1.0 CREDIT
Credit Area: English
Course Numbers:
Honors 1093
Academic 1092
Course’s essential questions or focus: How does literature help us better understand ourselves? How do experiences shape personal identity? What is the importance of storytelling? What is the relationship between courage and responsibility? What is justice?
This is a survey class designed to assist students learn and practice essential communication skills. Instruction will focus on reading and writing in preparation for showing mastery on all skills assessed at the freshman level, including formal essay writing, literary analysis, identifying parts of speech, and reading comprehension of both classic and contemporary literature. Additionally, students are required to do oral presentations and begin to learn how to do academic research in the online databases. Selected texts may include some or all of the following: Of Mice and Men, Romeo and Juliet, and On the Come Up, along with many short stories and articles.
Summer work is a component of the honors level course.
Prerequisites: Teacher Recommendation
Grade 9
1.0 CREDIT
Credit Area: English
Course Numbers:
Honors 1103
Academic 1102
Course’s essential questions or focus: What is the common human experience? How is the human experience expressed in different cultures? How does self-knowledge help us recognize commonalities in other cultures? What impact do history and geography have on culture? How does literature reflect and perpetuate historical and cultural ideals?
Instruction will focus on reading and writing in preparation for showing mastery of all skills assessed at the sophomore level, including continuing to develop research skills, writing literary analysis essays, learning how to introduce and support a claim, and further polishing grade level grammatical skills. The literature study will focus primarily on world literature, including (but not limited to) units on vocabulary, drama, poetry, outside reading, literary analyses, and oral reports. Selected texts may include some or all of the following: Persepolis, Oedipus Rex, The Glass Castle and Long Way Gone, along with many short stories and articles.
In all courses, completion of a research project and an original book of personal vignettes is required.
Summer work is a component of the honors level course.
Prerequisites: Teacher recommendation and a passing grade in the previous year’s English course
Grade: 10
1.0 CREDIT
Credit Area: English
Course Numbers:
Honors 1113
Academic 1112
Course’s essential questions or focus:
Instruction will focus on reading and writing in preparation for showing mastery of all skills assessed at the junior level. A variety of American literature will be explored in-depth, including (but not limited to) units on research projects, grammar, vocabulary, drama, poetry, and literary analyses. Honors and Advanced Placement students are required to do the summer reading and writing assignment(s) by the established deadline. Selected texts may include some or all of the following: The Crucible, The Things They Carried, The Great Gatsby, and Into the Wild, along with many short stories and articles.
Summer work is a component of the honors level course.
Prerequisites: Teacher recommendation and a passing grade in the previous year’s English course
Grade 11
1.0 CREDIT
Credit Area: English
Course Numbers:
Honors 1123
Academic 1122
Course’s essential questions or focus:
Instruction will focus on reading and writing in preparation for showing mastery of all skills assessed at the senior level. Students will focus on a wide range of writing styles and skills - from personal narrative, to satire, to poetry, to non-fiction. Units of study will further develop skills in research, vocabulary, and grammar. Assessments include not only traditional reading comprehension checks, vocabulary quizzes, presentations, and formal writing, but also projects that provide an opportunity to synthesize a variety of skills acquired over the course of high school. Honors and Advanced Placement students are required to do the summer reading and writing assignment(s). Selected texts may include some of the following: 1984, Brave New World, Serial: Season One Podcast, The Stranger in the Woods, The 57 Bus, Night, Born a Crime, Animal Farm, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, works by William Shakespeare, along with short stories, narratives, articles, other podcasts, and student-selected texts.
Summer work is a component of the honors level course.
Prerequisites: Teacher recommendation and a passing grade in the previous year’s English course
Grade 12
1.0 CREDIT
Credit Area: English
Course Number: 1301
Course’s essential questions or focus: This foundational course engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives.
AP Seminar follows a detailed syllabus that has been approved by the College Board. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational, literary, and philosophical texts; listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts; and experiencing artistic works and performances. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. Ultimately, the course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information accurately and precisely to craft and communicate evidence-based arguments. Students will take the AP Seminar Assessment (two performance tasks and an exam) at the end of the course.
Prerequisite: Completion of English I
Grades 10
1.0 CREDIT
Credit Area: English
Course Number: 1114
Course’s essential questions or focus:
The AP English Language and Composition course follows a detailed syllabus approved by The College Board and prepares students for the AP exam in English Language and Composition. Students will study major and minor American literary works. Students will focus on critical analysis through classroom discussions, frequent writing assignments, a persuasive research paper, and oral presentations. The course will focus on several types of writing, including rhetorical analysis, argument, and synthesis. Students will develop a more sophisticated understanding of grammar, punctuation, usage, and mechanics.
Students will have an opportunity to take the AP English Language and Composition Exam for college credit at the end of the course.
Summer work is a component of this course.
Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and a passing grade in the previous year’s English course
Grade 11
1.0 CREDIT
Credit Area: English
Course Number: 1124
Course’s essential questions or focus:
English IV AP follows a detailed syllabus approved by The College Board and prepares students for the AP exam in English Literature and Composition. Students will engage in close reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature to deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as its use of figurative language, imagery, and symbolism. Writing assignments include expository, analytical, and argumentative essays that require students to analyze and interpret literary works. Students will have an opportunity to take the AP English Literature and Composition Test for college credit at the end of the course.
Summer work is a component of this course.
Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and a passing grade in the previous year’s English course
Grade 12
1.0 CREDIT
Credit Area: English
Course Numbers: 1507
Course’s essential questions or focus: Individualized reading and writing skill instruction
Resource English is a special education class for learning reading and writing skills in a small group setting. Specially designed instruction is delivered based on students’ learning styles and needs using an evidence-based workshop model.
Prerequisite: Enrollment in this course is determined by a student’s IEP Team.
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12