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About the English Course:
About the English Course:
English is a required course for all four years of high school. Central High School embodies rigor through accelerated college-preparatory courses. English courses follow a literature-based program that includes the study of core disciplines such as the novel, short story, poetry, drama, essay, public/nonfiction documents, and other literary forms. Students engage literature through close-reading, writing, researching, and discussion. Grammar and vocabulary present structure, word study, and independent linguistic skill. All courses, including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate, cover the local and national core curricula for the Humanities in Language Arts and Central’s canon of literary works.
To prepare students for college and career, the English Department integrates its offerings with a complementary perspective to STEAM. As part of the process, students learn to apply reading, writing, listening, speaking, note-taking, and study skills in all of their studies. Through Google and other technology platforms, faculty and students share resources and skills through a variety of projects, presentations, and writings. Students leave Central with advanced skills ready to enter the college classroom.
For any questions regarding English courses, please contact Mr. Benjamin Hover, English SBTL in room 110 or at bdhover@philasd.org.
English 9th to 12th (2024 - 2025)
English 9th to 12th (2024 - 2025)
Note for all AP/Honors classes: AP and Honors English classes replace your English credit: they are not electives. After locking in your choice in Infinite Campus, it is not guaranteed that you can drop down or go up to a higher level, so do not count on it.
9th Grade
9th Grade
Courses/Course Content:
Courses/Course Content:
English 1 Advanced – (9th grade – Search for Self)
In the ninth grade, teachers use literature and non-fiction readings to teach and reinforce skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. These additional skills include grammar, vocabulary, note- taking, test-taking, and study skills.
Through the ninth grade year, students will explore the theme of "Search for Self" through literature and nonfiction. Reading about the thoughts, activities, aspirations, motivations and expressions of others, students will broaden their experiential base, build on their sense of empathy, develop their imaginations and begin to develop their very own sense of who they are.
Students review grammar, usage, punctuation, and capitalization. Teachers integrate grammar through formal exercises and student writings. Mechanics and grammar studies offer structure for students and a foundation of basic applications. Vocabulary, whether through literary works or PSAT/SAT preparation, enhances student understanding of prefix, suffix, and roots. Word derivations and etymology provide skills for students to become better readers and writers.
Students write in the following modes: argument, informative, and narrative. The writing process shows students strategies for brainstorming, prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading, and publishing. Students learn MLA guidelines for publication.
At the conclusion of the academic year, students have the knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening to pursue advanced classes, electives, and extracurricular activities such as English 2 Honors, Creative Writing, and Central’s publications: Mirror, Mosaic, Yearbook, and Centralizer.
Books Read This Year:
Books Read This Year:
Required Texts and Skills
Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare - Tragedy, Prose, Poetry
The Odyssey - Homer - Epic Poetry
Short Stories - Various Authors - Elements of Fiction
Bildungsroman - Various Authors - Elements of the Novel
Nonfiction - Various Authors, sources, formats & modes - Speeches, articles, literary criticism, journalism
Recommended Texts and Skills/Units
Poetry - Lord of the Flies - Farewell to Manzanar - Fahrenheit 451 - A Raisin in the Sun - The House on Mango Street
10th Grade
10th Grade
Courses/Course Content:
Courses/Course Content:
English 2/English 2 Honors (10th grade – Social Justice)
In the tenth grade, students develop sophisticated strategies to engage the literary curriculum. Studies include a continuation of vocabulary, grammar, usage, note-taking skills, study skills, and test- taking skills.
Writing skills provide practice for development of sentence structure, thematic statements, paragraph formation, source inclusion, and thought closure. Literary analysis, argumentation, informative writings, and personal narrative, both timed and untimed, give students the process and skills necessary for advanced courses.
Students begin the research process by creating questions, researching topics, outlining, prewriting, drafting, proofreading, editing, and publishing their work. MLA format is the standard for students. The research process prepares students for the junior thesis, IB studies, and AP English for 11th and 12th grades. It is a rigorous and intellectually challenging process.
Students will practice public speaking and listening skills through oral presentations, Socratic Discussion, speeches, drama and poetry recitations, and debate.
The theme for English II is Social Justice. The novels, plays, poetry, stories, essays, and articles we will read will explore how, throughout history, various sociocultural groups have experienced injustice and continue to do so individually, in groups, at the hands of governments, and by accident. We will read from various cultural perspectives and respond in various modes, enabling you to appreciate the diverse voices and experiences of our global communities. The subject matter is provocative, so be prepared for some unsettling scenarios. However, we will also find that hardship leads to courage, determination, and heroic acts of achievement. The question is, how do these injustices change people, and how can we, as educated readers, change the world at large?
English II Honors
Curriculum covers the listed material for English II as well as additional readings and writings in preparation for the rigorous study of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate.
