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Course Descriptions

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

 

Ms. Patricia Johnsmeyer - Coordinator                                                                                       241-6035 

 

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

Throughout all of our courses, the English curriculum integrates the study of language, literature, writing, speaking, and listening in accordance with New York State’s integration of the Common Core Learning Standards. Also vital to the curriculum is the students' study of, and consistent practice with, critical thinking as the students sharpen their analytic and interpretive skills. 

 

LANGUAGE 

Students learn about the evolution of English, while also developing an awareness of the living, changing nature of our language. They study vocabulary, grammar, and usage primarily in the real contexts of their reading and writing; however, textbooks, computer-based programs, and worksheets are employed when necessary and helpful. The progressive nature of courses aims to expose students to increasingly sophisticated uses of language. 

 

LITERATURE 

Developing the ability to read literature with understanding is the chief aim of our instruction. In 9th grade, students learn the basic techniques of analyzing literature. Each year, more analytical tools are explained, or they are applied in increasingly complex ways, as students study more subtle and complex literature. While familiarity with important literary works is a result of this instruction, our primary goal is to enable students to read with appreciation and enjoyment throughout their lives. Consequently, provision is made for individual interests and abilities. 

 

COMPOSITION 

Instruction in writing aims to help students reach important goals: awareness of task; a clear sense of audience; articulation of a thesis or controlling idea; organization and development of the idea in an appropriate form; originality, depth, and soundness of thought; correctness, clarity, and felicity of expression; familiarity with various types of writing; and pride of authorship. Students write frequently. Sometimes they will develop their pieces using a process approach which takes them through multiple drafts and thoughtful revision to a finished product. Sometimes, they will turn in as polished a composition as they can on their own and then revise it in response to their teacher's suggested revisions and corrections. Sometimes, they will write under time pressure, striving to develop a facility for organizing their thoughts and for polishing their prose. Students are encouraged to confer with their teachers regularly about their progress in writing skills. 

 

SPEAKING AND LISTENING 

The ability to speak informatively, cogently, entertainingly, and easily to others is an important goal of English instruction. Equally important is the ability to listen with attention, comprehension and appreciation. Class discussions, debates, seminars, group presentations, enacting scenes from plays, and formal and informal speeches are some of the activities used to develop these interrelated skills. 



COURSE OFFERINGS 

ENGLISH 1

(1 unit, 9th grade) In order to help students successfully transition into their high school careers, English 1 is designed to build a foundation of essential literacy skills, while also providing a wide, in-depth exploration of literary themes and concepts. The content area’s work is brought together with a wide variety of writing assignments and creative projects aligned with the Common Core Learning Standards. The course aims to allow students to learn, practice and develop skills essential to high school success, including researching, speaking, listening, writing, reading, studying, organizing, and accessing modern technology.   

English 1 students receive an unweighted H credential for earning at least a 90 average for the year. 

 

ENGLISH 2

(1 unit, 10th grade) Students will further develop their basic literacy skills, as sophomore English focuses on contemporary, classic, and multicultural texts depicting the relationship between individuals and the society in which they live. A variety of writing assignments, which are driven by Common Core Learning Standards, will include creative and explanatory pieces, research projects and essays geared towards acclimating students to the English Regents Exam given at the end of junior year. Stemming from the foundations of English 1, are the expectations that students are able to learn in an incrementally independent manner and interact with both fiction and nonfiction at an analytic and figurative level. A number of methods are used across the year to promote the appropriate use of modern technology.

 

ENGLISH 2H

(1 unit, 10th grade) While the fundamental goals for this course are the same as those for English 2, there is a distinct and challenging difference with regard to the pacing, complexity and style of the work.  In that many of the students will continue into our junior and senior honors and AP courses, 2H students will work on open-ended assignments that require a greater sense of organization, collaboration, independence, and motivation to complete. Lengthy, independent reading assignments are a regular part of this course.  

Suggested Guidelines:  90+ average in English 1 and a teacher recommendation.

