ENGLISH

 


Graduation Requirements:  One unit of Freshman Composition and Freshman Literature Study and Analysis, and one unit of Sophomore Composition and Literary Critical Analysis are required, and 2 units of English electives with no more than one unit from communication courses.

Required-2 units

1.       Freshman Composition or Freshman Composition Honors and Freshman Literature Study and Analysis or Freshman Literature Study and Analysis Honors (1 unit), and

2.       Sophomore Composition and Literary Critical Analysis or Sophomore Composition and Literary Critical Analysis Honors (1 unit).

 

Sequence For Required Courses

(9th)Freshman Comp                   (10th) Sophomore Comp & Literary         2 units of Electives

or   Freshman Comp Hon                                          ors                  Critical Analysis                                (only 1 unit can be

              and                                     or Sophomore Comp & Literary           English Communications) 

      Freshman Lit Study and                   Critical Analysis Honors                       

        Analysis                                    

or  Freshman Lit Study and

        Analysis Honors

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

English  Elective Credit

AP Literature & Composition              Am. Lit.:  Boom to Bust      Expository Composition:  Film Study

AP Language & Composition            American Studies              Expository Composition: Multi-Cultural Lit

Am. Lit.-Roots & Rebellion                Creative Writing                 Expository Composition: Nonfiction Readings

Am. Lit.-Emerging Voices                 English Literature I             Modern Thought

Am. Lit.:  African American Lit.           English Literature II             Thinking Through Literature

                                                                                                    Types of Contemporary Literature
 
 

 

 

 

 


                                                                                                           

                 

                                                              

 

 

English Communications Elective Credit

Broadcast:  Video News Show                                 Speech*

Magazine Journalistic Writing I*                                Drama I:  Introduction

Newspaper Journalistic Writing I*                              Drama II:  Intermediate Acting

Magazine Journalistic Writing II & H*                         Drama III:  Advanced

Newspaper Journalistic Writing II & H*                      Theatre Practicum

                                                                              Reading Improvement By Contract
 
 

 

 

 

 

 


.

 

 

 

 

In addition to all of the required English and English electives, the * courses count for English credit towards Athletic eligibility

 

Elective Credit Only

Creative Expression      Intro to Video Production     Photojournalism I        Photojournalism II
 
 

 

 

 

English Support Courses

English R (1 unit of English, 1 unit of Elective Credit)      Transitional English (1 unit of English)

English Studies (1 unit of English)                                 English Workshop (1 unit of Elective)
 
 

 

 

 



 ENGLISH:  REQUIRED COURSES                                                                

 

 


Freshman Composition (1213)                                                        Grade: 9                                ½ English Credit    

Prerequisite: Reading at grade level                                                                                           Length: 1 Semester
Reading Expectations:  2 books, homework 3-4 nights a week, average assignment 15-20 pages
Required Readings:  Wright’s Rite of Passage, Homer’s The Odyssey
Teacher Option Readings:  Anderson’s Speak, Meyer’s Monster
Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

Freshman Composition prepares students for high school writing in English and other subject matters.  Mastery of

sentence and paragraph structure with proper usage and mechanics is the goal of this semester course.  Clear,

logical, well-supported writing is emphasized.  Students learn, practice, and become competent writers of the

expository essay knowing how to organize, structure, and support their writing.  Students write about literature,

other readings, and personal experiences.  The discovering of relationships and connections between writings,

authors, and ideas is central to the course. 

 

Freshman Composition Honors (1215)                                        Grade: 9                               ½ English Credit

Prerequisite: Writing Assessment; score of 28 out of 32 on evaluation instrument                 Length: 1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  2 books, homework daily, average assignment-30 pages
Required Readings:  Fitzgerald’s Odyssey Full Text, Kingston’s Woman Warrior, short stories, poetry
Teacher Option Readings:  None  
Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

This composition course is centered around the expository essay.  Students move from mastery of the paragraph

to the expository essay with logical and well-supported writing.  Students develop their voice and skills while

writing about literature, other readings, and personal experiences. 

 

Freshman Literature Study and Analysis (1214)                         Grade: 9                             ½ English Credit                                                                                                                   

Prerequisite: Reading at grade level; D or better in Freshman Composition                         Length: 1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  2 books, homework 3-4 nights a week, average assignment-15-20 pages
Required Readings:  Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Teacher Option Readings:  Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

Fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry are read, studied, and analyzed through the process of reading, dis-

cussing, and writing.  The writing focuses on the expository essay where students learn and practice using citation, embedded quotes, and transitions in writing multi-paragraph essays.