Books Read This Year:
Books Read This Year:
Required Texts and Skills
The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison - Counter-narrative; coming of age
Animal Farm - George Orwell - Satire
Julius Caesar - William Shakespeare - Tragedy, prose
The Iliad - Homer - Epic Poetry
Night - Eli Wiesel - Memoir
Nonfiction - Various Authors, sources, formats & modes - Speeches, articles, literary criticism, journalism
Recommended Texts and Skills/Units
Romantic/Victorian Literature - Frankenstein - Jane Eyre - Wuthering Heights - A Tale of Two Cities - Poetry -
Memoir - Black Boy - When I Was Puerto Rican - Diary of Anne Frank - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - Modern Drama - The Piano Lesson - Inherit the Wind
Additional Readings
"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" - Great Expectations - Of Mice and Men - The Buddha in the Attic - The Merchant of Venice or Richard III - "A Modest Proposal" - To Kill a Mockingbird - The Joy Luck Club
11th Grade
11th Grade
Courses/Course Content:
Courses/Course Content:
English 3/ AP Language and Composition (11th grade – American Literature)
In the eleventh grade, students practice sophisticated strategies to engage the literary curriculum with an emphasis on critical reading and analytical writing. Through American Literature and non-fiction, students explore what it is to be an American and how literature and non-fiction communicate ideas about the human condition such as humanity and empathy.
Students review the crafting of thesis statements, theme statements, and elements of style such as semantics, syntax, usage, punctuation, and capitalization. Students continue to expand their vocabulary through formal and informal study and engage in ongoing practice for the PSAT and SAT. Students continue to practice the three modes of writing: argument, informative writing, personal narrative, while writing longer, more fully amplified critical analysis and synthesis essays, in response to American literature and non-fiction texts. Students write a junior thesis, the required fully developed MLA research paper.
Students continue to practice techniques of oral communication through formal presentations with and without technological components (individual and group), such as recitations, literary discussions, and debates.
Advanced Placement Language and Composition: American Literature
Students study the listed material for English III as well as additional readings and writings in non-fiction. Students also explore the use and impact of language. In May, students sit for the AP exam.
English 3 Honors (11th grade – American Literature)
Students in this class, as a stepping stone for AP Literature senior year, cover all the aforementioned material listed for English 3 and additional texts, papers, and research. Prerequisite: B or better in prior English class.
Books Read This Year:
Books Read This Year:
Required Texts and Skills
Macbeth - William Shakespeare - Analysis of character; Rhetoric; tragic flaws
The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne- Writing style; archaic language; symbolism
The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald - Observational narration
Their Eyes Were Watching God- Zora Neale Hurston - Irony; symbolism; folklore
Nonfiction - Various Authors, sources, formats & modes - Speeches, articles, literary criticism, journalism
Recommended Texts and Skills/Units
Fences - The Glass Menagerie - The Crucible - The Catcher in the Rye - The Awakening - Song of Solomon - Cantora -
A Separate Peace - Your Blues Ain't Like Mine - Brothers and Sisters - Little Fires Everywhere - The Woman Warrior
12th Grade
12th Grade
Courses/Course Content:
Courses/Course Content:
English 4/AP English Literature and Composition (12th grade – Individual in Society)
In the twelfth grade, students engage and experience a college-preparatory curriculum aligned with rigorous reading and writing in English literature and world literature in translation. The curriculum explores a wider scope of short stories, poetry, fiction, drama, non-fiction, and literary criticism and interpretation. Students review and demonstrate proficiency in style, conventions, organization, and focus through a variety of synthesis, analytical, expository, narrative, and argumentative essays. Writing assignments provide students with the necessary skills to succeed in the college classroom. In the fall, students compose college essays and engage in peer review, proofreading, editing, and publication of said essays. In addition to reading and writing, students participate in Socratic discussions, speeches, dramatic recitations, and other public speaking activities. Google applications, such as Classroom, Slides, Docs, Spreadsheets, etc., provide an interface among peers and faculty.
Advanced Placement Literature and Composition
Students study the listed material for English IV as well as additional readings and writings. Students also experience the depth and breadth of said literature as they engage with faculty and peers in literary discussions. In May, students sit for the AP exam.
