101   English 1 Fundamentals                                             Grade 9 Credit:  1.00  Prerequisite:  Teacher and/or Counselor Recom.

Students will read and use a variety of methods to explain various kinds of texts, respond orally to ideas and information gained by reading selected texts, express their conclusions and observations in paragraphs and multi-paragraphs that meet accepted standards of grammar and spelling, and apply technology skills in processing their writing.  Students who require remedial work in basic language skills will apply their studies to parts of speech, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure in composition exercises.  Reading activities focus on comprehension and stimulate oral communication skills as students design questions, provide answers, and discuss their observations in complete thoughts.  Homework assignments, quizzes, tests, oral presentation, collaborative work, individual and group projects, and a writing portfolio serve as assessment techniques.

 

102   English 1                                                                       Grade 9

Credit 1:00                                                          Prerequisite:  None

Student outcomes focus on developing a variety of methods of reading, demonstrating the application of the basics of English grammar, composing single-paragraph and multi-paragraph reports and essays, specifying the components of the communication process, identifying appropriate sources of information, and applying technology skills.  Additional Applied Communication modules supplement the curriculum.  Activities include individual observations, collaborative work, individual projects, listening practices, and formal and informal written and oral reports.  Assessments require completion of homework assignments, participation in class discussions and activities, quizzes, oral and written responses, and tests.

 

103   English 1 (College Preparatory)                                Grade 9

Credit:  1.00                                                        Prerequisite:  None

Outcomes of the course are developing methods of reading several types of literature; applying grammar, usage, and vocabulary skills to the composition of paragraph and multi-paragraph essays; collaborating with peers; and giving oral presentations before the class.  Students gain reading, writing, speaking, and listening competencies that focus on the demands of college requirements.  Students also use the computer labs to revise and edit their writing.  During the course, students engage in individual and group studying and learning activities, classroom discussions, collaborative projects, oral presentations, peer revising and editing, and computer applications.  Assessment techniques include homework assignments, individual and group projects, oral presentations, quizzes, tests, and paragraph and multi-paragraph essays.

 

104   English 2 Fundamentals                                             Grade 10

Credit:  1.00       Prerequisite; Teacher and /or Counselor Recom. Student outcomes include developing improved methods of reading various types of literature, sharing observations made as a result of selected reading, and composing paragraphs that demonstrate a growing control of grammar and spelling.  Students will continue to improve their grammar and usage skills by applying these skills to more complex paragraph development.  Students read numerous types of literature, and they exchange their ideas orally in individual and collaborative activities.  Students are assessed on the basis of their homework assignments, quizzes, tests, oral presentation, and a writing portfolio.

 

105  English 2                                                                         Grade 10

Credit 1.00                                                                    Prerequisite:  None

By applying different methods to reading various types of literature, applying effective grammar skills to composing expository paragraphs, responding orally to reading and writing experiences, recognizing and describing work-related problems, using problem-solving techniques, and demonstrating oral and written communication skills that are important to starting a  new job, students achieve the outcomes of this course.  Two Applied Communication modules supplement the traditional language arts units.  In achieving the outcomes, students engage in the following activities:  individual observations, collaborative work, listening practices, problem-solving experiences, role-playing, and formal and informal written and oral reports and commentaries.  Homework assignments, participation in class discussions and activities, quizzes, oral and written responses, and tests are the assessment techniques.

 

106  English 2 (College Preparatory)                                 Grade 10

Credit: 1.00                                                          Prerequisite:  None

The outcomes of this course provide the foundation for students to enter the English elective program during their junior and senior years.  Specific outcomes include the development of reading methods that enhance students’ abilities to comprehend complex texts; the application  of grammar, usage, vocabulary and technology skills to compose multi-paragraph essays; and the demonstration of oral skills that indicate competencies in speaking and listening.  Likewise, students improve their reading and writing skills by studying different approaches to various types of literature and  by sharing their reactions to and understanding of the literature in written essays.  Composing personal essays enhances the students’ expository skills, and the use of computers reinforces the process approach to writing.  In achieving these outcomes and competencies, students become involved in a number of activities which include individual and group study experiences, collaborative work, oral presentation, library research, class discussions, peer revising and editing, and computer applications.  Assessment tools include homework, oral presentation, quizzes, tests, collaborative achievement, and multi-paragraph essays.

 

107    English 2 CP/WAG 2 EN

Credit:  2.00                                  Prerequisite:  Invitation only

Upon successful completion of this course, students will receive a history/social studies credit toward graduation.  The enrichment activities are tied to World/American History and Geography.  Selected enrichment activities include: simulations (Disunia, Division-Civil War), group projects (debates, History Day, media presentations), and individual projects.