 

Note: Teacher Option Readings means individual teachers may choose to teach books from those listed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                      ENGLISH: REQUIRED COURSES

 

Freshman Literature Study and Analysis Honors (1216)                        Grade: 9                      ½ English Credit                                                                                                                   

Prerequisite: Freshman Composition and signature of Freshman Composition Teacher                                                Length: 1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  2 books, homework daily, average assignment-30 pages
Required Readings:  Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, McCullers’ The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Teacher Option Readings:  Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Lamont’s Crooked Little Heart
Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

The structure of the course requires independent reading and writing, critical analysis of literature read, critical

examination of relationships and connections between works of literature, authors, and ideas, Socratic-style

discussions, and self-evaluation of personal writings.  The writing instruction emphasizes evidence of depth, complexity, variety and higher level thinking.

 

Sophomore Composition & Literary Critical Analysis (1030)                 Grade: 10                      1 English Credit   

Prerequisite: English 9 with a D or better, reading at grade level                                                        Length: 1 Year

Reading Expectations:  6 books, homework daily, average assignment-20 pages
Required Readings:  Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Orwell’s 1984
Teacher Option Readings: Epic of Gilgamesh, Sophocles’ Antigone, Tao of Pooh, Hesse’s Siddhartha, Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451

Writing Expectations:  8 essays, 1 major research paper

 

Through an analysis of literature and its archetypal themes and a continuing refinement of essay writing skills, English 10 students prepare to enter the English elective program.  Students examine classical myths and the bible as literature working to recognize themes, allusions, motifs, and archetypal elements which appear commonly in literature.  Students focus on the techniques of persuasive speech and writing throughout the year.  The research paper is a stable of the curriculum.

 

Sophomore Composition & Literary Critical Analysis Honors (1040)    Grade: 10                    1 English Credit

Prerequisite: Signature of 9th grade English teacher                                                                     Length: 1 Year

Reading Expectations:  7 books, homework daily, average assignment-25 pages
Required Readings:  Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Orwell’s 1984, Sophocles’ Antigone, Hesse’s Siddhartha, Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451
Teacher Option Readings: Epic of Gilgamesh

Writing Expectations:  10 essays, 1 major research paper

 

This course is for students who have strong literary skills and who possess a passion for intellectual curiosity.  Students need to be highly motivated, expect to be challenged, and have strong time management and organizational skills.  Students will identify, discuss, and write about more complex and subtle ideas in literature as well as read additional and more difficult pieces of literature.

A summer reading assignment of one of the following books is required: Martel’s Life of Pi, Hosseini’s Kite Runner, Davies’ About Time:  Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution.  A reflection response is due the first day of school.

 

Note: Teacher Option Readings means individual teachers may choose to teach books from those listed.

 

 

                                                          

                                                                   ENGLISH: ELECTIVES 

                                                               

 

Advanced Placement Language & Composition (1050)               Grade: 11 (12 with permission of AP teacher)

1 English Credit and Possible College Credit through AP testing                                                 Length: 1 Year

Prerequisite: Freshman and Sophomore English, signature of 10th grade English teacher, and exceptional skills in writing the multi-paragraph essay

Reading Expectations:  8 books, daily homework, average assignment-20 pages
Required Readings:  The Lively Art of Writing, The  Norton Reader, James’ The Turn of the Screw, Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation, Covington’s Salvation on Sand Mountain, One Writer’s Beginnings
Teacher Option Readings: Preston’s The Hot Zone, Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi, The Art of Styling Sentences

Writing Expectations:  12 essays in and out of class

 

This course involves rigorous study of the art and craft of writing essays beyond the basic expository form.  Students learn to analyze purpose and style in various author’s works.  Students evaluate what makes for successful argumentation.  Then they apply these skills to their own work. A required summer reading and writing assignment is due the first day of school.

 

Advanced Placement Literature & Composition (1070)               Grade:  12                            1 English Credit

                                                                                                    Possible College Credit through AP testing                                                                                                                        Prerequisite: Freshman and Sophomore English, signature of English teacher,                           Length: 1 Year  

and exceptional skills in writing the multi-paragraph essay

Reading Expectations:  8 books, homework 4 nights, average assignment-25 pages
Required Readings:  Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse 5, Miller’s All My Sons, Shakespeare’s Othello, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Morrison’s Song of Solomon, and 2 outside reading books
Teacher Option Readings: Preston’s The Hot Zone, Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi, The Art of Styling Sentences
Writing Expectations:  10 essays

 

AP Language is the capstone English course giving students the opportunity to study works of established literary merit from different time periods and different genres.  Passing the nationally administered AP test in May, students may receive credit or advanced placement at their chosen college or university.  A required summer reading and writing assignment is due the first day of school.

