English
The Ridgewood Public Schools English program inspires appreciation for the English language and the universal themes its literature reveals. Students understand and demonstrate the conventions of academic English to facilitate effective written and spoken communication. Individuals independently analyze diverse texts from various genres with empathy and discernment to challenge assumptions and practice methods of interpretation and research. Students will possess both technical and reasoning skills necessary to meet the compelling challenges of the 21st century global community.
English 9 (1104EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - College Prep; Grade 9
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: None
English 9 supports students as they transition to the challenges of high school. With emphasis on reading strategies, academic writing, and mature language use, the curriculum provides students with the tools for increasing academic demands. Students in English 9 will experience a rich and varied course of study including core readings: Romeo and Juliet, Antigone, and Night, and other choices such as Of Mice and Men, Gilgamesh, and a variety of multicultural short stories and poetry.
English 9 Literary World Views (1114EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - College Prep; Grade 9
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: Enrollment in History of the Modern World; Teacher Recommendation from 8th grade English and History.
English 9 Literary World Views provides a curriculum for students with high interest in reading and writing. Strategies for reading demanding texts including Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, Antigone, Romeo and Juliet and works such as Night, The Road, and a variety of short fiction, non-fiction, and poetry encourage students to seek meaning beyond the surface and to discover understanding through a rigorous writing sequence. Students recommended for this course should be prepared to invest in an exciting year of active learning.
English 10 (CP - 1204EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - College Prep; Grade 10
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9
English 10 (H - 1202EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grade 10
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9; Teacher Recommendation
This course further develops the multi-paragraph essay form with emphasis on detailed development and variety of structure. Literature is studied in thematic units through short stories, poetry, novels and plays.
English 10 The American Experience I (1214EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - College Prep; Grade 10
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9; Teacher Recommendation; Student Signature on Course Expectations
English 11 The American Experience II (1224EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - College Prep; Grade 11
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation from English and History Teacher
This is a two-year sequence of English and history classes, which correlates American literature with American history. The course is an alternative to the traditional English and social studies core course offerings for grades 10 and 11. The program is open to a limited number of college prep level students who have demonstrated passion for history-related subjects, task commitment, and general creative thinking and intellectual curiosity. In this two-year sequence, the English and history teachers collaborate around enduring understandings that connect facets of American history to themes in American literature. In the English section, the poetry, drama, novels and essays selected are those contemporary with the period being studied in history. Included are many of the important American writers. As the two classes often meet consecutively, teachers can extend instructional activities for special purposes. Opportunities for site-based learning align with particular units of study. Prerequisite: Recommendations from grade 9 English and world history teachers. Students not currently enrolled in the American Experience I course may apply for entrance into the junior year American Experience II course.
The American Studies Program (10th Grade - 1242EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grade 10
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9; Application Process; Completion of Summer Work
The American Studies Program (11th Grade - 1342EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grade 11
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 10 American Studies; Application Process; Completion of Summer Work
This is a two-year sequence of English and history classes, which correlates American Literature with American History. The course is an alternative to English 10 and 11, and to U.S. History I and II, and is open to a limited number of students who have demonstrated both the interest and ability to handle a demanding program. Cooperating teachers in English and social studies schedule classes so that two classes meet consecutively and, if teachers wish, can be grouped for special instructional purposes. (Note: Huckleberry Finn is a required reading in this course.)
In the history section, primary sources supplement the regular textbook. In the English section, the poetry, drama, novels and essays selected are those contemporary with the period being studied in history. Included are most of the important American writers.
Assignments in the program are usually long-term rather than daily. Emphasis is placed on composition, analysis, and research. In the history section, many assignments result in position papers or essays which stress a solid grasp of factual material and independent judgment on the part of the student. English papers and tests ask the student to evaluate critically the literature studied. The course includes history and English term papers in the junior year. 10 credits yearly, 5 in English and 5 is U.S. History for grades 10 and 11.
