English 9 (EES81-EES82) The focus of the ninth grade year is helping students acclimate to high school and transition into young adulthood by exploring their identities, relationships and values through a wide array of literary works and targeted performance tasks. Each of the four major units of study have been inspired by the basic literary conflicts: character vs. self, character vs. character, character vs. society, and character vs. nature. Literary works that may be read in this course include The House on Mango Street, Romeo and Juliet, Antigone, Of Mice and Men, Lord of the Flies, and Things Fall Apart. The foundations of standard English grammar and usage are established and reinforced while students develop skills in writing arguments, narratives, and research-based essays. English 9: Mythology (ELS21H-ELS22H) The Mythology course, available for students in the University Scholars program, maintains the focus of the ninth grade year as outlined above, but does so through an examination of the Classical periods of Greek and Roman literature and the myths and legends inspired by a variety of belief systems from around the globe. Thematic connections are established between the Mythology course and the study of Global History and World Languages. Representative texts from this course include The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles, and Edith Hamilton's Mythology. English 10 (EES83-EES84) Many of the themes explored in ninth grade are revisited from other perspectives in the sophomore year. The focus shifts from the impact our relationships, cultures, and societies have on us to how we can exert our influence on others. Through research, debate, and personal experience, students learn about the difference an individual can make in his or her community. Literary texts such as Night, The Crucible, Fahrenheit 451, and The Secret Life of Bees are used to illustrate and explore the influence a single person can wield on others. Students will continue to refine their written and verbal communications skills through performance tasks requiring public presentation, collaboration, and research.
English 11 (EES85-EES86) The chosen themes and literature of the junior year are meant to help students begin the transition toward young adulthood. Preparation for the SAT and the English Language Arts Common Core Regents exam, as well as the drafting and revision of the personal statement, emphasize the importance of college preparation, the college application process, and post-secondary planning. The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, Fences, A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Tortilla Curtain are titles that may be read as part of this course. In addition, students will continue to refine their written and verbal communications skills through performance tasks requiring public presentation, collaboration, and research. English 12 (EES87-EES88) Senior English looks back on many of the themes addressed during the previous three years of English Language Arts study while also looking ahead to the future demands of college and careers. Course materials and assessments make use of real world problems and current events to stimulate critical thinking about issues of personal, local, and global importance. Literary selections may include Hamlet, The Stranger, The Joy Luck Club, and The Kite Runner. AP Language and Composition (EES85X-EES86X) The AP course in English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing.
AP Literature and Composition (EES87X-EES88X) The AP English Literature and Composition course engages students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students 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. Literary works that may be read in this course include Hamlet, Frankenstein, Heart of Darkness, The Grapes of Wrath, Invisible Man, and The Kite Runner. The study of poetry features works that are representative of eras from the Renaissance to the present. English Composition I (Fall Semester) Composition I entails the development of a process for producing intelligent essays that are clearly and effectively written. Students engage in library work and produce approximately 6,000 words of writing, through both formal themes written for evaluation and informal writing such as the keeping of a journal. In addition, students review grammar and syntax, sentence structure, paragraph development and organization, and the formulation of thesis statements.
English Composition II (Spring Semester) Composition II entails continued practice in writing combined with an introduction to literature: fiction, drama, and poetry. In addition, students review basic elements of writing and analytical and critical reading skills and research strategies. Students must take Composition I in order to be eligible for Composition II.