English 2A/2B is designed to cover some of the basic elements of a traditional sophomore English class. Students will be reading, writing and analyzing texts (Shakespearean sonnets, a choice novel) throughout the course. Additionally, students will hone some basic grammar and punctuation skills, become versed in the art of persuasive speaking and writing and explore heroic archetypes and story patterns.
Science Fiction: Dune
This course is based on Frank Herbert’s novel Dune, the best-selling Science Fiction novel of all time. In addition to reading and analyzing the book, students will consider how the themes and metaphors presented are reflected in modern society and their own lives. The novel is considered to be at a 9th grade reading level though may be somewhat advanced for younger readers. (The novel takes approximately 15-20 hours to read, depending on your reading habits and speed. The audio version is about 21 hours.)
English Test and College Prep
This course is designed to help learners striving to meet college entrance requirements. The course integrates and compresses the standard developmental English curriculum — reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary building, grammar, punctuation and usage skills — and allows learners to accelerate into college-credit courses. This sequence enables learners to make predictions about their reading, analyze rhetorical structures, build vocabulary, and improve writing mechanics. For an overview of the course structure/navigation, watch this 7 min. video.
English 3
Students will learn about early American Literature, beginning with the pre-Colonial writings, Native American myth, and Colonial writings through the significant literary periods including the Age of Reason, the Romantic, Transcendentalist, and Realist movements and into the Modernist/Post-Modernist movement and Contemporary Literature. Students will be able to interact with the literature through various writings and critical thinking while developing an electronic portfolio.
It meets the general requirements for 11th grade English.
English 4
Semester A:
This course is meant to connect the earliest forms of human writing to the kinds of stories we tell and where we might be heading.
Students will work on reading early human literature; exposure to Greek Mythology and British Romanticism. They will also work on the processes of preparing, evaluating, and delivering multiple forms of written communication.
It meets the general requirements for 12th grade English.
Semester B:
How will we interact with the world around us which is changing faster than many people can keep up? This course will use a mixture of old stories (Norse Myth and Othello) as well as the most recent events of the day to determine a balance between technology and humanity.
Students will work on the processes of preparing, evaluating, and delivering multiple forms of written communication using the the most current technologies available. Students will work both individually and in groups for class assignments.
Journalism
This course examines the history, principles, and practices of varied genres of journalism with emphasis on writing news, features, interviews, and editing.
Course Goals and Objectives:
- Understand and appreciate the fundamentals and varied aspects of journalism.
- Analyze and practice the philosophy of ethical high school journalism and legalities within high school journalism.
- Understand and compare/contrast the importance of the business aspects of a news publication and other media sources.
- Investigate and produce various types of news writing and present the finished product in a concise and professional manner.
- Review good interviewing techniques and the proper ways to publish interviews.
- Develop creativity in the design process and layout using various forms of media.
- Appreciate the importance of photojournalism and develop skills of editing and story telling.
- Develop the fundamental vocabulary of journalism.
- Develop skills of researching and writing of varied journalistic pieces.
Creative Writing
This course is intended for students who have an undeniable interest in learning to write poetry, description, and narration for an audience of both peers and the public. It includes a rigorous study of the qualities of good writing, including figurative language, content, focus, organization, and style as well as the reading and interpretation of various types of poetry, fiction and non-fiction that are considered models of good writing. The students will also read pieces that will be modeled in writing creatively.
Writing Process
Students work with their teacher through a process of brainstorming ideas, planning with an audience and purpose in mind, drafting, revising, and final editing on essay topics of the student’s choice. In addition to the general feedback they receive about each step of the process, students also identify their own particular concerns about their writing. The teachers use the students’ questions about writing to individualize the writing process and help students discover ways to make their writing more clear and effective.
World Literature
Students in this course will explore the literature of world cultures through short stories, epic poetry and novel forms. The course will explore universal themes and work to foster an understanding of the commonalities shared by all people as well as differences created by cultures. Students will hone critical thinking skills through analytical assignments as well as compare and contrast writing. In addition, they will make and support assertions about different texts and extend their thinking to related ideas.
Students will complete coursework in an online community and will have scheduled online meetings with the instructor as needed.
American Literature
American Literature is a semester long course in which students will explore the creation of a uniquely American voice in literature by studying themes, forms, and writing styles across literary periods. They will read speeches, essays, short stories and poems online from the Colonial Period, the Romantics, the Realists, the Moderns, and contemporary American Writers. Central themes that travel across all of these literary periods are the American dream, nature, religion, war and death. The course also includes several online videos, discussion forums, multimedia projects, and short writing assignments. Students will consider these essential questions: What makes a literary voice uniquely American? How have generations of American writers influenced each other?