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"Ideally, every individual is a center of communication for all useful ideas and affections." (AC 2057)

Through our English curriculum we endeavor to provide the student with the experiences and skills necessary for the reception and expression of ideas and affections appropriate to his or her state.

Each student is encouraged to have an approved college dictionary for their own personal use. Unless otherwise noted, English meets five periods a week, receives five points credit and is Weight A.

Grade 9 English. This course serves as an introduction to all genres from classic to modern literature. Various artistic forms will be studied including epic poetry, the novel and short stories. Emphasis will be placed upon fundamental written analysis and literary interpretation.

Grade 10: World Literature, Language, and Composition. Literature will include short stories, novels, and two Shakespearean plays. Students will build upon literary techniques, vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills begun in freshman English. Students will also strive to enhance presentation and dramatic skills as well as critical thought through essays, research papers, and oral presentations.

Grade 11: American Literature. A chronological survey of American literature from the Puritan Age to the 20^th century. Consideration will be given to the transition of cultural thought from one literary period to the next.  Texts studied include the classic works The Scarlet Letter and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well as more modern or contemporary pieces such as The Glass Menagerie and The House on Mango Street.  In conjunction with analysis, this course emphasizes a varietal approach to the appreciation and understanding of literature.

Grade 12: British Literature. A survey course in British literature from the Anglo-Saxon Era to the end of the 20^th century. Works include prose, poetry, two Victorian novels, one modern and one post-modern novel and careful readings of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Hamlet. There is emphasis on select writing assignments, vocabulary, and grammar. This course will challenge the student’s insight, creativity, and analytical thinking.

COEDUCATIONAL ENGLISH ELECTIVES

Readings in American Literature. This course is recommended for those who love reading and are willing to devote time to it.  The student will explore the literature written during Colonial times continuing through literature written during the 20^th century. There is emphasis on vocabulary, essays, oral presentations and leading class discussions. A significant amount of reading will be assigned which will include novels, drama and short stories. Weight B

Women in Literature. The history of western women as presented in literature from the 18^th century through the present. Literary genres include novels, short stories and plays, augmented by socio-political works of non-fiction. Students are encouraged to study issues confronting women, and to examine how the role of women, portrayed in literature, has developed over time. Weight C

Advanced Placement English. Advanced Placement English is a college-level class with college-level requirements. It is a challenging and provocative eight-week course designed to prepare students for the Advanced Placement English exam in Literature and Composition. The curriculum includes a variety of literary eras and genres. It stresses the development of critical reading and writing skills necessary for success on the exam and in college. Students work individually and collaboratively in their analyses of poetry and prose through research, postulation, and presentations. Intense emphasis is placed on timed essays and multiple-choice questions to effectively equip students for the spring exam.

Flim History/Appreciation. An introduction to the study of film with an emphasis on developing the language and general understanding necessary to read a film. The course introduces the student to the methods of film interpretation and close textual analysis, as well as auteur and genre theory through thorough examination of masterpieces in American film history as well as contemporary highlights. The goal of the course is a student who has developed a strong general understanding of the evolution of film making in its 100 year history; where filmmakers source their ideas (classic or contemporary literature, current events, history); how to tell a story on screen; creating and decoding symbolism on screen; how to conceptualize and pitch an idea for an original film.