English Language Arts

English 9

Credits: 1 Credit

Number: HS1100

Description: This course is designed to prepare all students for post-secondary instruction. The year-long course will focus on reading and analyzing a variety of texts, writing argumentative, analytical, and informational pieces, and acquiring vocabulary. Texts may include Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down, Nicola Yoon’s The Sun is also a Star, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, and William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as well as a self-selected novel unit.

Honors English 9

Credits: 1 Credit

Number: HS1101

Description: This course allows motivated students to challenge themselves in reading, writing, and discussion. The year-long course will focus on  reading and analyzing a variety of texts, writing argumentative, analytical, and informational pieces, and acquiring vocabulary. Texts may include Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Sophocles’s Antigone, and William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as well as a self-selected novel unit.

English 10

Credits: 1 credit

Number: HS1200

Prerequisite: English 9 or Honors English 9

Description: Building on the skills and knowledge developed in English 9, students will continue to improve their reading, writing, and language skills. Students will complete units of study such as a study of the Holocaust centered on Elie Wiesel’s Night, an exploration of a variety of texts on non-fiction, a study of a variety of types of poetry, and an argumentative unit. Each unit will involve expository writing. Students will continue to develop their skills in expository and personal writing, including constructed responses and on-demand essays. Students will continue units of study on the novel, drama, and research.

Honors English 10

Credits: 1 credit

Number: HS1201

Prerequisite: English 9 or Honors English 9

Description: Building on the skills and knowledge developed in Honors English 9, students will continue to improve their reading, writing, and language skills. Students are responsible for completing a summer reading assignment and submitting this material on the first day of class. They will complete units of study such as a study of the Holocaust centered on Elie Wiesel’s Night, an exploration of a variety of texts on non-fiction, a study of a variety of types of poetry, and an argumentative unit. In addition, students will continue to develop their skills in expository and personal writing, including constructed responses and on-demand essays. Students will continue units of study on the novel, drama, argumentation, and research. Students will write often, including constructed responses. Students will complete both a source-based argumentative unit, and a research unit, in which they trace a common theme in prose, poetry, and art.

Advanced Placement English Language & Composition

1 credit

Number: HS1500

Prerequisite: Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

Description: This introductory, college-level advanced placement course requires that students read and carefully analyze a broad and challenging range of non-fiction prose selections written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts, as well as selected major works of American literature. Through close reading and frequent writing, students will deepen their knowledge of how writers create meaning in their work. A writing process format, with an emphasis on frequent writing conferences and multiple drafts, will help students strengthen their own writing skills. Course Standards: Beyond the state required standards and covers a college level curriculum.

Honors English 11  

1 credit

Number: HS1301

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course is designed to provide motivated students the opportunity to read broadly (both fiction and nonfiction) and write often (at times using academic sources). Students will read and analyze a wide variety of challenging fiction from the American literary canon, including essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Students will write literary analyses, a formal argumentative essay, as well as a research-based synthesis essay. Students will also write and present a persuasive speech. Vocabulary will be studied in context. Students are required to complete reading over the summer in preparation for this course.

A Study of Stephen King 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1408

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore the various works of Stephen King, Maine’s most prolific writer. While King is known as the master of horror, his texts - both fiction and nonfiction - explore the many facets of the human experience. In addition to his autobiographical nonfiction text On Writing, readings will include one of King’s novels, The Green Mile or a similar text, as well as multiple short stories such as “The Body” and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”. Students in this course will write a personal narrative, a literary analysis essay, and will create one presentation examining a societal issue presented within the texts

Dystopian Literature 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1406

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore dystopian fiction, a genre of literature that portrays an imagined future where the illusion of a perfect society is used to mask the oppressive control that those in power hold over the lives of everyday citizens. Readings will include classic dystopian novels such as 1984 and I Am Legend as well as the graphic novel V for Vendetta. Students will also read young adult dystopian novels such as The Hunger Games and Divergent. Specifically in young adult dystopias, it is adolescents who work to overthrow the regimes that control their societies. Using these novels, students will explore the ways in which dystopian fiction mirrors real-world societal concerns and the ways in which people, oftentimes adolescents, react to these issues. In addition to reading a minimum of three dystopian novels, students will write one literary analysis essay and one creative writing piece and will also create a book presentation and a podcast.  

