University Entrance Requirement Area B (B of A-G)
NPA students have choices by grade level in how to complete the required English courses: APEX on line college prep, APEX on line Honors, APEX on line Advanced Placement, book format college prep, book format non college prep.
English 1 (P) APEX or book - The English 1 course is an overview of exemplar selections of literature in fiction and nonfiction genres. Students read short stories, poems, a full-length novel, and a full-length Shakespeare play, analyzing the use of elements of literature in developing character, plot, and theme. For example, in selected stories, students compare the effect of setting on tone and character development. Likewise, in the poetry unit, students analyze how artists and writers draw from and interpret source material. Each unit includes informational texts inviting students to consider the historical, social, and literary context of the main texts they study. For example, in the first semester, a Nikolai Gogol story that is offered as an exemplar of magical realism is accompanied by instruction on that genre. Together, the lesson content and reading prompt students to demonstrate their understanding of magical realism by analyzing its qualities in a literary text. Throughout the course, students respond to others' claims and support their own claims in essays, discussions, and presentations, consistently using thorough textual evidence. The range of texts includes canonical authors such as William Shakespeare, Franz Kafka, and Elie Wiesel, as well as writers from diverse backgrounds, such as Alice Walker, Li-Young Lee, and Robert Lake-Thom.
Essential English 9 APEX -Apex Essential English 9 is a non college prep online option for freshman English credit. It blends two Apex, standards-based English Reading and Writing classes. The reading class is designed to help students develop mastery in the areas of reading comprehension, vocabulary building, study skills and media literacy. The writing class is designed to help students develop composition and grammar skills, diction and style awareness, and media and technology exploration. Both courses guide students through the skills necessary to be successful in the academic world and beyond. School Counselor approval is needed.
English 9 (P) Honors APEX - English 9 Honors is an overview of exemplar selections of literature in fiction and nonfiction genres. Students read short stories, poems, a full-length novel, a full-length Shakespeare play, and two book-length outside readings of their choice. For all readings, students analyze the use of elements of literature in developing character, plot, and theme. For example, in selected stories, students compare the effect of setting on tone and character development. In the poetry unit, students analyze how artists and writers draw from and interpret source material. Each unit includes informational texts inviting students to consider the historical, social, and literary context of the main texts they study. For example, in the first semester, a Nikolai Gogol story that is offered as an exemplar of magical realism is accompanied by instruction on that genre. Together, the lesson content and reading prompt students to demonstrate their understanding of magical realism by analyzing its qualities in a literary text.
English 2 (P) APEX or book - The focus of the English 2 course is the writing process. Three writing applications guide the curriculum: persuasive, expository, and narrative writing. Each lesson culminates in a written assignment that lets students demonstrate their developing skill in one of these applications. English 10 follows the model of English 9 by including at least one anchor text per lesson, but the essays, articles, stories, poems, and speeches are often presented as models for students to emulate as they practice their own writing. So that these readings may serve as proper examples for students, a high proportion of texts for this course are original pieces. English 10 also continues to develop students' reading, listening, and speaking skills. Readings include poems, stories, speeches, plays, and a graphic novel, as well as a variety of informational texts. The readings represent a wide variety of purposes and cultural perspectives, ranging from the Indian epic The Ramayana to accounts of Hurricane Katrina told through different media. Audio and video presentations enhance students' awareness and command of rhetorical techniques and increase their understanding of writing for different audiences.
Essential English 2 - APEX - Apex Essential English 10 is a non college prep online option for sophomore English credit. It blends two Apex, standards-based English Reading and Writing classes.. The reading class is designed to help students develop mastery in the areas of reading comprehension, vocabulary building, study skills and media literacy. The writing class is designed to help students develop composition and grammar skills, diction and style awareness, and media and technology exploration. Both courses guide students through the skills necessary to be successful in the academic world and beyond. School Counselor approval is needed.
English 2 (P) APEX Honors -- The focus of the English 10 Honors course is the writing process. Three writing applications guide the curriculum: persuasive, expository, and narrative writing. Each lesson culminates in a written assignment that lets students demonstrate their developing skill in one of these applications. English 10 Honors follows the model of English 9 Honors by including at least one anchor text per lesson, but the essays, articles, stories, poems, and speeches are often presented as models for students to emulate as they practice their own writing. So that these readings may serve as proper examples for students, a high proportion of texts for this course are original pieces. English 10 Honors also continues to develop students' reading, listening, and speaking skills. Readings include poems, stories, speeches, plays, and a graphic novel, as well as a variety of informational texts. The readings represent a wide variety of purposes and cultural perspectives, ranging from the Indian epic The Ramayana to accounts of Hurricane Katrina told through different media. Audio and video presentations enhance students' awareness and command of rhetorical techniques and increase their understanding of writing for different audiences.
English 3 (P) APEX or book - In the English 3 course, students examine the belief systems, events, and literature that have shaped the United States. They begin by studying the language of independence and the system of government developed by Thomas Jefferson and other enlightened thinkers. Next, they explore how the Romantics and Transcendentalists emphasized the power and responsibility of the individual in both supporting and questioning the government. Students consider whether the American Dream is still achievable and examine the Modernists’ disillusionment with the idea that America is a “land of opportunity.” Reading the words of Frederick Douglass and the text of the Civil Rights Act, students look carefully at the experience of African Americans and their struggle to achieve equal rights. Students explore how individuals cope with the influence of war and cultural tensions while trying to build and secure their own personal identity. Finally, students examine how technology is affecting our contemporary experience of freedom: Will we eventually change our beliefs about what it means to be an independent human being? In this course, students analyze a wide range of literature, both fiction and nonfiction. They build writing skills by composing analytical essays, persuasive essays, personal narratives, and research papers. In order to develop speaking and listening skills, students participate in discussions and give speeches. Overall, students gain an understanding of the way American literature represents the array of voices contributing to our multicultural identity.