Books Read This Year:
Books Read This Year:
Required Texts and Skills
Hamlet- William Shakespeare
The Canterbury Tales- Chaucer
Beowulf- Anonymous
Things Fall Apart- Chinua Achebe
1984- George Orwell
Nonfiction - Various Authors, sources, formats & modes - Speeches, articles, literary criticism, journalism
Recommended Texts and Skills/Units
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - Grendel - Heart of Darkness - The Handmaid's Tale - Darkness at Noon - Satire - Post-Colonial Literature - African Literature - Invisible Man - The Metamorphosis - Theban Plays - Beloved - The Stranger
Central's English Electives
Central's English Electives
Creative Writing - (10th – 12th grades)
This is a writing intensive course for those who want to learn advanced techniques for writing poetry, short stories, screenplays and/or stage plays. Students will create numerous projects, large and small, engage in critical peer review, and share their work. Class participation is expected. Topics include writing theory, formal and free verse poetry, literary devices, grammar and punctuation, creative inspiration, plot structure, character development, dialogue, writing and formatting scripts, and more. Students will write often, learn how professional writers achieve their effects, and engage in thoughtful and respectful discussion of each other’s work and progress. Instructor’s permission is required.
Public Speaking and Oratory - (10th – 12th)
This course will help students determine their audience and prepare material to be effective communicators in varied circumstances. All units emphasize a new component of public speaking while building on the unit before. Some components include delivery, memorization, scripting, outlining, as well as using props and manipulatives. Students will also review resumes, cover letters/emails, applying to online job postings as well as individual and group interviewing. This course will also go over how to use dress, body language, data, and technology when preparing material and then speaking about it. Students will work independently and in groups, and will learn some traditional speech formats (report, pitch, drama, how-to). Finally, students will use improvisation and group discussion on historical and current events to learn how even conversation can be an informal type of public speaking.
Thematic Visual Literature - (12th)
This is a full year elective for seniors interested in the study of film from an historical and critical perspective. The class will view an array of films that are exemplary of the finest from among a multitude of genres including comedies, westerns, documentaries, mysteries, musicals, etc. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions and to write critical essays in response to what they see. Study will focus on varied techniques of directors, film editors, art directors and others involved in the production of motion pictures. Although the course is not one in which films are produced, students will be expected to become conversant with the jargon used in the process of cinematography. Open enrollment for all 12th grade students.
Women's and Gender Studies - (10th - 12th)
In the Women’s and Gender Studies course at Central, we study women and gender-based activists from deep in our history to those currently active across the globe. We have the opportunity to research and meet in person or activists, scholars and non-profit organizations focused on gender liberation and equity. We visit museums across our city to engage in dialogue both historical and contemporary about the way gender shapes our lives. We also engage in a range of projects, such as making our own documentaries, creating Podcasts, making plans for future activism and much more. We read and watch a variety of texts and films. But, more than anything else in this course, we dream and plan for a more gender equal world.
The perspectives we gain in Women’s and Gender Studies also can help us gain insight into the multiple and deep-rooted challenges that plague our nation and our planet. It is important to note that the content in Women and Gender Studies courses focuses not only on how women and girls are constrained by social restrictions, but also men and boys. This means that as our society tends to treat its two primary genders as mirror opposites, men and boys experience societal restraints and harm based on their gender, too. In this course we also examine and critically evaluate the gender binary norm, which refers to the ways our society believes that there are only two genders and that anyone who falls outside of this is seen as deviant or somehow less than acceptable.
Information About the IB Program
Information About the IB Program
This is a two-year intensive course designed to explore the nature of literature, the aesthetic function of literary language and textuality, and the relationship between literature and the world. Students will adopt a variety of approaches to textual criticism and develop critical thinking abilities through discussion of, and writing about, various literary works. This rigorous course of study, aimed at highly-motivated students, includes external and internal assessments. Students will receive in-depth preparation for internal assessments and the IB Higher Level English exam (given in May of the senior year). The exam is only to students in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.
The objective of this course is to enable students to:
1. engage with a range of texts, in a variety of media and forms, from different periods, styles, and cultures
2. develop skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, presenting and performing
3. develop skills in interpretation, analysis and evaluation
4. develop sensitivity to the formal and aesthetic qualities of texts and an appreciation of how they contribute to diverse responses and open up multiple meanings
5. develop an understanding of relationships between texts and a variety of perspectives, cultural contexts, and local and global issues, and an appreciation of how they contribute to diverse responses and open up multiple meanings
6. develop an understanding of the relationships between studies in language and literature and other disciplines
7. communicate and collaborate in a confident and creative way
8. foster a lifelong interest in and enjoyment of language and literature.
IB HL Assessments include:
Year One
Higher Level Essay- 1,200-1,500 word essay that develops a particular line of inquiry of the student’s choice in connection with one of the texts studied throughout the year. The topic is determined by the student and the writing process is overseen by the teacher.
Year Two
Paper One- Students write literary analysis of unseen texts under timed circumstances. All texts are accompanied by a guiding question, and students are asked to write a guided literary analysis on the text.
Paper Two- Students develop a written response to set texts in the form of a comparative essay under timed circumstances.
Individual Oral- Students examine the ways in which a global issue of their choice is presented through the content and form of two of the works (poetry and prose) that they have studied.
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