American History and Literature with Integrated Study in the Arts (10th Grade - 1222EN)
Full-Year Course; Leve - Honors; Grade 10
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9; Application Process; Completion of Summer Work
American History and Literature with Integrated Study in the Arts (11th Grade - 1312EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grade 11
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 10 AHLISA; Application Process; Completion of Summer Work
This is an interdisciplinary course that creatively integrates study in the fine and performing arts with a strong academic focus on the study of both history and literature. With instructors from the English, History, and Visual/Practical/Performing Arts departments, students will explore the complex interrelationship between history and literature not only through traditional means, but also through exposure to and analysis of the visual, musical and theatrical work of the various time periods. Students will be expected to demonstrate their growing knowledge through the creation of images, musical compositions, creative writing, and theatrical performances that both intellectually and artistically assimilate and synthesize historical and literary material. This honors level course meets the requirements of U.S. I, U.S. II, English 10 and English 11. Students participate for two years. Art instructors visit English and History classes to coordinate study of contemporary arts with particular historical periods and works of literature.
Classes meet back-to-back to provide extended time for interdisciplinary teaching and discussion, independent study, presentation and performance of creative projects, and field trips. Work in this course will require students to take intellectual leaps and risks, to collaborate constructively not only with one another, but also with instructors in designing and evaluating projects. The unique focus of the course allows students ample opportunity for alternative assessment. The course stimulates student motivation and encourages student creativity. In addition to earning honors credit in both history and English, all students will earn art credit through the successful design and completion of all independent arts projects that demonstrate, explore and express their knowledge and understanding of the various historical periods.
English 10 RAHP Honors (1192EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grade 10
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9; Application Process; Completion of Summer Work
This is an interdisciplinary course designed to integrate the study of literature and health sciences. With instructors from the English, science and health departments in formal collaboration with the staff of Valley Hospital, students will explore various aspects in health, science, and literature. They will meet high school graduation and college entrance requirements, which are linked with real life applications in the health professions. Qualified students will have internships at Valley Hospital, field trips, and speakers from various health professions. Research projects will include an expert mentor in the student’s area of interest.
In the 10th grade, students will further develop the multi-paragraph essay form with emphasis on detailed development and variety of structure. Elements within health sciences are studied in thematic units through short stories, poetry, novels and plays.
English 11 RAHP Honors(1322EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grade 11
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 10 RAHP; Completion of Summer Work
This is an integrated, collaborative, academic program designed to provide students with exposure to the vast array of career opportunities within the health care arena. The objective of the program is to provide a comprehensive, rigorous academic curriculum focused on applied and integrated learning. RAHP consists of a small learning community that fosters real life experiences with healthcare professionals through internships and mentorships with hospital personnel. Assignments in English 11 RAHP class are designed so that students connect concepts from literature to advance critical thinking, writing, and research skills. The rigor of this class demands daily and weekly formal writing assignments, as well as the sharing of ideas in class discussion. In addition, students are expected to explore and present a senior Capstone project proposal, the objective of which is to develop and to execute a research plan that will allow students to examine an original health-related issue. They will develop an action plan in relation to this issue, and present it to hospital and high school staff for evaluation in the senior RAHP seminar.
English 11 (CP - 1304EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - College Prep; Grade 11
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9 and 10
English 11 (H - 1302EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grade 11
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9 and 10; Teacher Recommendation
This course builds on Grade 10 composition skills, emphasizing the rhetorical principles of unity and coherence. In English 11 CP and Honors, students read a variety of genres including poetry, short stories, novels, plays, and critical essays and reviews. Utilizing skills and knowledge developed in prior grades, students are asked to analyze and draw conclusions from critical reviews and essays and to incorporate these with their own criticisms of the literary works. Students write a formal research paper, analyzing and drawing conclusions from original and secondary sources, designing and supporting a thesis and using the Modern Language Association writing format. Works of major American authors are studied in either thematic or chronological order.
English Language and Composition AP (1301EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - Advanced Placement; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 10 H or 11 H; Teacher Recommendation; Completion of Summer Work
This course will provide rigorous, college-level instruction in reading, writing, and rhetoric. Students will read a wide variety of substantial texts—comprising a cross-section of fiction and non-fiction, including essays, memoirs, editorials, and speeches. Focusing in particular on how the authors of these pieces use language to achieve various effects and engage their audiences, students will write consistently in varied rhetorical modes and touching on various disciplines in order to constantly apply lessons learned from exemplary models of writing our culture has provided us. An important aspect of this course is direct preparation for the AP test in May.