 

American Literature – Roots and Rebellion (1315)                       Grade: 11, 12                     ½ English Credit

Prerequisite: English 9 and 10, mastery of the multi-paragraph essay                                       Length: 1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  4 books, daily homework, average assignment-25 pages
Required Readings:  Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans
Teacher Option Readings:  authors Bradford, Bradstreet, Edwards, Paine, Jefferson, Franklin, Wheatley, Equiano
Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

Students in Roots & Rebellion trace the development of our nation’s literary heritage from the 1600’s to the 1800’s.  They examine various literary genres which reflect the concepts of Puritanism, neoclassicaism, and the beginnings of romanticism.

 

Note: Teacher Option Readings means individual teachers may choose to teach books from those listed.

 

ENGLISH:  ELECTIVES

 


                               

American Literature –Emerging Voices(1316)                             Grade: 11, 12                           ½ English Credit

Prerequisite: English 9 and 10, mastery of the multi-paragraph essay                                       Length: 1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  4 books, daily homework, average assignment-20 to 25 pages
Required Readings:  Twain’s The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, Neihardt’s Black Elk Speaks, Chopin’s The Awakening, excerpts from DuBois’ The Souls of Black Folk
Teacher Option Readings:  authors Melville, Cather, Longfellow, Dickinson, Irving, Thoreau, Emerson, Whitman, Wharton, Fuller, Poe
Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

In the 1800s in American literature, romanticism and transcendentalism lead to realism as diverse literary voices emerge from women, Native Americans, and African-Americans.
 

American Literature – African American Literature  (1318)        Grade:  11, 12                        ½ English Credit

Prerequisite:  English 9 and 10, nearing mastery in writing a multi-paragraph essay             Length:  1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  4 books, homework 4 nights a week, average assignment-20 to 25 pages
Required Readings:  Jacob’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Walker’s The Color Purple, Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain, Shange’s Betsey Brown
Teacher Option Readings:  Norton Anthology of African-American Literature, Johnson’s The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

African-American Literature focuses on the development of black intellectual thought from the Civil War to present.  Students will engage with the historical and contemporary issues of race through the context of literature and their own writing.

 

American Literature– Boom to Bust  to Breaking Ranks (1319) Grade: 11, 12                         ½ English Credit                                                                      Prerequisite: English 9 and 10, mastery of the multi-paragraph essay                                      Length:  1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  4 books, daily homework, average assignment-20 to 25 pages
Required Readings:  Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Steinbeck’s Cannery Row
Teacher Option Readings:  Authors Morrison, Sinclair, Faulkner, Steinbeck, Kingston, Hemingway, Williams, Welty, O’Connor
Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

Students in this course examine literature and history reflecting the development of the United States from 1910 to present time.  They analyze the ways that literature provides personal views and insights into the larger scope of history.  Students study the aftermath of war on society, its influence in literature as the individual searches for identity and meaning, and the new voices breaking through gender, race, and ethnic barriers.

 

Note: Teacher Option Readings means individual teachers may choose to teach books from those listed.

 

ENGLISH:  ELECTIVES

                       

 
American Studies (0000)                                   Grade: 11                1 English and 1 Social Studies Credit

Prerequisite: English 9 and 10 and Citizenship, needs instruction on                          Length: 1 Year, 2 Periods

writing multi-paragraph essay

Restriction: Students who have already taken U.S. History or American Literature are not eligible for credits in

American Studies.

Reading Expectations:  7 books, homework 4 nights a week, average assignment 15-20 pages
Required Readings:  Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi, Carter’s My Antonia, Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, Hersey’s Hiroshima, and Native American literature
Teacher Option Readings:  Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Rawles’ My Jim, Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Writing Expectations:  8 essays

 

American Studies emphasizes the connections between historical literary and cultural past.  Students enrolled in the course will attend 2 classes:  U.S. History and American Literature.  Students will evaluate the close connections between events in history and the themes in literature through discussions, field trips, guest speakers, drama, music, and dance.

 

Creative Writing (1255)                                                 Grade:  11, 12                                    ½ English Credit      

Prerequisite: English 9 and 10, needs instruction in writing a multi-paragraph essay                Length: 1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  2 books, reading homework 3 nights a week, average assignment- 15-20 pages
Required Readings:  Gotham Writer’s Workshop Writing fiction, In the Palm of Your Hand
Teacher Option Readings:  What if:  Writing Exercises for fiction Writers, two independent reading books
Writing Expectations:  6 portfolios
                                                                                                                                        

In Creative Writing students develop their writing skills by participating in writers’ workshops.  Students will experiment with various prose and poetry formats while they learn various techniques for prewriting, drafting, revising, and publishing.  To feel their writing, students will analyze professional authors’ works.  Students who sign up for Creative Writing should have a strong desire to express themselves through the written word.

