ENGLISH PREP –

See Elective Credit Courses Section

 

HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH 1-2

Grade Level: 9

Prerequisite: None

Meets the UC/CSU “B” or “G” requirement

In High School English 1-2, students will continue to develop their thinking-in-writing by practicing a variety of writing modes including the literary analysis essay, descriptive writing and formal, academic research. Concurrently, they will acquire and use specific skills to read and respond to different genres of literature, which could include the short story, myths and legends, the novel, and assorted non-fiction, and will gradually move to more sophisticated reading and writing. By combining their reading of literature with a process approach to writing, students will not only broaden their knowledge of literary techniques, but also learn to connect their own personal experiences with the literature.

 

HONORS HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH 1-2

Grade Level: 9

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation

Meets the UC/CSU “B” or “G” requirement

Honors H.S. English 1-2 is an advanced version of High School English 1-2. Students read several novels, poetry, and Shakespearean drama, as well as outside novels or nonfiction works from a required reading list. The literary analysis is introduced and practiced as well as other formatted types of writing including the documented multi-page research paper on a controversial issue. The parts of speech and types of sentences and usage are reviewed, and twenty vocabulary words are studied and tested weekly.

 

HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH 3-4

Grade Level: 10-12

Prerequisite: High School English I-2

Meets the UC/CSU “B” or “G” requirement

Through a thematic approach to the study of literature and written composition, students in High School English 3-4 will broaden their knowledge of literature and its cultural elements (e.g. art, music, dance, politics, etc.). They will improve their ability to understand their connection to literature, develop writing and thinking skills, master punctuation and grammar skills, and further improve listening and speaking skills. Writing modes addressed will include: reflective, interpretive, and evaluative. Also, a research-based controversial issue essay will be required.

 

HONORS HUMANITIES 1-2

Grade Level: 10

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation

Meets the UC/CSU “B” or “G” requirement

Honors Humanities 1-2 emphasizes expository expression, both written and oral. Students write in a variety of essay modes including: controversial issue, cause/effect, reflective, compare/contrast, and literary analysis. Students learn to form a thesis statement, organize support information, and develop an introduction, body and conclusion appropriate for each assignment. The course involves library research, internet investigations, outside reading, peer cooperation, and formal public speaking. Additionally, students will begin a survey of Western culture beginning with the Ancient Greeks and through and beyond the Renaissance up to the 20th Century .

 

JOURNALISM/ILIAD-School Newspaper

Grade Level: 10-12

Prerequisite: Teacher Permission

Meets the UC/CSU “G” requirement

In Journalism 2, students design and produce the school newspaper. They learn news, feature, review, editorial and sports writing styles, as well as laws related to journalists. Using a computer desktop publishing program, they design pages and finalize their work. Students also familiarize themselves with the business aspects of newspaper production by handling advertising accounts.

 

AMERICAN LITERATURE 1-2

Grade Level: 11-12

Prerequisite: High School English 3-4

Meets the UC/CSU “B” or “G” requirement

American Literature 1-2 introduces famous American writers such as Bradford, Dickinson, Whitman, Irving, Poe, Crane, Twain, O’Henry, Hawthorne, Hemingway and Steinbeck, and the philosophical context of the literature. American Literature 2 deals with more modern American writers. Possible choices of authors to be studied include Faulkner, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Albee, O’Neill, Williams, Salinger, Sandburg, Frost, or Fitzgerald. Students will continue to practice the essay format, advanced literary concepts and SAT vocabulary.

 

BRITISH LITERATURE 1-2

Grade Level: 12

Prerequisite: American Literature 1-2

Meets the UC/CSU “B” or “G” requirement

British Literature 1-2 is a course that acquaints students with various genres and themes of literature produced by Irish, English, and Scottish writers. The course will develop students’ techniques in reading, writing, speaking, and presenting. While individual courses may vary, students will generally be expected to read 20-30 pages per night and be able to discuss each night’s reading the following day.

 

WORLD LITERATURE 1-2

Grade Level: 12

Prerequisite: American Literature 1-2

Meets the UC/CSU “B” or “G” requirement

World Literature studies the literature, histories and cultures of Africa, India, the Orient, Latin America, and parts of Europe. This course is designed to educate the students so that they will be able to recognize the differences between cultures and, in so doing, the universality of the human condition. Readings include several modern titles. Compositions are geared to prepare seniors for college.

 

EXPOSITORY READING AND WRITING

Grade Level: 12

Prerequisite: American Literature

Meets the UC/CSU “B” or “G” requirement

Expository Reading and Writing prepares college-bound seniors for the literacy demands of higher education. Students in this yearlong, rhetoric-based course will become more proficient in expository, analytical and argumentative reading and writing, increasing their awareness of the rhetorical strategies employed by authors and applying those same strategies to their own writing.

 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Grade Level: 11-12

Prerequisite: High School English 3-4 or Honors Humanities

Meets the UC/CSU “B” or “G” requirement

AP English Language is a two-semester course designed to prepare students to take the AP Language Exam. Students will read, discuss, and write about fiction and non-fiction literature, from Colonial to modern times, focusing on text analysis, rhetorical strategies, and vocabulary development. They will develop a more specific understanding of how audience, speaker, style and purpose shape persuasive writing. This course also emphasizes the development of research skills and requires students to write a 15-20 argumentative research paper on a modern American author of their choice.

 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH LITERATURE 1-2

Grade Level: 12

Prerequisite: 3.5 GPA Teacher Recommendation

Meets the UC/CSU “B” or “G” requirement

Advanced Placement English 1-2 is a college-level course designed to prepare students to take the Advanced Placement English examination. The course presents examples of Western literary development from the Greeks through the twentieth century, acquainting students with various genres and themes. Emphasis will be placed on a close reading and analysis of the individual literary work. In addition, attention may be given to the historical and philosophical characteristics of the authors, literary movements, and genres. Students also will be expected to write expository, researched papers.