 

Basic Composition                                                        Grade 11, 12

Students gain additional writing practice and grammatical study prior to electing Expository Writing by achieving the following outcomes in this course; composing a unified and coherent paragraph, developing the basics of the effective five-paragraph essay, and eliminating stylistic errors.  Students complete individual and group activities that enhance selection of subjects, logical organization, specific development, clarity, variety, and conciseness.  Assessments include biweekly vocabulary quizzes, documenting the stages of the writing process, numerous original paragraphs, and several five-paragraph essays.

 

Expository Writing                                                        Grade 11, 12

The outcomes of the course require that students demonstrate the process stages of writing, apply the process of writing in developing the multi-paragraph essay, compose essays using a variety of exposition methods, compose forms of writing that meet rigorous standards and document ideas that are not their own.  The course begins with an emphasis on clear, concise, and accurate writing and proceeds to more complex developmental techniques used in writing essays. Likewise, students study the rhetorical forms of argument and persuasion as well as the common forms of fallacious reasoning.  Classroom activities include writing lab experiences, reading and discussing sample essays, peer revising and editing, and researching sources in the media center.  Assessments include vocabulary quizzes, multi-paragraph essays, and a comprehensive research paper.

 

Short Story                                                                      Grade 11, 12

The outcomes of this course include developing methods of reading the short story, identifying and analyzing the techniques and themes used by the author, and composing analyses which demonstrate students’ critical awareness.  As students read traditional and contemporary short stories, they determine, through class discussions and collaborative work, the relationship between the author’s choice of methods, purpose, and the significant elements of conflict, character, and theme.  Quizzes, essays, formal written analyses, and a research paper are the formal assessments.

 

Modern Novel                                                                  Grade 11, 12

The outcomes of this course are explaining how fiction elements function in a given novel, identifying the major themes of the modern novel, and criticizing orally and in writing the form, themes, and quality of a given novel.  Studying selected novels intensively, students will complete activities that include daily discussions, collaborative projects, and oral and written analyses.  Formal essays, tests, class participation, and an extensive term paper are the assessment methods.

 

Poetry                                                                               Grade 11, 12

By the conclusion of the course, students will achieve the following outcomes;  familiarity with the methods and approaches of carefully reading poetry and interpreting complex writings, identification of the major movements in  poetry as well as the significant devices used by poets, discussing the ideas gained from reading and listening to poetry, and responding orally and in writing to the themes of poems.  Daily readings, group discussions, and writing original poetry comprise the major activities.  Assessments include quizzes, tests, analytical papers, and a literary analysis term paper.

 

Trends in American Literature                                    Grade 11, 12

Reading excerpts from representative works of  American literature form the early 1600’s to the present, students complete the following course outcomes:  adjusting reading strategies to the techniques used in various types of literature, explaining the developing forms of American literature as they reflect the changing social, economic, political, and philosophic attitudes of American culture, and analyzing (orally and in writing) the cultural influences on literature and the authors’ views on the world.  Students take notes, discuss, and write analyses as they read samples of the essay, biography, autobiography, short story, novel, poetry, and drama.  Assessment methods include participation in class, independent reading projects, tests, and literary analyses.

 

World Literature                                                            Grade  11, 12

Student outcomes encompass explaining the literal levels of complex selections from world literature, determining which methods best apply to reading different types of literature, discussing (orally and in writing) the themes of representative works, and composing analyses that probe different levels of interpretation.  Reacting to works such as Homer’s Illiad, Virgil’s Aneid, Dante’s Divine Comedy, and Machiavelli’s The Prince, students discuss and analyze the impact of culture and the time period on each major work.  Assessments include daily class discussions, written analyses of selected works, individual and collaborative projects, tests, and a final term paper.

 

British Writers                                                                Grade 11, 12

Surveying English literature from Beowulf to The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” students develop techniques of reading the various genres studies in the course, trace the development of the English language, analyze the literature as a reflection of the history and thoughts of each period, and compose analyses which probe the thematic levels of selected works.  Activities throughout the semester include creative writing exercises, class discussion, and individual and collaborative presentations.  Students are assessed by their contributions to the class discussions, quizzes, tests, analytical papers, and a research paper.

 

Poetry and Fiction Writing                                            Grade 11, 12

The course outcomes include applying creative writing skills and resolving problems related to composing fiction and poetry.  Likewise, students express their thoughts, feelings and experiences honestly through writing as an art form, similar to painting or music; and they produce their original fiction and poetry after revising and editing their own work.  Reading and discussing sample pieces of writing, composing their own fiction and poetry, evaluating their own work, and critiquing the work of others are the major classroom activities.  Assessment requires students to write, revise, edit, and publish several forms of poetry and fiction.