 

AP SEMINAR: ENGLISH 2

(1 unit, 10th grade) This course engages motivated students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing across multiple disciplines. These sources may include scientific, historical, literary, philosophical, cultural and/or economic texts. A large portion of the course is devoted to elevating research skills. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. This course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision in order to craft and communicate evidence-based arguments. 

 

Throughout this year-long course, students are required to create a portfolio, which consists of completing two research papers and two multimedia presentations which are submitted to the College Board. In May, all students are required to take the AP exam, which may make them eligible for college credit, depending on the score and the college they plan to attend.

Suggested Guidelines:  90+ average in English 1 and a teacher recommendation. 

 

ENGLISH 3

(1 unit, 11th grade) Primarily an American literature survey course, students will analyze literature from indigenous America through contemporary times and will study the concepts of the American Dream and social change. The course stresses the complexities in the content, structure, and style of American poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction. Emphasis is placed on textual analysis. A broad spectrum of writing assignments will be used to develop skills needed for the English Regents exam, which will be administered at the end of the student’s junior year. 

 

ENGLISH 3H  

(1 unit, 11th grade) Honors English in American Literature was designed to coincide with the American History being taught in social studies in the student’s junior year.  It will also function as a preparatory course for the senior AP Literature course.  The course will focus on the evolution of American Literature and the complexities of the social, economic, political and moral changes that took place within our country and were reflected in our literature, over time.  The course will be taught in a survey style in order to facilitate understanding and provide a contextual view of current literature. 

 

The course is rigorous and demanding.  Students will be asked to read independently, write and analyze at a high level, pushing well beyond what has been previously expected of them.  The goal will be to build upon the foundation they received their freshman and sophomore years; however, students will now be expected not only to analyze a particular text for meaning, but also to place that text and its literary merits within the broader understanding of the culture in which it was written and its place in the pantheon of American Literature.  Students will be expected to analyze not just the literature itself but also the literature’s reflection of the American human experience.  A love of literature and a curiosity about what that literature conveys and how it is constructed is necessary for an honors student.  Students should be prepared to write in a variety of forms and think on a variety of levels. 

Suggested Guidelines:  90+ average in English 2 or 2H and teacher recommendation.

 

AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION  

(1 unit, 11th grade) The AP course in English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Students will engage in close reading of texts – both fiction and non-fiction – and write in a variety of modes, including persuasive, expository, and narrative.  To support the juniors' study of American History, the majority of the essayists, novelists, and poets studied in this course will be American.  Because of the focus on rhetoric (language used to achieve a particular effect), students will analyze authors’ use of literary and rhetorical devices such as tone, diction, point of view, syntax, and many more esoteric, specialized devices. Students enrolled in the course are expected to have mastered the basic skills of spelling, grammar, and punctuation and to follow the conventions of standard written English. There will be minimal preparation for the English Regents in this course.  

Suggested Guidelines: 95+ average in English 2 or 90+ average in English 2H and a teacher recommendation.

 

SENIOR ENGLISH 

All students are required to take at least one credit of English during their senior year.  This can be earned by taking 1 full year English 4 option or 2 semester long English 4 options.  

 

ENGLISH 4: EXPLORING IDENTITY

(1 unit, 12th grade) This full year course is geared toward mature students who need to solidify their reading, writing, and discussion skills prior to graduation. Through a diverse selection of texts, students will examine and explore the complex interactions between individual identity and societal influences. Through close reading, analysis, and discussion, students will delve into characters’ quests for self-discovery, grappling with questions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and other aspects of identity. They will examine how characters navigate personal and cultural identities amidst societal expectations, norms, and prejudices. Additionally, students will explore the ways in which language, narrative techniques, and literary devices shape representations of identity in literature and in film.  Through writing assignments, projects, and presentations, students will engage in thoughtful exploration and expression of their own identities and perspectives, ultimately developing a deeper understanding of identity in literature and in life.

