English Language Arts

Capstone

0.5 credit - Grade 12

Pass/Fail

Capstone: The Capstone experience is a research-driven course that provides an opportunity for students to invest purposefully in the study of a self-selected interest while learning effective research practices. Each student will investigate the ‘existing conversation’ about their topic through Formal Research, explore their topic personally through a student-designed Devised Research experience, then join the conversation through the public presentation of a TED Talk. The fourth component of the experience is the Process Portfolio which builds on a scaffolded series of steps that support student research and writing.

Summer Capstone: Summer Capstone is an option available to students through an application process that will be processed during the end of the third quarter. The course, which requires three weeks of attendance over the course of the summer (typically one week each in May, June, and July) in addition to arranged office hours, demands a strong sense of academic autonomy so students are prepared to present their TED Talks in August. Details about dates will be published when the application is released in February.

Alternative Capstone: Students participating in alternative learning programs (e.g. Rockbridge, Fort Hayes, Columbus Downtown High School, etc.) should enroll in Alternative Capstone--a course designed to honor both the Capstone experience and their unique learning path. This course explores the context of the students’ learning as a basis for research.

English Learning (E.L.)

1 credit — Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

(1 period per day for 1 year)

This course is designed for students for whom English is not their first language. The focus of instruction is to help students develop and improve skills in the four communication areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students receive intensive review of English grammar as well as instruction in vocabulary building, essay writing, multicultural literature, and oral presentations. Eligible students may elect this course for a maximum of two academic years.

9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author’s Craft (on-level and honors options)

Ninth-grade students have a choice of several distinct, year-long courses, each offered at the standard and honors level. Each course will provide a more traditional, common experience in the fall with an individualized focus in the spring.

Course Options Below:

Due to changing enrollment/staffing, students selecting course offerings are asked to identify 1st choice with 1-2 alternatives.

9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft
Design My Own ELA Adventure

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Description: This workshop-style course will allow students the opportunity to design purposeful learning experiences that build on the skills and knowledge gained during the first semester. Students will engage in thoughtful personal reflection of strengths and weaknesses and collaborate with the instructor to set goals for developing designated skills, design rigorous, personalized curriculum, and produce meaningful work that will be published/shared with real-world audiences. Since the element of voice and choice is foundational to this course, it is best suited for self-motivated, organized, and mature students who possess a strong desire to stretch themselves academically.

9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft
Honors Design My Own ELA Adventure

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

The grade for this honors course is weighted, and while enrollment is open to all students, it is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious learners. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. It is strongly recommended that 9th-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course.

Description: This workshop-style course will allow students the opportunity to design purposeful learning experiences that build on the skills and knowledge gained during the first semester. Students will engage in thoughtful personal reflection of strengths and weaknesses and collaborate with the instructor to set goals for developing designated skills, design rigorous, personalized curriculum, and produce meaningful work that will be published/shared with real-world audiences. Since the element of voice and choice is foundational to this course, it is best suited for self-motivated, organized, and mature students who possess a strong desire to stretch themselves academically.

9th Grade ELS Foundations I: The Author's Craft

Literature and Current Events

1 credit — Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Have you ever wondered how the text you are reading in your Language Arts class relates to your life? Or, have you ever asked, Why are we reading this? This course will explore how literary texts connect to contemporary society. We will center our study around current events in the news, exploring the big ideas, across time, that make us human. You will continue developing critical thinking skills by writing, reading, and responding to a variety of texts, including but not limited to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, short stories, podcasts, videos, and drama.

9th Grade ELS Foundations I: The Author's Craft

Honors Literature and Current Events

1 credit — Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

This course will expand the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

The grade for this honors course is weighted, and while enrollment is open to all students, it is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious learners. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. It is strongly recommended that 9th-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course.

Have you ever wondered how the text you are reading in your Language Arts class relates to your life? Or, have you ever asked, Why are we reading this? This course will explore how literary texts connect to contemporary society. We will center our study around current events in the news, exploring the big ideas, across time, that make us human. You will continue developing critical thinking skills by writing, reading, and responding to a variety of texts, including but not limited to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, short stories, podcasts, videos, and drama.