Humans Versus Nature 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1411

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore modern nonfiction specifically in the area of survival stories. Specific texts will vary from year to year, but works will include Into the Wild by John Krakauer and The Revenant by Michael Punke. Alternative readings may include Born to Run by Chris McDougall, The Strange and Curious Tale of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel,  A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger Wild by Cheryle Strayed. Students will also study several short stories, film adaptations and choice independent reading. Students will plan, write and revise several essays including literary analysis of the anchor texts, synthesis essays examining the different texts and/or their film adaptations, as well as an expository essay examining a historical survival situation. Students will also research famous historical survival situations and prepare a presentation about a survival story of their own creation.

Monsters, Myths, and Melodrama 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number:HS1410

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

Eerie tales have bewitched readers and shaped writers all over the world. This course focuses on the major themes found in Gothic literature and demonstrates how they create a suspenseful environment for readers. It presents some of the recurring themes and elements found in the genre. As they complete the course, students gain an understanding of and an appreciation for the complex nature of Gothic literature. Works and excerpts may include mythological and modern texts such as Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Stoker's Dracula, King's The Shining, and Saadawi's Frankenstein in Baghdad, and more. The focus of the course will be understanding of the way texts create meaning, on writing for analytical, argumentative, personal, and creative purposes, and on developing vocabulary and language. 

Poetry  

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1412

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

his course will explore poetry as both written and spoken language. Students will read, write, analyze, and view various classic and modern poetry covering a variety of styles and human experiences. Students will participate in reading and writing workshops and complete a research project on a poet of their choice. As a culminating activity, students will explore their own voices, creating a chapbook of their original poetry. At the end of the course, students will participate in a Poetry Slam and choose one poem to read outloud to the class. One student will have the opportunity to participate in Maine Poetry Out Loud, a statewide poetry competition.

Sports & American Culture 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1404

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore both the way American sport has reflected and shaped American culture. Students will read and analyze a range of non-fiction and fiction, including essays, short stories, poems and a novel. Students will also read and analyze contemporary news articles about issues involving sports from publications such as The Portland Press Herald and Sports Illustrated. While specific texts will vary from year to year, works may include such titles as Miller's Death of a Salesman, Wilson's Fences, and Padian's Out of Nowhere. Students will also read a book from a pre-approved list (fiction or nonfiction) and write a literary analysis of it. Finally, students will research a controversial topic current at the time (e.g. paying Division One athletes in money-making sports) and present an argumentative speech based on their findings

Technical English 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1409

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore the various types of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills students will need to communicate effectively in the professional workplace. It will cover the core literacy and language skills required to be successful in various technical, corporate, trade, and entry level positions. Students will read and write technical texts and documents, emails, memos, newsletters, proposals, work orders, and complete presentations with real world applications. This course provides students with multiple opportunities to read, write, present, and use a variety of texts for a purpose that is unique to their interests and future working lives.

The Maine Outdoors  

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1405

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore the way that writers, artists, and others have portrayed the Maine landscape. Students will read and analyze a range of fiction, non-fiction and art. While specific texts will vary from year to year, works may include such titles as Thoreau's The Maine Woods , Sarah Orne Jewett's Country of the Pointed Firs, Ruth Moore's Candlemas Bay, excerpts from Edward Ware Smith's The One Eyed Poacher and the Maine Woods, Hamlin's Nine Mile Bridge and the paintings of Frederick Edwin Church and Winslow Homer. In addition this course will use resources available through The Maine DOE's Resources for Native American Studies. Students will plan, write and revise multiple essays: both literary analysis of  texts and argumentative essays and speeches that take positions on an issue about the Maine landscape. Current options might include Clean Energy Connect, new Federal Regulations that affect the Maine Lobstering Industry in an effort to protect the Right Whale, and the proposal to build a large aquaculture plant in Frenchman's Bay.

The Mystery Project/Who-Dun-It - 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1413

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This class will tap into our love of mysteries. Students will read both classic mystery writers as well as more contemporary works. While reading, students will develop a deeper understanding of plot, character development, conflict, theme, and other elements of literature. Students will be given the chance to discuss their own mysterious events, and the class will analyze them with proper reasoning skills.  Students will also do mini-mysteries as summative and formative assessments.

