English

This one-year course is an introduction to a variety of literary genres including the short story, poetry, drama, the novel, and mythology. Grammar is taught formally and within the context of writing. Vocabulary includes the study of root word meanings, synonyms, antonyms, analogies, and usage. Words for this study come from vocabulary texts and literature. Writing instruction emphasizes the paragraph and the five-paragraph essay form; creative writing is also taught and practiced.  UC Approved

 

Prerequisite: Students are recommended for this class by a committee that reviews entrance exam scores, writing samples, and previous English grades. A passing score on the honors placement essay is required.

This is a one-year advanced course in the genres of literature including mythology, drama, poetry, the short story, and the novel. Writing instruction focuses on critical and analytical thinking. A variety of rhetorical modes are taught and practiced. Vocabulary includes the study of root word meanings, synonyms, antonyms, analogies, and usage in preparation for standardized tests. Proficiency in grammar, reading comprehension, analytical thinking, and writing are essential for this faster paced course. Participation in this class does not guarantee acceptance into Honors English II.  UC Approved

This one-year course uses a thematic approach to literature through a variety of literary genres including the short story, poetry, drama, and the novel. The readings focus on multicultural literature. The further study of grammar, composition, and vocabulary are in the same format as English I. Composition includes a variety of rhetorical modes and encourages critical and analytical thinking. Students receive formal instruction of the research process and documentation styles.  UC Approved

 

Prerequisite: B or higher both semesters in Honors English I; An A both semesters in English I. A passing score on the honors placement essay is required for all English I students and honors students who receive a B- in any semester.

This one-year advanced course in literature includes ancient and modern drama, the novel, romantic and classical poetry, and short story selections. Writing skills emphasize descriptive writing, formal essays, and the research process. Competency in grammar plus a proficiency in reading comprehension and analysis are required. Participation in this class does not guarantee acceptance into AP English Language and Composition.  UC Approved

This one-year course, engages students in a survey of American literature from pre-Colonial 17th Century to the multicultural literature of the 21st Century.  This includes an in-depth study of poetry, short stories, essays, drama, and novels. The course also further develops students’ approach to the writing process. Writing skills focus on pre-college rhetoric and discourse through several assignments on expository, advocacy, and argumentative composition.  The spring semester focus on an intense, semester-long research-based writing project results in a multi-draft research project.  UC Approved

 

Prerequisite: B or better both semesters in Honors English II; An A both semesters of English II. A passing score on the honors placement essay is required for all English I students and honors students who receive a B- in any semester.

This one-year advanced course engages students in a survey of American literature from pre-Colonial 17th Century to the multicultural literature of the 21st Century.  This includes an in-depth study of poetry, short stories, essays, drama, and novels. The course also further develops students’ approach to the writing process. Writing skills focus on pre-college rhetoric and discourse through several assignments on expository, advocacy, and argumentative composition.  The spring semester focus on an intense, semester-long research-based writing project results in a multi-draft research project.  UC Approved

 

Prerequisites: An A both semesters in Honors English II  

In preparation for the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition exam in May, this year long course focuses on rhetoric and the fundamentals of argument. Students will learn how authors position their texts in specific contexts and craft meaning using rhetorical strategies. The class places a heavy emphasis on reading nonfiction and requires students to produce numerous compositions, many of which are timed in-class essays. Students will need clear proficiency in writing, reading, and editing to participate effectively in this course. Participation in AP English Language and Composition does not guarantee selection for AP English Literature and Composition. UC Approved

To prepare seniors for the literacy demands of higher education, this class is designed to develop critical thinking, reading, and writing skills at the senior level. Students in this yearlong course develop advanced proficiency in expository, analytical, and argumentative reading and writing as well as literary analysis. While many of the readings will come from British Literature, students will also read a variety of non-British texts including essays and biographical material. Students will continue to demonstrate knowledge of research methods and documentation conventions. By the end of the course, students should be able to identify key rhetorical concepts such as audience, purpose, context, and genre through analysis of texts; determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text; and produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. The ultimate goal of this English class is to create self-directed learners who reflect on the processes that shape knowledge. UC Approved

 

Prerequisite: B or better both semesters in Honors English III; An A both semesters of English III. A passing score on the honors placement essay is required for all English III students and honors students who receive a B- in any semester.