9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft
Star Wars

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Description: This course uses George Lucas’ Star Wars saga as a backdrop for exploring epic mythology across time periods and cultures. Designed for students who have a love for science fiction, film and epic storytelling, this course will focus on a study of motifs, allusions and the archetypal Hero’s Journey to highlight the rich commonality of canonical works of literature.

Students taking ELA Foundations I: Star Wars Edition, are expected to read both fiction and nonfiction texts independently in order to develop critical thinking skills such as analysis, inference, and synthesis. They will learn research skills such as using search strategies, evaluating sources for credibility and reliability, and citing sources properly. Students will use purposeful language to organize, focus, and develop their oral and written expression.

9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft
Honors Star Wars

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

This course will expand the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

The grade for this honors course is weighted, and while enrollment is open to all students, it is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious learners. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. It is strongly recommended that 9th-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course.

Description: This course uses George Lucas’ Star Wars saga as a backdrop for exploring epic mythology across time periods and cultures. Designed for students who have a love for science fiction, film and epic storytelling, this course will focus on a study of motifs, allusions and the archetypal Hero’s Journey to highlight the rich commonality of canonical works of literature.

Students taking ELA Foundations I: Star Wars Edition, are expected to read both fiction and nonfiction texts independently in order to develop critical thinking skills such as analysis, inference, and synthesis. They will learn research skills such as using search strategies, evaluating sources for credibility and reliability, and citing sources properly. Students will use purposeful language to organize, focus, and develop their oral and written expression.

9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft
Survival Instincts / Nonfiction

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Description: From climbs that scale the face of the Himalayas, to capsized boats and ill-fated flight, this course will explore nonfiction text through the lens of survival and the human ability to endure some of life’s most harrowing events. The primary focus of these texts will be to analyze stories of survival from external events, both natural and manmade. Additionally, we will look at research that explores the idea of why some people may have an advantage towards survival. The skills that will be highlighted in our reading will be interpreting expository writing, understanding integration of research to support claims, and analyzing stylistic structure of nonfiction works. We will use our study of the course’s texts to highlight these same skills within our own practice and art of writing. It is important to note that these texts will reference sensitive topics and situations that may be difficult for some.

9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft
Honors Survival Instincts / Nonfiction

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

The grade for this honors course is weighted, and while enrollment is open to all students, it is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious learners. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. It is strongly recommended that 9th-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course.

Description: From climbs that scale the face of the Himalayas, to capsized boats and ill-fated flight, this course will explore nonfiction text through the lens of survival and the human ability to endure some of life’s most harrowing events. The primary focus of these texts will be to analyze stories of survival from external events, both natural and manmade. Additionally, we will look at research that explores the idea of why some people may have an advantage towards survival. The skills that will be highlighted in our reading will be interpreting expository writing, understanding integration of research to support claims, and analyzing stylistic structure of nonfiction works. We will use our study of the course’s texts to highlight these same skills within our own practice and art of writing. It is important to note that these texts will reference sensitive topics and situations that may be difficult for some.

9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft
YA and Classics

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Description: This course will explore Young Adult literature in order to springboard into the more challenging canonical texts. Along the way, we will illuminate themes, examine missing perspectives, and discover contemporary connections to classic literature through theme, plot structure, characterization, and writing style.

9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft
Honors YA and Classics

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

The grade for this honors course is weighted, and while enrollment is open to all students, it is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious learners. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. It is strongly recommended that 9th-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course.

Description: This course will explore Young Adult literature in order to springboard into the more challenging canonical texts. Along the way, we will illuminate themes, examine missing perspectives, and discover contemporary connections to classic literature through theme, plot structure, characterization, and writing style.

10th Grade ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon (on-level and honors options)

Similar to the ninth grade year, tenth-grade students have a choice of several distinct, year-long courses, each offered at the standard and honors level. Each course will provide a more traditional, common experience in the fall with an individualized focus in the spring.

