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 ACADEMIC PROFILE
GUIDANCE OFFICE
DEPARTMENTS
Technology Dept
PROGRAM OF STUDIES
Introduction
Q & A
Sequence Options
Art
English
Foreign Language
Health & PhysEd
Mathematics
Music
Occupational Edu.
Science
Social Studies
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English Courses |
~Ninth Grade~
English 9 -
Jr. High, 1 year, 1 unit
The emphasis in this course is on the skills of reading, vocabulary
development and writing. The literature is taught by genre: novel, short story,
poetry, and drama (Shakespeare). Because of the importance of vocabulary and the
ability to compete analogies for future standardized tests, the English 9 program has been
modified to place greater emphasis on these areas. Composition work involves the teaching of language skills through the paragraph
and longer essays. |
English 9H (Enriched) - Jr. High, 1 year, 1 unit
The purpose of this course is to offer the student gifted in English an
opportunity for enriched work. The gth grade curriculum is enriched with short stories,
novels, drama, and poetry; accent is on themes and relationships. Composition is on
an advanced level; the emphasis is on excellence of thought and expression.
During the year, students will review techniques in library research and will complete
independent research papers. Students will also be required to participate in class
discussions and to write short stories and other literary forms, as well as to increase
their vocabulary.
Prerequisite: "A" average, established criteria, nomination by eigth-grade
English staff and approval of the department chairperson. |
English 9I - Jr. High, 1 year, 1 unit
This course is designed to help improve language arts skills
(spelling, writing, reading, study skills) for students who have demonstrated the need for
additional instruction in these areas.
Prerequisite: Nomination by eigth grade teachers of English and approval of the
department chairperson. |
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~Tenth Grade~ |
English 10 - 1 year, 1 unit
This course, taken by most tenth graders, includes a survey of the
major literary genres (novel, essay, short story, drama, poetry) and specific instruction
in various kinds of writing. In addition, instruction is given in vocabulary (selected
from literature), conventions of standard written English, oral expression, research
skills, and cooperative leaming strategies. Students are expected to complete all major
work in order to successfully complete the course. An end-of-the-year examination is
required. |
World Literature and Culture - Honors
- 1 year, 1 unit
This advanced program, team-taught with social studies, is a
chronological survey of the arts which have had a major impact in shaping today's values.
Special emphasis is given to questions of enduring universal importance. Excerpts and
full-length texts selected from among the world's best writers form the core of this
course. Beginning with the Greek Golden Age and the tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles,
the course focuses on key periods and pivotal literary personalities including Dante,
Shakespeare (the Renaissance), Voltaire (the Enlightenment), and a selection of Romantic
and Twentieth Century writem At the same time, the course stresses vocabulary development,
critical reading, clear writing and speaking, and note-taking. An end-of-the-year
examination is required. |
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~Eleventh Grade~ |
American Literature - 1 year 1 unit
American Literature provides a comprehensive study of our common
literary heritage. Three hundred years of American literature is treated in this full-year
course, affording students the opportunity to experience the literature, as well as the
personalities of and cultural and historical influences upon the major novelists, poets,
dramatists, and nonfiction writers. In addition, minority writers are studied for their
unique contributions. |
American Studies - English/1 year 1 unit; Social Studies/1 year 1 unit
American Studies integrates the study of history and literature to
help students establish connections between the political ideas, movements and events that
shaped our country and the artistic movements that have created our culture. A topical
approach to the development of literature and government provides the framework for the
study of the United States. Students and teachers work together to coordinate curriculum
and homework with a goal of linking leaming from one discipline to another. An enriched
curriculum will be offered to students who have the interest, ability, and motivation to
explore in greater depth topics studied. Students successfully completing this course earn
2 Regents credits, one in English and one in social studies. Exams in English and U.S.
History and Government. Assessment is done through a portfolio and school final exam. *
Students may elect to work towards an Honors designation by doing the following: Declare
their intention before the end of first quarter; complete the required American Studies
work at the 90 level; complete the honors assignments in both courses in all quarters.