The Pursuit of Happiness - 

1 credit - English 11/12

HS1403

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This unique course is designed to provide students an opportunity to dive deeply into the idea of pursuing personal happiness. Since the “Preamble” of the Constitution, our founding fathers’ aim was to ensure all Americans could equally access happiness. From this early lens to today, students will study a wide variety of texts and media to explore how Americans’ idea of happiness has evolved over time. Part of the course work will include the study of mindfulness and mindfulness techniques. Students will write numerous essays to demonstrate their ability to read, write, and think critically and reflectively about this topic. A final research assignment will be a culminating project in which students design their own personal happiness plan.

Through a Feminist Lens  

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1407

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore the fiction and nonfiction literature that has accompanied the four waves of feminism in American history. Using non-fiction texts from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, such as The Feminine Mystique, in addition to fiction texts, such as The Awakening and The Handmaid’s Tale, this course will explore the impact the four waves of feminism have had on literature and history. Using these texts, students will explore the ways in which feminist fiction mirrors real-world societal concerns and the ways in which women created change in society. In addition to reading a minimum of three novels, students will explore a variety of short stories, song lyrics, poems, and movies. They will also write one literary analysis essay and will create a presentation examining the societal issues presented within the texts by connecting them to real-world examples from history and present-day.

English 11/12 - CTE English 

1 credit

Dependent on acceptance into a qualifying program

In this integrated credit option, students in select programs at Westbrook Regional Vocational Center and PATHS may earn one full English credit at the end of senior year through successful completion of  a two year program in Medical Occupations, Criminal Justice, Business, Automotive, and Early Childhood Occupations. See WRVC Course Offerings

AP English Literature & Composition 

1 credit  

Number: HS1501 - Grade 12 or instructor’s consent

Prerequisite: English 11 or AP English Language. Students are required to take the AP exam in May.

This course allows motivated students the opportunity for college level work while still in high school. To this end, the course follows the requirements as articulated in the College Board's AP English course description. The class includes the study of British Literature, frequent lengthy reading assignments, frequent writing assignments (both timed essays and longer out of class essays), the formal study of grammar, and the study of the Bible as Literature. Course Standards: Beyond the state required standards and covers a college level curriculum.

Honors English 12 

Number: HS1401

1 credit - Grade 12

Prerequisite: Honors English 11 

This course is designed to challenge students who have a passion for reading and writing. Students will read and analyze a variety of fiction from British and world literature. Selections will include Beowulf, Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Hamlet and a selection of poetry. Students will use informal class discussions and formal written literary analysis to voice their exploration of the text. Nonfiction reading will focus on published essays by writers such as George Orwell, David Sedaris, and Langston Hughes. From this study, students will create their own personal narrative/college application essay. This class includes a formal study of grammar and vocabulary will be studied in context.

A Study of Stephen King 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1408

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore the various works of Stephen King, Maine’s most prolific writer. While King is known as the master of horror, his texts - both fiction and nonfiction - explore the many facets of the human experience. In addition to his autobiographical nonfiction text On Writing, readings will include one of King’s novels, The Green Mile or a similar text, as well as multiple short stories such as “The Body” and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”. Students in this course will write a personal narrative, a literary analysis essay, and will create one presentation examining a societal issue presented within the texts

Dystopian Literature 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1406

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore dystopian fiction, a genre of literature that portrays an imagined future where the illusion of a perfect society is used to mask the oppressive control that those in power hold over the lives of everyday citizens. Readings will include classic dystopian novels such as 1984 and I Am Legend as well as the graphic novel V for Vendetta. Students will also read young adult dystopian novels such as The Hunger Games and Divergent. Specifically in young adult dystopias, it is adolescents who work to overthrow the regimes that control their societies. Using these novels, students will explore the ways in which dystopian fiction mirrors real-world societal concerns and the ways in which people, oftentimes adolescents, react to these issues. In addition to reading a minimum of three dystopian novels, students will write one literary analysis essay and one creative writing piece and will also create a book presentation and a podcast.  

