English Course Options

ENGLISH HONORS 1              Credits: 5 

Students who meet district-developed criteria will be invited to participate in this program. The goal of the English 1 Honors course is designed to meet the needs of those students who have demonstrated strong reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills. The curriculum will advance today’s adolescent readers toward college and career readiness by deepening literacy instruction centered on the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. This course will introduce students to complex texts through various genres of literature, as well as nonfiction pieces. Literary analysis workshops will help students read closely to gain an understanding of the meanings of individual words, the order in which sentences unfold, and the development of ideas over the course of the text. Critical thinking activities will be included in daily instructional activities that foster a strong reading/writing connection and advance students’ ability to cite textual evidence. Various assessment pieces will provide students the opportunity to show mastery of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, in the areas of Literature, Informational Text, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. 

ENGLISH 1 R, S                      Credits: 5 

The goal of the English 1 course is to build better readers, writers, and thinkers for success in college and the workplace. The curriculum will advance today’s adolescent readers toward college and career readiness by deepening literacy instruction centered on the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. This course will introduce students to various leveled texts to meet the needs of all learners. This includes different genres of literature, as well as nonfiction pieces. Literary analysis workshops will help students read closely to gain an understanding of the meanings of individual words, the order in which sentences unfold, and the development of ideas over the course of the text. Critical thinking activities will be included in daily instructional activities that foster a strong reading/writing connection and advance students’ ability to cite textual evidence. Various assessment pieces will provide students the opportunity to show proficiency of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, in the areas of Literature, Informational Text, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. Students may be assessed using AccuPlacer/Write/Placer throughout the year. 

ENGLISH HONORS 2              Credits: 5 

The goal of the English 2 Honors course is designed to meet the needs of those students who have demonstrated strong reading, writing, speaking, listening and language skills. The curriculum will advance today’s adolescent reader toward college and career readiness by deepening literacy instruction centered on the ENGLISH 31 New Jersey Student Learning Standards. This course will introduce students to complex texts through various genres of literature, as well as nonfiction pieces. Literary analysis workshops will help students read closely to gain an understanding of the meanings of individual words, the order in which  sentences unfold, and the development of ideas over the course of the text. Critical thinking activities will be included in daily instructional activities that foster a strong reading/writing connection and advance students’ ability to cite textual evidence. Various assessment pieces will provide student the opportunity to show mastery of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in the areas of Literature, Informational Text, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language.   Prerequisite: English 1 R 

ENGLISH 2 R, S                      Credits: 5 

The goal of the English 2 course is to build better readers, writers and thinkers for success in college and the workplace. The curriculum will advance today’s adolescent readers toward college and career readiness by deepening literacy instruction centered on the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. This course will introduce students to carious leveled texts to meet the needs of all learners; this includes different genres of literature as well as non-fiction pieces. Literary analysis workshops will help students read closely to gain an understanding of the meanings of individual words, the order in which sentences unfold and the development of ideas over the course of the text. Critical thinking activities will be included in daily instructional activities that foster a strong reading/writing connection and advance students’ ability to cite textual evidence. Various assessment pieces will provide students the opportunity to show proficiency of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in the areas of Literature, Informational Text, Writing, Speaking and Listening and Language. Students may be assessed using AccuPlacer/Write/Placer throughout the year. Prerequisite: English 1 R, S

ENGLISH HONORS 3                 Credits: 5 

The goal of the English 3 Honors course is designed to meet the needs of those students who have demonstrated strong reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills. The curriculum will advance today’s adolescent readers toward college and career readiness by deepening literacy instruction centered on the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. This course will introduce students to complex texts through various genres of literature, as well as nonfiction pieces. Literary analysis workshops will help students read closely to gain an understanding of the meanings of individual words, the order in which sentences unfold, and the development of ideas over the course of the text. Critical thinking activities will be included in daily instructional activities that foster a strong reading/writing connection and advance students’ ability to cite textual evidence. Various assessment pieces will provide students the opportunity to show mastery of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, in the areas of Literature, Informational Text, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. Prerequisite: English Honors 2 R