Course Options Below:

Due to changing enrollment/staffing, students selecting course offerings are asked to identify 1st choice with 1-2 alternatives.

10th Grade ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon
Drama as Literature

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

Description: It is important to examine which voices are excluded from the traditional American literary canon, but it is crucial to consider genres that have been largely excluded as well. This course will offer a drama-focused look at the American literary canon by examining plays from a literary perspective and analyzing the role of the playwright as both a catalyst and commentator in relation to society and social change. Students will read, view, and critique plays to analyze the impact of performance on society and progress, the significance of the playwright-audience dynamic, and how the active presence of storytelling shapes a community’s culture and history. This course could be modified to more closely study plays from a specified geographical region, a particular point in history or social issue, or to focus on the archetypal elements of character and story in order to align with an appropriate grade-band umbrella.

10th Grade ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon
Honors Drama as Literature

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

The grade for this honors course is weighted, and while enrollment is open to all students, it is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious learners. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. It is strongly recommended that 9th-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course.

Description: It is important to examine which voices are excluded from the traditional American literary canon, but it is crucial to consider genres that have been largely excluded as well. This course will offer a drama-focused look at the American literary canon by examining plays from a literary perspective and analyzing the role of the playwright as both a catalyst and commentator in relation to society and social change. Students will read, view, and critique plays to analyze the impact of performance on society and progress, the significance of the playwright-audience dynamic, and how the active presence of storytelling shapes a community’s culture and history. This course could be modified to more closely study plays from a specified geographical region, a particular point in history or social issue, or to focus on the archetypal elements of character and story in order to align with an appropriate grade-band umbrella.

10th Grade ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon
Hidden Voices

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

Description: In this strand, students will examine the voices that are largely excluded from the American literary canon by more dominant voices in the country and throughout history. This course includes texts by and about people of diverse races, religions, socio-economic statuses, and LGBTQ+ identities. These texts include novels, poetry, plays, and graphic novels. Students will examine how and why hidden voices contribute a more rich American literary tradition.

10th Grade ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon
Honors Hidden Voices

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments. Class presentations and discussions will be expected at the Honors level.

The grade for this honors course is weighted, and while enrollment is open to all students, it is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious learners. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. It is strongly recommended that 9th-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course. Similar to other courses at the sophomore level, this course will aim to strengthen students as readers and writers.

Description: In this strand, students will examine the voices that are largely excluded from the American literary canon by more dominant voices in the country and throughout history. This course includes texts by and about people of diverse races, religions, socio-economic statuses, and LGBTQ+ identities. These texts include novels, poetry, plays, and graphic novels. Students will examine how and why hidden voices contribute a more rich American literary tradition.

10th Grade ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon
Sport in America

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

Description: No story of a culture is complete without a study of its heroes. Consequently, no story of America is complete without the study of sport. Perhaps no culture in the world aligns its identity with its athletes as the culture of America. Children and adults alike wear their jerseys, sing their praises, and wait in lines for their signatures on a piece of paper. Our idioms and colloquialisms drip with allusions to the sport of the season. Some family gatherings adhere to unwritten rules designating forbidden dates, and others occur only because of a big game, match, or meet. Our study of American literature tells the story of what has shaped our identity. Sport in America challenges the traditional canon by examining America’s obsession with sports and analyzing its role in our ever evolving culture. Students in this course will study literature with sports involved in the plot, as well as nonfiction compositions weighing the role of sports in modern issues (safety, racism, equality, amateurism, the US economy, Title IX/gender-equity concerns, etc.).

10th Grade ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon
Honors Sport in America

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

The grade for this honors course is weighted, and while enrollment is open to all students, it is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious learners. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. It is strongly recommended that 9th-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course.

