Listed below are all of the English classes available to high school students.

For a complete list of all of the Anthologies/Textbooks and Supplementary Materials used by the English classes, click here.

Honors English Program

The Honors English program follows a four-year sequence. Students who exhibit superior knowledge of the subject matter, particularly grammar, and who express an interest in doing advanced work in English in high school and possibly in college are selected by the English faculty for Honors classes. Approximately eight to sixteen themes, both in-class as well as out-of-class, are required.

Honors English 9 (weighted 0.1)

Recommended entrance to the program is based on district criteria as well as the student's interest in and enthusiasm for the subject. This course is designed to prepare students for participation in both the Honors English program through Grade 11 and, eventually, the Advanced Placement class in Grade 12.

Upon entering the Honors English 9 course, students should demonstrate exceptional performance in independent reading, writing and study skills. Students should expect to master learning at an accelerated pace, as well as produce projects and coursework above and beyond Level 1 English 9. Students will be expected to assume more responsibility for increased independent learning and decision-making. Students are expected to engage themselves in active classroom discussions and other means of presentation. The course has a summer reading requirement.

Honors English 10 (weighted .01)

The class completes all the formal and applied grammar required in a college preparatory program. Most of the year the class studies American literature. The basic text, Literature (McDougal, Littell), is supplemented with nine novels and three dramas. Vocabulary building and paragraph development are also stressed. Students are required to write a short literary research paper. The course has a summer reading requirement.

Honors English 11 (weighted .01)

The eleventh grade honors class studies British literature most of the year. Novels, plays, poetry and short stories are read and analyzed. Themes are expository in nature, with emphasis placed on the in-class essay. Vocabulary work is continued. One research paper is required. The course has a summer reading requirement.

Advanced Placement English 12 (weighted 0.1)
Students must take the AP Exam and score at least a "3" to receive the 0.1 weight value)

The twelfth grade class studies World Literature. The group uses a college text, Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense (Harcourt, Brace and Jovanovich), which is supplemented with several novels. Weekly themes are required as well as longer papers and a research paper. The course provides preparation for the Advanced Placement Examination in composition and literature. Again, the student themes are based primarily on the literature. The course has a summer reading requirement.

Level 1 English Program

English 9

In ninth grade students review parts of speech in grammar and concentrate on all aspects of verbs and noun functions. In literature, students study a short story unit and read Romeo and Juliet, The Odyssey and at least one novel. Eight major themes and a demonstration speech are required. Library orientation is also addressed in this standards-aligned course.

English 10

This course is provided for students who have the aptitude for doing college preparatory level, or similarly academically-challenging, work in language skills. The standards-aligned course includes units of grammar, usage, vocabulary, composition and literature. The basic literature text is Literature (McDougal, Littel) and the grammar text is Correct Writing (Butler, Hickman, Overby). The literature text is supplemented with several novels read outside class. Students write eight major themes based on the assigned literature. A speech to inform is also required.

English 11

The Grade 11 standards-aligned course is devoted to the study of American literature. Discussion centers on certain themes and motifs which frequently recur in American prose and poetry. The basic texts are The American Experience (Prentice Hall) and Warriner's English Grammar and Composition II (Harcourt, Brace and Co.). Independent novels are also studied throughout the year. Students write eight major themes, mostly of an expository nature. Since students take the SAT's in the spring, the course stresses vocabulary and reviews some finer points of grammar. At the end of the year, students write a critical paper based on the study of an original work and a minimum of two secondary sources. Students are also required to give a persuasive speech.

English 12

The twelfth grade student follows a standards-aligned curriculum that focuses primarily on British literature from Chaucer to Golding. Assignments reflect a strong emphasis on the development of skills in expository writing. Composition work is integrated with the study of literature, and students complete a senior research paper. Students also review grammar, usage and vocabulary related to their writing. To fulfill the speech requirement, seniors deliver a farewell address.

Level 2 English Program

English 9

In this standards-aligned course, grammatical instruction concentrates on reviewing concepts learned in seventh and eighth grades. New material includes work with kinds of pronouns and verbs as well as noun functions. In literature, students read short stories, Romeo and Juliet, and The Odyssey. Students are required to write eight major themes and give a demonstration speech. Library orientation will also be addressed.

English 10

The tenth grade English program focuses on development of expository writing as it pertains to literature. Pervasive in the curriculum is a continued focus on grammar skills in the context of writing. The primary grammar text is Glencoe Grammar and Composition and Handbook (Glencoe McGraw-Hill). Students study both novels and plays throughout the school year. A research project and speech are also required. Instructors use a diverse approach to the material to prepare students for college or for technical school.

English 11

In eleventh grade English, students strive to perfect their skills in vocabulary, reading and composition per standards-aligned curriculum. Because many students are preparing for college entrance, vocabulary study focuses on words commonly found on the SAT's. Grammar units are structured to reinforce the more complex concepts introduced in tenth grade, and to improve the student's writing style. Warriner's English Grammar and Composition II (Harcourt, Brace and Co.) is used along with teacher-generated worksheets. Reading and composition focus on the study of American literature. Discussion centers around themes and motifs which frequently occur in American prose and poetry. Prentice Hall's text The American Experience is supplemented with at least six novels and dramas. Students produce at least eight major themes, including expository essays based on literature and written both in and out of class. Students also write several business letters and are required to give a persuasive speech.

English 12

British literature is the focus of the Grade 12 standards-aligned English program. Students read genres including the Anglo-Saxon epic, Elizabethan drama and modern short story. Students write both in and outside of class.

Other English Offerings

Speech (semester)

This one-semester course explores the practical and formal uses of speech in public speaking and reading aloud. The course work can be adjusted to the needs of individual students or of special groups. Valuable exercises are given in the developing of listening skills and evaluative skills. Emphasis is devoted to studying delivery and writing for a variety of speech experiences. The emphasis is on getting the student to speak the language clearly, pleasantly and effectively. Oral reading of a variety of types of written material is included. Students must maintain a "C" average or higher in English to enroll. Priority will be given to students who have not previously taken the course. (Grades 10 through 12) (PREREQUISITE: C in English)

Journalism

Journalism presents the student with a study of the media (newspapers, magazines and television) in the high school and with an overview of the mass media as it operates in America. The study of high school journalism details how students organize and produce a newspaper, a magazine and a TV script. It also acquaints students with journalistic writing as a form of composition focusing on news, feature, sports and editorial writing. The study of the mass media in America develops a basis for discriminating reading, listening and intelligent consumer use of the mass media. The emphasis focuses on newspapers, magazines and television and develops critical, but positive, attitudes in the student about the role and the responsibility of a free press in America. (Grades 10 through 12) (PREREQUISITE: Enrolled in Academic/Honors English levels)

Creative Writing (semester)

Creative Writing, a one-semester course, will be a basic study of how to write poetry, short stories, drama (one act) and descriptive essays. Students will study good examples of these types of writing and will have opportunities to develop their styles in these forms of expression through a significant number of large and small writing requirements. Students must maintain a "C" average or higher in English to enroll. Priority will be given to students who have not previously taken the course. (Grades 10 through 12) (PREREQUISITE: C in English)

Strategeic Reading/English 9

This is a full year, two-period course that is designed to accelerate the proficiency of ninth grade students in reading, with emphasis on fluency and comprehension. The reinforcement of skills will be followed by the presentation of the English 9 course.