The overall goal of this course is to prepare students with the critical reading and writing skills required for success across the various academic disciplines. Specific topics to be covered include the basic parts of speech and their respective functions in sentences, paragraph development, essay organization, text annotation, contextualized vocabulary study, and critical reading strategies. Teaching methodologies include both teacher and student-directed instruction. The explicit teaching of text structure, the use of graphic organizers, the modeling of writing strategies, the use of cooperative learning, the employment of a variety of discussion models, and the maintenance of reading response logs are among the methods used to engage a wide range of learning styles. The first semester's emphasis on contemporary young adult fiction; prepares students for the second semester's study of appropriately more challenging works of literature including an introductory study of world myths and branching into both classic and contemporary sources of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. This course is required for graduation. Pre-Requisite: None.

The goal of Honors Language and Literature is to advance the critical reading, writing, and thinking skills of qualifying students. Mythology, along with classic and contemporary works of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction serve as points of departure for study and discussion. Students engage the writing process, practicing a variety of writing modes including exposition, persuasion, argumentation, narration, and comparison/contrast. Students receive specific instruction in the development of strong thesis statements, effective supporting paragraphs, and logical, convincing conclusions. Teaching methodologies include both teacher and student directed instruction, direct lecture, group projects, dramatic presentations, whole class and small group discussions, and independent inquiry. Students earning a C- or higher receive an extra point towards their grade point averages. This course is not UC-approved for Honors Credit. Pre-Requisites: Students must be freshmen and have earned qualifying scores on the Entrance Exam and demonstrate mastery of several skills on the English Challenge Exam. Estimated homework load / types of homework required: Students enrolling in this Honors level course should expect three to six hours of homework per week with additional time required for unit projects. Time required will vary as students' reading and writing speeds vary, but critical attention is expected and required for this course. Additionally, summer reading and writing, Christmas break reading, and Easter break reading will be assigned.

This course seeks to further develop students' reading comprehension and literary analysis skills through the wide-ranging exploration of coming-of-age literature, with written responses to relevant prompts. Specific topics include coming-of-age and related issues of social, moral, and aesthetic development. Students will read and discuss the texts, write formal essays on related topics, and further study basic technical aspects of composition, grammar, vocabulary, and critical thought. Teachers will instruct by lecture and discussion of literary themes and related social justice issues. Students will develop an understanding of texts and themes through group work, dramatic re-creations, and oral presentations. This course (or its Honors-level equivalent) is required for graduation. Pre-Requisites:Students must be sophomores and have passed English 9.

This Honors level course is designed to better prepare students for success in the college-level demands of our upper division English classes. Sophomore Pre-AP English Language and Literature draws its highly motivated students from all sections of freshman Language and Literature classes. The department requires students to apply for a position in this course. Acceptance is based on the student's potential for success as determined through the motivation to apply, grades, writing samples, and a time-sensitive response to an assigned summer reading and writing project. This course seeks to further engage students in the process of close reading, studying, analyzing, and writing about a variety of literary and non-literary texts. Planned content is drawn from both classic and contemporary fiction, poetry, and drama, along with thematically consistent non-fiction and visual texts. Central to instruction over the academic year are thorough introductions to a wide range of literary/poetic terms appropriate to each unit's content as well as a comprehensive introduction to the rhetorical modes of writing. Several outcomes transcending all unit-specific outcomes are: the development of strong thesis statements, the development of effective and deliberate essay arrangement, the development of text-specific exemplification, the development of effective quotation integration, and the development of appropriate source documentation. Students earning a C- or higher receive an extra point towards their grade point averages. Pre-Requisites:Students must be sophomores, have earned an A- or higher in English 9 or a B+ or higher in Honors English 9, and submit the online application by the published deadline. They must also successfully complete deadline-sensitive summer reading and writing assignments, and receive department approval. Estimated homework load / types of homework required: Students enrolling in this honors level course should expect four to six hours of homework per week with additional time required for unit projects and occasional flex period meetings. Time required will vary as students' reading and writing speeds vary, but critical attention is expected and required for this course. Additionally, summer reading and writing, Christmas break reading, and Easter break reading may be assigned.

The two overarching goals of this course are to prepare students for the rigors of college-level writing with emphasis on argumentation strategies and argument analysis and to simultaneously prepare them for the Advanced Placement Language and Composition Examination. This class is both reading-and-writing intensive, driven by the idea that advanced critical thinking is a product of practice. Students are taught to identify logical fallacies, to frame their own arguments, to analyze the arguments of others, and to intentionally employ rhetorical tropes for effect in their own writing. Teaching methodologies include direct lecture and discussion, peer editing and evaluation, individual and group interpretation of visuals, maintenance of reading response logs, and practice with various components of retired and released Advanced Placement examinations. Pre-Requisites: Students must be juniors or seniors and have earned an A- in the previous year's college preparatory English course(s) or a B+ in the previous year's AP English or pre-AP English course. They must also receive department approval after submitting the online application by the published deadline and successfully complete a deadline-sensitive summer reading and writing assignment. Estimated homework load / types of homework required: Students enrolling in this honors level course should expect four to six hours of homework per week with additional time required for unit projects and occasional flex period meetings. Time required will vary as students' reading and writing speeds vary, but critical attention is expected and required for this course. Additionally, summer reading and writing, Christmas break reading, and Easter break reading will be assigned.

