English Elective Options

COMPARATIVE MYTHOLOGY R, S                         Credits: 5 

The foundation of this course is to show the impact cultural traditions and lifestyles have on myth. By exploring classical myths as well as myths from different cultures, the course will seek to show the impact of myth on society. Also, in support of the district’s commitment to character education, students will analyze heroic qualities and ethical behavior from characters in various readings. This course will be presented in thematic units, each beginning with the study of an essential question for study and discussion. Students will also explore the works of various authors’ studies on the genre of myth. In addition to traditional assessments, student performance will be measured by efforts on several research projects. Students will also be required to write an original myth to fulfill the course’s writing component. The course will use the reading/writing ENGLISH 34 workshop curriculum structure as it will allow students the opportunity to study myth from both a critical reading and exploratory writing perspective. Prerequisite: English 1 R, S 

CREATIVE WRITING I R, S                                           Credits: 5 

Creative Writing I is designed as an opportunity for students to explore a variety of genres for self-expression. Students will be instructed in various forms and techniques appropriate to the genres of poetry, drama and short story. The course is aimed at improving the student’s reading, listening, thinking, and writing skills and will incorporate basic journal writing, as well as portfolio collection, selection, reflection, and projection. The Creative Writing R course is designed for students who demonstrate well-developed language arts skills. Students will engage in more extensive journal writing and will be required to submit several original pieces to writing competitions/publications both within and outside the District. Prerequisite: English 1 R, S

CREATIVE WRITING II R                                             Credits: 5 

This course will provide an opportunity for students to cultivate a writers’ life. Students will be expected to choose a genre of interest and create a substantial composition or collection of written work within that genre. Students will also conduct research on the life and literary style of a professional writer who writes primarily in the student’s focus genre. In addition, students will research and pursue venues for publication of their written work. Prerequisites: English 1 R, S; English 2 R, S; Creative Writing I R, S 

JOURNALISM I R                                                             Credits: 5 

Journalism I takes both a theoretical and practical approach to providing students with an introduction to the field of journalism. Beginning with the history of American journalism and the establishment of First Amendment protections, students will examine how journalism has changed over the last three hundred years through legal precedence, the development and application of ethical standards, and technological innovation. Students will develop their skillset through a breadth of journalistic writing, including news stories, features, editorials, reviews, and sports stories. Students will also explore opportunities for real world applications of their developing skillsets in colleges and careers. Students will be active contributors to the school newspaper where their coursework will be considered for publication. In collaboration with the newspaper club and Journalism II class, students will work to develop and produce content for the school newspaper using current technology, including smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, computers, and web design software. Prerequisite: English 1 R, S

JOURNALISM II R                                                            Credits: 5 

Journalism II builds upon the theoretical and practical understandings established in Journalism I. Students will be required to declare a major, intended as an area of focus for their contributions to the production of the school newspaper, and through greater autonomy, they will undertake increased responsibilities with the school newspaper in an effort to produce and manage content. While their portfolios and contributions to the newspaper will be based on their major, all students will receive instruction in units designed to reflect the practices of 21st century journalism, including business and day-to-day management, writing, photojournalism, and social media literacy. Coursework will examine ethical and professional standards established by journalistic societies, an exploration of ethical and legal issues facing journalists, and the development of skillsets through technical instruction and practice. Students will also explore opportunities for real world applications of their developing skillsets in colleges and careers. Prerequisites: English 1 R, S; English 2 R, S; Journalism I R 

JOURNALISM III R                                                        Credits: 5 

Journalism III provides students with a study of advanced journalistic practices, methods, and ethics. In addition to producing the school newspaper and accompanying website, students enrolled in this course will explore the ways new media and media technologies expand the potential for informing, persuading, and entertaining audiences. Emphasis will be placed on providing students with the skills needed to write for the mass media environment. Prerequisites: English 1 R, S; English 2 R, S; Journalism II R 

SCREEN WRITING & FILM PRODUCTION S, R                             Credits: 5 

The purpose of this class will be to script, plan, record, edit and produce short films, commercials, documentaries, PSAs, talk shows, demonstrations, etc. The class will focus on writing originals scripts, directing, gathering shots, recording audio, optimizing light, editing videos and marketing videos. In this class, students will take a hands-on approach to learning as they use the equipment and manipulate the software. Students will use Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Audition, and Adobe After Effects to create their videos. Students will work as a team to produce these videos that will be featured on the school’s YouTube channel, website, etc., and possibly entered into contests. 

LITERATURE AND FILM R                                            Credits: 5 

In this course students will be engaged in a medium that they know and love. Students will study various aspects of film, including film scholarship, the nature of movies themselves, significant changes in the movie industry, film technology, American culture, globalization and most importantly the connection a film has with a literary text. Films will be studied through a literary lens; therefore there are major reading and writing expectations. In this course students will read various novels and analyze the transition from the page to the big screen.  Prerequisite: English 1 R/Honors, English 2R/Honors 

PHILOSOPHY & LITERATURE R                                 Credits: 5 

This course will have two major purposes. First, students will think abstractly. They will ponder philosophical questions and challenge each other’s viewpoints about issues that range from questions about life after death to the existence of free will. Second, in support of the district’s commitment to character education, students will analyze the qualities of human character and ethical behavior. This will result from their study of Western philosophy and from their readings of pertinent literature assigned during the course. Philosophy and Literature will be presented in eleven instructional units that will follow the historical chronology of the course’s primary text. Each unit will focus on a Western philosopher or philosophers, and concentrate on ideas relevant to specific academic thinkers on a particular time in history. Each unit will begin with a study of essential ideas, important quotations and key questions that will elicit student discussion and advance critical thinking skills. Students will expand their understanding of each unit through research and inquiry that will encourage discussion and debate. Student academic performance will be measured in a variety of ways. In addition to traditional assessments, students will have numerous opportunities to demonstrate and display their understanding through artwork, poetry, story writing, and technology presentations. Although the curriculum follows historical timelines, the emphasis in instruction will be on critical thinking related to diverse ideas rather than memorization of philosophers’ names and historical detail. Prerequisite: English 1R; English 2R 

PREPARATION COURSE IN VERBAL FOR THE SAT/ACT S, R, H                     Credits: 2.5 

The purpose of the course is to improve competency in verbal skills. Students will review cognitive and analytical skills in the verbal area assessed on college admissions tests. College-bound students should take this course in grades 10 or 11. Prerequisite: English 1 R,

GRAPHIC NOVELS                                           Credits: 5 

Comic and Graphic Novel Literature explores techniques and history of comic art and graphic novel storytelling. The students will study the various formats and techniques used in comic strip, comic book, and graphic novel publications, emphasizing how both illustration and script blend to create a unique storytelling form. The students will also learn standard-form sequential art script-writing procedures to produce their own work for the class. This semester course will explore the graphic novel as a new and progressive literary art form. Students will study the history of the graphic novel in addition to various theories behind it. Students will come to recognize and understand how these works conform to and expand upon both the mechanics and universal themes of traditional literature. Students will analyze the development of theme through motifs and symbols, anthropomorphism and other figurative representation, juxtaposition (and the results of juxtaposition: paradox and irony), methods of characterization, impact of syntax, and tone. Thus, visual rhetoric requires students to practice higher learning critical thinking and analytical skills. The reading of both visuals and text together necessitates inference skills and a synthesis of a number of clues presented both on the page and as a pattern throughout the book.