ENGLISH I:
(Required - Grade 9 - one year course) The English student will read a variety of literary genres. Students will learn the elements of short story, plays, memoir, and the novel. Students will learn to analyze literature. The basic skills necessary for written and oral communication are taught and reviewed. Students will write compositions that vary in content and form for different audiences and purposes. Each student will write a research paper. Book reports are assigned based on the student's interest and reading skills. Skills required to pass the High School Proficiency Assessment will be stressed. Related career interests are researched.
ENGLISH I-H – HONORS:
(Special Placement - Grade 9 - one year course) The English I-Honors student is introduced to a series of literary themes and styles. Reading comprehension is developed through the use of the short story, poetry, the fable, the autobiography, the play, drama and the novel, which are used to bring forth the literary themes. Author's styles are explored. Written and oral communication are taught and reviewed; composition techniques are stressed and practiced. Preparation for the completion of a research project is required from each student. In preparation for the completion of a research project is required from each student. In preparation for the SAT's, vocabulary development is taught through the study of prefixes, root suffixes, analogies, and word etymologies. Written and oral reports are assigned. Two of the six required book reports will include reading and evaluating classics. Related career interests are researched.
ENGLISH II:
(Required - Grade 10 - one-year course) Students examine the achievements of American and world authors by reading and discussing non-fiction, fiction, poetry, short stories and plays. Emphasis is placed on oral and written expression. Opportunities are provided to improve writing ability. Constant reference is made to basic grammar skills and structure, and vocabulary development. A unit on the Holocaust is presented during the course.
ENGLISH II-H – HONORS:
(Special Placement - Grade 10 - one-year course) This course focuses on an intensive study of literary genres by American and world authors as well as emphasis on oral and written expression. Elements to be stressed include writing, literature, vocabulary, and grammar. Skills required to achieve on standardized tests are stressed. A unit on the Holocaust is presented during the course.
ENGLISH III:
(Required - Grade 11 - one-year course) This course will focus on various genres of American literature from the colonial period to the modern period. Genres such as the essay, diary, poetry, short story, drama and the novel will be included in the survey.
ENGLISH III-H – HONORS:
(Special Placement - Grade 11 - one-year course) This course covers the heritage of American literature. Students analyze sophisticated selections in a chronological and comparative study of authors. Formal writing styles and logical patterns of critical thinking are explored. Various methods of research are employed in the writing of papers. HSPA skills will be reviewed for the required test. Strategies for achievement on the PSAT/SAT will be stressed.
ENGLISH IV:
(Required - Grade 12 - one-year course) This course includes the study of British authors and historical backgrounds. Practical grammar and usage and correct spelling are employed in the writing of short papers, resumes, letters of application and inquiry. The elements of research are reviewed and a research paper is required. Related career interests will be explored.
ENGLISH IV AP:
(Grade 12 - one-year course) The AP English Literature and Composition course is designed to engage students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students can deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students should consider a work's structure, style, and themes, as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. The AP test is course requirement.
ENGLISH 9:
(Special Placement - Grade 9 - one-year course) Modification of the above curriculum, with emphasis on reading and writing skills and implementation of IEP, form the basis of the course.
ENGLISH 10:
(Special Placement - Grade 10 - one-year course) Modifications of the above curriculum, with emphasis on reading and writing skills and implementation of IEP, form the basis of the course.
ENGLISH 11:
(Special Placement - Grade 11 - one-year course) Modifications of the above curriculum, with emphasis on reading and writing skills and implementation of IEP, form the basis of the course. Skills and strategies necessary for standardized tests will be introduced and stressed on appropriate levels.
ENGLISH 12:
(Special Placement - Grade 12 - one-year course) Modifications of the above curriculum, with emphasis on reading and writing skills and implementation of IEP, form the basis of the course. Skills and strategies necessary for standardized tests will be introduced and stressed on appropriate levels.
PREPARATION FOR H.S.P.A.:
(Students who are not in honors or remedial classes - Grade 10 - one semester) This course is designed to increase the students' proficiency in the written word and to prepare them for standardized tests of written ability.
Basic grammar skills, vocabulary building will be emphasized throughout the year. HSPA skills will be reviewed for the required test.
HSPA COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
(Special Placement - Grade 9, 10, 11, 12 - (two) one semester courses) This course is designed to continue the development of reading and writing skills, emphasizing those clusters present on standardized tests. Critical reading, inference skills, and techniques of composition will be stressed.
*Student is eligible for 5.0 graduation credits the first time this course is taken. If it is necessary for the student to take this course again, no credit is given.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE:
(Special Placement - Grade 9, 10, 11, 12 - one year) English as a Second Language is a course designed to introduce the student to English grammar and usage, vocabulary development and spelling as applied in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The course will prepare those students whose native language is other than English and whose level of English proficiency is below the standard level for high school graduation for college and/or the job market. Each student will be monitored and challenged according to his/her level of ability.
DRAMA:
(Elective - Grade 10, 11, 12 - one-year course) This course deals with an introduction to the theatrical medium. It will provide students with an understanding of the origins of drama and of the technical aspects of play production. Students enrolled in the course will be required to engage in improvisational and one-act play performance.
This course satisfies the performing arts requirement for graduation credit.
WRITING FROM THE CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE:
(Elective - Grade 10, 11, 12 - one semester) This course is designed for sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are interested in studying film and developing their critical reading and writing skills. This course will stress the importance of formal analysis in reacting to films as art, with a detailed and well-researched critical essay as a final project.
SAT PREPARATORY PROGRAM:
(Elective - Grade 11 - one-SEMESTER) An integrated review and an introduction to English and Mathematics designed for the student taking the SAT. The primary concern will be the test-taking skills and the practice necessary for raising the level of student capability. This course will be graded as Pass/Fail.
THEMES IN CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE FICTION:
(Elective-Grade 9, 10, 11, 12 - one semester) This course is a study in the cultural significance of the Science Fiction craze in the middle and latter part of the 20th century. The TV series The Twilight Zone will be the springboard for the critical analysis of the themes presented in the episodes. The purpose is to explore such universal themes as intolerance and prejudice, fear and annihilation, loneliness and isolation, and the future technological change.
SHAKESPEARE PLAYS OF LOVE:
(Elective - Grade 9, 10, 11, 12- one semester) This course is designed to familiarize students with the plays of Shakespeare. Emphasis is placed on the understanding and enjoyment of the plots and characters. This course demonstrates the timelessness of Shakespeare's characters. These characters represent all the varieties of personality that exist in humankind.
GOTHIC LITERATURE I, II:
(Elective - Grade 10 ,11, 12 - (two) semester courses) This course is designed for students who are interested in studying the genre of gothic literature as an art form. Students will read and analyze classic and contemporary gothic literature as well as literary criticism. Students will develop critical reading and writing skills. If a student takes both semesters of this course he/she will be granted a college unit.
CREATIVE WRITING:
(Elective - Grade 9, 10, 11, 12 - one year course) This course is designed for any student who has an interest in creative writing. The class will be taught as a writing workshop: students will compose and revise their work constantly and will have the opportunity to share and perform their work with their classmates and with the community at large. Critical thinking skills and creative expression will be emphasized on all projects. This course provides 5 credits for the visual, performing and practical arts requirement.
