Program of Studies Program of Studies 2019-2020 | Page 19

consider the connection between literature and the
student’s own life. Paragraph development, grammar,
usage, vocabulary, and real world communication
skills will be emphasized. Continued attention
will be paid to assist the student in developing the
skills, knowledge and habits of mind that will foster
effective written and oral communication as well as an
appreciation for literature.
JUNIORS
Eleventh grade English is a multi-genre literature
course that examines the American dream and what
it means to be an American. Much of the literature
is chosen to enhance understanding of the historical
periods studied in the junior United States history
courses, with students investigating the historical
context of the assigned readings and the literature’s
relevance to their own lives. All juniors will study The
Crucible and The Great Gatsby, various short stories,
novels, essays, and works of nonfiction such as Into
the Wild. Eleventh grade classes will continue work
on mastery of analysis and research, with attention
to critical reviews of author’s claims. Understanding
writing for different audiences and purposes will be
emphasized, specifically in the context of expository,
persuasive, descriptive, and personal narrative writing.
All junior English classes receive direct grammar
instruction through an online program.
AP Language and Composition
1 credit
Prerequisite: An A in Sophomore English or
successful completion of Honors Sophomore
English and placement by instructor
For the highly motivated and skilled English devotee
who wants to pursue a rigorous study of language and
rhetoric, these students will come to understand and
appreciate the complex relationship between writers
and readers. Students will write extensively, for a
variety of purposes, employing a variety of strategies.
Writer’s voice, tone, syntax, diction, discourse, and
style comprise the foundation of the class. Using
essays and other forms of nonfiction from a variety
of outside sources and a class anthology, students
will pay strict attention to each writer’s method and
message, and will read and analyze the rhetorical
devices used in each piece. Students will be required
to write research papers each semester, and it is
mandatory for all students to take the AP exam in
May.
NOTE: A summer reading assignment is
mandatory; see details in the introduction to this
section.
Honors Junior English
1 credit
Prerequisite: Sophomore English and placement
by instructor
How is American thought and identity both
reflected and shaped by its literature? This rigorous
course offers a critical understanding of American
literature. Students will be expected to express their
understanding in a clear, organized manner through
class discussion and written assignments. In addition
to the common texts listed above, students will read
at least four additional novels, short stories, essays
and poetry. A research project will culminate in a
major research paper. This course will challenge
students who have demonstrated above average
competency in English to develop skills more
intensively in the areas of reading, public speaking
and writing.
NOTE: A summer reading assignment is
mandatory; see details in the introduction to this
section.
Junior English
1 credit
Prerequisite: Placement by instructor and school
counselor
This course provides the pace and content expected
of students preparing to further their education
after high school at two- and four- year colleges
and universities. This course continues to build on
work established in Sophomore English, with special
attention paid to SAT preparation, literary analysis,
research, personal narrative, and writing an effective
college essay. What does it mean to be an American?
Juniors taking this course will explore American
identity and culture through its literature, and will
develop an understanding of their relationship to that
body of work. Students will come to understand both
the Puritan heritage and the conflict of the McCarthy
era through The Crucible, to question the definition
of the American dream through The Great Gatsby, and
to question truth through The Things They Carried.
In addition to these works, students will read at least
two more novels, nonfiction, various short stories,
essays, and poems.