English
The goal of the Rock Ridge English Department is to graduate students who are effective communicators and life-long readers by developing the ability to navigate and synthesize sources and fostering student ownership through choice to develop an authentic writing process with publishing opportunities.
Students must earn four credits in English, including a survey of British literature and a survey of American literature, for both the Standard and Advanced Studies diplomas. Students in LCPS must take an English course each year of high school. The chart shows the standard progression of the core English courses. All courses are open enrollment.
Academic courses challenge students to master rigorous standards while providing individualized support. Honors courses are offered in Grades 9, 10, and 11. While they focus on the same skills as academic courses, honors courses are distinguished by a more rigorous and inquiry-based study of literature and nonfiction texts. All year-long honors courses receive a weight of 0.5. They move at an accelerated pace, cover a greater breadth and depth of textual study, and require more independent work.
Students can choose which level they want to take each year, but if a student does plan to take Advanced Placement or Dual Enrollment courses, it is suggested that he or she take honors to help prepare for the higher level courses during junior and senior year. Please review the handout for information regarding the differences between the college level courses offered during junior and senior year. If a student is unsure of what course they should take, they should speak with their English teacher.
English Courses
Freshmen Year
Students select from English 9 Honors or English 9 Academics.
In Grade 9 oral language instruction emphasizes dramatic reading of literary selections and planned oral presentations. The reading and literature component focuses on a study of fiction and nonfiction genres. Writing instruction develops skills in narrative, expository, and informational writing. Direct vocabulary instruction improves students’ reading and writing fluency and prepares them for the SOL, SAT, and ACT tests. Students produce documented research papers, using print electronic databases, and on-line sources.
Sophomore Year
Students select from English 10 Honors or English 10 Academics.
In Grade 10 oral language instruction emphasizes the participation in and the critique of small group learning activities. The reading and literature component includes a survey of British literature, especially the reading of poetry and drama; nonfiction reading focuses on the understanding and evaluation of consumer information such as labels, warranties, and contracts. Writing instruction pinpoints expository composition and the ability to critique professional and peer writing. Direct vocabulary instruction improves students’ reading and writing fluency and prepares them for the SOL, SAT, and ACT tests. Students are taught to collect, organize, and present information in a documented research paper.
Junior Year
Students select from AP Language & Composition, English 11 Honors, and English 11 Academics.
In Grade 11 oral language instruction emphasizes the ability to give and to critique informative and persuasive presentations. The reading and literature component focuses on a survey of American literature and the ability to read and comprehend various kinds of manuals, business letters, newspapers, brochures, reports, catalogs, journals, speeches, biographies, and autobiographies. Writing instruction focuses on the ability to write persuasively, as well as on personal, professional, and informational correspondence. Direct vocabulary instruction improves students’ reading and writing fluency and prepares them for the SOL, SAT, and ACT tests. In addition to research papers, students produce multi-media research reports.
All juniors will take the EOC English SOL in the spring. The English SOL is divided into two segments: Writing & Reading. The writing segment is completed during the testing window in March, and it includes a multiple choice section and an essay. The reading multiple choice section and analysis essay is completed during the May testing window.
AP Language & Composition
AP Language and Composition is recommended for students who want a challenging course that emphasizes the analysis of nonfiction. Students read a variety of works from several genres, time periods, and cultures, including a focus on texts by American authors. Varied and frequent composition assignments require close reading, rhetorical analysis, exposition of ideas, and the understanding of particular rhetorical forms and terms. Students have the opportunity to take the AP Language and Composition exam in May with the possibility of earning college credit.
Additional information about the course can be viewed on the College Board Website.
Senior Year
Students select from AP Literature & Composition, Dual Enrollment, and English 12 Academics
English 12 Academic
This course is divided into two distinct semesters of study, one focusing on a study of world literature and the other on writing. Students read representative literature from many cultures, countries, and time periods to increase their understanding of literature and the people who produced it. Activities in this semester include oral and written analyses of readings, overviews of the society and history that relate to a particular selection, and evaluations of author’s styles and themes. In the other semester, students receive extensive writing practice in the expository, narrative, descriptive, and persuasive forms. Students practice composing skills through the writing of critical and creative essays, description, narrative, persuasion, and exposition.
Dual Enrollment
LCPS provides students the opportunity to earn college credit while fulfilling their English 12 course requirement. English 12 Dual Enrollment (DE) is a rigorous, college-level course that focuses on composition, argumentation, and critical reading skills. It is a fast-paced course that covers not only the Virginia English 12 SOL, but also two full semesters of college-level composition and reading. English 12 DE is taught by LCPS teachers who are also adjunct faculty members at participating colleges.
AP Literature & Composition
AP Literature and Composition is recommended for students who want a challenging course that emphasizes the study and practice of writing and the analysis of literature (prose, fiction, poetry, and drama). Students read a variety of works from several genres and cultures. Varied and frequent composition assignments require close reading, literary analysis, exposition of ideas, and the understanding of particular literary forms and terms. Students have the opportunity to take the AP Literature and Composition exam in May with the possibility of earning college credit.
