LANGUAGE ARTS

Text Box: ACCELERATED ENGLISH I Accelerated English I covers the materials offered in English I and enriches the curriculum to provide students with an easier transition to a four-year college or post-secondary academic program.  This class is designed to give the students a more intense study of fiction, drama, and poetry.  In addition, the students are taught basic research skills and are required to do brief research paper(s) on any topic of their choice.  Various oral presentations are required as well as individual projects.  Vocabulary is cumulative throughout the year.  This course is taught at an accelerated pace.  Prerequisite: 90+ in 8th grade English             Credit: 1 Grade: 9                                                           Semesters: 2   ACCELERATED ENGLISH II   Accelerated English II covers the materials offered in English II and enriches the curriculum to provide students with an easier transition to a four-year college or post-secondary academic program.  Students who entered 9th grade in 200 and beyond are required to take and pass the MS Subject Area Test in English II for graduation.  Intensive instruction in critical analysis of literature from each genre is featured.  Composition is strongly emphasized.  Research skills are also taught and students do a research paper and various kinds of oral presentations.  Students will also focus on identifying and correcting common usage errors.  Vocabulary is cumulative throughout the year.  This course is taught at an accelerated pace.  Prerequisite: English I and Writing Sample       Credit: 1 Grade: 10                                                           Semesters: 2   ACCELERATED ENGLISH III   Accelerated English II covers the materials offered in English II and enriches the curriculum to provide students with an easier transition to a four-year college or post-secondary academic program.  Composition is emphasized with students focusing on the domain of written expression  Students will write critical essays analyzing literature for each unit, in addition to personal and persuasive essays.  Through a study of American novels, plays, essays, and poetry, students learn to analyze literature.  In addition, students will make oral presentations and participate in various projects throughout the course.  Vocabulary study is ongoing and aimed at word analysis skills and ACT preparation.  This course is taught at an accelerated pace. Prerequisite: English II and Brief Writing        Credit: 1                          Sample Grade: 11                                                          Semesters: 2   AP English IV   This course follows the course requirements as set forth in the College Board's AP English Course Description.  This course is designed to teach beginning- college writing through critical and analytical reading of literature, and follows the curricular requirements described in the AP English Course Description.  Upon completion of the course, a test is administered where students can earn college credit for composition 1 and composition 2.   In this class, students will practice in-depth reading of good literature from a variety of genres and periods that will encourage them to examine multiple meanings of the work.  Students will read short works (poems and short stories) from lots of writers while limiting their major works (novels and plays) to one each per 9 weeks.  Through the close reading of literature, students will develop the ability to think critically about a work's themes by considering its structure, the author's style evidenced through the use of literary devices such as figurative language, imagery, and symbolism, and the author's perspective found by analyzing diction and tone.   Admission requirements: Academically or Intellectually Gifted Ruling                                                       Credits:  1 Grade: Seniors                                                Semesters: 2   ENGLISH I This course places much emphasis on grammar, review of the eight parts of speech, capitalization, and punctuation. A variety of writing assignments are included also. The literature study includes short stories, poetry, drama, and novels. Prerequisite: None                                             Credit: 1 Grade: 9                                                          Semesters: 2   ENGLISH II Students will be assigned to different sections of English II according to the reading ability, teacher recommendation, and past achievement. The content of these sections is very similar, with the major difference being in the amount of time spent on the basics (grammar, writing, and literature). Some grammar review and a variety of writing assignments are also studied. The literature includes short stories, poetry, drama, and novels. Prerequisite: None                                             Credit: 1 Grade: 10                                                        Semesters: 2   ENGLISH III Students will be assigned to various sections of English III according to the reading ability, teacher recommendation, and past achievement. The content of these sections is very similar with major difference being in reading selections.  The literature in this course is a chronological study of American literature based on the anthology provided and some other additional work. There is a major emphasis on composition with some study of grammar.  Additionally, students are required to write a research paper, demonstrating their ability to locate and utilize library materials. Prerequisite: None                                              Credit: 1 Grade: 11                                                         Semesters: 2   ENGLISH IV This course will consist of a study of the history of the English language and the literature of England. Students will be exposed to a variety of composition activities including essay writing during the first semester and research paper writing during the second semester. Prerequisite: None                                    Credit: 1 Grade: 12                                           Semesters: 2  AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE This one semester elective draws upon a compilation of genres, themes, styles, and language used by various writers of African-American descent.  The student will recognize and appreciate contributions of selected writers through reading, speaking, viewing, and researching selected works.  Students will also evaluate selected works through writing. Prerequisite:  None, 85 or above                  Credit:  1/2                         in English Grades:  10 - 12                                                Semester:  1  

