English I: Coming of Age and the Quest for Identity
In English I, we will explore the complementary themes of coming of age and the quest for identity. The thematic focus of this course provides us with a platform from which we can develop our skills as critical thinkers, readers, and writers. In our reading and discussion of various texts-including short stories, poetry, novels, and films-we will consider both the meaning and form of the works. Throughout the course we will write in a variety of genres such as personal narrative, reflection, and literary analysis.
Text/materials needed:
Golding, Lord of the Flies
Hamilton, Mythology
Homer, The Odyssey (Fagles trans.)
Knowles, A Separate Peace
McCullers, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream
English II
This required course engages students in an extensive study of the short story form in the first semester, helping them to acquire a critical vocabulary and learn specifically about the literary elements of Plot, Character, Setting, Theme, Style, Tone, and Point of View. The writing component focuses on literary analysis and interpretation, with an emphasis on organization, structure, and thesis statement development. Regular vocabulary study is required. In the second semester students study multiple or longer works by major authors as well as literary criticism. The writing component focuses on research, with students preparing a major documented research essay on a literary topic. Regular vocabulary study is once again required.
Text/Materials needed:
Bronte, Jane Eyre
Roberts and Jacobs, eds., Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing
Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition
Information Seeking
Information Seeking offers true life-long learning. The contents of this course will be integrated into existing projects, papers and assignments being completed in English II. The additional skills taught in this class are common to all disciplines, learning environments and levels of education. This class addresses the increasingly important skills that students need to intelligently use technology and sort through the complexity of information being presented to them from a variety of places in a range formats. In this class the students will become trained thinkers, seekers, evaluators and users of information.