Humans Versus Nature 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1411

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore modern nonfiction specifically in the area of survival stories. Specific texts will vary from year to year, but works will include Into the Wild by John Krakauer and The Revenant by Michael Punke. Alternative readings may include Born to Run by Chris McDougall, The Strange and Curious Tale of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel,  A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger Wild by Cheryle Strayed. Students will also study several short stories, film adaptations and choice independent reading. Students will plan, write and revise several essays including literary analysis of the anchor texts, synthesis essays examining the different texts and/or their film adaptations, as well as an expository essay examining a historical survival situation. Students will also research famous historical survival situations and prepare a presentation about a survival story of their own creation.

Monsters, Myths, and Melodrama 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number:HS1410

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

Eerie tales have bewitched readers and shaped writers all over the world. This course focuses on the major themes found in Gothic literature and demonstrates how they create a suspenseful environment for readers. It presents some of the recurring themes and elements found in the genre. As they complete the course, students gain an understanding of and an appreciation for the complex nature of Gothic literature. Works and excerpts may include mythological and modern texts such as Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Stoker's Dracula, King's The Shining, and Saadawi's Frankenstein in Baghdad, and more. The focus of the course will be understanding of the way texts create meaning, on writing for analytical, argumentative, personal, and creative purposes, and on developing vocabulary and language. 

Poetry  

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1412

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

his course will explore poetry as both written and spoken language. Students will read, write, analyze, and view various classic and modern poetry covering a variety of styles and human experiences. Students will participate in reading and writing workshops and complete a research project on a poet of their choice. As a culminating activity, students will explore their own voices, creating a chapbook of their original poetry. At the end of the course, students will participate in a Poetry Slam and choose one poem to read outloud to the class. One student will have the opportunity to participate in Maine Poetry Out Loud, a statewide poetry competition.

Sports & American Culture 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1404

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore both the way American sport has reflected and shaped American culture. Students will read and analyze a range of non-fiction and fiction, including essays, short stories, poems and a novel. Students will also read and analyze contemporary news articles about issues involving sports from publications such as The Portland Press Herald and Sports Illustrated. While specific texts will vary from year to year, works may include such titles as Miller's Death of a Salesman, Wilson's Fences, and Padian's Out of Nowhere. Students will also read a book from a pre-approved list (fiction or nonfiction) and write a literary analysis of it. Finally, students will research a controversial topic current at the time (e.g. paying Division One athletes in money-making sports) and present an argumentative speech based on their findings

Technical English 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1409

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore the various types of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills students will need to communicate effectively in the professional workplace. It will cover the core literacy and language skills required to be successful in various technical, corporate, trade, and entry level positions. Students will read and write technical texts and documents, emails, memos, newsletters, proposals, work orders, and complete presentations with real world applications. This course provides students with multiple opportunities to read, write, present, and use a variety of texts for a purpose that is unique to their interests and future working lives.

The Maine Outdoors  

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1405

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore the way that writers, artists, and others have portrayed the Maine landscape. Students will read and analyze a range of fiction, non-fiction and art. While specific texts will vary from year to year, works may include such titles as Thoreau's The Maine Woods , Sarah Orne Jewett's Country of the Pointed Firs, Ruth Moore's Candlemas Bay, excerpts from Edward Ware Smith's The One Eyed Poacher and the Maine Woods, Hamlin's Nine Mile Bridge and the paintings of Frederick Edwin Church and Winslow Homer. In addition this course will use resources available through The Maine DOE's Resources for Native American Studies. Students will plan, write and revise multiple essays: both literary analysis of  texts and argumentative essays and speeches that take positions on an issue about the Maine landscape. Current options might include Clean Energy Connect, new Federal Regulations that affect the Maine Lobstering Industry in an effort to protect the Right Whale, and the proposal to build a large aquaculture plant in Frenchman's Bay.

The Mystery Project/Who-Dun-It - 

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1413

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This class will tap into our love of mysteries. Students will read both classic mystery writers as well as more contemporary works. While reading, students will develop a deeper understanding of plot, character development, conflict, theme, and other elements of literature. Students will be given the chance to discuss their own mysterious events, and the class will analyze them with proper reasoning skills.  Students will also do mini-mysteries as summative and formative assessments.