English 12 (CP - 1404EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - College Prep; Grade 12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9-11
English 12 (H - 1402EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grade 12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9-11; Teacher Recommendation
This course is an extension of the 11th grade composition work with more attention paid to style and the rhetorical principle of emphasis. Informal essays, themes, and critical papers are written on a variety of personal and literary subjects, which grow out of class discussion and readings of American, British and Continental literature.
English Literature and Composition AP (1400EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - Advanced Placement; Grade 12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9-11; Teacher Recommendation; Completion of Summer Work
This is a course for selected students who have done superior work in English 10 and 11. Extensive outside reading as well as intensive class work is required of each student. Students will write critical papers based on works read and impromptu essays in preparation for the AP Test. Students will be expected to read several works during the summer and to take the AP Test in Literature and Composition in the spring.
An important aspect of the course is direct preparation for the AP English test in May. The preparation is based in part on the actual AP tests from previous years.
Senior Seminar (1252EN)
Full-Year Course; Level - Honors/Advanced Placement; Grade 12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: English 9-11; Teacher Recommendation
This program is designed for highly motivated students interested in learning about Global literature. The program focuses on the development of academic commitment through self-directed student learning experiences. This senior culminating experience aims to heighten student global awareness and compels them to consider their place in the world.
Modeled on the Socratic Seminar, this course emphasizes independent research and study interwoven with intensive student discussion and dialogue in a small class setting. To achieve this, history and English faculty members plan each phase of the program with the participating students, taking into account student needs and interests as well as the goals and objectives of both departments. The prospective Seminar student must meet the prerequisite of having earned a B or higher in an Honors level English class during the two preceding academic years. This is a demanding course, recommended only for students with very strong academic skills. Students who select Senior Seminar English must select Senior Seminar Social Studies.
English Electives
These courses are open to all students. Seniors may satisfy the 12th grade English requirement by selecting two one-semester or one full year English course from among the electives. Each of these courses includes the learning of traditional language skills: reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing.
The Beat Generation (CP - 1724EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - College Prep; Grade 12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: None
The Beat Generation (H - 1722EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - Honors; Grade 12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This is a semester literature and writing-intensive course revolving around “The Beat Generation.” The course will focus on innovative aesthetic practices and the oppositional counterculture, “The Beat Generation,” as responses to American post-war society. This course will also address changes in historical consciousness; representations of gender, race, class, and ethnic difference; and the reassessment of traditional categories and conventions that previously governed certain literary forms. This course will utilize interdisciplinary units and projects, involving history, music, and art, in order to fully immerse students in the culture and subjects explored by The Beats. Student writing assignments will potentially include memoirs, reflections on cultural texts, poetry, and explorations of self-identity. Students will develop their ability to self-examine, and ultimately, the course will allow students to find their own "voice," and begin to rediscover themselves as writers and people.
Creative Writing (1532EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - Honors; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This course offers students the opportunity to write their own poetry and short stories. Students will develop their ability to think imaginatively and to find suitable written forms for their ideas. Although student writing is the cornerstone of this class, the value of reading, analyzing, and discussing a wide variety of literary models, both contemporary and classic, is also emphasized. By studying examples from successful published writers students will develop a deeper appreciation of the craft and art of writing creatively, and will come to realize that there are as many individual styles of written expression as there are artists. Ultimately, the hope is that this course will allow students to begin to discover their own unique creative voices.
Crime and Mystery Fiction (1562EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - Honors; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This course provides students the opportunity to study a representative selection of crime/mystery fiction. The course will explore questions of human motivation, good and evil, and law and justice. Students will read and discuss novels and stories from both British and American tradition. Composition objectives are the same as the current English 12 composition objectives. Honors credit. (Semester elective for grades 11-12)
Dramatic Literature (1542EN)
Elective Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This is an honors level English elective designed for 11th and 12th grade students with a particular interest in theatre. Students will read and analyze a variety of dramatic works, from classical to contemporary. Texts will be studied in chronological order and placed in the context of theatre history.
