Return to Course Description Catalog Table of Content
ENGLISH
Four years are required
FOUNDATIONS
OF ENGLISH
Grade Level: 9
Length: 1 year
UC Requirement Ful filled: B
Prerequisite: 9th grade standing
Foundations of English introduces a variety of genres of literature & writing,
as well as a year-long study of grammar and vocabulary in accordance with
state standards. Literary units include short stories, non-fiction, descriptive
vignettes, novels, plays, poetry, and Greek mythology. Students write narrative,
descriptive, analytical, comparison/contrast, persuasive, and research essays,
as well as business letters and creative writing. During the first semester,
novels and plays include: Of Mice and Men, The Old Man and the Sea, The Odyssey,
and A House on Mango Street. During the second semester, novels and plays
include: Romeo & Juliet, To Kill a Mockingbird, and A Separate Peace.
FOUNDATIONS OF ENGLISH 9
Grade Level: 9
Length: 1 semester
UC Requirement Fulfilled: B
Prerequisite: 9th grade standing
Foundations of English 9 is a one-semester course to be presented as part
of the English 9 freshman curriculum. The curriculum parallels Foundations
of English above using the same literature. It is designed to give the student
a basic knowledge of the elements of oral communications: mechanics of speech
preparation and presentation (both formal and informal), oral interpretation
of literature, group discussion, and listening skills. The student will participate
in a variety of situations both in the classroom and in the public.
WORLD LITERATURE
Grade Level: 10
Length: 1 year
UC Requirement Fulfilled: B
Prerequisite: 10th grade standing
World Literature considers common themes in literature and explores how they
are represented in seven different world regions. Students read poems, short
stories, plays, and novels. Essay styles include: analytical, narrative,
persuasive, comparison/contrast, interpretive, and research. World Literature
also includes as a year-long study of grammar and vocabulary in accordance
with state standards. During the first semester, novels and plays may include:
Cry the Beloved Country, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, The Tempest, Midsummer’s
Night Dream, Julius Caesar, Lord of the Flies. During the second semester, novels
and plays may include: Antigone, Woman Warrior, Hiroshima, All Quiet on the
Western Front, One Day in the Life of Ivan Dinesovich, A Doll’s House,
and Animal Farm.
AMERICAN LITERATURE
Semester One grade level: 11
Semester Two grade level: 11
UC Requirement filled: B
Prerequisite for each: 11th grade standing
American Literature focuses on a study of the development of the American
character in literature and the social, philosophical, and historical movements
that created it. Students read poems, short stories, plays, and novels. Essay
styles include: analytical, narrative, comparison/contrast, reflective, interpretive,
historical investigation, and research. This course also includes a year-long
study of grammar and vocabulary in accordance with state standards. During
the first semester, novels and plays may include: Hamlet, The Crucible, The
Scarlet Letter, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. During the second
semester, novels and plays may include: Their Eyes Were Watching God, The
Great Gatsby, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The Grapes of Wrath, and Catcher
in the Rye.
Grade Level: 11th grade
Prerequisite for each: 11th grade standing
UC Requirement filled: B
Honors American Literature is a rigorous year-long course for 11th grade students. Literature units are taught chronologically within their historical context from Puritan Literature to contemporary writers, including: The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The Grapes of Wrath, Death of A Salesman, Catcher in the Rye, and Hamlet. Writing expectation include daily informal and weekly formal essay assignments in preparation for college-level writing., Additionally, grammar instruction ad SAT vocabulary and test-taking strategies are a daily component of the course.
ENGLISH LITERATURE THEMES
Grade Level: 11 - 12
Length: 1 semester
UC Requirement Fulfilled: B
Prerequisite: 12th grade standing
This course is designed to provide a study of English literature and its
authors through a thematic approach. Students will read Frankenstein , Heart
of Darkness, Things Fall Apart and Othello. Students will also read many
poems, short stories and critical essays. In writing, students will focus
on persuasion, interpretation, analysis and research. Students will also
follow a grammar and vocabulary practice in alignment with state standards.
CHRONOLOGY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE
Grade Level: 11 - 12
Length: 1 semester
UC Requirement Fulfilled: B
Prerequisite: 12th grade standing
During this semester class students will follow a chronology of English literature
from Anglo-Saxon to contemporary English literature. Students will read many
poems and short stories from each time period. The novels and plays for this
semester include: MacBeth, Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, and Brave
New World. Students write analytical, comparison/ contrast, interpretive,
historical contact, and research essays. Grammar and vocabulary aligned to
standards.
MODERN LITERATURE AND WRITING
Grade Level: 12th grade
Length: 1 year
UC Requirement Fulfilled: B
Prerequisite: 12th grade standing
Modern Literature and Writing is a year-long course for 12th grade students.
Literature units are arranged by genre, including poetry, drama, fiction,
and creative non-fiction. Analysis of the literature focuses on the writer’s
voice, style, narrative structures, themes, and elements of craftsmanship
used in the writing of a wide variety of literature expectations include
daily critical and/or creative writing assignments in preparation for college-level
reading and writing skills. Writing modes may include: analytical, comparison/contrast,
interpretive, narrative, research, reflective, business letters, and creative
writing. The course includes a year-long study of grammar and vocabulary
aligned with state standards. During the first semester, novels and plays
include: A Thousand Acres, King Lear, and Death of a Salesman. During the
second semester, novels and plays include: Sweet Thursday, The Awakening,
The English Patient, and A River Runs Through It.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH
Grade Level: 12
Length: 1 year
UC Requirement Fulfilled: B
Prerequisite: Open to 12th graders who have been recommended by the English
department.
Fee: Approximately $73 if student takes the A.P. exam
Advanced Placement English is a college level course offered to seniors selected
on the basis of outstanding competence and motivation who are interested
in earning college units on the basis of demonstrated college level achievement.
Students will read seven novels and four plays, plus poetry, and they will
write in-depth analyses of these works. The focus of the course will be the
study and practice of writing and the study of world literature. Performance
on a three-hour examination in May, will determine eligibility for college
units.

