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Curriculum
English
The department conducts a
vocabulary enrichment program
in freshman and sophomore years,
with particular support
given to SAT I and II (Writing
Test) preparation in the junior
year.
Graduation Requirement:
3 progressive levels; 2
semesters
of English IV or AP English.
ENGLISH I
(one year)
This course introduces students
to traditional literary works
and genres and establishes
competence in expository forms,
which will continue to be
assigned throughout the high
school years. A theme of the
course is self-discovery. Works
read may include The Odyssey,
Lord of The Flies, Raisin in
the Sun, and Catcher in the Rye.
A required course for students
in grade nine.
ENGLISH II
(one year)
This course continues practice
in the literary forms introduced
in the ninth grade, although the
texts studied are frequently
more elaborate and complex.
Readings draw primarily from
English and Classical literature
and may include Oedipus Rex,
Antigone, and Macbeth. Several
themes unite the course,
converging on questions of
identity and responsibility.
A required course for students
in grade ten.
ENGLISH II Honors
(one year)
The themes, readings, and
assignments of English II form
the
basis of this class. Students in
the honors section will also be
expected to read supporting
texts, perform research, and
write
papers and journals that are
somewhat more complex and
longer than those assigned in
the regular sections. Students
seeking to join this class
should be self-disciplined,
confident
students who enjoy the exchange
of ideas in literature.
A course that meets the English
requirement for students in
grade ten.
ENGLISH III
(one year)
This course emphasizes American
literature in poetry, drama,
fiction, and nonfiction.
Beginning with an examination of
American literature’s Puritan
roots, the course readings
examine
the themes of racial and gender
identity, the politics of
individualism,
and the decay and renewal of
American modernism.
Readings may include The Scarlet
Letter, Song of Solomon, The
Great Gatsby, and Slaughterhouse
Five. Critical, descriptive, and
narrative essays are routinely
assigned.
A required course for students
in grade eleven.
ENGLISH III HONORS
(one year)
The purpose of this course is to
give an in-depth experience
with significant works of
American literature in the
nineteenth
and twentieth centuries. The
experience occurs through class
discussion, thoughtful journal
analysis, and essay writing.
There are both primary and
secondary texts; everyone will
study the primary texts while
the secondary texts are studied
in groups. Readings may include
works by Thoreau, Morrison,
Faulkner, Whitman, and Melville.
Admission to the course is
limited to those whose grades,
recommendations, and writing
samples meet the standards of
the department.
A course that meets the English
requirement for students in
grade eleven.
ENGLISH IV
(one year)
Seniors choose two
semester-length classes, one in
the fall,
and one in the spring. Titles
and descriptions of these
courses
will be made available at the
beginning of the course
registration
period. In past years, titles
for these courses have
included Comic Literature, Essay
Writing, Racial Issues,
Modernism, and Contemporary
Literature.
A course that meets the English
requirement for students in
grade twelve.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH
LITERATURE AND
COMPOSITION
(one year)
This course prepares students
for the Advanced Placement
examination in English. It is
designed as a rigorous, college
level
course in literature and
composition. Admission to the
course is limited to those whose
grades, recommendations,
and writing samples meet the
standards set by the department.
A course that meets the English
requirement for students in
grade twelve.
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