Essential English 11 - Essential English 11 is a non college prep online option for junior English credit. It uses NoRedInk curriculum which addresses individual student needs, including both gaps and strengths in their learning, through interest-based curriculum, adaptive exercises, and actionable data. Through writing, reading, and grammar practice, students will strengthen their ELA skills and prepare themselves for the world of college and career. School Counselor approval is needed.
English 3 (P) APEX Honors -- In the English 11 Honors course, students examine the belief systems, events, and literature that have shaped the United States. They begin by studying the language of independence and the system of government developed by Thomas Jefferson and other enlightened thinkers. Next, they explore how the Romantics and Transcendentalists emphasized the power and responsibility of the individual in both supporting and questioning the government. Students consider whether the American Dream is still achievable and examine the Modernists’ disillusionment with the idea that America is a “land of opportunity.” Reading the words of Frederick Douglass and the text of the Civil Rights Act, students look carefully at the experience of African Americans and their struggle to achieve equal rights. Students explore how individuals cope with the influence of war and cultural tensions while trying to build and secure their own personal identity. Finally, students examine how technology is affecting our contemporary experience of freedom: Will we eventually change our beliefs about what it means to be an independent human being? In this course, students analyze a wide range of literature, both fiction and nonfiction. They build writing skills by composing analytical essays, persuasive essays, personal narratives, and research papers. In order to develop speaking and listening skills, students participate in discussions and give speeches. Overall, students gain an understanding of the way American literature represents the array of voices contributing to our multicultural identity.
AP English Language and Composition (P) - This course fulfills 11th grade requirements. In AP English Language and Composition, students investigate rhetoric and its impact on culture through analysis of notable fiction and nonfiction texts, from pamphlets to speeches to personal essays. The equivalent of an introductory college-level survey class, this course prepares students for the AP exam and for further study in communications, creative writing, journalism, literature, and composition.
Students explore a variety of textual forms, styles, and genres. By examining all texts through a rhetorical lens, students become skilled readers and analytical thinkers. Focusing specifically on language, purpose, and audience gives them a broad view of the effect of text and its cultural role. Students write expository and narrative texts to hone the effectiveness of their own use of language, and they develop varied, informed arguments through research. Throughout the course, students are evaluated with assessments specifically designed to prepare them for the content, form, and depth of the AP Exam.
English 4 (P) APEX or book - The English 4 course asks students to closely analyze British literature and world literature and consider how we humans define and interact with the unknown, the monstrous, and the heroic. In the epic poems The Odyssey, Beowulf, and The Inferno, in Shakespeare’s Tempest, in the satire of Swift, and in the rhetoric of World War II, students examine how the ideas of “heroic” and “monstrous” have been defined across cultures and time periods and how the treatment of the “other” can make monsters or heroes of us all. Reading Frankenstein and the works from those who experienced the imperialism of the British Empire, students explore the notion of inner monstrosity and consider how the dominant culture can be seen as monstrous in its ostensibly heroic goal of enlightening the world. Throughout this course, students analyze a wide range of literature, both fiction and nonfiction. They build writing skills by composing analytical essays, persuasive essays, personal narratives, and research papers. In order to develop speaking and listening skills, students participate in discussions and give speeches. Overall, students gain an understanding of the way British and world literature represent the array of voices that contribute to our global identity.
*Expository Writing APEX (P) - This one semester course is an option for students in grade 12. In Expository Writing, students delve into the power and potential of the English language. Reading and writing assignments explore relevant and universal themes including war, human rights, cultural awareness, and humans' relationships with the environment, the media, and technology. By reading and evaluating seminal speeches, essays, and stories, students learn how writing is used to explain, persuade, and entertain. Students develop and practice expressing their own ideas in four types of essays: compare and contrast, persuasive, evaluative, and explanatory. Through reading, writing, revising, discussing, and refining grammar and language skills, students develop the ability to communicate effectively and persuasively about relevant issues in the academic and professional worlds.
*Personal Communications APEX - This one semester course is an option for students in grade 12. Personal Communications teaches students how to become effective at verbal and non verbal expressions. In a rapidly changing world filled with constantly evolving technology, social media, and social networking, students need skill to send clear verbal and non verbal messages and adapt those messages to multiple contexts. Students need to prepare to identify, analyze, develop, and evaluate communication skills in personal, academic, and professional interactions.
Contemporary English - Grade 12, non college prep - fulfills the 4th year English requirement. Within Contemporary English, seniors will read high interest, non fiction books of their choice from district approved titles. Students will improve writing and analytical skills through graphic organizers, essays, and media. They will analyze, evaluate, and research topics related to the books and the authors.
*Senior Project - The Senior Project course allows the student to write a research paper in order to investigate a career and post-secondary pathway toward that career. The students demonstrate their public speaking skills by making an oral presentation to an adult panel of judges. The student will be expected to explain the project, what they learned by participating in the Senior Project, and connect the project topic to their "My 10 Year Plan."
AP English Language and Literature (P) - AP English Literature and Composition immerses students in novels, plays, poems, and short stories from various periods. Students will read and write daily, using a variety of multimedia and interactive activities, interpretive writing assignments, and class discussions to assess and improve their skills and knowledge. The course places special emphasis on reading comprehension, structural and critical analysis of written works, literary vocabulary, and recognizing and understanding literary devices. The equivalent of an introductory college-level survey class, this course prepares students for the AP exam and for further study in creative writing, communications, journalism, literature, and composition.
*Indicates one semester course
(P) Indicated College Prep course