Summer reading is required for all four years not only to reinforce the literary skills encountered in the classroom but also to promote good reading habits, which, both directly and indirectly, contribute to the development of positive writing skills.
A variety of approaches and methodologies are used on all grade levels and in all classes to develop these skills. The pursuit of such development is expanded in depth and intensity in the Honors and Advanced Placement courses.
Weekly vocabulary study is ongoing in English I-IV.
English I (CP) – 9th
1.0 credit
Prerequisite: none
English I’s focus is to lay down a foundation to prepare students for their future English courses in high school while establishing skill in writing, critical examination and analysis which includes mastery of sentence structure and paragraph elements based upon extensive study of grammatical concepts. Students will study some of the greatest works in literature as well as some contemporary works, providing students with an overview of each major literary genre. The course will concentrate on the development of critical thinking skills, analytical skills (rhetorical/character), essay writing and the improvement of communication, both written and spoken. In addition to formal analytical essay writing, all students will be required to prepare a minimum of one research oriented paper with emphasis on the basic mechanics of research (how to find, gather, collate, present, and document the ideas of others with much guidance and hands-on experiences in the library).English I (Honors) – 9th
1.0 credit
Prerequisite: none
English I Honors is intended to correspond with the objectives of English I College Prep, but with a much higher demand in both quantity and quality of reading comprehension, analysis and writing. The curriculum is envisioned to prepare students for future high school English classes as well as college. Students are expected to not only meet, but exceed state standards in reading, writing, listening and speaking with emphasis on critical thinking and textual analysis.English II (CP) – 10th
1.0 credit
Prerequisite: English I
English II expands on those skills introduced in English I. The curriculum presents a holistic approach to writing and literary skills by merging several components: concentrated study of selected readings from literary genres with emphasis on literary elements employed by those selections; attention to research skills, format, and documentation; regular attention to writing from non-literary related prompts; study and use of vocabulary; study of and practice with several basic rhetorical modes and the rubrics by which these writings are assessed.English II (Honors/PreAP) – 10th
1.0 credit
Prerequisite: English I (CP/H), Faculty recommendation
English II Honors/Pre-AP includes all the skills and objectives listed in the curriculum of CP English II, but the pacing as well as the level of critical level thinking and analysis is targeted to increase the student’s understanding of reading comprehension, literary analysis, and the mastery of essay writing in preparation for AP level classes.English III (CP) – 11th
1.0 credit
Prerequisite: English II
English III includes some grammatical study as an adjunct to more technical essay writing and continued stress of library/research skills with some assistance to help students gain independence in academic research. The research paper will be persuasive in nature.English III Language and Composition (AP) – 11th
1.0 credit
Prerequisite: English II CP or PreAP, Faculty Recommendation, Test Scores
The AP Language and Composition course is intended to engage students in becoming skilled readers of American prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts. It also requires students to become skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Students write in a variety of forms such as narrative, exploratory, expository, and argumentative and on a variety of subjects such as personal experiences, public policies, imaginative literature, and pop culture. The course is designed to enable students to read complex American texts with understanding and to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers. AP Language and Composition emphasizes the process of composing and asks students to write essays that proceed through several stages or drafts, with revision aided by teachers and peers. Students will read a wide variety of American prose styles from many disciplines and historical periods and also consider how selection of American fiction and poetry highlight stylistic decisions. The course provides students with a comprehensive experience in studying American literature.English IV (CP) – 12th
1.0 credit
Prerequisite: English III
English IV includes mastery of formal essay structure as a basis for preparation for the traditional college classroom, research paper of 6-8 typed pages which is the result of the student’s independent research with an emphasis on analysis of literary works of two authors. Literature includes a chronological study of British literature from Biblical times through the ages to the current century for an understanding of how literature is a reflection of history and reinforcement of literary terminology with added levels of insight and synthesis.English IV Literature and Composition (AP) – 12th
1.0 credit
Prerequisite: English III CP or AP, Faculty Recommendation, Test Scores
AP English Literature and Composition is an introductory college-level literary analysis course. Students cultivate their understanding of literature through reading and analyzing texts as they explore concepts like character, setting, structure, perspective, figurative language, and literary analysis in the context of literary works.Creative Writing – 11th or 12th
Offered if student interest/schedule allow
0.5 credit
Prerequisite: English I and English II
Novels – 11th or 12th
Offered if student interest/schedule allow
0.5 credit
Prerequisite: English I and English II
The Novels class is offered as a half-credit course open to upperclassmen. The class engages students in the close reading and critical analysis of literary novels. Students will study a diverse selection of novels to gain an awareness of their scope and variety. Characters, setting, plot, theme, and other elements will be discussed in order to analyze, interpret, and evaluate their significance. The course will be organized around various thematic units. Students will write several short literary analyses and work in group settings on a variety of research projects.