Honors work will be assessed as part of the portfolio process; designation will be earned
by the quality of the work. Regents exams will be required. |
Literary Classics - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
Students will study 4-6 works from such authors as Dumas,
Fitzgerald, Stevenson, Paton and Orscy. Students are responsible for careful preparation
of all assignments including reader responses, quizzes and class participation. A formal
oral presentation may be expected. Students will study vocabulary each week and will write
both personal and expository essays. Usage and mechanical issues will be addressed from
class writing as needed. |
Literary Classics (Honors) - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
These courses will involve oral and written critical analyses of
works chosen from such authors as Bellamy, Bronte, Conrad, Dickens, Dumas, Faulkner,
Fitzgerald, Hugo, McCuliers, Paton, Stevenson, Turgenev and Wharton. Challenging
opportunities exist for motivated students to do research beyond the course requirements.
A formal oral presentation may be expected. Major emphasis is placed on the writing of
coherent expositions. Students should expect to study between four and six major works, in
addition to a number of essays and poems. |
Literature of Decision (Honors) - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
Modem literature introducing students to a number of popular
philosophies of life is the foundation for this course. These characters and concepts,
dealt with in novels, short stories, plays and poetry, relate to the human experience of
deciding what is meaningful and purposeful in an individual's life or lifestyle. Thought
provoking reading selections from Rand, Sillitoe, Hesse, Sartre, Skinner and others;
composition assignments (varying in length and depth); speaking and listening in large and
small group discussion involving the presentation of students' viewpoints; participation
in seminar; vocabulary and usage development as well as note taking comprise the
requirements of the course. |
Literature of Science Fiction - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
The works of Bradbury, Vonnegut, Orwell, Huxley, and Clarke
will be analyzed in detail. Students will be expected to read at least five longer novels
during the semester, as well as several short stories and essays. There will be at least
one major written assignment on each novel and numerous factual vocabulary and spelling
quizzes. Students in this course must be willing to expend the necessary time and effort
this reading requires. Requirements also include active participation in class discussion
and at least one independent research project. |
Masterpieces of the Drama - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
Students who enjoy reading, analyzing and seeing dramatic
literature or who plan to pursue a career in dramatics, English literature or history will
profit most from this survey of each major period in theater history. Among the plays
studied will be Antigone, Eveiyman, Romeo andjuliet, Cyrano de Bergerac, 7be Kng
and I, 7he Schoolfor Scandal anda Doll's House. In addition to extensive
reading, students will have the opportunity to attend and to review and criticize a video
of one play studied. Class participation is essential. |
Writing Process - Training and
Responding - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
This unique course is intended for students who like to
write or who think writing could be more fun than it has been. Students will write from
their own experiences and/or from reading in a workshop atmosphere as nearly like that of
professional writers as possible. Students will read, talk and write and receive
instruction in all stages of the writing process, from prewriting strategies through
revision and final drafts. Participants will also become tutors of other writers. All will
work through a personal research project. Students will share writing and receive support
from the teacher and their peers. |
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~Twelfth Grade~
Please Note: Courses with denoted with (*) are not to be taken in the same year, except as an
additional elective. |
Advanced Placement English (Honors) -
1 year, 1 unit
This advanced class is intended for serious students of
literature who wish to study in depth some of the greatest ancient and modem European,
English and American literature and who are willing to assume much of the responsibility
for their own leaming. The basis of the course is the seminar which, while led by the
instructor at the outset, is led ultimately by students. Grades are composed of longer
essays treating literary themes, shorter essays of literary analysis and explication, and
seminar presentations. All students are expected in May to write the AP Examination in
Composition and Literature for which there is a fee of approximately $60.00. Most colleges
award credit and/or advanced standing to entering students who have earned satisfactory
grades on the AP Exam.