In addition to discussion and essay writing, students will be required to engage in staged performances and scenes from the works in question. Students will also have opportunities to engage in theatre design activities or to direct other students in scenes.
English Enrichment (1102EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - College Prep; Grade 9
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This course is designed to assist students in developing their critical reading, writing, speaking, listening and media literacy skills. This course focuses on improving vocabulary and grammar. Students will also learn essential organizational and study skills. This is a semester course for 2.5 credits; it does not replace the English requirement for 9th grade. Students are recommended for this course based upon the analysis of multiple data sources.
English Prep (0509EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - College Prep; Grades 9-12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: None
This is a course assigned to students who would benefit from targeted support in language arts skills, including but not limited to active reading strategies, critical response, and literary analysis. The course consists of instruction and guided practice, administered one-on-one or in a small group.
Humor in Literature (CP - 1774EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - College Prep; Grade 12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: None
Humor in Literature (H - 1772EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - Honors; Grade 12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This semester course explores the roles of comedy and humor in literature, as well as in the contemporary American culture. Students will consider the social and political impact of humor, as well as its various forms, including: satire, parody, absurdism, and observational humor. The course will utilize contemporary texts, both fiction and non-fiction, as well as each text's social and historical context. Various literary genres will be analyzed, including essays, memoirs, plays, novels, television shows, movies and comic strips. Analytical, expository and creative writing will be used.
Literature and Film (CP - 1554EN)
Elective Full-Year Course; Level - College Prep; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: None
Literature and Film (H - 1552EN)
Elective Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This is a full year course offered at the honors and college prep levels that develops students’ reading, writing, critical thinking, and collaborative skills by examining both substantial works of literature and exemplary films. Students analyze the unique ways the art of cinema has been shaped by – and has shaped – our culture, and how it has developed into such a powerful narrative medium. Students also apply their understanding through the planning, creation, and presentation of short narrative films.
Literature, Identity and Media (CP - 1701EN)
Elective Full-Year Course; Level - College Prep; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: None
Literature, Identity and Media (H - 1702EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - Honors; Grade 11-12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This is a full year course that will closely examine the role of popular culture in the development of personal identity, and how media representations and literature shape our understanding of reality. This course is designed to develop student critical literacy and writing, to promote critical thinking, to challenge students’ existing beliefs and to empower students with the tools needed to negotiate a complex global environment. In this course, students will examine the narrative structure and its representative symbols and messages encoded in film, television shows, the news, journalism, advertising, and contemporary and classical literature within historical context. Literature may include The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury and/or Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Emerging themes are objectivity and bias, perception and point of view, the role of journalism in society in print and media, the representation of race, gender and class in literature and the media, emerging ideologies in media messages, the impact of media and literature on social identity, and the impact of violence in media on society. Emphasis will be on teaching students how to manipulate language and to write with purpose and intent. This is a project based writing course that will employ a variety of authentic assessments including, but not limited to, the creation of docudramas, audiotapes, interviews, role-playing, debate, hyper-texts and zines. Students will be required to read and write critical commentaries and a cumulative theoretical paper.
Myth, Legend, and the Bible (1622EN)
Elective Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This course is designed for honors students curious about the development of humans’ views of their place in the universe as seen in mythology and the various manifestations of these views in the Bible, in legend, in folk tales, and in contemporary film and literature. While myths are typically dismissed as fables or fiction, this class will approach them from the perspective that they are in fact “true stories” in the sense that they are sacred and meaningful to the culture that produced them. We will study the basic myths and mythological patterns from Paleolithic times to the present contemporary psychological and scientific insights into these patterns, and, in general, the different form man’s spiritual quest has taken. Although highly abstract, this material will be studied through concrete historical examples, simple story [myth and fairy tale], and the various rituals of cultures around the world. As a result, students will have a better sense of themselves, of their place in the continuum of history, and of the way in which modern problems reflect ancient concerns. The Bible will be treated as literature rather than as revealed religious truth. While not intended to question anyone’s faith or to influence anyone’s thinking, this approach may make some students or parents uncomfortable.
