English Department

Reading / Language Arts 6th Grade

The goal of this course is to help students become better readers and writers. This is done through reading books together, individual book reports, studying grammar and punctuation, practicing editing, research, vocabulary practice, and writing in journals. Homework includes individual reading, journal writing, and classroom skill practice. In-class experiences include literature circles, cooperative group learning, daily editing practice, and peer conferencing.

Reading / Language Arts 7th Grade

In this course, skills are closely integrated with those described for the 6th and 8th grade levels. Students will explore various genres in reading which in turn will guide them in the genres they create in writing. They will begin the year reading and writing autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs. In this process they will develop critical thinking and analysis skills and build the foundation of solid mechanics, usage, and grammar skills, so they may experiment with their creativity.

Reading / Language Arts 8th Grade

This course is designed to enable students to communicate well in oral and written form and to read with understanding. The concepts taught to accomplish these goals involve being able to read various genres of literature with thorough understanding. Students should also be able to analyze literature using literary elements. In addition, students should be able to write for different purpose and use a variety of reference materials to gather information. Students should be able to listen effectively to gain information and to critique oral information. Finally, students will be expected to use standard English in speaking and be able to communicate orally in an effective manner.

English 9

This course provides grounding in vocabulary, grammar, composition, and literature. Students write a variety of essays - some creative, some focusing on their own experiences, and others responding to the literature studied of the course. Methods of research are studied, with a paper on a literature-related topic being the end-product of this unit. Literature studied includes the play Romeo and Juliet, poems and short stories by various poets and authors, and the novel Animal Farm.

English 10

This course further develops the study of world literature and the four modes of writing. An MLA -style research paper is to be completed, as well as creative and responsive essays. An in-depth reading of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is required, and students will be expected to make modern connections to the literature. Many current social issues are covered while writing and reading short stories, essays, and poetry. Students will defend their ideas through improved communication skills via speaking, writing, and multi-media presentations. Logic, vocabulary, and grammar strategies are an important part of the course.

English 11

This course combines both reading and writing in an effort to allow students to explore the world of rhetorical relationships and communities and to discover their role as writers and communicators. Students will begin the course by developing an understanding of themselves as readers and writers. They will then initiate a study of rhetoric with early rhetors such as Plato and Aristotle, moving to modern rhetoric and analyzing the connections found in the myriad of genres and authors covered in class. Writing will be viewed as a well-developed process rather that a quick product-oriented assignment. Students will work in peer groups to establish and develop
skills necessary for effective written and oral communication.

English 12

This course focused on British literature from the earliest oral tradition to the present. Students will be expected to write extensively in all modes of composition. AN MLA-style research paper will be completed in conjunction with Senior Seminar during the first semester. Students will be expected to complete a great deal of real-life writing, such as college application essays and resumes. Students will work together and individual while preparing multi-media presentations that connect the historical content with each piece of literature. Logic, vocabulary, and grammar strategies are an important part of the course.