Description: No story of a culture is complete without a study of its heroes. Consequently, no story of America is complete without the study of sport. Perhaps no culture in the world aligns its identity with its athletes as the culture of America. Children and adults alike wear their jerseys, sing their praises, and wait in lines for their signatures on a piece of paper. Our idioms and colloquialisms drip with allusions to the sport of the season. Some family gatherings adhere to unwritten rules designating forbidden dates, and others occur only because of a big game, match, or meet. Our study of American literature tells the story of what has shaped our identity. Sport in America challenges the traditional canon by examining America’s obsession with sports and analyzing its role in our ever evolving culture. Students in this course will study literature with sports involved in the plot, as well as nonfiction compositions weighing the role of sports in modern issues (safety, racism, equality, amateurism, the US economy, Title IX/gender-equity concerns, etc.).

10th Grade ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon
Topics in American Nonfiction

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

Description: In what is arguably the fastest-paced era of the American experience, no literary genre has its finger on the pulse of our ever-changing world like nonfiction. Whether through articles, blogs, memes, photographs, books, or memoir, nonfiction affords the thinker the opportunity to consider, accept, or reject profound and diverse ideas circulating in our culture. This course will ask the tough questions, seek the difficult answers, and challenge the student’s thinking using analysis and synthesis of ideas presented by disparate thinkers in nonfiction texts regarding contemporary issues. Students will learn strategies to discover an author’s purpose, to dissect the structure of nonfiction texts, to create engaging nonfiction texts, and to have measured conversations on contentious topics. If you love politics and political discourse, this might be the option for you.

10th Grade ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon
Honors Topics in American Nonfiction

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

The grade for this honors course is weighted, and while enrollment is open to all students, it is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious learners. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. It is strongly recommended that 9th-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course.

Description: In what is arguably the fastest-paced era of the American experience, no literary genre has its finger on the pulse of our ever-changing world like nonfiction. Whether through articles, blogs, memes, photographs, books, or memoir, nonfiction affords the thinker the opportunity to consider, accept, or reject profound and diverse ideas circulating in our culture. This course will ask the tough questions, seek the difficult answers, and challenge the student’s thinking using analysis and synthesis of ideas presented by disparate thinkers in nonfiction texts regarding contemporary issues. Students will learn strategies to discover an author’s purpose, to dissect the structure of nonfiction texts, to create engaging nonfiction texts, and to have measured conversations on contentious topics. If you love politics and political discourse, this might be the option for you.

10th Grade ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon
Young Adult and the Canon

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations I: The Author’s Craft

Description: This course will emphasize the skills students need to become effective writers and critical readers. To this end, classic works of literature will be paired with Young Adult works of literature. Students will be asked to make connections between the pairings, which will allow for the possibility of greater comprehension and understanding. Through informal discussions, Socratic seminars, and various genres of writing, students will tie together the pairing’s themes and topics.

10th Grade ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon
Honors Young Adult and the Canon

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations I: The Author’s Craft

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

The grade for this honors course is weighted, and while enrollment is open to all students, it is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious learners. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. It is strongly recommended that 9th-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course.

Description: This course will emphasize the skills students need to become effective writers and critical readers. To this end, classic works of literature will be paired with Young Adult works of literature. Students will be asked to make connections between the pairings, which will allow for the possibility of greater comprehension and understanding. Through informal discussions, Socratic seminars, and various genres of writing, students will tie together the pairing’s themes and topics.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations
The Dystopian Stories of Our Lives

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will introduce students to the traditional dystopian narratives in Western literature to more contemporary offerings. Students will examine a variety of themes, motifs, and archetypes related to dystopia, and its central meaning. Additionally, students will explore how and why dystopian literature endures and can reflect a past, present, and future within the spaces of our history and our present cultural and political environments.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations
The Environment in Text

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will examine literary works that reveal humanity’s harmonious, destructive, and redemptive relationship with nature. Students will read a variety of authors, contexts, genres, and styles which share the universal thematic concern. Students will be encouraged to navigate their own connection to the Earth and the natural world.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations
Finding Beauty in a Broken World

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course drops us in the middle of a world often marked by destruction -- with world wars, disease, and natural disasters, how can we move forward? What is our obligation? Students enrolled in this course will analyze literary responses to a number of catastrophic events, exploring how authors make sense of the sometimes senseless, how authors find beauty in a broken world.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations:
Hamilton, U.S. Foundational Documents, & Poetry

