| English 9 | English 10 | English 11 | English 12 |
| Language Skills | Drama I | Drama II | Drama III |
Grade 9 English
English 9 offers freshmen an opportunity to deepen their appreciation of language and sharpen their skills as thinkers and writers. To this end, students explore various literary genres including drama, short story, poetry, and the novel. Additionally, students explore the parts of speech, the parts of a sentence, phrases, clauses, and spelling. Ninth grade English also offers unit studies in vocabulary and analogies as well as opportunities to develop listening and speaking skills. A research paper is also required.
The READING strand explores a range of literary genres. Units of study include novels, short stories, poetry, and drama. In addition, students explore the various elements of literature including plot, characterization, setting foreshadowing, point of view, tone, irony, symbol and theme. Specific works of literature include Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Our Town by Thornton Wilder, Animal Farm by George Orwell, Antigone by Sophocles and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Various short stories and poems are also included in the reading strand.
The WRITING offers students an opportunity to participate in a variety of writing activities. Units include a review of the writing process as well as a review of paragraph structure and purpose. Units in the structure and organization of the essay require students to write a variety of compositions that include description, narration, exposition, persuasion, and literary analysis. Ninth graders will also express themselves on a wide range of topics in the daily paragraph writing project. In addition, students are required to submit a collated writing portfolio that includes the best work of the course. Finally, a MLA compliant research project is required.
The SPEAKING strand includes the delivery of oral reports with particular focus on the organization of fluent delivery, appeal to the audience. Additionally, attention to composure, voice articulation and pronunciation is encouraged.
The LISTENING strand requires that students follow oral instructions and respond to peer presentations.
The LANGUAGE strand focuses on a systematic study of English grammar. Students study the parts of speech, parts of the sentence, phrases, clauses, subject/verb agreement and pronoun/antecedent agreement. The language strand will also include lessons in spelling, punctuation, vocabulary and word analogies.
Grade 10 English
Grade 10 English offers sophomores an opportunity to deepen their appreciation for language and sharpen their skills as thinkers and writers. To this end, students explore selections that are chosen from world literature that include various literary genres such as drama, short story, poetry, and the novel. Additionally, students review the parts of speech and other grammatical functions, including sentence structures. Tenth grade English also offers unit studies in vocabulary and analogies to better prepare students for the SAT verbal test. The learning process enables students to develop better listening and speaking skills. A research paper project and a summative writing portfolio are also required.
The READING strand surveys world literature from 3000 B.C. in the study of the epic, Gilgamesh , to contemporary multi cultural literary selections by Albert Camus (France), Gabriel Garcia Márquez (Colombia) and Najib Mahfouz (Egypt). The focus is to foster comprehension and encourage constructive response, either personal or literary. A variety of genres are studied, including drama (Shakespeare's Julius Caesar), short stories, poetry, essays, and the novel. Students will identify, describe, evaluate and synthesize the essential ideas in the works they read.
The WRITING strand offers students an opportunity to participate in a variety of writing activities. Units include a review of the writing process as well as a review of paragraph coherence and unity. Units in the structure and organization of the essay require students to write a variety of compositions that include description, narration, exposition, persuasion and literary analysis. Tenth graders also express themselves on a wide range of topics in the daily journal writing. In addition, students are required to submit a collated writing portfolio that includes the best work of the course. Finally, an MLA compliant research project is required.
The SPEAKING strand includes the delivery of oral reports with particular focus on the organization of fluent delivery, and appeal to the audience. Additionally, attention to composure, voice articulation and pronunciation is encouraged, while adjusting stress, volume, and inflection to provide emphasis to ideas or to influence the audience. Students use a variety of sentence structures to add interest to a presentation.
The LISTENING strand requires that students follow oral instructions and respond to peer presentations. By listening to others, students ask clarifying questions, take notes, and synthesize information, ideas, and opinions to determine relevancy. They summarize and reflect on what has been heard.
The LANGUAGE strand focuses on a systematic review of English grammar. students review the parts of speech, parts of the sentence, and other grammatical functions. There are lessons in vocabulary and word analogies with a particular focus on SAT preparation. Students will be able to use knowledge of root words and words from literary works to recognize and understand the connotative meaning of new words during reading. The use of a dictionary teaches students to use words in various parts of speech.
Grade 11 English
Grade 11 English offers qualified students the opportunity to extend and refine the skills and concepts learned in English grades 9 - 10. The course is a survey of American Literature, and instruction focuses on helping students to increase understanding, knowledge, and appreciation of literary tradition in America. There is an incorporation of writing, speaking, listening, and language skills built into the study of literature. Students are challenged to think critically and to write effectively. An intensive concentration of SAT vocabulary is studied and applied to writing assignments.
The READING strand uses terminology and concepts learned in previous English courses to analyze various genres of literature. Fiction includes novels, short stories, poetry, and drama. The reading strand incorporates a survey of the Native American origins, and proceed through the explorations of Marco Polo to the Puritan tradition (1608 - 1760), the Enlightenment (1760 - 1830), the Romantic (including the transcendentalists - 1830-1870), Realism (1850 - 1870), and finally Modern works (1900 - present). Major novels that are read include: The Scarlet Letter, Huckleberry Finn, and The Great Gatsby.
