English 9 (1 credit) Required 9
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 8
The goal for English 9 is to build a solid foundation of reading, writing, and grammatical skills that will be refined, applied, and extended as students engage in more complex ideas, texts, themes, and tasks. Students will be introduced to the various genres of classic and contemporary literature as well as informational texts that will be read and analyzed throughout high school. Ninth graders will connect with and respond to texts by analyzing relationships within and across families, communities, societies, governments, and economies. Throughout the course, students will participate in choice reading, book clubs, and SAT prep as well as reading the anchor texts Romeo and Juliet and The Odyssey.
English 10 (1 credit) Required 10
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 9
English 10 is a class focusing on American Literature. There will be choice reading throughout the year, book clubs focusing on the theme "Overcoming Obstacles and Love" and "Dystopian" societies. Students will be required to read three classic American Literature texts: The Crucible play, and novels Of Mice & Men and To Kill a Mockingbird. Students will be required to participate in class discussions, speeches, group work, SAT prep, grammar, vocabulary, tests/quizzes, a multi-genre project, essays, and a research paper.
English 11 (1 credit) Required 11
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 10
This course is designed to prepare students for college and career readiness. Students will be reading, writing, speaking, and listening daily. We are also using the Book Love Approach: Choice Reading. Students will be expected to read at least nine works. Students will have a choice in Book Clubs (Coming of Age and Breaking the Norm) as well. There are at least three anchor units (Tuesdays with Morrie, The Little Prince, and Night) that are required of all students. Reading and writing assignments are chosen to enhance college and career readiness. Additional assignments may be added to the class as needed to enhance or reinforce skills, including SAT prep.
Senior English (1 credit) Required 12
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 11
Students will be reading, writing, speaking, and listening daily. Students will write narrative, formative, and argumentative pieces. Students will practice memoir, story, review, argumentative research, multi-genre, poetry, and notebook writing. Students will be expected to maintain a reading life throughout the course. In addition to the course reading, students will participate in book clubs and read shared anchor texts. Students will read and analyze informational texts related to book club books and anchor texts.
Honors Senior English (1 credit) Required 12
Prerequisites: A/B grades in all English courses. Teacher recommendation.
The goal of Honors Senior English is to prepare students for college and to help them develop strong reading and writing skills. Students will be reading, writing, speaking, and listening daily. Students will write narrative, formative, and argumentative pieces. Students will practice memoir, story, review, argumentative research, multi-genre, poetry, rhetorical analysis, and notebook writing. Students will be expected to maintain a well rounded reading life throughout the course. In addition to the course reading, students will participate In a fiction and nonfiction book club and read shared anchor text including Frankenstein, Macbeth, Long Way Down, and The Poet X. Students will read and analyze informational texts related to book club books and anchored text.
Film Studies (1 credit) Elective 10-12
Storytelling is the most common way that we communicate to one another. Stories told with film have a tremendous influence on our attitudes and perceptions of the world around us. In fact, films may be one of the most powerful tools in modern culture for shaping values and conveying information. By viewing, studying, discussing, and writing about film, students develop and demonstrate skills in technological, cultural, and media literacy, as well as critical thinking and problem solving-skills that will serve them well in the real world. The main components of the course will include viewing, reading, writing, analyzing, discussing, and synthesizing (making connections between self and society and between texts and society). We will study films though the decades, starting with the 1900s.
Fantasy (.5 credit) Elective 10-12
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 9
The course will include the expiration of fantasy, sword and sorcery, heroic fantasy, horror, wizards and magic, and urban fantasy explored through the World of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit, and other short stories. Students will participate in group presentations, and your project writing, in a variety of creative activities.
Mythology (.5 credit) Elective 10-12
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 9
Mythology will study the different origins of myth across a wide range of cultures. We will discuss Roman/Greek, Native Americans, Egyptian, and Norse mythology. Students will participate in group presentations, individual and group projects, and a variety of creative activities.
Communications (.5 credit) Elective 9-12
Communications is a class designed to teach students the skills and techniques necessary to command an audience’s attention and to entertain, inform, and persuade an audience. Students will see exponential growth in their public speaking ability and confidence. Additionally, students will learn how to better communicate with their interpersonal relationships.
Debate (.5 credit) Elective 9-12
Debate is a competitive performance class. Debate teaches students how to participate in the rational exchange of ideas and arguments and arguments as they relate to significant social issues. Students will participate in solo and team debates. Students will hone their communication, group, and research skills. Students will also view and judge debates.
Reading Lab (1 credit) Elective 8-9
This course has been developed to help students who struggle with reading. The REWARDS program will be used to teach students about decoding, specializing in prefixes and suffixes. ACTION magazine will be used to enhance your new skills. Students will be expected to read everyday. Practice makes perfect!
