english

Grade(s): 9 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 1.0 English Year Course

Students in English 9 will focus on reading, writing, thinking, and speaking while using a wide selection of materials. Poems, short stories, novels, plays, and various nonfiction pieces will be read and studied. English 9 will enable students to listen and think critically, develop skills in reading and interpreting literature, evaluate nonfiction, prepare for and deliver presentations and discussions, and employ full composition processes. Every section of English 9 will offer Earned Honors.

Grade(s): 10 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 0.5 English Semester Course                                                           

Students in English 10 will continue to build upon the skills practiced in English 9. As such, the focus will be inquiry and analysis through reading, writing, thinking, and speaking while using a wide selection of materials. Thematically, this course will focus on personal responsibility and the responsibility of community. Every section of English 10 will offer Earned Honors.

Grade(s): 10 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 0.5 English Semester Course

Students in Communication Studies will develop their communication and rhetorical skills in a supportive and focused environment. Students will deepen their understanding of both verbal and non-verbal communication and the art of persuasion (ethos, pathos, and logos). At the completion of the semester, students will have developed critical thinking, researching, writing, and listening skills to exercise their voices for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Grade(s): 11 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 1.0 English Year Course

Students in English 11 will explore the idea of what it means to have a voice and how to make that voice heard in a world that is becoming increasingly loud and chaotic. Ideas will be explored through a wide variety of texts and written assignments, as well as discussions and presentations. The themes of fairness, justice, and equality will be studied and by the end of the course students will be able to not only convey their own experiences, but will also be able to amplify the voices of those who are often held silent in society.

Grade(s): 11,12 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 0.5 English Semester Course

Students in Creative Writing will discover and develop their unique, personal writing voices. By studying professional and amateur authors, exploring various styles, genres, and techniques of writing, and interacting with the living world around them, students will learn to see the world through the eyes of a writer. Students will explore their thoughts, insights, and imaginations - sometimes through spontaneous composition and sometimes through a process approach - creating several pieces ranging from impromptu poems to revised works worthy of critique and publication. Writing will be shared daily in a variety of small and large group settings in order to seek feedback, to hear other writers’ voices, and to connect with each other’s thoughts, imaginations, and experiences.

Grade(s): 11,12 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 0.5 English Semester Course

Students in Science Fiction and Fantasy will explore the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy by studying how our world issues are reflected in pieces of literature and media. Genre-specific characteristics of the setting, plot, characters, and themes/tropes will be explored through iconic pieces. Progress in class objectives are displayed using all of the strands of English/Language Arts. The course gives students the opportunity to examine how these works have given society optimistic possibilities as well as alarming predictions about our world and human nature.

Grade(s): 11,12 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 1.0 English Year Course

Students in Harry Potter and the Enchantment of Language will use the series to explore the complexities of immigration, intersectionality, white/cultural supremacy, mental health, LGBTQ+ history, moral ambiguity, authorial input and importance, history, grief, film analysis, argumentation, synthesis, and more. Through analyzing the rhetoric of Voldemort’s campaign to eliminate muggle-borns, Magic is Might, and Nazi regimes, synthesizing an argument surrounding whether or not we should separate the good of the series from the denigrating comments made by JK Rowling, and arguing the understanding of intersectionality within the Wizarding World and our own, this class will start in the magical realm and move into our own. The series will be the mentor text of how we learn to read our own world. 

Grade(s): 11,12 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 0.5 English Semester Course

Students in Heroes, Villains, and Quests will start by looking at the complex definition of a hero, and then unlock the secrets of the hero's journey -- a recurring pattern in stories from around the globe spanning all of human history -- in contemporary literature, mythology, graphic novels, and modern film.  Armed with this critical reading strategy, students will consider the relevance of mythology and the hero's journey in understanding contemporary society and their own lives.

Grade(s): 11,12 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 0.5 English Semester Course

Students in Modern Midwestern Culture will explore the culture, environment, foods, music, and sports of Wisconsin and the Midwest through the issues and/or writers unique to these regions. They will examine the culture of the Midwest through literature by contemporary authors, columnists, and musicians. Students will select an area of study (environment, urban life, agriculture, etc.) and create a semester project that includes research, writing, reading, and analysis. Readings will be high-interest, thought provoking, and almost entirely chosen by students. Text selections will include informational text, poetry, biographies, and current events.

Grade(s): 11,12 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 0.5 English Semester Course

Students in Voices of Color will participate in an experience based on the belief that we are all better off when we have a chance to listen to and understand each others’ life stories. Books, stories, essays, and poems from a variety of voices will be read, analyzed, and discussed to enable students to view other perspectives and gain knowledge and empathy. Students will learn from both mentor and choice texts, fiction and non-fiction; the semester will culminate in a synthesis research project and presentation. Curiosity and an open mind are essential for success in this course.

Grade(s): 11,12 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 1.0 English Year Course

Students in AP Language will learn to write effectively and confidently in their personal and professional lives.  The course will challenge students to read critically, think analytically, and communicate clearly in both writing and speech.  Students in this college-level course will read and analyze a range of non-fiction prose selections, deepening their awareness of rhetoric and how language works.  Students will also develop a comprehensive grasp of how grammar works and how important the writing process is. While AP Literature and Composition offers an intense study of fiction and poetry, this class, again, focuses on essays, argumentation, and rhetoric. Students who successfully complete the AP exam may earn college credit.

Grade(s): 12 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 1.0 English Year Course

Students in Intro to College Reading and Writing will learn about critical thinking, reading, writing, and study strategies for college-level readings (textbooks, essays, and articles). First semester topics include recognizing organizational patterns, highlighting and annotating texts, summarizing, and making inferences. During the second semester, students will focus on college-level writing strategies, such as grammatical competence, developing writing processes and styles, multiple revisions, self-advocacy skills, and researching skills.

Note: Qualified seniors may receive elective technical college credit for this class through ECAP. These potential six credits are free. These college credits do not transfer to all colleges.

Grade(s): 12 Prerequisite: None 

Credit: 1.0 English Year Course

Students in AP English Literature and Composition engage in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts and writing about these works, students will deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. Students will consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, connecting craft to meaning. The reading in this course is wide and deep and reinforces ideas from literature spanning different genres and time periods. The writing will focus on critical analysis of the literature and will include expository, analytical, and argumentative essays. While taking and passing the AP English Literature and Composition exam is not a requirement for students in this course, students will dedicate some time preparing for it. Students who successfully complete the AP exam may earn college credit.