LANGUAGE ARTS

COURSE:                                            English 9

COURSE LENGTH:                                              One Year

COURSE TYPE:                                                    Required

PREREQUISITES:                                                 None

GRADE AVAILABILITY:                                     9, 10, 11, and 12

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

English 9 is a blend of literature and language.  Students will read a variety of literary and informational selections (including Romeo and Juliet) geared to help reinforce and develop the skills needed to be a good reader.  Additionally, the language part of the course helps students master language skills while supporting their writing development.  Vocabulary units and speeches are interspersed throughout the year.

COURSE:                                            English 10

COURSE LENGTH:                                              One Year

COURSE TYPE:                                                    Required

PREREQUISITES:                                                 English 9

GRADE AVAILABILITY:                                     10, 11, and 12

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

English 10 is a comprehensive course that builds upon previously introduced areas of English.  The course examines various types of literature (short story, essays, and drama) as well as grammar and composition.  The literature study is aimed at deeper understanding and application to life; the grammar and composition portion is aimed at more accurate self-expression for practical uses.  Formulating sound opinions and expressing them is emphasized in all aspects of this course.  A formal position/research paper as well as speeches will be completed in this class.  Vocabulary units are interspersed throughout the year.

COURSE:                                            English 11

COURSE LENGTH:                                              One Year

COURSE TYPE:                                                    Required

PREREQUISITES:                                                 English 9 and English 10

GRADE AVAILABILITY:                                     11, 12

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

English 11 includes a skills-centered study of American literature (literary and informational text) and writing (technical and academic). The literature is a diverse collection of classical and contemporary selections and includes Of Mice and Men and another novel. Writers Workbench is used to analyze and improve writing, and typical problems in written communication are reviewed. Students will create documents, including their resume, as part of a co-curricular career unit. Vocabulary units and speeches are interspersed throughout the year.

COURSE:                                            English 12

COURSE LENGTH:                                              One Year

COURSE TYPE:                                                    Required

PREREQUISITES:                                                 None

GRADE AVAILABILITY:                                     12

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

English 12 continues the study of literature and writing, this time using a diverse collection of world literature.  Students will read a variety of literary and informational selections, both classical and contemporary, among them Macbeth, To Kill a Mockingbird, and an additional novel.  A research interview project and research paper are among the writing assignments, and students will continue to use Writers Workbench to analyze and improve their writing. Vocabulary unitsn and speeches are interspersed throughout the year.

COURSE:                                            Fundamentals of English

COURSE LENGTH:                                              One Year

COURSE TYPE:                                                    Elective

PREREQUISITES:                                                 Instructor Approval Only

GRADE AVAILABILITY:                                     11 and 12

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is a co-taught class that alternates yearly between the English 11 and 12 basic curriculum with more time and focus devoted to basic reading and writing strategies and skills. Instructor approval is required for this course.

COURSE:                                            Literacy Skills

COURSE LENGTH:                                              One Year

COURSE TYPE:                                                    Elective

PREREQUISITES:                                                 Instructor Approval Only

GRADE AVAILABILITY:                                   9, 10, 11, and 12

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed to improve reading skills with an emphasis on improving reading comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary development. Students are required to have a book that they are reading independently at all times.  We will be examining various short stories that will be read aloud in class.  Student progress is monitored through: bi-weekly reading comprehension probes, weekly vocabulary quizzes consisting of words taken from the short stories and their own independent reading. In addition, book talks are conducted over each novel read independently.

COURSE:                                            Journalism

COURSE LENGTH:                                              One Year

COURSE TYPE:                                                    Elective

PREREQUISITES:                                                 None

GRADE AVAILABILITY:                                   11, 12

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed to teach the student how to analyze and write different parts of the newspaper.  Areas included are organization and characteristics of a regular news story, sports stories, interviews, feature stories, editorials, columns, and broadcast journalism.  This course offers one English credit toward graduation.  Second semester this class works on the school newspaper and the yearbook.  Students are responsible for stories to be published in the school page.  The writing areas of journalism will be reviewed and practiced. Students will be required to prepare copy, conduct interviews and surveys, gather news (newspaper), and write copy and captions and design pages (yearbook).  This is a co-curricular class; students are responsible for meeting publication deadlines and should be willing to put in the time needed to do so.

COURSE:                                            Publications

COURSE LENGTH:                                              One Year

COURSE TYPE:                                                    Elective

PREREQUISITES:                                                 Journalism

GRADE AVAILABILITY:                                   12

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This class is open to students who have already taken Journalism.  This class works on the newspaper and yearbook.

COURSE:                                            Independent Study

COURSE LENGTH:                                              One or two semesters

COURSE TYPE:                                                    Elective

PREREQUISITES:                                                 None

GRADE AVAILABILITY:                                   11, 12

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This is a course designed to provide the opportunity for advanced English students to choose an area of interest for further study.  This could tie-in with other subject areas.  Possible ideas include independent reading, investigation of an author and his works, comparison of authors, creative writing, literature of l9th Century Russia and influences of its culture (could be done with other countries). Independent Study topics are expected to go beyond what is offered in existing courses that the student has completed.  Student must have permission of an instructor in the department who will work with him/her. Projects are to be selected by the student and approved by the instructor before the semester begins.