English 1

Course Description

English 1 is a yearlong required course for college preparatory ninth grade students.  Students read literary pieces from genres of literature including the novel, short stories, poetry, mythology, non-fiction, and drama in addition to studying literary techniques and terms.  Students continue to build a foundation of basic vocabulary and grammar skills for effective oral and written communication as well as preparation for taking standardized tests (such as the PSAT, the ACT, and the SAT). Students also focus on study skills with emphasis on active reading strategies and basic academic research skills.  Students practice creative and expository writing, with an emphasis on the claim, data, and warrant elements in expository paragraphs. In second semester, students use these writing skills to produce multi-paragraph, thesis-driven expository essays.

English 2

Course Description

English 2 is a yearlong English course for college preparatory tenth grade students.  This course emphasizes the skills relevant to the production of the expository (CDW) paragraph and introduces the student to the multi-paragraphed literary analysis essay.  In addition, each student will learn research strategies as they complete the process of preparing and writing a thesis based research paper using MLA format.  The class covers world literature of all genres with a focus on world literary movements and universal themes.  Students will continue their study of literary techniques and terms.  A continued study of vocabulary and a grammar review are also included.