ENGLISH 3 R, S                       Credits: 5 

The goal of the English 3 course is to build better readers, writers, and thinkers for success in college and the workplace. The curriculum will advance today’s adolescent readers toward college and career readiness by deepening literacy instruction centered on the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. This course will introduce students to various leveled texts to meet the needs of all learners. This includes different genres of literature, as well as nonfiction pieces. Literary analysis workshops will help students read closely to gain an understanding of the meanings of individual words, the order in which sentences unfold, and the development of ideas over the course of the text. Critical thinking activities will be included in daily instructional activities that foster a strong reading/writing connection and advance students’ ability to cite textual evidence. Various assessment pieces will provide students the opportunity to show proficiency of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, in the areas of Literature, Informational Text, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. Students may be assessed using AccuPlacer/WritePlacer throughout the year. Prerequisite: English 2 R, S 

ENGLISH 4 R, S                    Credits: 5 

English 4 is a course designed to prepare students to make the transition from high school to career or college by familiarizing them with the standards for academic reading and writing they will encounter throughout their educational and professional careers. Highlighting relatable nonfiction readings and digital resources, the course emphasizes literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills necessary for success in academic and daily life. Using the Unit Questions, students will analyze a range of challenging literary texts from various periods and cultures; interpret and evaluate informational and graphic texts, develop awareness of active listening skills, and engage in meaningful academic note-taking. Suggestions on pairing the 5 units (Success, Power, Freedom, Relationships, and Identity) with classic and contemporary novels are also recommended. Through a variety of writing projects, students will use inferential and critical skills. Therefore, it is imperative that students engage in formal written argumentation based on the readings and analysis of texts. The writing assignments in the curriculum span the argumentative/persuasive, research, and narrative genres; writing units emphasize essay development, unity and clarity, and utilizing various rhetorical styles. Prerequisite: English 3 R, S

ENGLISH AP LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION                 Credits: 5 

Advanced Placement English Language and Composition is a college-level course in which students can, by specified performance on the Advanced Placement Examination, obtain up to one year of college credit and/or advanced placement in college compositionThe course includes both the reading and analysis of discursive prose and the study of the process of writing, from the discovery of the topic to the preliminary drafts to the final edited piece. Students will study examples of prose from various fields and periods of time. These examples will serve as models of effective style and students will write a variety of assignments calling for the use of different styles or tones. Through such study and practice, students will gain an understanding of the principles of effective writing and become effective writers themselves. Finally, the organized study of structures of sentences, paragraphs and larger discursive patterns will introduce students to the semantic, structural, and rhetorical resources of the language. The syllabus for this course is reviewed and approved by the College Board. Prerequisite: English Honors 3 R or English Honors 2 R 

ENGLISH AP LITERATURE & COMPOSITION             Credits: 5 

Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition is a college-level course in which students can, by specified performance on the Advanced Placement Examination, obtain up to one year of college credit and/or advanced placement in college composition. In this course students learn how to read and comprehend some of the finest poetry, plays, novels, short stories, and essays written at various times in various cultures, with an emphasis on literature originally written in English. Students learn how to discover meaning in literature by being attentive to language, image, character, action, argument, and the various techniques and strategies authors use to evoke emotional responses from readers. Students are expected to justify their interpretations by reference to details and patterns found in the text, to compare their interpretations with those proposed by others and to be prepared to modify their own interpretations as they learn and think more. Goals for writing include analytical essays about literature as well as journals, poetry, stories, plays, personal essays, letters and biographies. Additionally, a literary research paper, which encourages extended independent study on a topic, is required. The syllabus for this course is reviewed and approved by the College Board. Prerequisite: English Honors 3 R or English AP Language and Composition 

EXPOSITORY WRITING                              5 credits (and optional college credit through Rutgers) 

This course is designed to fully immerse students into the expectations and rigor of college writing. Based on College Writing 101 at Middlesex College, which is a required course, students will read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate nonfiction articles intended for a college audience and make connections between ideas derived from a variety of texts. Through the process of writing multiple drafts of expository essays, students will develop independent theses that respond to the ideas and information in the texts they read. Students will produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Primary texts for the course will consist of non-fiction academic essays that have been pre-approved by the MCC Writing Program. Texts will be provided either by MCC or will be available on the web.  Course content fulfills the English 4 requirement for seniors. Special Note: This course is a course paid to MCC. Students who pass receive college credit from MCC.