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ENGLISH -
CURRICULUM | FACULTY
English
Curriculum
The English Department offers a four year program of courses. Most
students enroll in the standard course program, while a select few
enroll in the
honors English program. Both programs focus on college preparation and
emphasize literature interpretation and composition skills.
THE HONORS ENGLISH PROGRAM
This four year program provides a challenge for students who wish
to advance their English skills at a more accelerated rate than
that offered
by the standard
college preparatory program. Students should have an avid interest in literature,
a sound grasp of the fundamentals of formal grammar, and the ability to write
well-organized, clear formal essays. Students read approximately twice as much
literature as those in the non-honors program and write more challenging essays.
In addition, students prepare for the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition
exam. Vocabulary and grammar remain an integral part of the program.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Honors Program is considered throughout the
academic year. Only those students who have their English teachers’ approval
may be added to an honors roster. To qualify for approval, students must, in
the opinion of their teachers, have both the work ethic and interpretive skills
needed to succeed in Honors English.
HONORS ENGLISH I HONORS ENGLISH
II: WORLD LITERATURE
AND COMPOSITION HONORS ENGLISH III : AMERICAN LITERATURE
AND COMPOSITION HONORS ENGLISH IV: BRITISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION
HONORS ADVANCED PLACEMENT LANGUAGE AND RHETORIC
Credit: .5 unit
Eligible Grade Level: 12
Prerequisite: 85% or better average
in Honors the previous semester or 94% or better semester average in their
previous English course.
This elective course allows students to focus on improving their writing
skills by writing expository, analytical and argumentative essays about nonfiction
from various time periods and rhetorical contexts. The course will focus
on
how the
interactions among the writer’s purposes, the audience’s expectations,
the subject, and language contribute to effective writing. In addition, students
prepare for the English Language and Composition AP exam.
ENGLISH I
Credit: 1 unit
Eligible Grade Level: 9
Prerequisite: None
The focus of this course is an introduction to the literary genre
of short story, poetry, novel, and drama as well as a comprehensive
grammar review.
Students
study mythology, etymology, and composition writing.
ENGLISH II: WORLD LITERATURE
AND COMPOSITION
Credit: 1 unit
Eligible Grade Level:
10
Prerequisite: Completion
of Freshman English
Students focus primarily on world literature interpretation and composition
skills. They expand, practice and refine interpretation skills learned
in Freshman year
and also learn to create, write and revise several types of compositions.
During the second semester, students learn how to research and write
a short research
paper. Students continue learning new vocabulary and grammar.
ENGLISH III : AMERICAN LITERATURE
AND COMPOSITION
Credit: 1 unit
Eligible Grade Level: 11
Prerequisite: Completion
of Sophomore English
Students read and interpret American literature from the colonial
period to the present. During the second semester, students refine
their research
and
writing
skills as they compose a longer research paper. Students focus on
developing writing style, and they continue their study of grammar
and vocabulary.
AMERICAN STUDIES
Credit: 2 units - 1 English III ; 1 U.S. History
Eligible Grade Level:
11
Prerequisite: Completion of Sophomore English
This course is an interdisciplinary, team-taught course offered
for junior students who are academically motivated, self-directed,
and
college bound.
The course
takes an intensive chronological approach to American Literature
and American History, emphasizing the “sense of connectedness” between
the history of each era and its relationship to and influence on
the art, music and literature
produced during that period. Literary and historical analyses are
pursued through lectures, discussion, writing assignments and group
research
projects. Emphasis
is on developing advanced, college preparatory study skills as
well as interpretive reading skills. Writing assignments include
literary analyses,
expository essays,
and a MLA formatted research paper.
ENGLISH IV: BRITISH LITERATURE
AND COMPOSITION
Credit: 1 unit
Eligible Grade Level: 12
Prerequisite:
Completion of Junior English
Students study British literature from the Anglo-Saxon period
to the present. During the first semester, students practice
and refine
their
research
and writing skills by composing a persuasive research paper.
During the second
semester,
students continue reading various types of literature and writing
critical analysis papers. Students learn and practice finer
points of grammar
and writing style,
and they continue expanding their vocabulary.
CREATIVE WRITING 1
Credit: .5 unit
Eligible Grade Level: 11, 12
Prerequisite:
None
This is a one semester course that focuses primarily on poetry,
the short story, nonfiction, essay, and memoir. The course
incorporates numerous
readings, which
are used as models of style and technique. Class discussion
and critique
are based on students’ own writing samples as well
as reading assignments. Although the course has no prerequisite,
students are expected to have
a strong interest in creative expression and a desire to
improve
their writing through
personal and classmate critique and outside reading.
CREATIVE WRITING II
Credit: .5 unit
Eligible Grade Level: 11, 12
Prerequisite:
Creative Writing I and instructor approval.
Creative Writing II is an Independent Study Course offered
by invitation only to students who have take Creative Writing
I
and who have
shown the necessary
talents, interest, and self-discipline necessary to succeed
in a creative yet very disciplined independent effort to
further develop their writing
skills
in the areas of poetry, short story, drama, memoir, and
creative essay.
NEWSPAPER
Credit: .5 unit (non-GPA)
Eligible Grade Level: 9, 10,
11, 12
Prerequisite: Consent of the Newspaper Adviser
Students learn how to interview, write news and feature
stories, edit and lay out a magazine style newspaper.
Using Microsoft
Publisher students
produce the Spartan Spotlight, the school newspaper published
up to six times a year,
and
the Spartan Weekly. Students need to be interested in
writing and willing to
learn desktop publishing techniques. The class meets
two times a week during
Zero Hour.
SPEECH
Credit: .5 unit
Eligible Grade Level: 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite:
None
This is a one semester course focusing on research,
organization, oral presentation, and group communication
skills. Course
work includes informal
presentations,
three formal speeches, debate, and oral interpretation
of literature. Minimal research outside of class required.
YEARBOOK
Credit: 1 unit (non-GPA)
Eligible Grade Level: 10,
11, 12
Prerequisite: Consent of the Yearbook Adviser
This course includes instruction in the following
procedures: designing a layout, cropping pictures,
writing copy
and captions. It is helpful
if students
can
type and take pictures. (It is not necessary for
students to own a camera.) Creativity
and artistic talents are useful in developing a yearbook
of which to be proud.
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