English 9 Honors or English 9 Regents

English HS, High School Courses

Grade 9     Credit: 1 The ninth grade curriculum is literature-based. Students explore short stories, poetry, novels, plays and a variety of non-fiction works. Students are actively engaged in discussion and group activities. Writing assignments focus on response to and analysis of literature, personal reflection, research and creative writing. Public speaking projects help students become more comfortable communicating their thoughts and experiences in front of an audience of peers and teachers. The Honors course challenges students with additional reading and writing assignments and requires them to do a substantial amount of work outside of the classroom. Students in the Honors class must have the self-discipline and desire to challenges themselves intellectually.

English 10 Honors or English 10 Regents

English HS, High School Courses

Grade 10     Credit: 1 This course has two levels of instruction: Regents and Honors. The curriculum consists of a thorough study of American literature including novels, essays, poetry and plays. Writing assignments will include response to and analysis of literature, narrative and expository essays. Students will be expected to be prepared for and fully engaged in class discussion. Collaborative learning will be an important component of classroom instruction. Students in the Honors class will be responsible for several independent literature-based projects throughout the year, including an in-depth author study research paper during the second semester. Guidelines for Entry into the Honors Class: An 85 average in English 9H or a 90 average in English 9R Recommendation from the grade 9 English teacher

English 11 Regents

English HS, High School Courses

Grade 11     Credit: 1 Modern literature from a variety of authors and genres provides the focus for continued development of students’ reading, writing and critical thinking skills in preparation for the rigors of college study. Class discussion and writing assignments will begin with responses to the assigned literature. Students will be expected to be prepared for and engaged in class discussion. Students will be writing analytical, narrative and expository essays and in the spring semester will write a joint History and English research paper.

AP English Literature and Composition

English HS, High School Courses

Grade 12     Credit: 1 The AP English class is the equivalent of an introductory English class for college freshmen. Students will be reading, analyzing and interpreting imaginative literature – short fiction, novels, plays, poetry – written from the 16th and 21st centuries. Students will develop their skills as readers and critical thinkers through close reading and active discussion of numerous texts. Writing will be an integral part of the course, both in response to literature – informally in journals and formally in analytical essays – and in imaginative pieces in prose and poetry. All students must take the AP English Literature and Composition Exam, given in May. Prerequisites: 85 average in English 11H and/or recommendation from the 11th grade English teacher.

English 12

English HS, High School Courses

Grade 12     Credit: 1 This is a college prep English class. A primary objective of the class is to further develop students’ skills and confidence in writing effectively in various genres; reading thoughtfully and perceptively; listening with openness and understanding; speaking in and to a group; working collaboratively as well as independently in a spirit of experimentation; thinking critically; and, directing and assessing their own learning. The fall semester will focus on reading and writing in response to modern and contemporary literature – short stories, novels, plays and essays. In the spring semester the focus will shift to the study of expository writing, research and film.

AP English Language and Composition

English HS

Grade 12     Credit: 1 The AP English class is the equivalent of an introductory English class for college freshmen. The primary focus of this course will be reading and analyzing works of literature and nonfiction texts with the goal of identifying the author’s purpose and audience in crafting these writings. In turn, students will develop their own writing techniques for different purposes and audiences through the use of rhetoric: writing and speaking with the purpose/goal of persuading, informing, or motivating an audience regarding a particular topic or area of interest. Students will examine various historical documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and presidential speeches and determine the writer’s purpose. Additionally, students will read, research, and ultimately write about and present topics of personal interest and world/current events using a rhetorical approach. All students enrolled in the course must take the AP English Language and Composition Exam, given in May. Guidelines for Entry: Must be a Junior or a Senior in good standing Teacher Recommendation Strong interest in persuasive writing and speaking