 

ENGLISH 4H: SOCIETY, LITERATURE AND TRUTH (SLT)

(2 units: 1 English & 1 Social Studies, 12th grade).  SLT fulfills Senior English and Government & Economics (Senior Social Studies) requirements. This year-long interdisciplinary course is a seminar taught by an English teacher and a Social Studies teacher in a two-period block of time. SLT is a course where students and teachers explore, in a collaborative and multidisciplinary way, four themes that influence our humanity: Truth, Freedom, Identity, and Economics.  The complexities of these themes will be explored through daily reading, writing, listening and speaking.  Our journey will be framed by essential questions which include, but are not limited to:

  • What is the truth?
  • How are our freedoms protected and limited?  What does it mean to be morally right or morally wrong?  To what extent do we learn these ideas of right and wrong from our environment?  To what extent is this morality intrinsic?
  • What shapes your identity, and can you change it?
  • How do the Fundamental Questions of Economics help us to understand the world of economics?

These themes will be explored through an interaction with some of the great thinkers, past and present, who have pondered these fundamental concerns in their writing and art.

 

The structure of SLT will include: reading, writing prompts, individualized work, small group work, and whole class seminars. This structure is designed to promote the development of skills critical for post-secondary success.  Additionally, the goals of each seminar period are:

a) to equip students with the skills to decipher challenging texts independent of teacher guidance, and

b) to provide a forum for students to exercise and grow their capacity for rational critical judgment. 

Effective Socratic seminars, in which students are asked to exercise their capacity to choose amongst “truths' ' and articulate and defend their choices, are conducted under the assumption that seminar leaders do not possess the answers to the questions and problems upon which the class focuses. In the seminar, teachers act as Socratic questioners, coaches, and conversation facilitators, in addition to being genuine participants in the collaborative inquiry into challenging texts. 

Suggested Guidelines: Teacher recommendation.

 

AP ENGLISH LITERATURE & COMPOSITION   

(1 unit, 12th grade) In this course, students will examine complex texts - both classic and contemporary. The curriculum focuses on close reading, textual analysis, and specific literary terms and devices. In preparing for the rigorous AP exam in May, and to increase their facility as astute readers and efficient writers, students will write complete essays in a single period, as well as answer multiple choice questions about prose and poetry. The curriculum does not, however, focus primarily on preparation for the AP exam, and students' progress will regularly be assessed based upon preparation for classes, alert reading for details, contributions to discussion, and longer creative and analytical writing assignments.  Students who are not enthusiastic readers and skilled writers are not prepared for this challenge.  

Suggested Guidelines:  Teacher recommendation.

 

SEMESTER COURSES / ELECTIVES

  • Students are not guaranteed placement in the semester course they choose, and a course will not be scheduled if too few students pre-register for it. As a result, more courses may be listed here than will actually be offered in the upcoming school year.  As a result, seniors will be asked to provide several selections when choosing the semester long options.
  • The half-year options are open to qualified 10th and 11th graders who have room in their programs to carry an additional English class.
  • Two English semester courses can be used as English 4 requirements when taken in 12th grade only.

 

CREATIVE WRITING  

(1/2 unit, 10-12th grade) The course emphasizes fiction and poetry writing, although students will also produce a personal narrative. Free writing is an integral part of the experience. Students will use it to discover topics and increase fluency. As the course is run like a workshop, students will be expected to share their work with classmates as well as with the teacher.  Activities are designed to help students develop characters and voice, control point of view and create gripping introductions and effective conclusions will culminate in a short story assignment. While writing poetry, students will experiment with various poetic devices such as imagery, simile, and metaphor. They will also experiment with different types of poems, including found poems, list poems, haiku, sonnets, and free verse. Reading is an important part of this course.  Students will be required to examine numerous essays, short stories, and poems for style, voice, and technique. At the end of the semester, students will present a portfolio of their work. 

 

FILM WRITING AND ANALYSIS

(1/2 unit, 10-12th grade) Film Writing and Analysis will look at the world of cinema historically, thematically, and critically.  Students will learn the vocabulary of film and be taught to discuss it intellectually and structurally, rather than just critically. The course will examine many films from different periods to try to pinpoint the various movements, changes, and messages that have informed American cinema over the past sixty years. Students will be responsible for recognizing not only the characteristics of the films we study, but also the fingerprints of given directors and actors within those films.  