                                                                                  

English As A Second Language (ESL) (1656/1657)     Grade:   9, 10, 11, 12                           ½ English Credit

Prerequisite:  None                                                                                                           Length: 1 Semester

                                                                                                                                                                      

This is a class intended for the non-native or limited-English-proficient (LEP) student.  It is a basic course in English grammatical structures and includes practice in reading, writing, listening, and speaking English.  Students will increase proficiency in the English language and from this course will eventually be mainstreamed into regular English classes.  Class activities include, but are not limited to, composition structure and writing, reading short stories, grammar and listening exercises, role-plays and situations in the target language.  Other activities include instruction of technology such as power point and speaking in front of others, and support in academic core classes such as Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics, and elective classes.

 

Note: Teacher Option Readings means individual teachers may choose to teach books from those listed.

 

 

 

 

 

ENGLISH:  ELECTIVES

 

 

 


English Literature I (1325)                                             Grade: 11, 12                                          ½ English Credit Prerequisite: English 9 and 10, mastery of the 5-paragraph essay                                             Length: 1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  5 books, daily homework, average assignment- 20 pages
Required Readings:  Skakespeare’s Macbeth, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Beowulf
Teacher Option Readings:  Gardner’s Grendel, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

Study includes analysis of Great Britain’s historical background and its influence on the literature from the Anglo-Saxon period to the early 1800s.  Students should be proficient in both written and oral communication.

 

 

English Literature II (1335)                                              Grade: 11, 12                                                                           ½ English Credit                       

Prerequisite: English 9 and 10, and mastery of the multi-paragraph essay                                Length: 1 Semester 

Reading Expectations:  4 books, daily homework, average assignment- 30 pages
Required Readings:  Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest
Teacher Option Readings:  Waugh’s The Loved Ones, Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde,  Shaw’s Pygmalion, Austen’s Emma, Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

Tea and crumpets.  Vampires and monsters.  “Explore a culture that is at once foreign and familiar.”  To quote an English Literature teacher, “if it ain’t Brit, it ain’t Lit.”

 

Expository Composition-Film Study (1312)                  Grade: 11, 12                                     ½ English Credit   

Prerequisite: English 9 an 10, needs instruction writing the multi-paragraph essay                   Length: 1 Semester 

Reading Expectations:  non-fiction, 2-3 nights, average assignment-15 pages
Required Film:  American Graffiti, The Graduate, Apocalypse Now, Cool Hand Luke, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
Teacher Option Films:  Rebel Without a Cause, Breaking Away, Dead Poet’s Society, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Fog of War, Malcolm X
Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

Students in this course write using such strategies as analysis, illustration, classification, and comparison and contrast as they analyze film and film techniques.  Students are expected to view films actively.  Daily note taking, class discussions, and oral presentations are a requirement.  Film study materials, film critiques, and film history are used in the class.

 

Expository Composition-Multi-Cultural Literature (1313) Grade:  11, 12                                 ½ English Credit 

Prerequisite:  English 9 and 10, needs instruction writing the multi-paragraph essay            Length:  1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  3 books, homework-4 nights, average assignment-25 pages
Required Readings:  Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions, Sijie’s Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Hosseini’s The Kite Runner
Teacher Option Readings:  Marquez’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Into the Widening World
Writing Expectations:  4 essays
                                   

Students improve their skills in developing effective and critical essays focused on the intersection of literature and culture while applying traditional composition strategies of analysis, comparison/contrast, definition, and illustration.  The literature reflects the values and lifestyle of a variety of cultural groups both within and outside of the U.S.  Students recognize and articulate the bond and differences within and amongst different groups.

 

Note: Teacher Option Readings means individual teachers may choose to teach books from those listed.

­­­­­­                                                                         ENGLISH: ELECTIVES

 

Expository Composition and Nonfiction Readings (1311)              Grade:  11, 12                   ½ English Credit

Prerequisite:  English 9 and 10, nearing mastery of the multi-paragraph essay                         Length: 1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  2 books, reading homework 1-2 nights a week, average assignment-20-25 pages
Required Readings:  40 Model Essays, Hersch’s A Tribe Apart

Writing Expectations:  6 essays

 

This course is modeled after the typical first year college writing class.  Students will produce essays from a variety of modes including descriptive, narration, example, definition, compare and contrast, persuasion, analysis, process analysis, research, and an essay suitable for college applications.

