English
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English I: All students are expected to function at the college prep level and to develop excellent communication skills. Students will learn to think and express themselves clearly and logically, both verbally and in writing. Students will read and compare world literature learning to discriminate between and appreciate the relative strengths of the novel, the short story, poetry, speeches, and drama as a way of communicating major themes and ideas related to world civilization. Works will be selected to demonstrate the contributions to world civilization of writers of many different backgrounds, leading to appreciation for cultural diversity. Students will have many written assignments, both creative and expository. Fundamentals of language will be demanded as a means to an end of clear expression of thought. English II: All students are expected to function at the college prep level and to develop excellent communication skills. Students will develop higher order thinking skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Diverse early American writers will be studied, from biographical, political and artistic points of view. Selections will feature works of historical relevance to the periods of early American History being covered in tenth grade social studies. Composition will be stressed. Fundamentals of language will be reinforced and vocabulary will be systematically improved. (pre-requisite-English I) English III: In conjunction with the 11th grade social studies, students will study works modern American literature that that personify key post-Civil War events. They will learn how artistic expression both catalyzes and documents major historical movements. Appreciation for cultural diversity and the contributions of different cultures to American traditions will be stressed. Mechanics of research, evaluation of sources prewriting, organizing, citing sources and formatting will be stressed.(pre-requisite-English II) English IV: The primary focus of English IV is to prepare the students for college. The multiple essay assignments are designed to help the students graduate from the five-paragraph HSPA essay to the more sophisticated level of writing necessary to pass the standard English Composition I and II courses required by all colleges and necessary for a successful college career. The students will read the dystopian novel and the autobiography on their own as homework. The autobiography is most likely the most challenging book the students will read in high school. This will prepare them for the wealth of demanding reading required for a successful college career. The class will culminate with the Shakespeare video project in which every student will be expected to lend his or her performing art skills to create a successful production. The project will incorporate the students’ major. (pre-requisite-English III) |
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