The AP Examination must be taken in order for future transcripts to reflect this
distinction (see the Q & A Section,
question #13) |
Irish Literature - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
This course is designed for students who have an interest in
Ireland's people, its culture, history and literature. The Irish experience will be
studied from ancient times through the present struggle in Northern Ireland. The study of
novels, essays and poetry will be supplemented by Irish folklore and mythology. Authors
include O'Flaherty, Pearse, Synge, Macken and Yeats as well as many others. Course work
will include a creative project as well as a research paper. |
*Language of the Media - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
This course is designed to assist students in judging,
interpreting, analyzing and understanding the major forms of mass media: various types of
advertising, radio, newspapers, and television. In addition to short topical reading,
students will study a novel and report on articles about the media found in newspapers and
magazines. A research report and oral presentations are expected. |
Literature of the Musical Theater - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
This course is intended for students interested in music and
dramatics as a career, pastime, or as members of an audience. Many musical libretti to the
musicals of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s will serve as the foundation of the course,
supplemented by tapes of the music and slides of the original productions. Students will
analyze music, lyrics, structure, etc., and study the historical origin and development of
this unique theatre form. The emphasis is on the arts as literature rather than
perfonnadce, although students will have opportunities to attend live performances of
musicals. Class participation is essential. |
Literature of the Oppressed - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
By reading articles, stories, poems and novels of critically
acclaimed world writers, students will gain an understanding of other cultures, man's
capacity to treat others inhumanely, and his unique ability to endure and survive. The
literature will include persecution of the Jews during the Holocaust, treatment of African
Americans and other minorities, Asians, Africans and Latin Americans. Students will select
an acclaimed novel of another culture, research critiques of the work –and complete a
research project, |
Modernism (Honors) - 1 year, 1 unit
This challenging course focuses on the ideas and forces which
shaped the 20th and will lead us into the 21st century by developing connections among
literature, art, and history ;,which illustrate how the contemporary world has emerged.
Central topics include Naturalism and the development of Social Darwinism, Freud's impact
on culture, the ascent of women, the assault on ideals during World War I and the spread
of Marx's influence, World War II's effects on contemporary fiction, including
postModernism. The ability to think critically, to develop and defend a thesis, and to
carry out research will be emphasized through an intensive writing program. |
* Precollege Writing - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
Most students in this course intend to continue schooling at a two-
or four-year college where English courses will be taken. Instruction and practice are
provided in writing at the average college freshman level. Emphasis is upon the writing of
longer papers of classification, comparison and contrast, and several other rhetorical
modes. A major portion is a step-bystep production of a research paper which answers a
research question. The research paper constitutes a major portion of the final course
grade. Typing of final drafts is expected. The research paper must be typed. Mastery of
fundamental writing skills is assumed. |
* Speech and Public Speaking - 1 semester, 1/2 unit
This course is designed for students who have the sincere desire to
improve basic speaking skills in both formal and informal situations. Students will
develop poise and self-confidence by improving their ability to communicate effectively.
Among the formal speeches are those of introduction, persuasion, information, personal
experience, and demonstration. Although the emphasis is on speech, students are also
expected to prepare written outlines, write critiques and use library research skills.
Daily class participation is vital to success in this course. |
Twentieth Century World Literature - 1 year, 1 unit
Students study various cultures through the works of
world-acclaimed writers, including Nobel laureates. Students will read works by modem
Asian, African, South American, European and North American writers. Readings are grouped
around themes such as dignity, love, values, beliefs, war, peace, youth, and age, Students
complete both analytical and creative compositions as well as the college or reflective
essay and a research project based on critical reviews of a novel. Students establish
personal goals of competence with corresponding strategies for attainment and compile a
portfolio of their work containing major writing assignments. |
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~Special Services~ |
Writing Center - Non-credit
Located within the library, the Writing Center provides
tutorial instruction in the composition process. Two-fold in its intent, it includes a
Writing Lab providing supplementary remedial assistance for students assigned iln
-addition to their regular English class. it is also available on a "drop-in"
basis for all students who desire help at any stage in the writing process in any subject. |
Reading Lab - Non-credit
Reading Lab is a support system program designed to help
students meet minimum state requirements in reading. Students meet every other day and on
opposite Fridays. Course work includes the reading of short fiction, comprehension and
vocabulary exercises, and deductive thinking skills. In addition, time is set aside for
tutorial assistance in several content areas. |
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