ENGLISH

1 Credit
Grade 11-12

Graduation Category: Humanities/English

This college-level course is intended for highly motivated, skilled juniors with an interest in becoming more proficient writers and critical thinkers. By studying various genres, styles and authors, students develop and refine their skills in textual analysis, written and oral composition, and building arguments through research and synthesis, all of which are essential for success on the Advanced Placement Exam and in college writing. Although the course is predicated on nonfiction text (essays, speeches, letters, autobiography, criticism), students also analyze visual texts and works of fiction. Additionally, the intense focus on language in this course will enhance students' ability to use grammatical conventions appropriately and with sophistication, as well as to develop stylistic maturity in their prose. Participation in the Advanced Placement exam is an expectation of this course.

1 Credit
Grade 12

Graduation Category: Humanities/English

This college-level course is intended for highly motivated, highly skilled students who have a strong interest in literature and writing. Course readings include a variety of challenging classic and contemporary works of prose, drama, non-fiction and poetry from American and world literature. Course activities include presentation, research writing, literary analysis and discussion, and individual and group work - all focused on extending students' literary breadth and understanding of genre. Participation in the Advanced Placement exam is an expectation of this course.

Students in this course may earn UConn credit (English 1007: Seminar & Studio in Academic Writing & Multimodal Composition) if they obtain a “C” or above on the writing projects throughout the school year. The writing tasks will vary in length, but by the end of fourth quarter, students will have composed 25-30 pages of revised academic writing.

.5 Credit
Grade 12

Graduation Category: Humanities/English

Creative Writing is a one-semester elective offered to students who wish to enrich and extend their writing ability. Creative Writing takes an ambitious and broad view of writing. Students are encouraged to try their hand at poetry, personal essay, review, feature, and short story. Beyond the traditional creative writing products, however, students will also be exposed to creative approaches to writing standard academic and career expository compositions, such as analysis and narrative report.  

1 Credit
Grade 9

Graduation Category: Humanities/English

English 9 is primarily concerned with extending students' language skills through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students are required to practice basic expository writing, to participate in purposeful reading, and to engage actively in class discussions. Emphasis is also given to reader response and development of a writing portfolio. Throughout the course, there is a strong emphasis on spelling, vocabulary development, and the use of standard written English. The literary genres of non-fiction, poetry, drama, short story and novel are stressed. English 9 is offered at the Standard and Honors level.

1 Credit
Grade 10
Prerequisite: Successful completion of grade 9 English course requirements

Graduation Category: Humanities/English

English 10 is primarily concerned with the development of reading comprehension, critical thinking, and expository and narrative writing skills in order to prepare students for the elective program. An emphasis will also be placed on vocabulary development and standard written English. The course emphasizes American literature, and contemporary titles have been added to the curriculum. As with any English course, students prepare and submit portfolios. English 10 is offered at the Standard and Honors level. 

1 Credit
Grade 11

Prerequisite:  Successful completion of grade 10 English course requirements

Graduation Category: Humanities/English

The Individual and Society empowers students to explore the relationship between the individual and society, as well as the ways in which society shapes the individual. By diving into course texts with diverse characters and conflicts, students will come to understand the complexity involved in defining our personal identities in society. In this course, students will explore how language is used both to communicate and to create art. They will practice analyzing texts and images and work on improving their skills in writing, speaking, and building arguments. Students will examine different authors' language styles, focusing on their word choices and sentence structures. They will have various opportunities to express their ideas through speaking, writing, and other methods. Throughout their work, students will need to use strong evidence from texts to back up their claims.

1 Credit
Grade 12

Graduation Category: Humanities/English 

Everywhere students look today, they are bombarded by visual images that inform, entertain, and exploit.  Contemporary Composition is concerned with helping students develop an informed and critical understanding of the nature of visual imagery, the techniques used to create these images, and the impact of these techniques. More specifically, the aim of this course is to increase students' understanding of the power of visual images in our everyday life. In this course, the students will demonstrate the ability to deconstruct visual images and will apply literacy and critical thinking skills to a variety of visual messages. Students will study both print and non-print images such as radio, magazines, film, television, video games, computers, the performing arts, and virtual reality. Course activities will include presentations, critical analysis and interpretation, small and large group discussions, research projects, and a summative presentation. Students in this course may earn UConn credit (ENGL 1007 Seminar & Studio in Academic Writing & Multimodal Composition) if they obtain a “C” or above on the writing projects throughout the school year. The writing tasks will vary in length, but by the end of fourth quarter, students will have composed 25-30 pages of revised academic writing.

.5 Credit
Grade 12

Graduation Category: Humanities/English

Contemporary Journalism is a one-semester course for students who are interested in how news and information travels in a contemporary context with a focus on multimodal communications. This course will prepare all students to be discerning and conscientious: both those who aspire to produce media and also those who consume news-media.  Students will analyze diverse sources of news media and will submit news-media for publication.

.5 Credit
Grade 12

Graduation Category: Humanities/ English

The Language of Poetry and Lyrics is a one-semester elective for students who want to explore the power of both words and music. There will be a focus on the content, purpose and accessibility of poems and lyrics and what they create. Additionally, students will explore how they utilize, command, manipulate and depend on words and linguistic prowess in order to communicate with people by exploring the entire spectrum of the human experience and all of the emotions which it encompasses.  The class will dive into the practice and craft of writing poetry and lyrics. Student’s reflections and insights on their own writing routines, process and product which will be assessed and not the actual work they produce. Students will have the chance to explore a genre and artist/group of their choice as well a body of work by a poet of their choice. Group discourse and peer review of works studied as well as works created by students will be a regular component of the course.

.5 Credit
Grade 12

Graduation Category: Humanities/ English

Monsters and Mythos is a one-semester elective offered to students who want to examine the dynamics of horror, ancient to contemporary, with special attention to monsters as grotesque manifestations of cultural values. What do we label as “monstrous” and why? What physical and moral boundaries exist around being human? Toward answering such questions, we will explore myths, literature, and film, beginning with our most recognizable monsters—vampires, zombies, werewolves, and mummies—and ending with the new shapes that haunt our contemporary landscape. In short, Monsters and Mythos exploits our collective fascination with the danger, mystery, and grotesquerie of history’s most enduring genre.

1 Credit
Grade 12

Graduation Category:  Humanities/English

This course exposes students to representative works by and about women from historical, social, and literary perspectives. A focus on the contribution of women authors from diverse eras and cultures will illuminate how gender roles develop and change and how women's views of themselves are reflected in their writing. Students will read non-fiction, poetry, prose, drama, and novels from the different phases of Women's Literature. Through identifying the stereotypes and controversial ideas of feminism throughout history, students can deconstruct preexisting ideas about gender and family in society. In short, this course allows students to confirm, challenge, or extend current assumptions about what it means to be a "woman" or "man."

Students in this course may earn UConn credit for this course (ENGL 1007 Seminar & Studio in Academic Writing & Multimodal Composition) if they get a “C” or above on the writing projects throughout the course of the school year. The writing tasks will vary in length, but by the end of fourth quarter, students will have composed 25-30 pages of revised academic writing.