Our High School ELA Curriculum is supported with materials from StudySync by McGraw Hill. 

English 1 

• 9th grade

• Required

• Two Semesters

English 1 is a two semester course required for graduation.   With English 1, students learn to connect fiction and non-fiction to themselves, to the world, and to other texts. By the end of the English 1, students are expected to read at or near grade-level, to be able to use literature and non-fiction to support opinions, and to write clearly in a variety of genres so they can readily move on to English 2. Many students enter English 1 claiming they do not like to read, but most of them leave with a renewed love of books.

English 2 

• 10th grade

• Required

• Two Semesters

• Prerequisite:  English I

English II is a two-term required course in the English Language Arts curriculum.  Students must pass English I (both A and B) to enroll in English II.  The goal for this course is to continue to build a solid foundation of knowledge, skills, and strategies that will be refined, applied, and extended as students engage in more complex ideas, texts, and tasks.  In English II, students will read texts from the canon of American Literature, including classic and contemporary narrative and informational texts.  English II students will connect with and respond to texts through critical response and stance.  They will learn to evaluate for validity and quality, to balance and expand their perspectives promoting empathy, social action, and appropriate use of power.  Critical response and stance offers students the lens to assess and modify their beliefs, views of the world, and how they have the power to impact them.

English 3 

• 11th grade

• Required

• Two Semesters

• Prerequisite:  Successful completion of English I and English II.

English III is a required course in the English Language Arts curriculum.  Students must pass English I (both A and B) and English II (A and B) to enroll in this course.  The goal for English III is to continue to build a solid foundation of knowledge, skills, and strategies that will be refined, applied, and extended as students engage in more complex ideas, texts, and tasks.  English III focuses on readings in world literature. In English III, students will build on the basic writing skills learned in English I and English II, continuing to improve their writing in narrative, informative, and argumentative genres, expand their knowledge of research and documentation, and develop public speaking and presentation skills. Students will read a variety of both fiction and nonfiction texts with a special focus on preparation for the SAT exam in the spring.

English 4 

• 12th grade

• Required

• Two Semesters

• Prerequisite:  Successful completion of English I, English II, and English III.

English IV is a required course in the English Language Arts curriculum.  Students must pass English I (both A and B), English II (A and B), and English III (A and B) to enroll in this course.  The goal for English IV is to continue to build a solid foundation of knowledge, skills, and strategies that will be refined, applied, and extended as students engage in more complex ideas, texts, and tasks.  English IV focuses on readings in world literature. In English IV, students will build on the basic writing skills learned in English I, English II, and English III, continuing to improve their writing in narrative, informative, and argumentative genres, expand their knowledge of research and documentation, and develop public speaking and presentation skills. Students will read a variety of both fiction and nonfiction texts.

Reading & Writing Workshop

• 10-12th Grade

• Elective/ English 4

• One Semester

• Prerequisite: Two years of high school English

This course offers students of all ability levels the opportunity to read and respond to literature of all genres. Based on an individual’s ability, he or she may select fiction and nonfiction that have personal appeal. Conferencing, journaling, and student-driven contracts are among the methods used for accountability and evaluation.

Major goals for the student:

1.     Enjoy reading as a leisure-time and learning activity.

2.     Gain independence in developing a personal reading program.

3.     Discover values that shape the meaning of every person’s life.

4.     Respond to literature in a variety of ways, including the recording of ideas in a journal, one-on-one conferences, small group discussions, and literary critiques.

 5.    Use reading and writing about literature as vehicles for learning.

Journalism

• 9-12th Grade

• Elective/ English 4

• One Semester or more semesters (Students may enroll for only the second semester.)

This course is run like a business, with students in charge of producing our online newspaper: thewestottawan.com. This class gives students the chance to write for a real audience. Students decide the content of the paper and make editorial decisions. Annually, journalism students win awards at the state journalism competition

AP Literature and Composition

• 10th - 12th grades 

• Elective

• Two Semesters

• Required Summer Work. Students who fail to complete summer work will be given a zero in the grade book and will be given a chance to make up the work for late credit. They will not be dropped from the course. Students may not drop the course after the drop/add period.

• Required background: English I or English I Honors; English II or English II Honors

This course offers a comprehensive study of major world and British writers and prepares students to take the AP Literature and Composition Exam. Students will develop skills in literary and social criticism and study the advanced levels of writing style and technique that will be important for college. *Note: Students must complete summer reading and writing in order to enroll in AP English Literature and Composition.

Major goals for the student:

1.     Understand the chronology of ideas within a series of texts in world and British literature.

2.     Study significant world and British writers who expressed the values, traditions, and thinking of each historical period—from the 16th century to the modern era.

3.     Develop critical standards for literary analysis.

4.     Sharpen awareness of language use and the writer’s craft.

5.     Use the writing process to respond thoughtfully and effectively to literature.