English Language Arts Courses

The English 1 curriculum aligns to the NJSLS, incorporating personalized learning, student choice, and opportunities for students to engage in core novel studies, book clubs and independent reading. The students will grow their capacity as writers by engaging with a range of tasks including narrative, literary analysis, argumentative, research, and explanatory/informational writing.

The English 2 curriculum aligns to the NJSLS, incorporating personalized learning, student choice, and opportunities for students to engage in core novel studies of American authors, book clubs and independent reading. The  students will continue to grow their capacity as researchers and writers of narrative, literary analysis, rhetoric/argument, and poetry.

English 3 focuses on foundational works of literature from the 18th - 20th Centuries. Emphasis is placed upon works of exceptional craft and thought whose range extends across genres and cultures. Students will develop critical thinking skills in written and oral responses to textual analysis, as well as in required research projects.

English 4 focuses on the wide and deep reading of literature and literary nonfiction of steadily increasing sophistication. Students will read and respond to a variety of cultural works and complementary nonfiction texts. Emphasis is placed on the development of literacy capacities needed for college and career readiness.  Students will develop the capacity to build knowledge on a subject through research projects and to respond analytically to literary and informational sources.

These courses offer college-level  curricula  and  texts while requiring commensurate achievement of students. As required by the College Board, students read and write extensively in preparation for the spring Advanced Placement exam. Please note, students can choose either course in 11th and 12th grade for AP English. The College Boards does not have a required sequence.

This course will introduce students to film as an art form, as a form of entertainment and as a form of mass communication. Beginning with the “birth of cinema”, this course is structured to allow students to develop an understanding of how the world of classic film/cinema has evolved over time with emphasis on analytical skills. Students will study different genres of film and investigate how films respond to and chronicle the times in which they are produced as well as their impact on future elements of film. They will recognize the values, social mores, public opinion, artistic, and political statements represented in different films as expressed through diverse genres and filmmakers. Cinema Studies will guide students to experience and appreciate elements of cinematic art through the analysis of films. Students will critically view each film as a literary work with respect to authorship, setting, character, plot, theme, symbolism, cultural significance, and editing techniques. During and after viewing a variety of cinematic works, students will participate in the analysis of film theory, filmmaking and film review.

As part of this course, students, under the guidance of the teacher, will view a variety of films. Some films may be presented in their entirety or as edited-clips showing a portion of the film. The decision to show all or part of a film will depend on the value of the film to support the objectives and learning outcomes aligned with the curriculum. A permission slip will be sent home with each student during the first week of class. This permission slip must be signed by a parent or guardian and returned to the teacher of the course before students will be shown any films with an “R” rating. Teachers will be mindful that this half year elective may have students ranging from 9th to 12th grade when selecting appropriate films.

The focus of this course covers the origins and history of graphic narratives. This course will incorporate illustrated periodicals and comics from the 19th century through the 1960s.  The course will focus on reading, discussing, and analyzing the foundational graphic novels of the 1970s-80s to the present, along with the formal, aesthetic, and thematic issues central to the genre. (working on getting dual enrollment status)

This possibly dual-certified course covers the origins and history of graphic narratives. This course will incorporate illustrated periodicals and comics from the 19th century through the 1960s.  This course will focus on reading, discussing, and analyzing the foundational graphic novels of the 1970s-80s to the present, along with the formal, aesthetic, and thematic issues central to the genre.

The one-semester Creative Writing course emphasizes the development of skills in the creation and study of creative nonfiction, fiction , and poetry in an intensive workshop setting. Students will use mentor texts and intensive practice exercises to apply concepts to write in a variety of genres and to demonstrate a facility for giving and receiving constructive criticism. Students will also demonstrate a better understanding of the revision and rewriting process through mastery of editing skills, including peer editing. 