The Pursuit of Happiness - 

1 credit - English 11/12

HS1403

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This unique course is designed to provide students an opportunity to dive deeply into the idea of pursuing personal happiness. Since the “Preamble” of the Constitution, our founding fathers’ aim was to ensure all Americans could equally access happiness. From this early lens to today, students will study a wide variety of texts and media to explore how Americans’ idea of happiness has evolved over time. Part of the course work will include the study of mindfulness and mindfulness techniques. Students will write numerous essays to demonstrate their ability to read, write, and think critically and reflectively about this topic. A final research assignment will be a culminating project in which students design their own personal happiness plan.

Through a Feminist Lens  

1 credit - English 11/12

Number: HS1407

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors English 10

This course will explore the fiction and nonfiction literature that has accompanied the four waves of feminism in American history. Using non-fiction texts from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, such as The Feminine Mystique, in addition to fiction texts, such as The Awakening and The Handmaid’s Tale, this course will explore the impact the four waves of feminism have had on literature and history. Using these texts, students will explore the ways in which feminist fiction mirrors real-world societal concerns and the ways in which women created change in society. In addition to reading a minimum of three novels, students will explore a variety of short stories, song lyrics, poems, and movies. They will also write one literary analysis essay and will create a presentation examining the societal issues presented within the texts by connecting them to real-world examples from history and present-day.

English 11/12 - CTE English 

1 credit - English 11/12

Dependent on acceptance into a qualifying program

In this integrated credit option, students in select programs at Westbrook Regional Vocational Center and PATHS may earn one full English credit at the end of senior year through successful completion of  a two year program in Medical Occupations, Criminal Justice, Business, Automotive, and Early Childhood Occupations. See WRVC Course Offerings

AP English Language & Composition  

Number: HS1500

1 credit  

Grade 11 or instructor’s consent

Prerequisite: English 10 or Honors 10, Required to complete summer reading and to take the AP exam in May.

This introductory, college-level advanced placement course requires that students read and carefully analyze a broad and challenging range of non-fiction prose selections written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts, as well as selected major works of American literature. Through close reading and frequent writing, students will deepen their knowledge of how writers create meaning in their work. A writing process format, with an emphasis on frequent writing conferences and multiple drafts, will help students strengthen their own writing skills. Course Standards: Beyond the state required standards and covers a college level curriculum.

AP English Literature & Composition

Number: HS1501

1 credit  

Grade 12 or instructor’s consent

Prerequisite: English 11 or AP English Language, Required to take the AP exam in May.

This year-long course allows motivated students the opportunity for college level work while still in high school. To this end, the course follows the requirements as articulated in the College Board's AP English course description. The class includes the study of British Literature, frequent lengthy reading assignments, frequent writing assignments (both timed essays and longer out of class essays), the formal study of grammar, and the study of the Bible as Literature. Course Standards: Beyond the state required standards and covers a college level curriculum

Creative Writing I

Credits: Semester/ 0.5 credit

Number: HS1606

Description: This course is designed to help students improve their creative writing skills in an interactive writers’ workshop format. Students will write in multiple genres that may include poetry, short stories and one act plays as well as multiple prompted writing exercises. An oral presentation of student work is expected, and a portfolio of their work is to be kept.

Creative Writing II

Credits: Semester/ 0.5 credit

Number: HS1607

Prerequisite: Creative Writing I

Description: While building on experiences gained in Creative Writing I, students will continue to improve their writing skills. Once again, an interactive writers’ workshop format will be utilized. Collaborative writing will assist in strengthening writing skills and individual opportunities for longer independent works will be assigned. In addition, a variety of student assignments in multiple genres will result in a portfolio of completed writing.

Journalism

Credits: Semester/ 0.5 credit

Number: HS1608

Description: Journalism – HS1608

This course serves as an introduction to news reporting and writing skills. Topics covered include news writing, feature writing, editorial writing, photography, layout and design, and related skills involved in putting out a newspaper. Students enrolled in this class will help produce The Eagle Times, BEHS’s award-winning newspaper, and maintain the newspaper website.

Broadcast Journalism – HS1608B

Credits: Semester / .5 credit

Number: HS1608B

Description: This class builds upon the skills learned in Journalism and will revolve around students producing video and podcasts for publication on the website of the school newspaper or through Bonny Eagle Student News.