The WRITING strand focuses on the comparative essay, which teaches the process of building up the body of support for a strong comparison of authors and/or works. Additionally, the cause/effect essay is a focus in helping students to write with clarity and to be able support their essays. There are three areas of concentration in writing. First, the student keeps a writing journal that is reflective of reading assignments and those directed by the teacher. Next, a summative writing portfolio is required that will combine the student's best work of the course. This portfolio will be collated and presented in a professional form.
The SPEAKING strand includes the delivery of recorded readings of prose or verse as selected from classic pieces of literature. Also, the student will recite lines from selected verse. Additionally, students will serve as leaders of discussion in peer groups. On a regular basis, students will orally critique peer writing and respond to selected newspaper and other media accounts of popular themes relating to literature.
The LISTENING strand requires that students follow oral instructions (step-by-step) and are prepared to respond to the teacher's instructions. Students will also be expected to follow prompts that are explained or instructed through media sources. Active listening will be practiced from occasional video and film and assessed accordingly when finished.
The LANGUAGE strand focuses on a systematic study of vocabulary as well as an in depth study of internal punctuation and grammatical functions. Rather than working with grammar in isolation, it is improved through writing exercises.
Grade 12 English
Grade 12 English offers qualified students the opportunity to extend and refine the skill and concepts learned in English grades 9 - 11. The course is a survey of British literature, and instruction focuses on helping students develop critical thinking skills in examination literacy concepts and the continued introduction of new skills while providing students with appropriate background in the basis skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language. Twelfth grade English also offers unit studies in the etymology of vocabulary as well as opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills. A writing portfolio and MLA compliant research paper is required by the end of the course.
The READING strand uses terminology and concepts learned in previous English courses for analyzing various genres of literature. A strong focus is on the Romantic and Victorian periods of British literature. Fiction includes novels, short stories, poetry and drama. The reading strand begins with the study of the Anglo-Saxon epic, Beowulf, followed by the Prologue to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The survey course continues with the Elizabethan dram of Shakespeare's Hamlet - up through the works of choice in the contemporary period of Great Britain.
The WRITING strand includes literary analysis of selected works with a strong focus on the process-orientated development and support of the thesis statement. Besides the essay, there are three areas of concentration in writing. First, the student keeps a daily writing journal that is a reflection of daily work and including personal diary accounts. Next, a summative writing portfolio is required that combines the student's best work of the course. This portfolio is collated and presented in a professional form. Finally, the English 12 student is required to pass the research paper in order to demonstrate that he/she can research, organize, follow instructions, meet deadlines, and produce a well-written, developed, and supported paper.
The SPEAKING strand includes the delivery of recorded readings of Shakespearean soliloquies and other classic pieces. Also, the student will recite lines from selected verse. Additionally, students will serve as leaders of discussion in peer groups. On a regular basis, students will orally critique peer writing and headline news of the newspaper and video documentaries. There is concentration on the adjustment of stress, volume and inflection in speech to provide emphasis to ideas or to influence the audience.
The LISTENING strand requires that students follow oral instructions (step-by-step) and are prepared to respond to both the teacher and the peer's oral reports. Students take notes of lectures; they synthesize information, ideas and opinions to determine relevancy.
The LANGUAGE strand focuses on a systematic and etymological study as well as an in-depth study of internal punctuation and grammatical functions. Rather than working in isolation, grammar is improved through writing exercises.
Language Skills
Language Skills is a required, remedial course for grade 9 students. It is designed to improve the English language competence in two important skills:reading and writing. It supplements English classes so students are trained in understanding written text and also in writing grammatically correct sentences.
Drama I
This course is designed for the first time drama student. The purpose is to explore a number of dramatic activities in order to create a comfortable and safe environment in which confidence and creativity can exist. Drama I is for the student who doesn't necessarily wish to perform in front of an audience, but wants to develop some skills, try drama and have fun. The course will include the following areas of study: Orientation - a variety of fun, team based activities; Movement - basic stage movement, creative and choreographed; Voice - the uses and manipulation of the voice, vocal care, projection; Acting - the basic forms of performance, group work, and collaborative drama. Many of the units overlap into creative and fun projects. Students may be asked to participate in out of school presentations for extra credit.
Drama II
This course is designed to build on the initial skills developed in Drama I. the course will involve the audition process, the skills and requirements of a trained performer and more in depth study of the actor and some techniques commonly used on stage. The course will include the following areas of study: The History of Acting - Thespes and the Theatre of the Greeks, Shakespeare, Character Development - both scripted and created; The Actor's Script - working with a script and analysis; Creative Collective Creation - Masking; the Play for performance. Some units require performance for an audience of peers or public performance. This class is for those students interested in developing acting skills, confidence on stage and with a sincere interest in drama.
Drama III
This course is designed for students who have an interest in the various stages of creation that a play must go through, from playwriting and script selection, to direction, productions and design. these students will experience a more intensive course, which will require some research and extra-curricular time commitments. The course will include the following areas of study: Theatre History - a Research Project; theatrical Roles- the director, producer, stage manager, designer; Technical Theatre and Stage Design - costuming, lighting, scenic design; Playwriting - creation of an original short script; Script Analysis - as a director; Directing Projects - a final product directed by the student.
Advanced Drama is offered as a course for students who have enjoyed drama in the past and might continue on to study in post-secondary or recreationally after graduation. It will provide the students with a solid foundation for feeling comfortable functioning within a number of roles within a theatrical environment.