English Language Arts

GRADUATION REQUIREMENT: All students are required to pass a minimum of four credits of English to graduate. Students are also required to take the English 2 EOC prior to graduation.

• one credit of English 1

• one credit of English 2

• one credit from Junior English options 

• one credit from Senior English options

Course Descriptions

English 1

Grade: 9             Credit: 1.0 English       Length: Year

Prerequisite: none

Course Description: English I is a two semester course required for all students. This foundational course provides instruction in basic literacy skills. The course emphasizes vocabulary development, independent reading, and the writing process. English I covers many genres, both fiction and nonfiction. Students will be exposed to such works as Of Mice and Men, Romeo and Juliet, The Odyssey, and a variety of short stories and poems.

Honors English 1

Grade: 9        Credit: 1.0 English      Length: Year

Prerequisite: An "A" or "B" in 8th grade English and a "B" or better on the writing assessment, or department approval

Course Description: The emphasis in this course is an expanded curriculum focusing on advanced writing skills and multiple reading selections. This honors course requires students to delve more deeply into reading and writing assignments than in English 1 and will prepare students for Honors English 2. Novels will include works such as The Book Thief, The Pearl, and Animal Farm. Students will also be exposed to such works as A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Odyssey, and a variety of short stories and poems. Students must maintain at least a C average to be retained in honors English classes. *This course requires summer work*

English 2

Grade: 10       Credit: 1.0 English      Length: Year

Prerequisite: Successful completion of English 1

Course Description: English 2 is a year long course, following the successful completion of English 1. It is a survey course in world literature using pieces in a variety of genres to facilitate the mastery of reading and writing skills and strategies. Students continue to analyze and interpret literature and to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and purposes. Students will read several major works including Night by Elie Weisel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello. Students will also read various short stories, poems, and nonfiction articles. At the end of second semester, students will take the Missouri End-of-Course Exam, which all students need to take before graduation.  *This course requires summer work*

Honors English 2

Grade: 10        Credit: 1.0 English      Length: Year

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Honors English 1 with an "A" or "B" or an "A" in English 1 and approval of the English department upon examination of the writing portfolio.

Course Description: The emphasis of this course is an expanded curriculum from English 2, focusing on advanced writing skills including a research paper and multiple reading selections of World Literature. This honors course requires more reading and writing assignments than English 2, preparing students for AP English Language and AP English Literature. Emphasis is on classic and contemporary World Literature. Works read include Oedipus Rex, A Doll's House, Julius Caesar, The Kite Runner, Life of Pi, Things Fall Apart, and a variety of short stories, nonfiction essays, and poems. At the end of the second semester students will take the Missouri End-of-Course exam, which all students must take before graduation. Students must maintain at least a C average.   *This course requires summer work*

English 3

Grade: 11        Credit: 1.0 English      Length: Year

Prerequisite: Successful completion of English 2

Course Description: In American Literature, students will read and analyze short stories, novels, poems, and essays from literature grounded in the American tradition. Students are expected to write several essays including a literary analysis, argument, and a research paper. Readings include The Great Gatsby, Into the Wild, and The Crucible. *This course requires summer work*

AP English Language and Composition

Grade: 11        Credit: 1.0 English      Length: Year

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Honors English 2 or completion of English 2 with English teacher recommendation

Course Description: In addition to aligning with English 3 Course-Level Expectations, this course also aligns with Saint Louis University composition courses. First semester aligns with English 150 Process of Composition, with an emphasis on reading nonfiction and composition essays with a variety of purposes and audiences. Second Semester aligns with English 190 Advanced Strategies in Rhetoric and Research, with a greater emphasis on fiction, argument development and research-based writing. The literary focus throughout the course is American Literature. Works read include a selection of essays, historical documents, poetry, and major texts including: The Grapes of Wrath, The Great Gatsby, and The Crucible. *This course requires summer work*

Contemporary Writers

Grade: 12        Credit: 1.0 English      Length: Year

Prerequisite: Completion of 3 English credits and teacher recommendation

Course Description: The Contemporary Writers' curriculum will expose students to a wide variety of mentor texts that will challenge us to analyze the author's purpose and choice. As we explore these works, students will develop the skills necessary for college and career by understanding how to read critically, write fluently, listen carefully and engage in complex discussions. Contemporary writers investigated descriptive and narrative writing, workplace writing, expository writing, comparison and contrast opportunities, creative writing, nonfiction analysis, cause and effect as well as argument and persuasion.  This course is designed for students to leave with both an understanding of writing methods and the competencies they will need to be successful as they read, write, listen, and speak in everyday life. 

Literature Through Film

Grade: 12        Credit: 0.5 English      Length: Semester

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Eng 3  or AP Eng Lang & Comp

Course Description: In Literature Through Film, students will critically “read” or analyze important films using the same evaluative techniques used in interpreting literature. Students will be expected to read essays about film analysis and film history. Students will be expected to write critical analysis of films discussed throughout the course. Students will be required to attend viewings of at least four films after the regular school day every three weeks during the semester.

Not an NCAA approved course

Creative Writing

Grade: 12        Credit: 0.5 English      Length: Semester

Prerequisite: Completion of three credits of English

Course Description: The Creative Writing curriculum will expose you to a wide variety of mentor texts that will challenge you to analyze fiction with a critical lens in order to develop your own writing skills and style. As evidence of your development throughout this course, you will build your own creative portfolio of writing: reflections, journals, drafts, and revisions. Ultimately, through the analysis of mentor texts, weekly writing assignments, and portfolio development you will have the ability to not only read great works of art, but to build your own collection of masterpieces.

Other Voices/Other Rooms

Grade: 12        Credit: 0.5 English      Length: Semester

Prerequisite: Completion of three credits of English

Course Description: Other Voices is a reading and writing intensive course focusing on the study of texts by and about women and minorities in the United States.  A variety of texts, including Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, engage students in a study of multicultural historical and contemporary perspectives on the complex identities of Americans.  

Bosnian American Studies

Grade: 12        Credit: 0.5 English      Length: Semester

Prerequisite: Completion of three credits of English. To be eligible for college credit, students must have a 3.0 GPA or above. 

Course Description: Bosnian American Studies meets the expectations of Fontbonne University’s Bosnian Studies 293 course and may be taken for college credit by eligible students.  In this writing and research intensive course, students engage a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction texts, collaborate with scholars and professionals in the local and global community, and engage in projects to study the complex history and culture of Bosnians and Bosnian Americans.  Student research includes the creation of primary documents for the Bosnia Memory Project or other authentic audiences. 

AP English Literature and Composition

Grade: 12        Credit: 1.0 English      Length: Year

Prerequisite: Successful completion of AP Eng Lang & Comp or successful completion of a Junior level English course with English teacher recommendation. 

Course Description: AP English Literature and Composition meets the expectations of Saint Louis University’s 1818 program and aligns with the Saint Louis University courses English 2350: Faith, Doubt and Literature first semester,  and English 2250: Conflict, Social Justice and Literature second semester. Aligning with Saint Louis University’s guidelines, students will explore the selected thematic concepts, “Through the reading of a wide variety of genres - including drama, poetry, and fiction - this course engages students in literary ways of knowing. Methods include close reading, comparative textual analysis, and argumentative writing:”  The course also prepares students to succeed on the AP Literature and Composition exam. Students should be prepared to read a minimum of 10-15 pages of complex literary text per day outside of class. Texts may include: Hamlet, The Handmaid’s Tale, Crime and Punishment, and Invisible Man.  *This course requires summer work*