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Required Courses
English I: The Writer's Craft (1 unit
of credit)
Ninth grade English is a writing year that emphasizes composition:
creative writing; expository and personal essays; and journal
writing. The course develops each student's skills in the
areas of vocabulary, grammar and paragraph development, focusing
especially on mechanics and usage. Students read prose and
poetry to "prompt" their writing.
English II: World Literature (1 unit of credit)
Tenth grade English involves a survey of World Literature.
The students read selections from Gilgamesh, the early
Hebrew writers, the Greeks, Romans, Persian, Hindu, Chinese
and Japanese poets. Sophomores study the Middle Ages, the
Renaissance, and the Neo-classic periods of literature. Then,
they look at Romanticism, Realism, and finally the Modern
and post-Modern periods of literature. In addition, they study
vocabulary, finish and refine sections of the grammar curriculum,
and work on expository writing.
English III: American Literature (1 unit
of credit)
This survey of the major authors of American Literature is
mainly chronological but highly selective. In addition to
the literature study, this course develops students' vocabulary
and prepares them for relevant portions of the SAT. Continuing
to hone writing skills, students produce many short essays
of literary analysis and write several long thesis papers.
English IV: British and European Literature
(1 unit of credit)
This course concentrates on British and European literature
during the first semester. Students read selections from the
major British and European writers who formed the "canon"
of Western literature. In the second half of the course, students
conduct seminars in special topics, such as Romanticism, Realism,
Satire, Utopian Literature, Revolution, and others. In the
latter part of the year, the focus expands to include contemporary
world literature.
AP English IV - Selected seniors may take
this course in place of English IV (1 unit of credit)
The AP English course includes a study of at least six novels,
twelve plays, twenty-four short stories, and a volume of poetry,
both classic and modern. The students read speeches, ancient
and modern, and a selection of essays. Students write daily
in addition to publishing essay and literary analyses. Testing
and evaluation will be structured like the AP Exam.
Prerequisite: Applicants for this course must have a B+
in English III (or equivalent) and must submit a "best piece
of writing" for evaluation. See Ms. Calderwood for details
and applications.
Note: Students may not take this course and Advanced Composition
concurrently without permission of the instructor.
Elective
Courses
Advanced Composition or AP Advanced Composition
- Open to juniors and seniors (1 unit of credit)
Comparable to Freshman Composition in most colleges and universities,
this course places major emphasis on grammar and on expository
prose, particularly the various modes of discourse: description,
definition, analysis, and persuasion. "Creative" writing assignments
are distributed throughout the year.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of English II and
III.
Note: Students may only take this course and AP English
concurrently with written permission of the instructor.
Media Writing and Analysis - Open to juniors
and seniors (1 unit of credit)
This interdisciplinary course focuses on the communication
of ideas. Not only does it seek to train students in the fundamentals
of journalism, it also studies the abundance of media around
us, including television and film. A course that involves
frequent writing assignments, Journalism and Media Studies
addresses those skills necessary to the publishing industry
and broadcasting.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of English II or III.
Note: Students may not take this course and Advanced Composition
concurrently.
This course will be offered during the 2004-2005 school year.
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