 

Modern Thought (1375)                                                                Grade:  11, 12                           ½ English Credit

Prerequisite:  English 9 and 10, mastery in writing the multi-paragraph essay                           Length: 1 Semester                                                                                  

Reading Expectations:  6 books, daily homework, average assignment-30 pages

Required Readings:  Camus’ The Stranger, Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Kafka’s Metamorphosis, Sillitoe’s Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning

Teacher Option Readings:  Beckett’s Waiting for Gadot, Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, Camus’ The Plague, Wright’s Black Boy, De Saint-Excepery’s The Little Prince, Satre’s No Exit, Sontag’s “Against Interpretation”

Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

An introduction to philosophical thinking through the literary study of existentialist themes such as absurdity, freedom and paradox.  Students will write essays of an analytical and philosophical nature.  Students must participate in challenging discussions and be willing to grapple with abstract ideas.

                             

Thinking Through Literature (1365)                                            Grade: 11, 12                             ½ English Credit         

Prerequisite: English 9 and 10, needs instruction in writing the multi-paragraph essay              Length: 1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  4 books, daily homework, average assignment-35 pages

Required Readings:  Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees, Capote’s In Cold Blood, Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun

Teacher Option Readings:  Poetry

Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

What do humans need to survive?  What can humans accomplish once their needs are satisfied?  What happens when needs are met inappropriately?  These questions and more will be explored through literary analysis and expository writings as students develop higher level thinking skills.

 
Types of Contemporary Literature (1245)                                  Grade: 11, 12                             ½ English Credit   

Prerequisite: English 9 and 10, needs instruction in writing the multi-paragraph essay              Length: 1 Semester

Reading Expectations:  4 books, daily homework, average assignment-20 pages

Required Readings:  Gibbon’s Ellen Foster, Gaines’ A Gathering of Old Men, Guest’s Ordinary People, Cisneros’ House on Mango Street

Teacher Option Readings:  “The Kind of Light That Shines on Texas”

Writing Expectations:  4 essays

 

Students in this course will examine the types of literature that reflect the struggle of the individual in society.  Students will explore issues of class and race, analyzing the conflicts present in the lives of the characters and how those conflicts reflect their own lives in four contemporary novels.  Students will write four essays with a focus on organization and support and will understand essay writing as a process of generating, organizing, and developing ideas.

Note: Teacher Option Readings means individual teachers may choose to teach books from those listed.

ENGLISH or COMMUNICATION ELECTIVES

 


Magazine Journalistic Writing I (1535)              Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12     ½ English or ½ Communication Credit

Prerequisite: None                                                                                                           Length:  1 Semester

                                                         

This one semester writing-intensive course is a survey of the history, ethics practices, and methods of magazine journalism.  Using professional style rules, students learn how to write feature articles.  Additionally, they write leads, headlines, and captions.  They also learn key elements in graphic design, photo composition, and advertising.  Furthermore, there is a heavy emphasis on the rights and responsibilities of student journalists.  This course is highly recommended for students interested in applying for a position on the staff of the Pioneer, the student yearbook.

 

Newspaper Journalistic Writing I (1545)           Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12       ½ English or ½ Communication Credit

Prerequisite: None                                                                                                           Length:  1 Semester

                                                  

This one-semester writing-intensive course is a survey of the history, ethics, practices, and methods of newspaper journalism.  Using professional style rules, students learn how to write articles in the areas of news, editorials, sports, and features.  Additionally, they write leads, headlines, and captions.  They also learn key elements in graphic design, photo composition, and advertising.  Furthermore, there is a heavy emphasis on the rights and responsibilities of student journalists.  This course is highly recommended for students interested in applying for a position on the staff of the Call, the student newspaper.

 

Magazine Journalistic Writing II (1090)             Grade:  10, 11, 12         *1 English or 1 Communication Credit

Prerequisite:  None                                                                                                                  Length:  1 Year

Restriction:  Students must audition for a position in this class; they are selected by the editors and adviser.  Although it is not a mandatory, it is suggested that students take Magazine Journalistic Writing I and/or Photojournalism.

                                                                                                                                                                      

This class is a learner lab in which students create the Pioneer under the guidance of an adviser.  Students who take this year-long course will continue to develop the writing skills learned in Magazine Journalism Writing I, as well as learn design and photographic composition skills.  Emphasis is placed on such writing skills as clarity, sentence variety, syntax, and journalistic style rules.  Students are expected to edit copy and design.  Students will work with each other to develop sound layouts and create and gather all elements necessary for spreads: photographs, captions, graphics, copy, and ethics consistent with responsible journalism.  At least thirty after school hours a month are required of students.  Student work from this class is used in the Pioneer, the school yearbook.