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 8
The goal for English 9 is to build a solid foundation of reading, writing, and grammatical skills that will be refined, applied, and extended as students engage in more complex ideas, texts, themes, and tasks. Students will be introduced to the various genres of classic and contemporary literature as well as informational texts that will be read and analyzed throughout high school. Ninth graders will connect with and respond to texts by analyzing relationships within and across families, communities, societies, governments, and economies. Throughout the course, students will participate in choice reading, book clubs, and SAT prep as well as reading the anchor texts Romeo and Juliet and The Odyssey.
English 10 (1 credit) Required 10
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 9
English 10 is a class focusing on American Literature. There will be choice reading throughout the year, book clubs focusing on the theme "Overcoming Obstacles and Love" and "Dystopian" societies. Students will be required to read three classic American Literature texts: The Crucible play, and novels Of Mice & Men and To Kill a Mockingbird. Students will be required to participate in class discussions, speeches, group work, SAT prep, grammar, vocabulary, tests/quizzes, a multi-genre project, essays, and a research paper.
English 11 (1 credit) Required 11
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 10
This course is designed to prepare students for college and career readiness. Students will be reading, writing, speaking, and listening daily. We are also using the Book Love Approach: Choice Reading. Students will be expected to read at least nine works. Students will have a choice in Book Clubs (Coming of Age and Breaking the Norm) as well. There are at least three anchor units (Tuesdays with Morrie, The Little Prince, and Night) that are required of all students. Reading and writing assignments are chosen to enhance college and career readiness. Additional assignments may be added to the class as needed to enhance or reinforce skills, including SAT prep.
Senior English (1 credit) Required 12
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 11
Students will be reading, writing, speaking, and listening daily. Students will write narrative, formative, and argumentative pieces. Students will practice memoir, story, review, argumentative research, multi-genre, poetry, and notebook writing. Students will be expected to maintain a reading life throughout the course. In addition to the course reading, students will participate in book clubs and read shared anchor texts. Students will read and analyze informational texts related to book club books and anchor texts.
Honors Senior English (1 credit) Required 12
Prerequisites: A/B grades in all English courses. Teacher recommendation.
The goal of Honors Senior English is to prepare students for college and to help them develop strong reading and writing skills. Students will be reading, writing, speaking, and listening daily. Students will write narrative, formative, and argumentative pieces. Students will practice memoir, story, review, argumentative research, multi-genre, poetry, rhetorical analysis, and notebook writing. Students will be expected to maintain a well rounded reading life throughout the course. In addition to the course reading, students will participate In a fiction and nonfiction book club and read shared anchor text including Frankenstein, Macbeth, Long Way Down, and The Poet X. Students will read and analyze informational texts related to book club books and anchored text.
Film Studies (1 credit) Elective 10-12
Storytelling is the most common way that we communicate to one another. Stories told with film have a tremendous influence on our attitudes and perceptions of the world around us. In fact, films may be one of the most powerful tools in modern culture for shaping values and conveying information. By viewing, studying, discussing, and writing about film, students develop and demonstrate skills in technological, cultural, and media literacy, as well as critical thinking and problem solving-skills that will serve them well in the real world. The main components of the course will include viewing, reading, writing, analyzing, discussing, and synthesizing (making connections between self and society and between texts and society). We will study films though the decades, starting with the 1900s.
Fantasy (.5 credit) Elective 10-12
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 9
The course will include the expiration of fantasy, sword and sorcery, heroic fantasy, horror, wizards and magic, and urban fantasy explored through the World of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit, and other short stories. Students will participate in group presentations, and your project writing, in a variety of creative activities.
Mythology (.5 credit) Elective 10-12
Pre-requisite: C or better in ELA 9
Mythology will study the different origins of myth across a wide range of cultures. We will discuss Roman/Greek, Native Americans, Egyptian, and Norse mythology. Students will participate in group presentations, individual and group projects, and a variety of creative activities.
Communications (.5 credit) Elective 9-12
Communications is a class designed to teach students the skills and techniques necessary to command an audience’s attention and to entertain, inform, and persuade an audience. Students will see exponential growth in their public speaking ability and confidence. Additionally, students will learn how to better communicate with their interpersonal relationships.
Debate (.5 credit) Elective 9-12
Debate is a competitive performance class. Debate teaches students how to participate in the rational exchange of ideas and arguments and arguments as they relate to significant social issues. Students will participate in solo and team debates. Students will hone their communication, group, and research skills. Students will also view and judge debates.
Reading Lab (1 credit) Elective 8-9
This course has been developed to help students who struggle with reading. The REWARDS program will be used to teach students about decoding, specializing in prefixes and suffixes. ACTION magazine will be used to enhance your new skills. Students will be expected to read everyday. Practice makes perfect!