 

Text Box: AP English Language and Composition               The AP English Language and Composition course is a college-level study of reading, writing, and rhetoric. Its overview and objectives are taken from The College Board's AP English Course Description. Students learn the required skills from close reading, writing, and the composing process, as well as, rhetorical thinking to write in several forms (e.g., narrative, expository, analytical, and argumentative essays) and in formal and informal contexts about a variety of subjects. Also, students learn to analyze visually and reply rhetorically to images and objects that stand alone or are in relation to context. Students learn argumentation and apply its principles to their viewpoint to produce researched argumentative papers. The overall objective of this course is to produce students who "write effectively and confidently in their college courses across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives." (The College Board, AP English Course Description, May 2007, May 2008, p.6) Prerequisite:   Academically or Intellectually Gifted Ruling                                                                   Credit:  1 Grade:  11                                                      Semesters:  2   PUBLIC SPEAKING   The purpose of this course is to help students develop the skills of effective oral communication. Public speaking covers units on the process of communication, ways of becoming a more effective listener, and the fundamentals of public speaking. Much time will be spent in the research, organization, and presentation of speeches. Speeches covered include: informative, persuasive, demonstrative, and impromptu. Prerequisite: None                                        Credit:  1/2 Grades: 11, 12                                               Semesters: 1   INTRO TO SPANISH I   This course is an introduction to language learning.  The students will study basic grammatical structure using common vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, and will practice auditory comprehension, pronunciation, and reading comprehension practice.  Students will be exposed to geography and culture of Spanish speaking countries.  Prerequisite: B or above in English               Credit: 1                    and Teacher Recommendation Grades: 9-12                                                 Semesters: 2                 ACCELERATED  SPANISH  I This course is designed for students who are capable of covering Spanish I material at a faster pace, with more intensive training in auditory comprehension, conversation and reading comprehension.  This course prepares students for college level Spanish. Prerequisite: A in English and                        Credit: 1                          English Teacher Recommendation Grades: 9-12                                                  Semesters: 2     SPANISH  II   Spanish II begins with a review of grammar and vocabulary introduced in Spanish I and transitions into a more intense grammatical study.  There will be an emphasis on preterite, imperfect, and future tenses as well as continued vocabulary study at a more advanced pace than level I.  Improvement in listening, speaking, reading, and writing will also be stressed.  Prerequisite: B or above in  Spanish I or       Credit: 1                          Accel. Spanish or Teacher Approval Grades: 10-12                                                Semesters: 2      INTRO TO FRENCH I   This course is an introduction to language learning. Students will study the culture, grammar, and structure of the French language. Prerequisite: B or better in English*               Credit: 1 *It is strongly recommended that students who enroll in a foreign language class are proficient in English grammar.  Students who have earned at least a "B" in English are likely to experience success in this class. Grades: 10, 11, 12                                        Semesters: 2                ACCELERATED FRENCH I   This course is designed for students who are capable of learning the French language at a faster pace. These students will study the culture of French speaking countries, but there will be more emphasis on grammar, conversation, and the structure of the French language. Prerequisite: A in English Credit: 1 and English teacher recommendation               Grades: 10 - 12                                         Semesters: 2             FRENCH II   This course mainly focuses on more in-depth grammar and communication skills.  There are small units on the Impressionistic Period, the story of "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo, and the beautiful city of Paris and its monuments. Prerequisite:  Successful completion of       Credit:  1                          French I Grades:  10 - 12                                            Semesters:  2   WORLD LITERATURE The World Literature course is an examination of literary works that have contributed significantly to the thinking of humankind and have contributed greatly to various cultures.  In this course, students will study a variety of masterpieces and influential literary works.  This course will be organized by chronology and will span from Biblical literature to a minor exploration of contemporary twentieth century literature.  The course will cover classic Greek, Roman, and European literature.  Students will analyze, interpret, compare, contrast, and evaluate literary elements from multiple genres of literature and media.  Students will compose responses to this literature and media in expressive and thoroughly developed essays.  *This course is available to juniors and seniors only. Prerequisite: English II                       Credit: 1/2 Grades: 11-12                                  Semesters: 1