English Electives

JOURNALISM  

Grade: 9 -12

Credits: 2.5

Prerequisite: None  (This course is linked to Creative Writing.)

Features. Movie/Music Reviews. Sports. Editorials. Columns. Headlines. Captions. Layout. Elect a semester course in journalism and learn how to write for newspapers, magazines, radio and television. Conduct interviews, evaluate headlines, analyze political cartoons, and compare the same news story in a variety of print, radio, and television formats. Write, edit, and publish your work. Record your news writing on audio and video. Elect this course and share in a unique journalistic experience. Students who wish to seek a major in communications would benefit from this course. 

CREATIVE WRITING 

Grade: 9 -12

Credits: 2.5

Prerequisite: None  (This course is linked to Creative Writing.)

This semester course will focus on Creative Writing: fiction, poetry, playwriting with a focus on production of work for publication. This course will reinforce students’ ability to write creatively in all genres.  During the year, students will design a writing portfolio representing a variety of literary forms, increase their awareness of the publishing process, incorporate the conventions of the performing arts into original scripts, and investigate college programs and career paths related to the creative arts.

JOURNALISM 2 - Grades 10 - 12 

Grade: 10 -12

Credits: 2.5

Prerequisite: None  (This course is linked to Creative Writing 2)

This semester course will build on the work from Journalism 1. Students will continue to develop their skills for print and digital news media. Conducting interviews and researching, students will write, edit and publish work as well as analyze various modes of news media to learn about effective communication. Students who choose to continue in this course will extend this unique experience for a second year. This course will particularly benefit students who are interested in the field of communications and journalism. 

CREATIVE WRITING 2

Grade: 10 -12

Credits: 2.5

Prerequisite: None  (This course is linked to Journalism 2)

This semester course will continue the work that students began in Creative Writing 1, focusing on Creative Writing: fiction, poetry, playwriting. Students will be encouraged to delve deeper into a genre that they are interested in and continue to build their writing portfolios with hallmark representations of their work. Students who are passionate about writing will find this course a unique path to investigating college and career paths related to the creative and performing arts.

TRUE CRIME AND SUSPENSE IN MEDIA AND LITERATURE

Grade: 10 -12

Credits: 5

Prerequisite: None 

In this full-year course, students will investigate the dark side of human nature through analysis of documentaries, films, screenplays and novels.  As they study and conduct research in these genres, the students will engage in the creative processes, themselves, producing works of media, film, drama, fiction and nonfiction through project-based learning.

AP CAPSTONE- AP Seminar 

Grade: 10-12  

Credits: 5

Prerequisites: None

AP Capstone™ is a College Board program that equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills that are increasingly valued by colleges. It cultivates curious, independent, and collaborative scholars and prepares them to make logical, evidence-based decisions. AP Capstone consists of two consecutive courses--AP Seminar and AP Research. AP Seminar encourages students to explore topics that matter to them (real-world issues), use inquiry, collaborate in group presentations, and develop research-driven essays.  By the end of the year, students will analyze multiple perspectives and ideas, and formulate arguments to craft well-written work. AP Research will offer a deeper, personalized learning exploration of AP Seminar. 

AP CAPSTONE- AP Research

Grade: 11-12  

Credits: 5

Prerequisites: AP Seminar  

AP Research is the culminating course in the AP Capstone Program, a program that includes AP Seminar. AP Research allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of individual interest. Through this exploration, students design, plan, and conduct a year-long research-based investigation to address a research question. In the AP Research course, students further their skills acquired in the AP Seminar course by understanding research methodology; employing ethical research practices; and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information as they address a research question. Students explore their skill development, document their processes, and curate the artifacts of the development of their scholarly work in a portfolio. The course culminates in an academic paper of 4000-5000 words and a presentation with an oral defense. To receive AP weighting, students who enroll in AP Research must complete all coursework including the academic paper, presentation, and oral defense, and they must register for and take the AP Exam.  This course does not fulfill the graduation requirement of a fourth year of Language Arts. 

READING AND WRITING STRATEGIES

Grade: 9-12

Credits: 2.5 or 5

Prerequisites: Department Recommendation

Reading and Writing Strategies is designed to address the literacy needs of the individual students in the classroom. The class emphasizes the development of strategic reading and writing skills and focuses on each student’s needs. Content may encompass phonemic awareness, vocabulary, decoding, encoding/spelling, fluency, comprehension, and writing. The class utilizes a systematic, explicit, multisensory structured approach. Students who struggle with reading comprehension are taught concrete reading strategies to use before, during, and after reading. Struggling writers may focus on improving the clarity, elaboration, and use of standard conventions.