English

This course is designed to enhance students’ existing knowledge in three major areas of English: literature, grammar and composition, and vocabulary. Units in literature will include short story, poetry, drama, nonfiction, and novel. Units in grammar and composition will include grammar basics, sentence writing and improvement, and paragraph and essay writing. Students will practice research skills for a short documented paper. Development of skills in grammar, vocabulary, and composition will be ongoing throughout the year. Summer reading is required.

This is an advanced level freshman composition and literature course geared for the student who demonstrates a proficiency in reading, writing, and language skills. Emphasis will be placed on writing improvement through paragraph and essay development and the integration of vocabulary study and critical thinking skills through a close reading of multicultural literature in various genres. Techniques of basic literary research, use of parenthetical documentation and integration of quoted material into the writing of the essay will complete the course. Summer reading is required.

In this survey course, students will be reading and responding to foundational works of literature. Special focus will be given to works representative of the European tradition, with the periodic inclusion of texts representing a global perspective. Students will write in response to the literature as well as in response to standard prompts for argument, research, and creative interpretation. In addition to the intensive reading and writing components of the course, students will broaden their understanding of English grammar, mechanics, and level-appropriate vocabulary. Summer reading is required.

In this advanced course, students will be reading and responding to works of literature ranging from classic and foundational texts to modern. Special focus will be given to seminal works within the European and English tradition in an attempt to build an understanding of how canonical literature developed according to historical periods. Students will then apply these discoveries to more contemporary and globally reflective texts in an effort to connect the past with the present. Students will write extensively in response to the literature as well as in response to standard prompts for argument, research, and creative interpretation. In addition to the intensive reading and writing components of the course, students will broaden their understanding of English grammar, mechanics, and level-appropriate vocabulary. Summer reading is required.

This course is designed to both reinforce and challenge students' consideration of the role of local place in cultural production with a specific focus on what it means to be "American." Through a survey of historical, modern, and contemporary American literature and film from canonical as well as non-canonical voices in the American tradition, students will continue to develop critical thinking, research, and argument skills, especially as they relate to past and current American culture and politics. In addition to critical argumentative pieces, students will respond to our study in a variety of creative and interpretive ways. Through both short and sustained practice, students will continue to broaden their understanding of English grammar, mechanics, and level- appropriate vocabulary. Summer reading is required.

This FULL YEAR course is designed for students to take the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Test at the end of their junior year. With English Department approval, students may take this course that have not been enrolled in honors level English courses but are interested in taking the A.P. Lang Test. The goal of this A.P. course is for students to become skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and to become skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Students will read and analyze a broad and challenging range of nonfiction prose selections, with an emphasis on foundational American texts among others, will engage in the study of poetry and the novel, and will write frequently to deepen understanding of audience, purpose, strategy, and how language works. Students must take the Advanced Placement Exam to receive the A.P. designation on the transcript and to have the additional honor point calculated into the grade point average.

This semester long course is designed to help students learn to write and speak for public address. Students will be able to find, organize, outline, and develop researched support for oral presentations. The written word will be put into practice through presentation of several types of speeches in front of the class. Students will learn to use both verbal and nonverbal delivery skills to improve oral communication.

This semester long course is designed to view literature and writing through a scope that builds upon previous English courses and will prepare students to study at the collegiate level. The course aims to examine literature that has been regarded by various institutions and authorities as representative of societal and cultural significance. The course includes representative works from various genres and period, concentrating on modern/contemporary works of recognized literary merit. Through close examination of the selected texts, students will deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. This is done in conjunction with discussions and presentations, and a number of essays that extend the understanding, interpretation, and analysis of the works.

This FULL YEAR course is designed for the student capable of and interested in doing college-level work in the fields of language and cultural analysis while still in high school. The course is also designed to prepare students for the AP Literature and Composition exam at the end of the year. Coursework reinforces research and citation skills acquired in previous honors courses and emphasizes continued development of close reading skills to interpret and evaluate aesthetic quality and degree of craftsmanship in seminal works of literature from various eras, with a predominant focus on modern, postmodern, and contemporary literature in the global tradition, especially as they comment on and critique significant cultural, social, and political issues. Writing experiences focus on the critical analysis of literature, including expository and analytical in-class and extended-process essays. A summer reading list for this course will be provided in the spring of the junior year. Students must take the Advanced Placement Exam to receive the A.P. designation on the transcript.

This course is designed for the student who is interested in the focused study of prose, poetry, and other verse forms with a personal portfolio of work as the final goal. Students will look at professional models of poetry, prose, and songwriting to analyze and discuss for developing critical understanding. This course is offered one semester a year.