English
English 1 - CP (302402CW)
Grade: 9
English 1 CP is a course in which students learn strategies to unlock the meaning of a variety of literary genres. There is a strong focus in this course on developing study, group and presentation skills and applying them to the study of English. Weekly writing assignments and vocabulary units will be assigned. Students will study vocabulary and the mechanics and usage of the English language. Students can expect to study, read or complete homework each night, including short overnight and long-term assignments. On a regular basis, students will be required to read a book of their choice and complete a related assignment. At the end of the course, the student will complete a portfolio to demonstrate their learning and describe their goals for the next year.
English 1 – H (302405HW)
Grade: 8, 9
Prerequisite: For those taking the class in 8th grade GT qualification is required, for those taking the course in the 9th grade an “A” for a final grade in 8th grade ELA or an “Exceeds Expectations” score on most recent SC Ready in Reading, Teacher Recommendation
English I Honors is a year-long (middle school) / semester-long (high school) course in which students will participate in the study of a multi-genre curriculum to prepare students for future coursework in the AP English track in high school. This course emphasizes writing composition, analytical reading, and inquiry-based learning. The Honors level course will involve a more in-depth and writing-intensive study of English I. Students will be expected to read and analyze a variety of texts across various genres, utilize research and writing skills to complete projects, use critical thinking skills to evaluate and make connections between texts, and to communicate clearly their thoughts and opinions with fellow classmates and the teacher.
English 2 - CP (302502CW)
Grade: 10
Prerequisite: English 1
This survey course of literature incorporates the integrated study of vocabulary, grammar, analysis and composition skills through the study of multicultural short stories, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama. Students will utilize textbooks, novels, work-books and parallel texts. Compositions focus on literary analysis using literary terms, as well as narrative, expository and persuasive styles. The research process will be addressed through the literature component. Students will be required to present their work to their peers using available technology. Students are required to take an End-of-Course exam provided by the SC State Department of Education which counts 20 percent of the final grade.
English 2 - H (302501HW)
Grade: 9, 10
Prerequisite: Student must meet state criteria for Gifted and Talented and Teacher recommendation or a B or higher in English 1 Honors
This course concentrates on an advanced study of selected literary works from various genres and eras. In addition, the course develops students’ skills in expository writing, listening, speaking, critical thinking, independent research, and vocabulary. Supplementary and pre-course reading is required. Students are required to take an End-of-Course exam provided by the SC State Department of Education which counts 20 percent of the final grade.
English 3 - CP (302602CW)
Grade: 11
Prerequisite: English 2 CP or English 2 Honors
This course focuses on American literature. This course involves vocabulary development related to SAT-level words, improvement of grammar and usage, and persuasive research and composition. Literature includes a survey of the major periods, themes, and techniques of American literature. Supplementary reading is required.
English 3 - H (302601HW)
Grade: 10, 11
Prerequisite: Student must meet state criteria for Gifted and Talented and Teacher recommendation or a B or higher in English 2 Honors
This English course concentrates on the study of the historical context, literary movements, and writers’ techniques of each major period in American literature. In addition to the text, the course requires considerable supplemental reading during the semester, vocabulary development related to SAT-level words, independent research and composition, and research-based expository and persuasive writing.
English 4 - CP (302702CW)
Grade: 12
Prerequisite: English 3 CP or H
English 4 CP is a study of applied grammar through composition. Attention is given to good writing style with special emphasis on critical analysis. In addition, a survey of British literature is provided with emphasis on some of the major works such as Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, Macbeth, and novels by British or world authors. Parallel readings and extensive vocabulary studies are required. This course is designed for students interested in a four-year post-secondary education.
English 4 - H (302701HW)
Grade: 11
Prerequisite: English 3 H and/or teacher recommendation
English 4 Honors is a course designed to prepare students to take AP English the following year.
