English

1.00 unit

40 weeks/5 periods per week

Grade Level:  9

Reading Level:  Average to high

Prerequisite:  English 8

Final Exam:  Per teacher

In an attempt to provide a diverse literary experience that develops critical thinking and communication skills and allows participants to gain more sophisticated understandings of their own lives, students will focus on the following progression of topics: Short stories, teacher-directed and independent scholarly database research and media literacy projects, Into the Wild, and Romeo + Juliet. Each unit will concentrate on developing vocabulary, comprehending literary devices, discussing various aspects of grammar, responding to and analyzing texts and marking texts to hold thinking, as well as practicing various methods of checking for understanding. Finally, each Friday students will participate in Outside Reading for which they will choose their own reading material and maintain a written dialogue with the teacher about their literary experiences. 

1.00 units

40 weeks/5 periods per week

Grade Level: 9

Reading Level: high

Prerequisite: English 8

Final Exam: Per teacher

This course is meant to challenge students in the selection of texts, rigor of material, and practice of the writing process. The variety of texts that will be covered range from fiction to non-fiction, classical to contemporary, and plays to poetry. Students will use texts to reflect on what it means to be a teen within their own culture as well as teens around the world. This course is meant to challenge students to be more aware of who they are and how they can affect the world around them. 

1.00 unit

40 weeks/5 periods per week

Grade Level:  10

Reading Level:  Average to high

Prerequisite:  English 9

Final Exam:  Per teacher

This course is designed to enhance students’ abilities to explore, comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate complex literary and non-fiction texts. Students will be immersed in a blended learning approach where they will have some element of control over pace, path, and timing of their learning. This approach combines traditional educational methods with online learning. Students will read, write, and discuss literature on a daily basis to grow in their thinking, academic achievement, and sophistication as learners.

1.00 unit

40 weeks/5 periods per week

Grade Level:  10

Reading Level:  High

Prerequisite:  Proven achievement in previous English courses, teacher recommendation, summer reading and assignment 

Final Exam:  Per teacher

This course is designed for students who plan to take the English 11 Advanced Placement Language and Composition course and the English 12 Advanced Placement Literature course. Students will participate in a blended learning approach where they will have some element of control over pace, path, and timing of their learning. This approach combines traditional educational methods with online learning. The curriculum focuses on all units from English 10, but students learn to write about literature and non-fiction at a more in-depth level. The course is intended for students who can benefit from an increased pace, less intensive classroom guidance, and more independent, out of class study.

1.00 unit

40 weeks/5 periods per week

Grade Level:  11

Reading Level:  Average

Prerequisite: English 10  

Final Exam:  Regents exam

 This course is the literary counterpart to United States History 11. As such, we will focus primarily on the historical development of “America” and the literary/artistic trends that have defined and changed our culture. We will try to discover overarching themes and motifs that indicate a unification in “the melting pot.” At the same time, we will also explore the various techniques authors use to create memorable and often exciting texts. Our readings will come from a wide variety of American poetry, short fiction, drama, and novels, from the Colonial period through Postmodernism (and maybe a touch beyond).

1.00 unit

40 weeks/5 periods per week

Grade Level:  11

Reading Level:  High

Prerequisite:  English 10 or 10H with a minimum average of 85

Final Exam:  AP Exam, Regents Exam

Language and Composition offers a demanding work load aimed at engaging students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Through such writing and reading students will gain insights into the interactions between a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way genre conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. As in college courses of similar scope, the purpose of the AP English Language and Composition course is to enable students to read complex texts with understanding and to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers. Students will move beyond programmatic responses and place emphasis on content, purpose, and audience.

1.00 unit

40 weeks/5 periods per week

Grade Level:  12

Reading Level:  Average

Prerequisite:  English 11 or 11H

Final Exam:  Cumulative assessment per teacher

This course requires students to examine several types of texts, including classic and contemporary literature, nonfiction, short stories, plays, and poetry. Students will also spend time discovering and exploring their own career opportunities and investigating potential careers and real-world jobs. A variety of technology will be utilized throughout the course including Google Drive, Piktochart, and Animoto.

1.00 unit

Semester 1/Semester 2; 20 weeks/every day for each class

Grade Level:  12

Reading Level:  High

Prerequisite:  English 11 or 11H; 80% minimum final average in English 11 course (FLCC requirement)

Final Exam:  Per teacher

Gemini 12 is composed of two college-level English classes. Over the first semester students enrolled in 101 will read and analyze various nonfiction pieces and write essays within five genres: the personal, reflective, informational, analytical, and self-reflective. During the second semester, students enrolled in 102 will first read and interpret short fiction using a variety of literary lenses. Thereafter, students will read two novels: one of their choosing, which they will review in a public forum, and a second, The Martian, which will be analyzed alongside the film Cast Away in a final comparative project. Both 101 and 102 are writing intensive, with a strong focus on individual writing conferences with the teacher, peer workshop feedback, and an extensive revision process.

1.00 unit

40 weeks/5 periods per week

Grade Level:  12

Reading Level:  High

Prerequisite:  English 11H or 11AP; teacher recommendation, summer reading and assignment

Final Exam:  Prior year AP exam

AP English is taught as a freshman level college literature course.  It extends the writing skills students practiced in eleventh grade, with an emphasis on writing fully-developed, detailed essays in preparation for taking the AP Literature and Composition exam in May.  This course is aimed at providing the students with a wide range of literary experiences and close reading exercises.  It is for the extremely strong English student who plans on taking the AP exam.  Course units include irony, comedy, romance, tragedy, and an historical view of poetry. There is intense preparation for the AP exam. Students can earn up to 6 college credits for taking this course, depending on the decisions of the college they attend. 

0.50 units

20 weeks/every day

Grade Level:  9, 10, 11, and 12            

Reading Level:  Low Average to Average

Prerequisite:  Grade level

Final Exam:  Project

This English elective will require students to read several pieces of young adult literature (YAL), all self-chosen, from a list of genres that include: Drama, Action/Adventure/Sports, Non-fiction, Humor, Horror/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Dystopia, Graphic Novels, Mystery, or Historical Fiction. The class will begin with a brief introduction into the history of YAL and how it has evolved over the years, reflecting the changing interests/pop culture influences of young adults. Students will then be required to read and discuss, analyze, and present information about the various novels in several genre categories mentioned above. Students will also be encouraged to work closely with the school library media specialist to create displays highlighting worthwhile reads in the YAL canon. Through the use of iPad/Google Chrome applications, students will ultimately develop an online resource evaluating the best of current YA titles.   

0.50 units 

20 weeks/every day

Grade Level:  9, 10, 11, and 12            

Reading Level:  Low to average

Prerequisite:  Grade level

Final Exam:  Project

Students will read, study, and perform dramatic works in class.  Course topics include:  the study of character types found in dramatic works (i.e., heroes, villains, and comic relief characters), individual and group improvisational performances, reenactments of famous dramatic readings and speeches, partner performances of dramatic scenes, and small group short play performances.  The culminating project will be the creation of a screenplay and a movie, with mandatory participation by all students.

Creative Writing

Unlock your creativity through writing! This course will examine different genres of writing, while also allowing you to create your own pieces, receive feedback, and create a portfolio. Through a workshop styled class you will be able to brainstorm new ideas and create many different stories. The course will offer peer editing and round table discussions to help fine-tune any created works. Throughout the course you will dive into genres such as poetry, fiction writing, personal narratives, and much more! Everyone has a story to tell, we all just need to find a way to express them.