English

• Credit Hours: 1

• Grade Level: 9

Freshman English is designed to give students a foundation in basic English skills. It will include units on the novel, short story, speech, drama and poetry. Writing will include narration/personal, description, persuasion and creative expression. The language workshop will concentrate on editing skills, word choice, clarity, sentence building, sentence skills, coherence and style. Other skills that will be emphasized are vocabulary, speaking and listening, following directions, thinking skills and study skills.

• Credit Hours: 1

• Grade Level: 9

• Prerequisite: Teacher/Guidance Office/Parent Approval

This is a course designed for freshmen with advanced reading and writing skills. Extensive readings in the major literature genres will serve as a springboard to writings that demonstrate an in-depth understanding of these works of literature. Students will also complete coursework that will strengthen specific grammar and language skills.

• Credit Hours: 1

• Grade Level: 10

Sophomore English will cover continued development in three main areas: writing, speech and literature. Emphasis is placed on speeches and developing the research paper.

• Credit Hours: 1

• Grade Level: 10

• Prerequisite: Teacher/Guidance Office/Parent Approval

This course is designed to broaden the literature, speech and composition background of sophomore students above and beyond the regular Sophomore English curriculum.

• Credit Hours: 1

• Grade Level: 11

Junior English is designed to provide students with a foundation in basic English skills needed for college or the workplace after high school. Reading units will include drama, poetry, and the novel. Writing units will focus on personal, narrative, professional, literary analysis, and argumentative writing. Junior English is an intensive writing and language program integrated with the study of American literature. Skill emphasis is on vocabulary, speaking and listening, following directions, thinking skills, and study skills. 

• Credit Hours: 1

• Grade Level: 12

Senior English focuses on exploring both traditional and modern literature. It also involves creative, narrative, argumentative, and informative writing. Students will explore the ties between how science fiction and mythologies play a role in modern storytelling and popular culture. 

• Credit Hours: .5

• Grade Level: 11 or 12 

• Prerequisite: 2.8 Cumulative HS GPA

• Concurrent College Credit: 3 Kirkwood Credits

Kirkwood Community College Composition I helps students develop skills in narrative writing and expository writing with emphasis on organization, supporting details, style, vocabulary, editing skills and research skills.

**Kirkwood Community College Composition I is a dual credit course.  Students who pass the course will receive 3.0 college credit hours and Benton Community credit.  The college credit is transferable to many other colleges.

**Note: Kirkwood Community College Composition I and Composition II are college courses, not high school courses. Therefore, to enroll in either of these courses, BC students must meet KCC qualifications. Students who qualify then must be prepared to meet a different and higher expectation. For example, Kirkwood Community College policies apply to these two courses, along with Benton Community building policies. The KCC policies for grading, attendance and late work are more demanding than for a typical high school course. Also, homework averages 5 – 10 hours each week.

• Credit Hours: .5

• Grade Level: Recommended for 12th Grade

• Prerequisite: Kirkwood Community College Composition I

• Concurrent College Credit: 3 Kirkwood Credits

Kirkwood Community College Composition II teaches precise and responsible use of research tools; requires critical analysis of reading materials and audience and self when communicating content material; and develops students’ abilities to use effective and ethical arguments. **Kirkwood Community College Composition II is a dual credit course.  Students who pass the course will receive 3.0 college credit hours and Benton Community credit.  The college credit is transferable to many other colleges.

**Note: Kirkwood Community College Composition I and Composition II are college courses, not high school courses. Therefore, to enroll in either of these courses, BC students must meet KCC qualifications. Students who qualify then must be prepared to meet a different and higher expectation. For example, Kirkwood Community College policies apply to these two courses, along with Benton Community building policies. The KCC policies for grading, attendance and late work are more demanding than for a typical high school course. Also, homework averages 5 – 10 hours each week.

• Credit Hours: .5

• Grade Level: 11 or 12

• Prerequisite: Kirkwood Community College Composition I

• Concurrent College Credit: 3 Kirkwood Credits

Explores, through short stories, novels, films and critical theory, the following questions: What is fiction? What are its common elements? How does understanding these elements and the ways they interconnect affect our understanding of how fiction is crafted, read and interpreted? How is fiction different from or similar to other forms of literary expression? Arts & Sciences Elective Code: A

**Note: Kirkwood Community College Forms of Lit is a college course, not a high school course. Students who qualify must be prepared to meet a different and higher expectation. For example, Kirkwood Community College policies apply to this course, along with Benton Community building policies. The KCC policies for grading, attendance and late work are more demanding than for a typical high school course. 

• Credit Hours: .5

• Grade Level: 11 or 12

• Concurrent College Credit: 3 Kirkwood Credits

Studies basic communication theory and practice including communication process, interpersonal relationships, small group interaction, and public speaking. Arts & Sciences Elective Code: A

**Note: Kirkwood Community College Fundamentals of Oral Communication is a college course, not a high school course. Students who qualify must be prepared to meet a different and higher expectation. For example, Kirkwood Community College policies apply to this course, along with Benton Community building policies. The KCC policies for grading, attendance and late work are more demanding than for a typical high school course. Additionally, this course aligns to specific Associate of Applied Sciences degrees. This course is not recommended for students who plan to pursue a bachelor's degree. It is important students check their program of studies requirement prior to taking this course. 

• Credit Hours: .5

• Grade Level:  Recommended for 12th Grade

• Concurrent College Credit: 3 Kirkwood Credits

Develops students' fluency in communication and clarity in thinking through writers' notebooks, expository writing, analytical reading and listening. Students use structured assignments to explore personal goals and values, exercising skills needed for reasoning and writing across the curriculum. Arts & Sciences Elective Code: A

**Note: Kirkwood Community College Elements of Writing is a college course, not a high school course. Students who qualify must be prepared to meet a different and higher expectation. For example, Kirkwood Community College policies apply to this course, along with Benton Community building policies. The KCC policies for grading, attendance and late work are more demanding than for a typical high school course. Additionally, this course aligns to specific Associate of Applied Sciences degrees. This course is not recommended for students who plan to pursue a bachelor's degree. It is important students check their program of studies requirement prior to taking this course.