Curricular Offerings

CORE COURSES

Course registration is based on a number of factors, such as final grade average, standardized test scores, teacher recommendation, etc. All students must take four years of high school English whether they plan or anticipate furthering their education after high school at a two or four-year institution of higher learning or not.

CP ENGLISH I: This four-year program will prepare students for the levels of difficulty and complexity in both knowledge and skills that will be required of them at the college level or in the job market. In addition, it will address the vocabulary, reading, reasoning, and writing skills necessary for the college admissions process, specifically the demands of college entrance tests (SAT, ACT, etc.) Students will still be challenged to improve and perfect their language arts skills. Each level addresses the NJ Student Learning Standards. English I is designed to increase the proficiency of incoming 9th grade students in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and critical thinking. Through the study of a wide variety of literature, of basic grammar, and of composition, English I will help to develop and refine each student’s basic communication skills and to foster an increased respect for the power and beauty of the English language. Summer reading assignments are part of the course.

HONORS ENGLISH I: The Honors I level of English is an option for incoming students who have already exhibited a high degree of proficiency in English. More rigorous than the English I program, students will be expected to read many complex texts within a short period of time with an emphasis placed on their ability to analyze and evaluate. This is a course for students who love to read and write and can complete such tasks in a compressed time period as well as independently at home. Students will be expected to compose well-written and sophisticated responses to the literature covered in class. This challenging program of study has proven most effective in preparing students for the demands of the Advanced Placement tests offered both junior and senior year as well as the challenges of university academics. Summer reading and writing assignments are a mandatory part of the course. Teacher recommendation is a component of the selection process.

CP ENGLISH II: All students must take four years of high school English whether they plan or anticipate furthering their education after high school at a two or four-year institution of higher learning or not. English II helps students examine major types of contemporary literature and consider how each type achieves insights into the human condition. A comprehensive composition and grammar program reinforces the fundamentals of English throughout this course. In addition, it will address the vocabulary, reading, reasoning, and writing skills necessary for the college admissions process, specifically the demands of college entrance tests (SAT, ACT, etc.) Students who will not be pursuing admission into a four-year college as well as In-Class Support (ICS) students will gain an understanding of the importance and necessity of fluent, practical language skills for success in today’s society. Students will still be challenged to improve and perfect their language arts skills. Each level addresses the NJ Student Learning Standards. Summer reading assignments are part of the course.

HONORS ENGLISH II: The Honors II level of English is an option for students who have exhibited a high degree of proficiency in English and intend to pursue a course of study that will prepare them for the demands of the Advanced Placement tests offered both junior and senior year. More rigorous than the traditional program of study, students will be expected to read many complex texts within a short period of time with an emphasis placed on their ability to analyze and evaluate, both in class as well as independently. Students will also be expected to compose well-written and sophisticated responses to the literature covered in class. Summer reading and writing assignments are a mandatory part of the course. Teacher recommendation and past academic performance is a component of the selection process.

CP ENGLISH III: Students will read an extensive array of American literature. These works will introduce students to some of the themes, viewpoints and techniques of modern and classical American poets, playwrights and prose writers. On all levels, this course stresses more advanced reading comprehension skills of increasingly more sophisticated reading materials. The reading selections reinforce and develop every student’s composition and grammar skills. A continued emphasis on the development of writing skills is maintained as students address more advanced composition forms. Each level addresses the NJ Student Learning Standards. Summer reading assignments are part of the course.

AP ENGLISH III (LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION): The AP English Language and Composition course is designed as an introductory college-level course for students who will focus on careful reading and analysis of a broad range of nonfiction prose selection written in a variety of disciplines and rhetorical contexts. In addition, the students will read a variety of fiction in order to help them to identify and explain an author’s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques. This course will additionally aid each student in becoming a skilled writer in a variety of purposes, structures, and modes. Through close reading and frequent writing, students will develop a greater ability to work with language and text in order to enhance their own composition skills. Summer reading and writing assignments are a mandatory part of the course. Students will have the opportunity to earn college credit by taking and passing the Advanced Placement English Language and Literature test in early May.