 

Library and Vocabulary Study                                     Grade 11, 12

The outcomes of this course are the use of effective research skills, the application of the process of writing, the composition of appropriately developed and documented research papers, and the completion of twenty vocabulary units.  Students research, analyze, organize, and document information found in primary and secondary sources; and they use technology to draft, revise, and edit their work.  The demands of each writing assignment grow throughout the semester, and students achieve a greater independence and confidence with each publication.  Likewise, students improve their vocabulary by examining the origin, growth, associations, and definitions of selected words.  Activities include individual and collaborative work and the development of a writing and vocabulary portfolio.   Methods of assessment are completing the writing process for each major assignment, publishing four papers, developing a vocabulary notebook and completing ten vocabulary tests.

 

Drama                                                                              Grade 11, 12

Recognizing the variety of methods of reading dramas, tracing the historical growth of the drama as a genre, deciding the significant issues that the literature reveals, and analyzing various interpretations of the plays are the major outcomes of the course.  Readers’ theatre performances, class discussions, note taking, and oral and written character analyses comprise the activities used as students read such outstanding playwrights such as Shakespeare, Moliere, Ibsen, O'Neil, Chekhov, Wilde, and Miller.  Students complete independent interpretations, group assignments, essay tests, and a literary analysis as their assessments.

 

Women’s Literature                                                      Grade 11, 12

Reading and interpreting representative

works written by women writers in order to discover the woman’s voice in literary history and to explore a number of women’s issues are the outcomes of this course.  As students read fiction, poetry, drama, autobiography, and the essay, they will participate in activities such as individual and collaborative interpretations, class discussions, and written and oral analyses.  This class work will emphasize and support independent interpretations of literature.  Assessments will include oral presentations, short written responses, and formal essays.

 

Oral Communications                                                            Grade 11, 12

Explaining the communication process, making oral presentations designed to inform, persuade, demonstrate, and interpret, enhancing self-awareness and confidence, and obtaining meaning from oral messages are the outcomes of this course.   Students draft and rehearse their speeches, make their presentation, employ audio-visual aides, and respond to audience feedback.  Likewise, students identify the speaker’s purpose ;and the structure of the message as they demonstrate listening skills.  Assessments include the process of designing speeches, the oral presentation, and audience etiquette and feedback.

 

English Grammar                                                          Grade 11, 12

Course outcomes are correcting weaknesses in writing and speaking, developing grammatically and stylistically effective composition skills, and applying the writing skills in various forms of discourse.  In achieving these outcomes, students participate in class discussions, individual and group presentations, collaborative work, designing and completing numerous worksheets, and study groups.  Teacher and student-designed quizzes, homework assignments, unit tests, brief writing samples, and a final comprehensive examination constitute the assessments for the course.

 

Theater Arts                                                                    Grade 11, 12

Students will develop oral communication skills, write original scripts for dramatization, and perform monologue, small group, and large group scenes as the major outcomes of this course.  As students grow in effective self-expression, an appreciation of drama as an art, and an application of play production, they experience all types of theatre, interpret characters, and portray these characters to the class.  Activities which enhance these competencies are individual rehearsals, frequent collaborative projects, conferences with the instructor, written and oral analyses of characters and dramas, program design, limited staging and costuming, and critiques of dramatizations.  Assessment methods include the process of rehearsal, written analyses and program design, individual and group performances, and contributions to class criticisms.

 

130    Honors English                                                          Grade 12

Credit:  1.00                             Prerequisite:  A Literature Elective

Presenting in oral or written form a mature criticism of any given short story, novel, poem or play is the primary outcome of this advanced literature and composition course.  Class activities include extensive discussions of literature, independent interpretations of selected works, and conferences with the instructor to address students’ written literary analyses.  Assessment is based on frequent analytical essay assignments and essay tests.  This course is designed specifically to mirror the content of first year college English courses. A reading project is assigned to be completed during the summer before the course begins.

 

131    English AP                                                                  Grade 12

Credit:  1.50                              Prerequisite:  A Literature Elective

This course includes all the activities and objectives of Honors English, but continues into a second semester to prepare students to take the Advanced Placement English test in literature and composition.  Taking this test is required of students in this course, and a successful score may earn the student college credit and/or exemption from college English requirements.  A reading project is assigned to be completed during the summer before the course begins.

 

132    Reading                                                        Grade 9, 10, 11, 12

Credit:  1.00                                                        Prerequisite:  None

Outcomes include strengthening basic reading comprehension, developing competence in practical reading with special attention given to future vocational and education skills, and achieving a positive attitude toward reading.  Activities include reading short stories, plays, poetry, newspapers, magazines, articles, and novels in a non-threatening environment that fosters innovative and creative reading strategies and permits students to work independently as well as collaboratively.  Quizzes, tests, projects, presentations, and writing samples are the assessment methods.