*Students enrolled for a second year may take the course for Practical Arts credit.

         

Magazine Journalistic Writing II Honors (1140)  Grade: 10, 11, 12          1 English or 1 Communication Credit

Prerequisite: None                                                                                                                               Length: 1 Year 

Restriction:  Students must audition for a position in this class; they are selected by the prior year’s editorial board and the adviser.  The class may consist of the editor(s)-in-chief and associate editors of the yearbook staff.

 

Students taking this course will be responsible for leading a staff of their peers as they produce the Pioneer, Kirkwood High’s yearbook.  As editors, students will be expected to serve as role models for their staff members.  They will oversee teams of students producing various pages and elements of the yearbook, including writing, photography, art, graphic design, and advertising.  Each member will be responsible for some aspect of production.  Furthermore, student editors can expect to spend approximately 40 hours a month outside of class independently and/or during publication deadlines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                       ENGLISH OR COMMUNICATION ELECTIVES

 

Newspaper Journalistic Writing II (1080)                Grade: 10, 11, 12     *1 English or 1 Communication Credit

Prerequisite: None                                                                                                                               Length: 1 Year

Restrictions: Students must audition for a position in this class; they are selected by the editors and the adviser.  Although not mandatory, it is suggested that students take Newspaper Journalistic Writing I.

 

Students taking this course will be responsible for producing the Call, Kirkwood High’s newspaper.  Students will produce 10-12 issues of the Call during the school year, and they will also produce a football program for the Turkey Day game when the game is at home.  Students will work in teams to produce various pages and elements of the newspaper, including articles in the area of news, editorials, sports and features, photography, art, graphic design, and advertising.  Each member will be responsible for some aspect of production.  Students can expect to spend approximately 30 hours a month outside of class independently and/or during publication deadlines.  *Students enrolled for a second year may take the course for Practical Arts credit.

 

Newspaper Journalistic Writing II Honors (1150)     Grade: 10, 11, 12     1 English or 1 Communication Credit

Prerequisite: None                                                                                                                    Length: 1 Year

Restriction:  Students must audition for a position in this class; they are selected by the prior year’s editorial board and the adviser.  The class may consist of the editor(s)-in-chief and associate editors of the newspaper staff.

 

Students taking this course will be responsible for leading a staff of their peers as they produce the Call, Kirkwood High’s newspaper.  As editors, students will be expected to serve as role models for their staff members.  Students will produce 10-12 issues of the Call during the school year, and they will also produce a football program for the Turkey Day game when the game is at home.  They will oversee teams of students producing various pages and elements of the newspaper, including articles in the areas of news, editorials, sports, features and entertainment; photography; art; graphic design; and advertising.  Each member will be responsible for some aspect of production.  Student editors can expect to spend approximately 40 hours a month outside of class independently and/or during publication deadlines.

 

                            ENGLISH: COMMUNICATION ELECTIVES

One unit of the following may be used to meet the 4 English credits needed for graduation.

                        

Broadcast – Video News Show (1570)                     Grade: 10, 11, 12                          *1 Communication Credit

Prerequisite:  None                                                                                                                   Length: 1 Year

 

Students in Broadcast are producers of Around Campus Television which produces the live broadcasted daily announcements and the video news show.  This course is a lab environment where students work under the guidance of student editors and an adviser as they master skills learned in Introduction to Video-camera work, interviewing, digital editing, pre and post production, and advertising and promotions.  This course includes daily and long-term deadlines and requires project-based work outside of class. For more than 10 years, Around Campus students have participated in a public service announcement program with KMOV Channel 4.  Additional projects with other schools also may be available.  *Students enrolled for a second year may take the course for Practical Arts credit.

                                                                                                 

Speech (1405)                                                         Grade:  9, 10, 11, 12                      ½ Communication Credit   

Prerequisite: None                                                                                                            Length: 1 Semester

Students will study the following units:  Nonverbal communication, verbal language, listening, speech making, intro and interpersonal communication, interviewing, small group communication

 

Students participate in a variety of communication situations from informal to formal, one to one and one to masses, informative and persuasive.  Students play the role of speaker and listener in active learning activities.  Research, including observation, interviewing, and library work, is a mainstay of small group and speech making assignments.  Technology, including a power point presentation, is a requirement in at least one speech.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENGLISH: COMMUNICATION ELECTIVES

 


Drama I:  Introduction To Drama (1445)     Grade:  9, 10, 11, 12            ½ Fine Arts or Communications Credit

Prerequisite:  None                                                                                                          Length:  1 Semester 

 

Students study the concepts of “ensemble” as the foundation of performance.  They experience the fundamentals of acting through improvisation, analysis, and presentation of contemporary scenes.  In addition, they examine play structures and major trends in theatre history.