The study of effective oral communication is comprehensive and cooperative in nature. Oral communication enhances personal skills and builds the student”s ability to work constructively, both independently and cooperatively, stimulating logic, reason, creativity, confidence, and poise. In addition, effective oral communication fosters a sense of individuality and self-image, encouraging the development of self-discipline, self-motivation, and problem-solving techniques. This course provides students with valuable skills and insight that readily translate and prepare students for authentic life experiences.

On a long enough timeline, all stories transition into myth. This class will focus on stories already in the canon of mythology, highlighting the nature of myth-making and the function of storytelling for individuals and societies, as well as the role of mythology in cultural creation and curation. There will be a focus on Classical Hellenism with explorations of Norse, Indian, Japanese, and Oceanian mythologies, as well as an investigation of how mythology continues into our current time. Throughout the course, students will be in direct conversation with an inquiry-based approach to student-centered study. Having a firm grounding in not just the ability to understand mythological stories and cycles but in storytelling as a whole, students will blossom into active, engaged participants in their own learning and lives through understanding their own mythology. Students are expected to develop a recognition of patterns among myths across differing cultures, time periods, and geographical locations to bolster their understanding of the importance of mythology as a whole.

This course equips students with an understanding of the principles and practice of journalism: how to recognize good stories, gather facts through skillful interviewing and research, develop sources, craft welcoming leads and satisfying endings, and create articles that inform and engage readers. Students will become intelligent consumers of the mass media and learn legal, moral, and ethical responsibilities inherent in the free press.  

This course will be taught utilizing the Workshop Model of Instruction. The workshop model is an instructional practice that often consists of three parts: a mini-lesson, a workshop, and a debrief.  The model aims to support learners in reading and writing independently. For this advanced class, the model will be modified to mimic the structure of a newsroom, where students are engaged in independent and collaborative writing, conferencing with instructors and each other as writers and editors to prepare their work for publication. All work in this class will be produced with the intention of publishing on the school’s newspaper website and/or print issues. In addition, and to provide a well-rounded, advanced journalism education, the course will cover other elements of media and communication, including editing, design and layout, and public relations.

For this course, students will need to be actively involved in keeping up with current events within the school community. This class is strongly recommended for those who are planning to pursue a career in Journalism. Students must have successfully completed Intro to Media & Comm. or obtain an instructor recommendation to enroll in this course. 

Designed for students who wish to improve their SAT scores, this course focuses on verbal skills such as: reading in context, finding textual evidence to back up claims, using vocabulary only in context, analyzing text that covers the topics of science, history, and literature, editing techniques and paragraph structure and logically analyzing a persuasive writing sample for the use of persuasive techniques without presenting a subjective argument.  Students work to improve their speed and accuracy on the SAT by learning test-taking strategies and practicing with simulated exams. This course also includes an SAT Prep math component.

*Summer packets are provided to students by the teacher and will be available on the school website so that students may prepare for the course. The intent is for all students to take the Advanced Placement exam.

In conjunction with Brookdale Community College, interested seniors can earn Middletown credits and three transferable college credits by taking the Writing Process course in which students work on developing writing skills.  Students compose, workshop, and revise a series  of  essays  in  various  styles.    In  addition,  they  respond to an assortment of texts and learn to process, rework, and communicate their ideas effectively.  Students who wish to earn college credit must take a qualifying test and pay a reduced tuition fee to Brookdale Community College.  This honors weighted class must be taken with the Short Story course to fulfill the senior English requirement.

In conjunction with Brookdale Community College, interested seniors can earn Middletown credits and three transferable college-level credits by reading, analyzing, discussing, and writing about a variety  of  short  stories.   Students develop  an understanding of the history, structure, and conventions of the short story by analyzing literary works that adhere to and/or challenge this tradition.  This course emphasizes close reading skills and contextualizing works within their historical period and as a reflection of various cultures.  The relevance of these short stories for the modern reader is examined. Students who wish to earn college credit must take a qualifying test and pay a reduced tuition fee to Brookdale Community College.  This honors weighted class must be taken with the English Composition course to fulfill the senior English requirement.