important in all areas of the working world, this course will assist students in becoming more confident when speaking in one-on-one situations as well as groups. Students will experience and be expected to show mastery of a wide variety of speaking experiences that include a demonstration, informative, persuasive PowerPoint, historical, and final exam speech. Course work also includes mastery of outlining, listening and organizational skills as well as proficiency in speech terminology.

 

142 Newspaper 1 (A and B) – TP, F, SO, J, S, Two Semesters

143 Newspaper 2 (A and B) – TP, PR, SO, J, S, Two Semesters

144 Newspaper 3 (A and B) – TP, PR, J, S, 145 Two Semesters

Newspaper 4 (A and B) – TP, PR, J, S, ALL – Two Semesters

VPA

Meets 12th grade English requirement. These courses offer basic to advanced instruction in journalism, which includes news, editorial, feature and sports writing. Students will also receive instruction and must demonstrate skill in page layout, copy editing, and computer work, as well as advertising and business strategies, including selling an advertisement and participating in other fundraising activities. The ability to work with deadlines is a must. The primary project is the production of multiple issues of the school newspaper. Meets senior year English credit.

 

146 Creative Writing – F, SO, J, S, Semester

NCAA - VPA

Creative writing is a writing intensive course for the self-motivated, capable writers who have previously mastered basic grammar and composition. Students will write in various forms, including essay, short story, and poetry. The course covers the major elements of writing fundamentals and styles, but the major emphasis is on the development of individual writing skills in a workshop setting, which includes class analysis of student writing. Students will share their work with their peers in an open forum. Be prepared for a trimester of writing!

 

147 Novels (A-B) – J, S, Semester NCAA

This course focuses on introducing students to selected American and British classical novels. Students will be expected to read, analyze and interpret the classics. These skills will be reinforced through debate, discussion and various types of evaluation and writing experiences. Meets 12th grade English requirement.

 

149 Short Stories – J, S, Semester NCAA

Short Story is a reading intensive class designed to provide students with opportunities to read and discuss a variety of literary styles. These stories can generally be read in less than one evening. Much emphasis will be placed upon understanding through the literary elements of the short story. Thinking, organizing, and writing skills will be necessary since reaction essays will be assigned to evaluate the students’ understanding of these stories. In addition, students will create various projects and their own short stories throughout the trimester. Get ready to read! Meets 12th grade English requirement.

 

197 Other Voices - J, S, Semester NCAA

This course provides an introduction to readings from a wide variety of viewpoints and experiences. Students will be expected to keep an open mind as they encounter multiple perspectives in the multicultural reading selections and class discussions. Readings will include literature (poetry, short stories, and a novel or theatrical work) and literary non-fiction (personal narratives, essays, and articles). Students will demonstrate their learning through class discussions, writings, projects, and presentations. Meets 12th grade English requirement.

 

131 Children’s Literature - F, So, J, S, Semester, NCAA

This is a reading intensive class that looks at the development and growth of children’s literature and literacy. Students will read a variety of texts, analyzing and assessing the era, methods, content, themes, and images, and creating their own reading journey from childhood to now. Students will also read to children via field trips to schools or video recordings. Many books would be read over the course of the class, and students will be expected to provide some of those books from their own reading journey.

 

130 Gothic Literature - J, S, Semester, NCAA

This is a reading intensive class that investigates the Gothic literature genre and its offshoots. Starting with historically significant authors like Poe and Lovecraft, and meeting in the present with the likes of King, the course is designed to present the growth and development of this genre which analyzes the darkest recesses of the human mind and the supernatural. Students will be expected to keep up with the readings and complete projects and writing assignments in keeping with the content of the class. Because of its content and intensity, this class is open to 11 and 12 grade students, and could be used as the 12th grade English credit if taken in Senior year.