CP ENGLISH IV: Students in CP English IV will strengthen and enhance their understanding of the elements of literature by studying a variety of texts. Special emphasis will be placed on writing skills. Students will review the writing process from the initial drafting stages to the revising and editing stage. Students will learn to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of the final product as a means of communication. In addition, students will learn to strengthen their oral communication and listening skills. This will be done both formally and informally through structured presentations, peer interaction, and class discussions. The course content is aligned to the NJ Student Learning Standards. Students will assume responsibility for their growth as readers, writers, speakers, and independent thinkers in preparation for the world of post-secondary education as well as the workforce. Students will consider the elements of literature through a variety of texts that consider multiple perspectives. Students will experience the text through instruction leading them to independence in reading and written response. Technology, literature circles, self-selection, authentic performance assessment, and a variety of reading activities will be emphasized in helping students build a more informed view of themselves and the world in which they live. Summer reading assignments are part of the course.

AP ENGLISH IV (LITERATURE & COMPOSITION): Students enrolled in AP English IV will challenge themselves to think critically about their response to literature and value themselves as writers. Using a selection of texts that meet the AP Exam designation of “works of literary merit,” students will regularly analyze the fundamental concepts of literature, using them as a springboard into deeper analysis. Through reader response, literature circles, writer conferences and various presentations, students will connect social, cultural and historical developments of a specific era when analyzing a text for its significance and ultimately assist them in building a more informed view of themselves and the world in which they live, all skills necessary for students who wish to earn college credit by taking and passing the Advanced Placement English literature and Composition test in early May. Summer reading and writing assignments are a mandatory part of the course.

ELECTIVES

PUBLIC SPEAKING (DUAL CREDIT RCGC): Public Speaking introduces the principles and techniques of formal communication, and attention will be given to speaker-listener relationships, management and choice of ideas, selection and organization of materials and use of language and nonverbal elements. Particular attention will be paid to the principles and skills of persuasion and delivery skills as well as audience analysis. Topics considered include elements of speech communication, anxiety, critical listening, ethics, research techniques, outlining, use of audio-visuals, speech types, language and style and delivery. In addition to class discussions, the student will be required to compose and deliver formal class presentations.

JOURNALISM I: Journalism I is a course designed to introduce creative and talented young writers, photographers, design and layout artists to the world of print media. Journalism I students help to produce The Talon, the school newspaper. In addition to learning to write sports features and news articles in inverted pyramid style, students will learn how to write columns, reviews, and editorials. Students will also learn page design, layout, editing, cartooning, and how to create graphics utilizing the same professional software newspapers and magazines utilize. Students will also travel to the Rutgers Press Tournament in the fall to attend workshops and have the newspaper critiqued.

JOURNALISM II: Fair and impartial reporting, exciting photography, precise computer skills in the desktop publishing and graphics mode, production of graceful prose and poetry and a professional outlook toward student journalism are all goals of this continuation of Journalism I. In addition to helping to produce The Talon, the school newspaper, students will also travel to the Rutgers Press Tournament in the fall. Guest speakers who are successful journalists will be invited to speak, and there will be an emphasis on developing research, revising, and interviewing skills.

POP CULTURE & MEDIA STUDIES: In Popular Culture and Media Studies, students will critically read and experience complex texts and media. In writing and through class discussions, students will reflect on what they read, listen to, and view. They will then be expected to present analysis based on appropriate examples and evidence from the primary course material. Students will assess the strength of an author’s or speaker’s points and assumptions based on evidence from the text. Additionally, students will expand their cultural knowledge by reading and viewing contemporary works representative of various cultures and worldviews. Over the course of the semester, students will develop the skill, fluency, and concentration to produce high-quality writing, as well as the capacity to edit and improve their writing over multiple drafts.