English Electives
Intro to Journalism
Grades 9-12 Prerequisite: None
This year-long elective introduces students to many facets of newspaper and mass media: production, history, and writing. Students learn to use a variety of journalism skills to write in journalistic style, recognize the role of mass communication in modern society, and understand the First Amendment. Students selecting this course should have strong writing skills or should have an interest in developing their writing skills. This course is designed to prepare students to serve on the newspaper staff (Newspaper Journalism I) or the yearbook staff (Photojournalism I).
If you have any questions about the course, please email Katy Greiner at Katy.Greiner@lcps.org.Newspaper I, II, & III
Grades 10-12 Prerequisite: Journalism and/or Instructor’s Approval
Students learn the basics of newspaper production while serving as staff writers for the school newspaper. Units of study include school press law and ethics, layout and design, basic photography, basic publication technology, journalistic research, interviewing, plant preparation, and advertising. Students are introduced to publication software.
If you have any questions about the course, please email Katy Greiner at Katy.Greiner@lcps.org.
CW Welcome 2024.mp4Creative Writing I and II
Grades 9-12
Creative Writing I Prerequisite: None
Creative Writing II Prerequisite: Creative Writing I
Creative Writing I and II are English electives that provide a supportive environment in which students write prose, poetry, and drama and read examples of various genres. Creative Writing I focuses on the study of the fundamental elements of creative writing, including developing strategies for writing creatively, practicing aspects of narrative writing, using poetic devices, and developing voice. Creative Writing II advances the skills acquired in Creative Writing I while also encouraging students to expand their writing portfolio, collaborate to critique and improve their work for final review, and seek opportunities for publishing their writing.
If you have any questions about Creative Writing I, please email Sara Watkins (Sara.Watkins@lcps.org). Questions pertaining to Creative Writing II can be sent to Paul Koch (Paul.Koch@lcps.org).
Public Speaking I and II
Grades 10-12
Public Speaking I Prerequisite: None
Public Speaking II Prerequisite: Public Speaking I
Public Speaking I and II are one-semester English electives where students explore the process of generating, transmitting, receiving, and evaluating ideas and feelings through intrapersonal and interpersonal communication, oral interpretation, group discussion, and public speaking. Both courses cultivate personal growth and development, develops oral communication skills, and promotes the application of oral communication skills to other academic disciplines and to life experiences.
If you have any questions about the course, please email Sam McClain at Samuel.McClain@lcps.org.
Writing Center I & II
Grades 10-12 Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This course provides students with an in-depth study of writing in the academic disciplines through tutoring at a high school Writing Center. Students prepare to be peer tutors through an intense examination of the rules of composition, critical reading, and analytical thinking about writing. Students are expected to refine and develop their own writing abilities through peer tutoring and reflective essays about their tutoring experiences.
If you have any questions about the course, please email Sean Heron at Sean.Heron@lcps.org.
Woman’s Study Program
Grades 10-12 Prerequisite: None
This course will offer an introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, exploring the meaning of gender in society. The primary goal of this course is to engage students with key issues, questions, and debates in Women's and Gender Studies. This course will survey the impact of women in American and World History, as well as study literary texts written by women. We will take a detailed look at the Suffrage Movement, all the way up to Intersectional Feminism and the current issues facing young women today in America and around the world.
If you have any questions about the course, please email Jessica.Berg@lcps.org.
Reasoning and Rhetoric Video 2024.mp4Logic, Research, and Rhetoric
Grades 10-12 Prerequisite: None
In this course, students will offer an in-depth study of critical thinking and reasoning and the use of rhetoric. After studying the basics of claims, evidence, facts, and opinions, the class will examine both formal and informal logic along with deductive and inductive reasoning. Students will consider the role of formal and informal fallacies in their own work as well as public media and communications and will study a number of experiential and error biases. As the class progresses, discussions of justification, quality of evidence, truth, rationality, and responsible belief will become central to the class. While working through these concepts, students will also work to gain a strong foundation in classical rhetoric and the Socratic method. Students will participate in formalized debates on current social, political, and economic policy issues, complete rhetorical analysis activities, and submit argument papers as part of their assessment for the course.
Young Adult Literature
Grades 10-12 Prerequisite: None
This course is an introduction to the multiple genres of contemporary young adult literature and will explore a range of literary works written or marketed as young adult. Our focus will be on critical reading and analysis of a variety of literary narratives by award-winning authors, that reflect on human experiences with an emphasis on diverse voices and perspectives. Readings, discussions, and writing assignments will require critical analysis of the literary features of these books and invite discussion on the perspectives of genre, theme, representations of adolescence and adulthood, and approaches to interpretation. By the end of this course, students will have an opportunity to analyze the complexities of adolescence, diversity, literature, and the contexts in which they meet.
African American Literature
Grades 10-12 Prerequisite: None
This course builds on students' abilities in reading, writing, listening, and speaking through the exploration of a variety of literature that demonstrates and celebrates voices from a diverse, Black American perspective. The course, through texts and media, will emphasize interpretive and critical analysis skills developed through close reading and consideration of historical and cultural contexts.