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The English/Language Arts program is not only designed to fulfill the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Language Arts but also to encourage students to develop and master reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills.
The overall goals of the language arts program include the following:
❖ to develop analytical, critical, and creative thinkers.
❖ to ensure that all students can express their ideas in a cohesive and succinct manner.
❖ to create life-long readers.
❖ to appreciate the literary contributions of distinct cultures around the world throughout history.
❖ to instill student awareness and sensitivity to the cultural diversity of our nation and the global community.
All students are required to take four years of a literacy-based program that emphasizes the following:
❖ extensive reading through a variety of literary genres for interpretation, analysis, and self-awareness.
❖ writing that adheres to application of grammar, usage, and mechanics and that is appropriate for different audiences and real and varied purposes.
❖ research to extend student understanding of literary insights, authors, and cultural and historical settings.
❖ development of effective oral communication through class discussions, group activities, and oral presentations.
❖ expansion of vocabulary in the context of reading and writing.
English Language Arts Required Courses
ENGLISH I
#H1101 – Honors
#H1102 – College Prep
Grade: 9 Full Year Credits: 5
English I exposes students to a variety of literary genres for interpretation, analysis, and enjoyment. Extensive reading and class discussion provide the motivation for frequent expository, narrative, and persuasive writing assignments. Vocabulary and grammar, integrated within the course, serve to extend student communication. Research is another integral part of the program. Students are also expected to prepare oral presentations after specific training in public speaking. Additional performance based assessments provide students the opportunity to utilize their learning styles to display their interpretive skills beyond the written page. Students will read a variety of classic literary pieces as well as contemporary stories, poems, and dramas. Emphasis is placed on the philosophical and historical foundations of literature as well as the individual pieces. Students are expected to read independently beyond the titles studied in class to extend and compare/contrast works by genres, themes, and/or authors. Summer reading is a prerequisite for the course.
Students who are successful in Honors English I:
● Possess strong writing and revision skills.
● Engage in reading regularly and analytically.
● Participate actively, thoughtfully, and willingly in class discussions.
● Are open to feedback from teachers and peers.
● Generally earn a B+ or higher in Honors Language Arts 8 or an A or better in Language Arts 8.
ENGLISH II
#H1201 – Honors #H1202 – College Prep
Grade: 10 Full Year Credits: 5
Students study American literature from a variety of perspectives including an examination of major literary movements and a thematic study of recurrent literary themes and historical connections. Writing, vocabulary, formal and informal public speaking, and research are required components of this program. Students are expected to engage in critical reasoning as part of the writing process and analyze literature to explore authors' styles, themes, influences, and contributions to the American literary heritage. Additional performance based assessments provide students the opportunity to utilize their learning styles to display their interpretive skills beyond the written page. Summer reading is a prerequisite for the course.
Students who are successful in Honors English II:
● Possess strong writing and revision skills.
● Engage in reading regularly and analytically.
● Participate actively, thoughtfully, and willingly in class discussions.
● Are open to feedback from teachers and peers.
● Generally earn a B+ or higher in Honors English I or an A or better in College Prep English I.
ENGLISH III - AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION
#H1300 – AP
Grade: 11 Full Year Credits: 5
The Advanced Placement English III program offers rhetorical analysis and argument found in both nonfiction and fiction texts. The emphasis on essays, biographies, autobiographies, speeches, epistles, and passages from writing in the arts, history, social science, politics, science and other areas of study serve to teach students how to analyze, synthesize, and assess nonfiction texts. Students also learn how to evaluate and construct arguments based on contemporary issues found in newspapers, magazines, and reputable blogs. While the course gives priority to nonfiction, it does not exclude study of fiction, poetry, and drama. Students will develop the skills of rhetoric in their own writing. They will imitate, practice new rhetorical patterns, and address their audience, purpose, and persona in the writing they produce. All students are expected to take the Advanced Placement Language and Composition Exam in May of the current school year. Summer reading is a prerequisite for the course.
Students who are successful in Advanced Placement English III:
● Possess strong writing and revision skills.
● Engage in reading regularly and analytically.
● Participate actively, thoughtfully, and willingly in class discussions.
● Are open to feedback from teachers and peers.
● Generally earn a B+ or higher in Honors English II or an A or better in College Prep English II.
ENGLISH III
#H1302 – College Prep
Grade: 11 Full Year Credits: 5
English III concentrates on students’ continued study of a variety of literature. The literature units emphasize critical analysis, evaluation of historical and cultural influences on literary works and philosophies, and interpretations of themes that cross literary eras and writers. In addition to the literary units, students are expected to read a variety of books outside of the class to extend themes or to broaden the dimensions of the works being studied in class. Students will have frequent analytical, expository, and creative writing opportunities. Grammatical instruction and vocabulary will be studied in reading context and through direct lessons. English III students will learn the formal research process that will emphasize independent reading and literary criticism. Additional performance based assessments provide students the opportunity to utilize their learning styles to display their interpretative skills beyond the written page. Summer reading is a prerequisite for the course.