This course is designed to expand and develop skills in critical reading of and writing about literature. Students will develop the critical reading and composition skills necessary for advanced college coursework and the Advanced Placement exam. Students will read and analyze poetry, prose, and drama from a wide range of literary periods. This course stresses a sophisticated awareness of genre, theme, and style, focusing on works by British and American authors, contemporary writings, and world literature.Students will understand how authors use elements such as diction, imagery, syntax, details, and figurative language to convey theme. Extensive reading of novels, poetry, essays, plays, and literary criticism are integrated into course assignments. Discussion is the primary way in which students come to understand a novel, essay, play, or poem. Preparation (having read the assigned materials and engaging in vocabulary enrichment) will be critical to the success of these discussions. Daily writing will serve as a means by which students train to respond, to synthesize, and to evaluate literature discussed in and outside of class.Pre-Requisites:Students must be juniors or seniors and have earned an A- in the previous year's college preparatory English course(s) or a B+ in the previous year's AP English or pre-AP English course. They must also receive department approval after submitting the online application by the published deadline and successfully complete a deadline-sensitive summer reading and writing assignment. Estimated homework load / types of homework required: Students enrolling in this honors level course should expect four to eight hours of homework per week with additional time required for unit projects and occasional flex period meetings. Time required will vary as students' reading and writing speeds vary, but critical attention is expected and required for this course. Additionally, summer reading and writing, Christmas break reading, and Easter break reading will be assigned.

This course will not be offered in 2016-2017. This course is dedicated to the study of shorter contemporary fiction and the study of the craft of writing short fiction and poetry. Through engaged reading and writing activities, students will analyze the various literary elements authors use to craft fiction and poetry including voice, imagery, tensions, character, setting, and plot. Significant works from American, British, and world authors of the 19th centuries forward will be studied. Students will complete the semester with the publications of their original works of fiction and poetry. Pre-Requisites:Students must be juniors or seniors and have passed all required English courses.

This course will not be offered in 2016-2017. This is a comprehensive course designed to develop a full range of English skills: reading, writing, listening, and note-taking within the context of literature drawn from the perspective of contemporary writers. The aim of this course is to examine representative works of fiction and non-fiction, giving special attention to religious, philosophical, ethical, social, emotional, and logical concerns reflected in them. Students will be introduced to works such as: How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Anthem, The High Window, Cat's Cradle, Stardust, and a selection of short stories, contemporary plays, journals, online publications, critical essays, and articles. Pre-Requisites: Students must be juniors or seniors and have passed all required English courses.

This course will not be offered in 2016-2017. According to literary critic and theorist Northrop Frye, "Literature speaks the language of the imagination, and the study of literature is supposed to train and improve the imagination." Through the study of the human mind by reading and discussing historically classic and contemporary global literature, students continue to train and improve their imaginations and understandings of the human condition, and in the process, distinguish between moral and aesthetic truth. The literature covered in this selective course, from storytellers such as Homer, Blake, Shelley, Shakespeare, Hurston, and Hosseini, will focus on exploring questions of introspection: Who am I? How do we, as humans, interact with one another? What influences have made me the person I am today? What is my place in the world? How does faith influence my actions and my service to others? And, perhaps an issue of more urgency as students consider their futures, What does the path of my future look like? Pre-requisites: Students must be juniors or seniors and have passed all required English courses.

This course will be offered in 2015-2016. It will not be offered in 2016-2017. In this thematically organized course, students will read and write from experiences with a variety of genres, historical periods, and cultures as they explore the presence, use, and power of myth. Literature will cover a historical and genre spectrum from oral creation myths, classical Greek and Roman mythology, Native American tales, and modern comic book and movie myths. Students will be asked to identify, analyze, and evaluate the role and nature of myths as reflected in literature through close readings, discussion, reflection, and writing. This course is designed to provide college bound students with a foundation in literary synthesis and further their literary analysis skills. As this course is taught mostly through discussion and shared learning, extensive preparation in reading, annotation, and writing should be expected. Pre-Requisites: Student must be a junior or senior and have passed all required English courses.

This course will be offered in 2015-2016. It will not be offered in 2016-2017. This course focuses on the power, use, and nature of legends. The literature of this course is selected to provoke deeper understanding of how legends reflect and shape culture. Questions to be explored include: how do historical tales become legends? How is the role of legend different than the role of history in shaping cultural identity and social truths? When and how should we separate legend from fact? The texts for the class will vary in genre and time period from ancient legends such as Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and Odysseus to more modern legends and figures such as the assassination of JFK, the government response to Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X. As this course is taught mostly through discussion and shared learning, extensive preparation in reading, annotation, and writing should be expected. Pre-Requisites: Student must be a junior or senior and have passed all required English courses.