 

The films we will focus on will span from Citizen Kane to American Beauty, and students will be required to identify what techniques and themes such masterpieces share. In other words, students will understand certain universal truths about what makes a great film.  Some films will be screened and discussed in class but students will be responsible for watching others on their own time. Assessments will include reading quizzes, critical essays, comparison essays, as well as a presentation that must show mastery in the dissection of a scene.

 

Students should expect to produce a piece of analytical writing for each film viewed in class.  The length of each assignment will vary, but writing skills will be reviewed, stressed, and assessed.  Editing opportunities, writing workshops, and basic grammar review will offer students a chance to earn back credit for engaging in the writing process.ncaa

 

Course texts include: Understanding Movies by Louis Giannetti, Anatomy of Film by Bernard Dick, Writing About Film by Timothy Corrigan Note to Athletes: This course has not been approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse for students who want to play Division I or II sports in college. 

 

MONSTERS AND VILLAINS

(1/2 unit, 10-12th grade) What defines a monster? Why is the public so fascinated by them? What human needs and desires do monsters fulfill for audiences? Why do we seek out these thrills and chills? How do creatures and sinister villains that scare us the most have the ability to reflect the human condition and the injustices of everyday life?  We will explore these questions as well as examine the roles monsters and villains have played in identifying and shaping societal norms from antiquity to the present day. We will examine various villains–both fictional and real–in their historical context and analyze how monsters help us understand human nature throughout history. The approach will be interdisciplinary, drawing on work done in the fields of literature, film studies, art, philosophy, psychology, and anthropology. 

 

The semester elective is designed for enthusiastic readers who seek to engage with more rigorous, complex texts dealing with mature subjects on a scholarly level.  Students will be required to independently read novels such as Frankenstein, Dracula, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,  Mexican Gothic. In addition, film study and works of non-fiction (i.e., essays, short stories, poems, articles, case studies, etc.) will be heavily integrated in the curriculum to help students learn to take an analytic approach to narratives and to think critically about the world around them. Students will be required to participate in regular seminars, conduct research, write for analysis, as well as complete independent projects and presentations.  Please be aware that our study of monsters and villains will explore potentially sensitive and mature themes, including violence, crimes, and representations of real-world prejudice.

Suggested Guidelines:  Students should have demonstrated an 85+ in Eng 2 or Eng 2H. 

 

PUBLIC SPEAKING & SPEECH WRITING

(1/2 unit, 10-12th grade) Students will learn to develop, write, and orate persuasive, informative and demonstrative speeches. Students will also learn to write speeches in a cohesive and organized style through the study of famous speeches.  Class members will learn to face an audience with confidence and to organize speeches and presentations that persuade and inform listeners with purpose. This course addresses how to conquer the fear of public speaking and its negative stresses and encourages students’ use of humor, creativity and personality in their presentations.  Students should expect to deliver impromptu and prepared speeches and to identify effective technique elements. Students will also be expected to set personal goals and to learn how to select and design appropriate materials and methods of delivery. There is a heavy emphasis on writing and on preparation and practice outside of class.  The course will culminate in a final speech which will be assessed for both oral and written skills.

 

WRITING INTENSIVE (1/2 unit, 12th grade only) This rigorous course will appeal to students who are serious about acquiring the necessary skills to become successful academic writers. Designed with college readiness in mind, this English course will focus on incorporating textual evidence artfully and correctly, evaluating sources for validity and relevance, developing complex thesis statements and mounting support for them, and writing with precision and concision. While the word “writing” is in the title, reading is an integral part of the course, and students should expect to read a variety of challenging texts (e.g., scholarly articles, classic works of fiction and poetry, etc.), many of which will form the basis of the writing assignments. We will focus on developing the aforementioned skills and writing for various purposes, including exposition, analysis, and persuasion. In addition, we will apply what we have learned to a “college” course in critical theory.  The course is suggested for proficient readers and writers who would benefit from additional direct writing instruction before entering college.