Non-Fiction Creative Writing I (CP - 1762EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - College Prep; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: None
Non-Fiction Creative Writing I (H - 1764EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - Honors; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This is a semester long writing-intensive workshop course in the art of creative writing non-fiction prose. In a workshop setting, students will focus on diction, finding their own voice, and a variety of storytelling techniques. In addition, students will work on peer editing skills, meaningful feedback, and close reading. While students’ writing is the main focus, students will also investigate the value of reading and analyzing non-fiction works. The course will involve creative writing projects centered on the student's own life, culminating in an autobiographical memoir portfolio project.
Non-Fiction Creative Writing II (CP - 1765EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - College Prep; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: Non-Fiction Creative Writing I
Non-Fiction Creative Writing II (H - 1763EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - Honors; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: Non-Fiction Creative Writing I; Teacher Recommendation
This second section of Non-Fiction Creative Writing involves a more advanced level of writing, using more creative techniques, exploring personal histories on a deeper level, and expanding the “types” of writing beyond stories into more creative, nontraditional fare (free form poetry, blogs, tangential exercises, train of consciousness, “ads” for ourselves, etc.). Personal essays, memoirs, and teacher-researched excerpts will supplement the creative process and help students to explore creative nonfiction on a deeper level. Students will create a final "Scrapbook Style" portfolio of their work to showcase their own memoir.
Philosophy and Literature (1582EN)
Elective Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This course hopes to attract creative students and exceptional readers interested in the philosophical themes that illuminate literature. The course contains five comprehensive interdisciplinary units from which teachers and students can choose segments to explore throughout the semester. Each unit will involve students in the process of philosophical inquiry and literary analysis, yet need not be taught in any particular order. It may include: 1) Illusion and Reality; 2) Beauty; 3) Political Philosophy; 3) Free Will and Determinism; 5) Transcendentalism 6) Existentialism 7) Objectivism 8) Absurdism. Each unit will provide opportunities for students to explore excerpts from significant thematic philosophical texts from various genres and time periods ranging from the classical to the contemporary. This course is heavily discussion and project based, and culminates in a fourth semester project where the students will create their own "Life Philosophy" project.
Studies in Shakespeare I (1612EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - Honors; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This course will have a thematic approach, where students will analyze and evaluate plays with the themes of Power and Status. Students are expected to perform as a component of this course. Works include: Twelfth Night, The Tempest, and Hamlet. Honors credit.
Studies in Shakespeare II (1712EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - Honors; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation
This course will have a thematic approach, where students will analyze and evaluate plays with the themes of Gender and Race. Students are expected to perform as a component of this course. Works include: Othello, The Merchant of Venice, and Much Ado About Nothing.
Young Adult Literature (1522EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - College Prep; Grades 11-12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: None
This course is a 12th grade English elective in which students explore literature written specifically for the target audience of young adults. Utilizing skills and knowledge developed in prior grades, students will be expected to read, discuss, analyze and write about the literary works we will analyze as a class. Major titles include: The Glass Castle, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Book Thief and Nineteen Minutes. Students in YA Literature will also be engaged in a number of community and school projects designed to relate the literature to the needs of the Ridgewood community.
The Female Protagonist: From Page to Stage (1705EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - College Prep; Grade 12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: 11th Grade College Prep English; Teacher Rec
This course is a 12th grade English elective that will focus on literature (short stories, plays and possibly screenplays) that showcase strong female role models, who attempt to take command of their lives. We will analyze societal expectations for women and how these characters subvert the norms of their time.
The Female Protagonist: From Page to Stage (1706EN)
Elective Semester Course; Level - Honors; Grade 12
Credit Value: 2.5
Prerequisite: 11th Grade Honors English; Teacher Rec
This course is a 12th grade English elective that will focus on literature (short stories, plays and possibly screenplays) that showcase strong female role models, who attempt to take command of their lives. We will analyze societal expectations for women and how these characters subvert the norms of their time.
Journalism (1732EN)
Elective Full-Year Course; Level - Honors; Grade 12
Credit Value: 5.0
Prerequisite: 11th Grade English Teacher Rec; Successful Completion of English 9-11
This course is intended for students in grade 12. With the environment of "fake news" and social media, it is essential for students to understand how to analyze information. The overall goal of the course is to provide students with an opportunity to publish and broadcast news that informs, educates, entertains varied audiences through the craft of journalism.