 

Drama II: Intermediate Acting (1455)         Grade:  9, 10, 11, 12 ½ Fine Arts or Communications Credit Prerequisite:  Drama I                                                                                                                                        Length: 1 Semester 

                                                                                                                                                                        

This is a course for students who wish to develop the craft of acting. Students will work with advanced improvisation and advanced scene study. They also study and explain period style and apply that knowledge to Shakespeare’s work.

 

Drama III:  Advanced (1465)                      Grade:  10, 11, 12                ½ Fine Arts or Communications Credit

Prerequisite:  Two previous courses in Drama and signature of the teacher                         Length:  1 Semester

  

This course in directing is designed for students who seek further challenge in the art of theatre.  Students apply acting and analysis skills gained in Drama I.  Using a collaborative approach, students (1) explore the concepts of design, directing, and acting by coaching actors in directing projects, (2) build a literary base by reading advanced examples of dramatic literature, (3) critique live performance and written plays, (4) select, rehearse, and present one act plays.

         

Theatre Practicum (1435)                                   Grade:  9, 10, 11, 12 ½ Fine Arts or Communications Credit Prerequisite:  Drama  I and signature of teacher                                                                                       Length:  1 Semester 

 

This is a laboratory course in theatre in which students will mount a production after examining many concepts of

performance theory and styles of performance.  In addition to performing in the play, students will be involved in design, management, crew, set construction, lighting, sound, and costuming.

 

 

Reading Improvement by Contract (1615/1616)  Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12                        ½  Communication Credit

Prerequisite: Signature of the teacher                                                                                 Length: 1 Semester                                                                                                   

 

Reading Improvement Contract is a course designed to build upon what the student already knows and upon the student’s present skills.   This course will be completed independently.  All assignments and contact with the teacher will be done before or after school, during contact, or study block time.  The student can choose to participate in the Development or “Be a Better Reader” program.

 

                                          ENGLISH: SUPPORT COURSES

 

English 9 (1023/1024 with 1026/1027)                            Grade:  9.10                  1 English & 1 Elective Credit
Prerequisite:  Enrollment is determined by reading scores and teacher selection.           Length:  1 Year-2 Period Block
 Reading Specialist signature is required.

 

This reading program builds skills through a balance of instructional, modeled, and independent reading activities.  Students have individualized, adjusted reading instruction with practice and application of the skills supported by teacher-led direct instruction in skills lessons.  Word study, vocabulary, comprehension, and spelling are included in the computer instruction component.  Independent reading is fostered with paperback novels.  Individual, one-on-one, and group instruction are part of the English 9 curriculum.

 

 

 

                                           ENGLISH:  SUPPORT COURSES

 

English Studies (1061/1062)                                         Grade:  9, 10                                        1 English Credit

Prerequisite:  Enrollment is determined by reading scores and teacher selection.                                   Length:  1 Year

Reading Specialist signature is required.

 

This course is for 9th and 10th grade students who need further support for English course work.  Academic literacy and study skills will be stressed.

 

Transitional English (1063/1064)                                               Grade:  10,11                         1 Elective Credit

Prerequisite:  English 9 or English Studies.  Reading Specialist signature is required.                 Length:  1 Year

 

This course is designed to further prepare students to make the transition to the English elective program.  The curriculum includes literature studies with reading support, higher level thinking activities, and writing.  Mechanics, sentence structure, and formal writing are included in the course.  Reading comprehension, analysis, and well-written work are the end goals.  Vocabulary, grammar, usage, mechanics, sentence structure, and formal writing are included in the course work.

 

English Workshop(1067/1068)                                       Grade:  9, 10                             1 Elective Credit

Prerequisite:  Enrollment in Freshman or Sophomore English.                                        Length:  1 Year

Reading Specialist signature required.

 

Focused academic support for students enrolled in Freshman Composition or Freshman Literature Study and Analysis.  Students will receive direct one-on-one instruction and reinforcement of literacy skills.  This is a companion course with Freshman or Sophomore English.

 

 

 

                              ENGLISH:  ELECTIVES

 

The following courses are for elective credit only and do not apply toward the four units of English required for graduation.

