English

Department Members

Mrs. Amy Ernest, Dept. Head
Mr. Evan Roane
Mrs. Elizabeth Schwartz

9th Grade

English I

Students study world myth and epic literature, including Greek and Roman mythology, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, The Aeneid, Beowulf, various Arthurian texts, and selections from Dante's Divine Comedy. Study of these works enhances the understanding of later works that allude to these common origins.

Ninth graders also write a 2500-word research paper (a grade for both English and biology). They learn MLA style and format for parenthetical citations and become familiar with the Internet and other sources. Grammar and vocabulary enrichment continue.

Prerequisite: None

Literature

Mythology, Bulfinch
The Odyssey, Homer
Julius Caesar, Shakespeare
Le Morte D'Arthur, Malory
Beowulf
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Selections from Divine Comedy

10th Grade

English II

Students study significant works by American authors to gain understanding and insight into the American voice and identity. They learn higher level thinking skills as well as continue to develop research skills. Students improve communication skills through weekly vocabulary lessons, grammar exercises, and tests.

Students study assorted poetry, essays and short stories from their textbook The American Tradition in Literature, Perkins & Perkins.

Prerequisite: None

Literature

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne
The Tempest, Shakespeare
The Adventures of Huck Finn, Twain
The Crucible, Miller
Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck
Farhenheit 451, Bradbury

11th Grade

AP Language and Literature

This course is an in-depth examination of The Great Chain of Being and its influence of British Literature. Students read Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy, St. Augustine of Hippo's On Free Choice of the Will, and a selection of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in the first semester. These books lay the foundation for our study of the GCOB, which will be the continuing theme for our examination of Shakespeare's King Lear, Milton's Paradise Lost, Lewis' Space trilogy and The Abolition of Man, Shelley's Frankenstein, Voltaire's Candide, and Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray.

Student write an argumentative research paper. Essay writing, in class and as homework exercises, other AP drills, vocabulary, and grammar are ongoing throughout the school year. Some time is also spent on honing college application essay-writing skills in the second semester.

Prerequisites: Completion of all required reading books, grammar proficiency, completion of Consolation of Philosophy the summer before the junior year, and an interview with the AP teacher.

Literature

Norton Anthology of English Literature
Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
Confessions, St. Augustine
The Canturbury Tales, Chaucer
Macbeth, Shakespeare
Paradise Lost, Milton
Frankenstein, Shelley

12th Grade

AP Literature and Composition

This course is an in-depth examination of some of the most influential faces and voices of world literature. Students read Dante's Divine Comedy with related readings that include Plato's Republic, Machiavelli's The Prince, Thomas More's Utopia, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and various critical essays.

Students also write a literary research paper on Hamlet, and examine works by such authors as Jane Austen, Jonathan Swift, Thomas Hardy, C.S. Lewis, Aldous Huxley, and Sophocles. Essay writing, grammar practice, and vocabulary enhancement are ongoing processes.

Prerequisites: Completion of all required reading books, grammar proficiency, completion of Plato's Republic the summer before the senior year.

Required Reading

In addition to their regular literature readings, all high school students MUST read a different set of three novels each year. These readings increase the students’ experience with different authors, subject matter, and styles, as well as improve their reading comprehension and efficiency.

The required reading books for the 2011-12 school year are Quo Vadis and Dracula.

Program Emphases

Grammar: The study of grammar is fundamental to a real understanding of reading and writing our beautiful English language. Beginning in ninth grade, regular diagnostic tests and grammar refresher courses help students with weaknesses in this area.

Vocabulary: We study vocabulary because many reading and writing difficulties come directly from not knowing what words mean. In addition, vocabulary knowledge is critically important on standardized tests like the SAT, so regular drill gives students experience in the form and content of test questions.

Writing: The high school continues analysis of paragraph structure and the essay form. Students hone their skills through writing essays about various topics as well as essay answers on tests. We teach how to prepare a research paper, from how to gather the source material through how to document the information. By the time students graduate, they have written at least four major research papers.

Literature: Our literature choices emphasize—but are not limited to—the classics of Western civilization, chiefly those written in English. Students learn to analyze these works for content, form, style, and theme. In literary analysis, we insist on careful, thorough, open-minded reading, and that students produce evidence for their opinions from the text itself, not from some disconnected imaginings.

Electives

Creative Writing Level I

Students examine various aspects of the creative process in writing fiction and poetry. Our focus is on writing short fiction as we look at different genres in today's markets. Students learn basic elements of crafting short stories by looking at: plotting, developing characters that readers will find interesting, themes, the narrative hook, and dialogue. Students will write poetry in at least one marking period.

Prerequisite: None
Open to students in grades 9 through 12