This course will not be offered in 2016-2017. The purpose of the Science Fiction Literature course is to provide an introduction to the science fiction genre and some of its major sub-genres with the goal of understanding the importance of science fiction in illuminating real-life issues, exploring how these modern-day problems could manifest in the future or the present, and to examine the pivotal role speculative fiction has played in developing many of our current technologies and understanding our own humanity. The course poses questions such as: What are the types of activities we engage in every day? What are the potential impacts of these activities? What role does science fiction play in the realization of technological advances once thought to be purely imaginative and impossible? What is the role of social justice with the genre? A study of vocabulary, grammar, literary elements, and development of a more proficient writing process will be a significant part of this course.Ê Pre-Requisites:Ê Students must be juniors or seniors and have passed all previous English courses.

This course will not be offered in 2016-2017. This course highlights the significant impact William Shakespeare has had on the literature of today. Plays studied will include selections from his tragedies, comedies, and histories such as: Hamlet, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, and Richard III. Students will participate in an examination of literary theory and a consideration of "Who was Shakespeare?" within the analytical context of the text. This course includes practice in composition, intensive study of vocabulary, grammar, the development of the understanding of literary elements. Students should expect to compose two major analytical essays on topics of their choosing related to the plays studied such as analysis of a major theme of one of the plays, themes of the Renaissance, directing Shakespearean plays, or the genre shift from stage to film. While not an acting course, students should expect to read aloud, get "into" character, and be active participants in the presentation of the words on the page. Pre-Requisites: Students must be juniors or seniors and have passed all required English courses.

This course will not be offered in 2016-2017. This semester course offers a thematic and chronological approach in the development of American literature and reflects on the cultural diversity of the American spirit.ÊOverall, students will receive exposure to different cultures and their experiences dealing with the American experience. This course will include a variety of reading and writing activities including narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository essays, short stories, poetry, and critical analysis. Written and oral presentations will be administered through class discussions, dramatic performance, storytelling, speeches, debates, oral readings, poetry, and research reports.ÊThroughout this journey through American literature, students will discover, discuss, and respond to the issues surrounding various themes such as truth, conflict, ethnicity, the physical world, gender equality, and the ever-changing definition of Òliterature.Ó Pre-Requisites: Students must be juniors or seniors and have passed all required English courses.

This course will not be offered in 2016-2017. This course studies the works of great English writers from the seventeenth century through the Modern Period. The focus of this course will be to expose students to the rich literary traditions exemplified by British writers throughout history. The sequence of the selected readings will be, for the most part, chronological. Students in the course will discover how writers responded to experiences all human beings are faced with: God, love, nature, death, youth, age, and the discovery of the self. Expository writing and critical analysis of the novels are major emphases in the course. Overall, students will improve their ability to write clearly, accurately, and coherently. Writing, analysis, and vocabulary development will be ongoing segments of the course as will the practice of correct grammar, usage, and mechanics. Pre-Requisites: Students must be juniors or seniors and have passed all required English courses.

This course will be offered in 2016-2017. Through the literature uncovered in this course, students will examine the Victorian and othersÕ understanding of the relationship between the living and the dead and how that affects our contemporary beliefs. Novels may include Frankenstein and Dracula, as well as short stories and poetry by James, Woolf, Poe, Dickinson, Rossetti, King, and more. This course includes extensive practice in composition, an intensive study of vocabulary, grammar, and the development of understanding of literary elements. Students will receive direct instruction in literary analysis, criticism, and argumentation. The primary objective of this course is to provide college bound students with an introduction to genre-specific literature appreciation and the development of literary analysis. As this seminar is designed as a discussion and shared learning group experience, extensive preparation in reading and writing should be expected. Pre-Requisites:Ê Students must be juniors or seniors and have passed all required English courses.

This course will not be offered in 2016-2017.  This course explores human reactions to desperate circumstances. How and why do people find themselves at risk, and, once they are, how do they cope? Whether climbing to the HimalayasÕ heights, struggling to survive in a war-torn country, or surviving in harsh climates, humans must frequently confront challenges to their own mortality. What reserve do these brave souls call upon to prevail? It is the human spirit? Is it faith? What enables them to survive against insurmountable odds? Representative titles are The Road, Into the Wild, and A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Solider, as well as a variety of short stories and poems.Ê Students will use personal reflections, portfolios, creative writing, essays, and poetry to examine their own attitudes about faith, strength, and society. Goals include the expansion of inferential skills, the growth of a personal vocabulary, the heightened awareness of oneÕs surroundings, the sharpened consciousness of world events, and the formation of a personal response to life- threatening challenges. Pre-Requisites:Ê Students must be juniors or seniors and have passed all required English courses.

The primary purpose of this elective course is to develop oral communication skills and build confidence for public speaking. In addition to speech preparation and delivery, students will engage in topic selection processes and development, audience analysis, research, outlining, listening, and critique. This course is a UC-approved elective in English on the list but does not satisfy core English requirements. Pre-Requisites: Student must be a junior or senior and have passed all required English courses.