Course Objectives

English 3 College Prep: The primary focus of English 3 CP is to build upon the skills students gain in their first two years and to continue preparing them for college, career, and military service. As such, the primary course goals focus on improving the four primary domains that will be necessary in college and in the work place. Please refer to SC College and Career Ready Standards for specific standards addressed throughout the class.

Writing: Students will begin to utilize college style writing within the class. Students will write for length over longer periods of time to prepare for college classes and other real-life instances where this is a regular occurrence. Students will practice various styles utilized in college and the workplace, such as APA and MLA. In addition, students will complete numerous writing assignments that rely on practicing the skills of annotation, citing evidence to support ideas, and explaining their ideas utilizing evidence.

Reading: Students will read frequently and at varying lengths. Students will read works of fiction, such as The Great Gatsby. In addition, students will read weekly articles of varying themes to practice reading informative texts that relate to science, history, daily life, technology, and more. In the course of the class, students will master various reading strategies to help them engage and interact with a text. In college, the military, and in the workplace, frequently students will be instructed to "read and analyze," and reading strategies attempt to give students tools to do this for purpose and understanding.

Communication: At various times, students will be given multiple opportunities to practice presenting information in front of their peers. Students will create films and present them to the class. Likewise, focusing on career/college/military service, students will complete research and present it to their classmates in order to mimic real-life circumstances where this occurs.

Critical Thinking: Students are bombarded with a wide variety of information as a result of technology and social media. As such, a growing skill of importance in college and the work place is critical thinking. Students will be guided on how to dig deep and analyze a variety of information for author bias, motive, and more. Students will need to be able to analyze, provide evidence, and go beyond surface level writing and analysis to practice critical thinking skills.