Throughout the semester students review the rules of grammar through the composition process. Also, students analyze the elements of good writing style in English prose and in their own compositions. Composition requirements include reader responses, expository essays, analytical essays, and a literary-based research paper. Students are engaged in extensive vocabulary studies in order to prepare for the PSAT, SAT and ACT. This course provides a survey of British literature with an emphasis on works such as Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, Macbeth, Paradise Lost, and Gulliver’s Travels. Students are also expected to read seven other designated parallel novels and/or plays by British or world authors. Students taking this course should be planning to pursue a four-year post-secondary education.
English 5- CP (303001CW)
Grade: 12
Prerequisite: English 4 CP
English 5 is designed to prepare students for college-level English courses. The course emphasizes reading and composition. Students will write in a variety of modes including literary analysis and descriptive, expository, and persuasive essays. The course emphasizes critical reading alongside vocabulary, grammar, and style. Students will carefully study literary genres including twentieth-century fiction and non-fiction, world literature, and classical drama.
English 5 - H (303000HW)
Grade: 12 Prerequisite: English 4 CP or H and teacher recommendation
English 5 Honors is designed to prepare students for college-level English courses with advanced rigor. The course emphasizes composition with regards to critical reading and problem solving. Students will write in a variety of modes including literary analysis and descriptive, expository, and persuasive essays. The course emphasizes critical reading alongside vocabulary, grammar, and style. Students will carefully study literary genres including twentieth-century fiction and non-fiction, world literature, and classical drama.
AP English Language, AP English Literature (307100AW, 307000AW)
Grade: 12 Prerequisite: English 4 CP/H and Teacher recommendation
This two-semester year long course provides a college-level study of writing and of literature. Students will be involved in careful reading of representative literary works, critical analysis of reading, and practice in writing exposition and argument, especially in response to literary selections. The Advanced Placement exams are required at the conclusion of the course. Students will be prepared for the language and the literature exam; those who achieve an adequate score on the AP exam(s) can earn college credit for the course.
Transition Reading I (379940CW)
Grade: 9
Prerequisite: SC Ready scores, MAP scores, grades, diagnostic tests, recommendations from 8th-grade teachers, and/or IEP are used for the identification of students for this course.
This course is designed to remediate and strengthen reading and writing skills. Using a multi-sensory approach and research-based strategies, teachers will provide instruction in word decoding, reading comprehension, fluency, sentence and paragraph writing, grammar, and usage. The course is integrated into the English 1 curriculum and taught over the course of a year. This will be an elective course and will not count as an English credit toward graduation.
Transition Reading 2 ( 379941CW)
Grade: 10
Prerequisite: SC Ready scores, MAP scores, grades, diagnostic tests, recommendations from 9th-grade teachers, and/or IEP are used for the identification of students for this course.
This course is designed to remediate and strengthen reading and writing skills and is a continuation of Transition Reading. Using a multi-sensory approach and research-based strategies, teachers will provide instruction in word decoding, reading comprehension, fluency, sentence and paragraph writing, grammar, and usage. The course is integrated into the English 2 curriculum and taught over the course of a year. This will be an elective course and will not count as an English credit toward graduation.
Public Speaking (304000CW)
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
This college preparatory elective is designed to introduce students to the foundations of proper communication and to provide practice for a variety of public speaking situations. Selected units may include interpersonal skills, debate, discussion, interviewing, broadcasting, and parliamentary procedure. The course will provide instruction in the preparation and delivery of formal and informal speeches.
Film & Fiction (309920CW)
Grades: 10, 11, 12 Prerequisite: English 2
Film & Fiction is an English elective designed to teach students how to appreciate serious films and the literary sources for those films. The course will involve reading novels, plays, and essays about film criticism and theory. The course will require tests and quizzes on assigned reading and film, as well as writing reviews and analytical essays.
Dual Credit Courses
FMSD offers “Dual Credit ENGL 101: Critical Reading and Composition” and “Dual Credit ENGL 102: Rhetoric and Composition” through University of South Carolina Lancaster. See the Dual Credit page for more information.