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will examine the various perspectives of our nation’s history, including not only what story is told but how it is told. Excerpts from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton will launch our exploration into the founding documents, fiction, and essays in order to foster a more comprehensive understanding of the arguments won and lost.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations
Irish Literature

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will provide an introduction to the rich variety of Irish literature of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with special emphasis on the historical circumstances out of which it grew. Coursework will consist of readings in the fiction, drama, and poetry of the period, as well as foundational Irish mythology. We will study works by key figures in the Irish Literary Renaissance of the early 20th century, including authors such as Yeats, Joyce, and Synge. We will also study works by more recent writers like Heaney, Muldoon, and Friel. Attention, inevitably, will fall on the traditional preoccupations of Irish literature: the strength of national or patriotic feeling, the place of the Church in Irish culture, the power of Irish family life, and the special quality of the English language in Ireland.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations
Mad Men: American Narratives of Gender, Class, and Race

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will pair excerpts of the award-winning Mad Men television series with groundbreaking American texts to analyze historical and present-day narratives of race, gender, and class. Genres of study will include television, literature, news and social media, government publications, Supreme Court cases, and documentaries. Emphasis will be put on the writing modes of analytical interpretation, argument and literary comparison.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations
Modern & Contemporary Poetry

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will explore poetry from the Modernist movement into the contemporary voices of today’s poets. Students will read and analyze works by a variety of poets while also exploring their own emerging poetic voices.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations:
Russian Literature

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will explore the poetry, short stories, drama, and novels of the great ages and movements of Russian literature, from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. The course is arranged chronologically as well as thematically as the zeitgeist, artistic and musical movements, religious shifts, and revolutionary upheavals of Russian epochs will be traced through the Golden Age, the Silver Age, and the 20th Century Age of Soviet Censorship. The greatest emphasis of our studies will be placed on the 19th century.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations
Shakespeare’s Genius

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will explore a variety of William Shakespeare’s dramatic works and sonnets. Students will develop an appreciation for the enduring nature of Shakespeare’s language and ideas with close analytical reading, performance tasks, class discussion, and critique of film and stage adaptations. In addition, students will investigate elements of Shakespeare’s historical context and biography to better understand the scope of his contributions to modern literature and pop culture.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations
Stories of Suspense: Classic and Contemporary Literature of Suspense, Psychology, and Crime

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will explore the suspenseful world of classic and contemporary psychological thrillers, mysteries, and crime stories through a study of novel, film, podcast, and short story fiction. Why are we drawn to the bone-chilling and the mysterious? Why is an unexpected twist so satisfying, and how do authors succeed in astonishing and even terrifying their audiences through literary technique? How does unreliable narration, multiple-perspective point of view, and exquisitely subtle foreshadowing add to an expertly crafted page-turner? Stories of suspense from classic and contemporary eras will be analyzed and discussed, considering the social and historical contexts that serve as the backdrop for waves of popularity in this genre.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations
The Western and the Shaping of the American Imagination

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will explore the ways in which the “Western” represents and reflects our uniquely American historical, political, and cultural identities. Students enrolled in this course will critically examine the common archetypes and tropes that have reinforced and challenged our imagination about the West and what it means to be “American.” Additionally, this course will investigate how literature has shaped and was shaped by America’s notion of exploration and discovery, independence and freedom, and the push to contour the landscape and its people.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations
Women's Literature

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will introduce students to the contributions of women writers to the literary canon. Students will be exposed to a variety of women’s experiences and explore how these multiple, evolving viewpoints have been represented in literature. The works of study will include texts from multiple genres, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

11th & 12th Grades: AP English Options

Note: All students are invited to take any semester-long ELA Explorations courses for additional English or elective credit. When designing your schedule, keep in mind that the Upper Arlington School District and the UAHS Language Arts Department highly recommend that secondary students take four years of English courses.

College Credit Plus English Options

Note: All students are invited to take any semester-long ELA Explorations courses for additional English or elective credit. When designing your schedule, keep in mind that the Upper Arlington School District and the UAHS Language Arts Department highly recommend that secondary students take four years of English courses.