 

135    Journalism                                                             Grade 11, 12

Credit:  1.00                            Prerequisite: Recommemdation by Publication Advisor

The specific purpose of this course is to aid in completing assignments for various school publications.  Outcomes include familiarity with the tools used in publication design, development of contemporary publication layouts, development of writing skills in creating copy for layouts, problem-solving techniques in publication design and development of computer skills in publication design.  Students will work individually and in small groups on a variety of sections for school publications.  Assessment methods include completion of assignments, meeting publication deadlines and meeting expectations of section editors and advisors.

 

136    Journalism 2

 

140    Humanities                                                     Grade 10, 11, 12

Credit:  1.00                                                          Prerequisite: None

Tracing the growth of the artistic and cultural achievements of Western Civilization, examining the contributions of major artists, and judging the impact that various forms of art have on an audience are the major outcomes of the course.  Students read descriptions and criticisms of significant art periods; and they infer the impact of music, language, painting, sculpture, dance and architecture as they engage in independent projects, collaborative work, seminar discussions, and the development of a “critique of art” portfolio.  Guest speakers, artists, and visits to museums and theaters complement the class activities.  Students are assessed on their class involvement, individual presentations, group work, and portfolio.

 

145    Applied Communication 1 & 2                            Grade 11, 12

Credit:  1.00                                                          Prerequisite:  None

The outcomes of the course include effective communication with co-workers, productive participation in groups, following and giving directions appropriately, and building rapport and cooperation with supervisors.  In accomplishing these outcomes, students achieve the following competencies: reading and interpreting data presented in books, manuals, and other printed materials or electronic sources; composing logical and understandable reports, memos, descriptions, and explanations; following oral directions and preparing oral summaries for the purpose of informing.  Activities range from reading assignments, collaborative work, formal and informal written and oral reports, and interviews to library research and computer application.  Students will be assessed by methods such as homework, quizzes, tests, class discussion, oral reports, written summaries and reports, and a portfolio.

Presenting their point of view through oral and written persuasion, communicating with future clients and customers, and making and responding to requests are the major outcomes of the course.  As students achieve these outcomes, they develop the following competencies: to identify the characteristics of persuasive presentation; to present evidence, orally and in writing, that supports a point of view; to demonstrate the characteristics of effective worker-supervisor communication; to review and edit written reports, persuasive message, and correspondence; and to paraphrase graphics (tables, diagrams, etc.) for the purpose of sharing information.  Activities range from reading assignments, collaborative work, formal and informal written and oral reports, and interviews to library research and computer application.  Students will be assessed by methods such as homework, quizzes, tests, class discussion, oral reports, written summaries and reports, and a portfolio.

 

146    Applied Communications 3 & 4                          Grade 11, 12

Credit:   1.00                           Prerequisite:  Applied Comm. 1 & 2

Level outcomes of this course include applying reasoning and critical thinking competencies, solving interpersonal conflicts, evaluating performance, and researching one’s job as well as upgrading, retraining, and changing jobs.  To achieve these outcomes, students will complete the following:  read, restate, and paraphrase a variety of copy to confirm comprehension of what was read; adjust reading strategies to the purpose and type of reading; compose logical and understandable correspondence, descriptions, and explanations that meet acceptable standards for grammar and spelling; analyze information gathered from formal and informal presentations; determine when more information is needed and ask appropriate questions to gain information; and prepare and deliver oral presentations for the purpose of informing.  Activities range from reading assignments, collaborative work, formal and informal written and oral reports, and interviews to library research and computer application.  Students will be assessed by methods such as homework, quizzes, tests, class discussion, oral reports, written summaries and reports, and a portfolio.

The final course in the Applied Communication sequence focuses on the following outcomes:  recognizing how competition, technology, and global economy affect communication in the workplace; improving communication and problem solving skills; completing communication tasks and technical writing tasks typical of workplace situations; and exploring electronic technologies as they are used to enhance communication in the workplace.  The competencies require specific skills: discerning how different modes of technical writing are specifically appropriate to a variety of audiences; composing technical writing examples that fulfill the criteria of accepted language standards, the demands of the workplace, and the needs of the audience; using communication technologies to enhance the communication process; and asking appropriate questions and exchanging ideas orally.  Activities range from reading assignments, collaborative work, formal and informal written and oral reports, and interviews to library research and computer application.  Students will be assessed by methods such as homework, quizzes, tests, class discussion, oral reports, written summaries and reports, and a portfolio.