ENGLISH IV AP ENGLISH LITERATURE & COMPOSITION
#H1400 – AP
Grade: 12 Full Year Credits: 5
This course necessitates superior skills in critical reading of imaginative and discursive literature as well as sophisticated writing skills used to evaluate ideas, formulate sound conclusions, and express and support these conclusions in formal analytical essays. Students enrolled in this course should be capable of effective self-management to keep up with the amount of required reading and the rigorous workload while contributing meaningfully to group efforts and class discussions. The college level literature studied includes novels, dramas, essays, poems, and necessary historical material organized in a thematic world literature program. Designed for the senior who intends to take the Advanced Placement Examination in English Literature and Composition in May of the current school year. Summer reading is a prerequisite for the course.
Students who are successful in Advanced Placement English IV:
● Possess strong writing and revision skills.
● Engage in reading regularly and analytically.
● Participate actively, thoughtfully, and willingly in class discussions.
● Are open to feedback from teachers and peers.
● Have read widely beyond course material required in previous classes
● Generally earn a B+ or higher in Advanced Placement English III or an A or better in College Prep English III.
ENGLISH IV
#H1402 – College Prep
Grade: 12 Full Year Credits: 5
During the first semester, English IV focuses on world literature, encompassing both Eastern and Western writers who have shaped our literary heritage. Students will use a historic and thematic approach to study an assortment of titles that emphasize an appreciation of the vast contributions of a variety of cultures throughout history. The human experience, cultural attitudes, and global relations will be examined through the reading and discussion of literary genres such as short stories, myths, poetry, drama, essays, and novels. Outside reading will be an integral part of the course. Analytical, narrative, persuasive, and expository writing, as well as oral presentations are designed to sharpen students' oral and written communication skills as they prepare for college and the workplace. Assistance with the college admissions process through the creation of a sample college essay is an integral part of the first semester's focus. Additional performance-based assessments will provide students the opportunity to utilize their learning styles to display their interpretative skills beyond the written page. Summer reading is a prerequisite for the course.
Seniors in first semester college prep level English IV must select one of the following mini-courses to complete the English requirements for second semester senior English. Each course requires a mid-term assessment, a research paper, and a final exam. In addition, performance based assessments will provide students the opportunity to utilize their varied learning styles to display their interpretative/analytical skills beyond the written page.
WRITING FOR THE REAL WORLD
#H1412
Prerequisite: First semester English IV
Designed to develop proficiency in the specific critical-thinking skills required in college-freshman English classes, this course focuses on the reading of and writing about shorter but more complex fiction and nonfiction texts than those previously encountered in high school. With a strong emphasis on exposition, argument, and functional text, students will read, analyze, and evaluate personal essays, speeches, opinion pieces, public and historical documents, memoirs, chapters from college-level textbooks, journalism pieces from print and online media, and more. Students will write frequently as part of and in response to their critical-reading activities in modes that include personal responses, summaries, explanations of complex ideas, arguments in support of their analyses of authors' use of rhetorical devices, and counterarguments to authors' substantive claims. The course includes a research project in which students will answer a question, solve a problem, or present a stance on a controversial topic by gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing information from multiple print and digital sources.
DEBATE & DISCUSSION
#H1422
Prerequisite: First semester English IV
Designed to develop proficiency in the specific critical-thinking skills required in college-freshman classes, this course focuses on the reading, writing, and discussing more complex non-fictional texts than those previously encountered in high school. The objectives of this course include developing proficiency in the formal debate format, developing articulation and organization of ideas in cogent and meaningful writing and discussion, and presenting debates using relevant and well researched topics from the social, cultural, academic, and political communities. The course includes a research project in which students will answer a question, solve a problem, or present a stance on a controversial topic by gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing information from multiple print and digital sources.
TRUE STORY: NARRATIVE NONFICTION
#H1432
Prerequisite: First semester English IV
Designed to develop proficiency in the specific critical-thinking skills required in college-freshman English classes, this course focuses on the reading of and writing about more complex, contemporary nonfiction texts than those previously encountered in high school. The texts will provide opportunities for interdisciplinary study in a variety of fields like science, business, economics, history, sports, and politics. Since nonfiction is a broad category, students will read, analyze, and evaluate a variety of genres, including personal essays, speeches, public and historical documents, memoirs, novels, and articles. Writing assignments will range from the analytic and expository to the narrative and creative. The course includes a research project in which students will answer a question, solve a problem, or present a stance on an interdisciplinary topic by gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing information from multiple print and digital sources.
DYSTOPIAN LITERATURE
#H1442 Prerequisite: First semester English IV
Designed to develop proficiency in the specific critical thinking skills required in college freshman English classes, this course focuses on the reading of and writing about more complex, dystopian texts than those previously encountered in high school. The course will begin with a discussion of the dystopian model of fiction in general - its tendency toward envisioning oppressive societies and regimes - and students will reflect on why writers create such alternative models of the world. Students will examine a variety of literary techniques in each novel (e.g., the use of metaphor, symbol, language, moral fable) and will consider how these techniques help us understand issues of identity, self-development, social problems, struggles of the individual against society, and larger theoretical questions concerning genre. The course includes a research project in which students will answer a question, solve a problem, or present a stance about dystopian literature by gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing information from multiple print and digital sources.
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