ENGL 1100 Composition I

1 credit — Grades 9,10, 11 & 12

(1 period per day for 1 semester)

Prerequisites: Placement into ENGL 1100 or 18 English ACT score SAT(Feb 2016 & Prior) 430 Writing SAT (March 2016 & Later) 490 Evidence-based Reading and Writing

English 1100 is a semester-long composition course which develops processes for critically reading, writing, and responding to a variety of texts in order to compose clear, concise, expository essays. With a focus on academic literacy the course facilitates an awareness of purpose, audience, content, structure and style, while also advancing research and documentation methods. Course reading and writing assignments may be thematically organized.

Students who take this course earn one year of high school English credit and three semester hours of college credit. Students should keep in mind that grades earned for this course will also appear on their college transcripts.

As a foundational course, ENGL 1100 serves as a prerequisite for many other college credit plus electives.

ENGL 2367 Composition II

1 credit — Grades 9, 10, 11 & 12

(1 period per day for 1 semester)

Prerequisites: ENGL 1100 passed with a C or better

ENGL 2367 is a semester-long intermediate composition course that extends and refines skills in expository and argumentative writing, critical reading, and critical thinking. This course also refines skills in researching a topic, documenting sources, and working collaboratively. Course reading and writing assignments are organized around diversity and those who comprise various cultural identities.

Students who take this course earn one year of high school English credit and three semester hours of college credit. Students should keep in mind that grades earned for this course will also appear on their college transcripts.

Note: Students who earn a passing score on AP exams can enter ENGL 2367 without taking ENGL 1100--Talk to Kathy Moore about the details of the AP option.

COMM 2245 Introduction to Film

1 credit — Grades 11, 12

(1 period per day for 1 semester)

Prerequisites: ENGL 1100

COMM 2245 offers a semester-long introduction to film by analyzing elements of film technique: literature, story, drama, editing, movement, acting, sound, photography, staging and theory.

Students who take this course earn one year of high school English credit and three semester hours of college credit. Students should keep in mind that grades earned for this course will also appear on their college transcripts.

English Electives

Creative Writing

0.5 Elective Credit — Grades 10-12

(1 period daily for 1 semester)

This course focuses on writing for publication in the following genres: poetry, fiction, drama, and creative nonfiction. The purpose of this class is to encourage students to cultivate the habits, attitudes, and flexibility of a professional writer in a professional writing community.

Students will practice writing like a reader and reading like a writer. Students will be expected to enter final products into professional and/or student contests, confer regularly with the instructor, participate in writer/reader-response workshop groups with classmates, read and interpret mentor texts written by classic and contemporary authors, keep and regularly write in a writer’s notebook, and experiment with and revise writing routinely.  In place of a traditional semester exam, students will be required to create and present a multi-faceted portfolio of original writing.

Etymology

0.5 Elective Credit — Grades 9-12

(1 period daily for 1 semester)

This course is designed to give students an opportunity to develop a stronger vocabulary and greater appreciation for words through an examination of the debt English owes to other languages. While the course will place primary emphasis on English words with Greek and Latin roots because of their prevalence in academic and professional lexicons, students will also learn common phrases from other languages that have found their way into English usage, as well as engage in independent study of words encountered in their own experience. Students who enroll in this elective should expect recurring weekly assignments, as well as weekly and cumulative assessments. Students who intend to enroll, or are concurrently enrolled, in higher-level courses would benefit from the enrichment the course provides.

Film Analysis

1 Elective Credit —Grades 10-12

(1 period per day for 1 year)

This elective is a film studies course designed to help students acquire the critical tools necessary to analyze films through written and oral expression. As students develop these skills of media literacy, their appreciation, understanding, and critical sensibilities in connection with the cinema will be heightened. The course will include reading assignments, periodic quizzes, class discussions, presentations, projects, and essays for students to demonstrate their depth of understanding. Students will be required to submit parental permission to view “R” rated films that are included in the curriculum.