This one-year advanced course is designed to prepare seniors for the literacy demands of higher education, and this class is designed to develop critical thinking, reading, and writing skills at the senior level. Students in this yearlong course develop advanced proficiency in expository, analytical, and argumentative reading and writing as well as literary analysis. While many of the readings will come from British Literature, students will also read a variety of non-British texts including essays and biographical material. Students will continue to demonstrate knowledge of research methods and documentation conventions. By the end of the course, students should be able to identify key rhetorical concepts such as audience, purpose, context, and genre through analysis of texts; determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text; and produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. The ultimate goal of this English class is to create self-directed learners who reflect on the processes that shape knowledge.  UC Approved

 

Prerequisites: B or higher both semesters in AP English Language & Composition; An A- or higher both semesters of Honors English III.

This year long course focuses on British literature but offers students a close study of other representative works suitable for use on the AP English Literature & Composition exam in May. Students will perform close analyses of poetry, drama, fiction, and the essay as they hone their critical thinking and writing skills. The course includes frequent opportunities for the students to write both formally and informally. The class includes numerous timed writes and take-home essays, some of which will require outside research. UC Approved

This course focuses on the fundamentals of public speaking and debating; special attention is given to the development of poise and self confidence in front of an audience.  It will prepare students for both college and career. Students will understand the importance of analyzing the audience and the purposes of public speeches (to inform, to entertain, to persuade and to motivate).  They will also improve their verbal and nonverbal communication skills by participating in a variety of speaking situations.  They will learn how to prepare for the speech including research, organization, audience analysis, outlining and practice. UC Approved 

 

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and writing sample required.

Journalism is a one-year course focusing on the need for effective communication and enabling the student to write for any journalistic purpose or readership. Areas of concentration include gathering, writing, and editing news, the publishing process, ethics, and the law. Students will also explore issues such as international journalism, the role of the journalist in society, and digital photography. The students will be responsible for the production of the school newspaper and online news website, The Royal Reporter. UC Approved

 

This class explores the complex interplay between text and film, especially as it relates to films adopted from works of literature.  Students explore visual storytelling techniques through several distinct modes of cinema: adaptations, original screenplays, documentaries, and non-linear narratives.  Students also examine the different modes of storytelling endemic to cinema.  Selected works of fiction and nonfiction will be studied as written works before exploring their film adaptations.  The class will also explore introductory concepts of film studies including scene structure, cinematography, visual literacy, and the filmmaking process.  This class is paired with Shakespeare. UC Approved

 

This course explores the life, art, and lasting influence of William Shakespeare through a study of at least six of his plays (a mixture of histories, comedies, and tragedies) along with several sonnets.  Study will focus on historical context, language, the theater, character, theme, and modern relevance. Composition will focus primarily on literary analysis and writing from various critical perspectives.  This class is paired with Literature into Film. UC Approved 

 

In this creative writing course, students will discover who they are as creative writers. They will accomplish this through exploration of genres, techniques, and skills, and they will gain increased knowledge of the structural conventions for different genres and how to write for a variety of audiences. Students learn how to develop themes using literary devices such as plot, word choice, and setting. This course will provide students the opportunity to learn strategies and practice those techniques in writing poetry and prose. The course will also provide students the opportunity to improve their writing skills via the writing process.  This class is paired with Literature into Film or Shakespeare.  UC Approved

 

Survey mystery fiction and its conventions, from the genre's 19th-century origins to the classic Golden Age puzzle to its many postmodern manifestations. Writers to be studied will include Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Jorge Luis Borges and others. Understand the mystery novel's status as a significant form of modern fiction, one that explores how human consciousness makes sense out of what might otherwise be viewed as random experience and meaningless violence.