 

Creative Expression (1345)                                     Grade: 10, 11, 12                                     ½ Elective Credit

Prerequisite: None                                                                                                                 Length: 1 Semester

 

Students will discover what the visual artist and the writer have in common by comparing their different approaches to the creative process.  Students will develop an understanding of these links and strengthen their own self expression.  Whether a student is a visual artist or writer, in this course the student will make connections, consider attitudes, develop alternative thinking styles, and experience both approaches for creative expression.  Students will do a variety of written and visual projects which will challenge them to experiment with media and concepts they have not tried before.  See the world through prose-colored glasses and picture a thousand words.

 

Introduction to Video Production (1595)                      Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12                            ½ Elective Credit

Prerequisite: None                                                                                                                      Length: 1 Semester                                            

 

The 1st quarter focuses on the off-air side of television production:  knowing the regulators of the television broadcast industry, determining the news, generating a story idea with focus and appropriate sources,  practicing interview techniques, writing broadcast copy, learning the equipment - camcorders, microphones, tripods, and editing systems.  The 2nd quarter features the on-air side of television with production of newscasts, public service announcements, and other television programming.  Students do their own camera work, editing, and studio work.

 

 

 

 

 

ENGLISH: COMMUNICATION ELECTIVES

 

 


Photojournalism I (1517)                                            Grade: 10, 11, 12                                 ½ Elective Credit                                                                                  

Prerequisite: None                                                                                                                       Length: 1 Semester

 

Students will learn to operate a 35-mm SLR non-automatic camera.  Photographic composition and developing a photographic eye are key elements of the course.  Photography assignments and activities are based on photojournalism principles.  Students will also learn the basics of developing and printing black-and-white photos in the student darkroom and digital technology.  No equipment, facilities, or previous photography background is needed.  An interest in photography and photojournalism is required.

 

Photojournalism II (1525)                                           Grade: 10, 11, 12                                     ½ Elective Credit   

Prerequisite: Photojournalism I                                                                                                   Length: 1 Semester                                                                                                                        

 

Students will learn advanced techniques in using a 35-mm SLR camera, and in the developing and printing of black-and-white photographs.  Subject matter covered:  various lenses, electronic flash, push processing, cropping, burning, dodging, use of filters and digital photography.  Students will explore photojournalism through documentary photo assignments, photo essays, varied off-campus photo shoots, photo competition, and publication.  Media law and ethics, as it applies to photojournalists, will be studied.  No personal equipment or darkroom facilities needed.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                  COLLEGE CREDIT OFFERINGS

 


Telecommunication Courses:  Students will be enrolled in these courses for college credit ONLY*.  Students who enroll in a telecommunications course will not receive high school credit.  Students who enroll in any course(s) listed below will also not be able to schedule any classes for periods 5-7 because of the time the courses are offered during the day.  The classes will be interactive with the professor and students in other high schools by video communications technology.  Telecommunication courses are for those students who have most of their graduation requirements already met.

 

The Holocaust Era (9803/9804)                      Grade: 11, 12      3 Social Studies Elective College Credit Hours*

Length: 1 Semester (offered both Semester 1 and 2)                                      $60.00/Credit Hour = $180/Class   

Prerequisite: 2.0 GPA

 

Semester 1: Course meets on Mon. &  Wed: 1:15-2:35;  on Tue, Thu, & Fri. students are enrolled in a Study Block.

 

Semester 2: Course meets on Tue. & Thu: 1:15-2:35; on Mon, Wed, & Fri. students are enrolled in a Study Block.

 

This course is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of life in Nazi Germany.  Literary, psychological and historical texts on such topics as education, racial prejudice and propaganda are read and interpreted in class.  Supplementary slides and documentary films are used.

 

Introduction to Anthropology (9803/9804)    Grade: 11, 12    3 Social Studies Elective College Credit Hours* 

Length: 1 Semester (offered Semester 1 ONLY)                                                $60.00/Credit Hour=$180/Class               

Prerequisite: 2.0 GPA

 

Course meets on Tue. & Thu:  1:15-2:35; on Mon, Wed. & Fri.  students will be enrolled in a Study Block.

 

In this course students are introduced to the great diversity of human cultures.  Economic, social, political, and religious systems are compared, including topics such as the nature of culture, cultural ecology, magic and witchcraft, disease and curing, sex roles, and rites of passage.  Problems resulting when traditional societies confront industrial societies or industrialization are discussed.

 

Introduction to Fiction (9803/9804)               Grade 11, 12                 3 English Elective College Credit Hours*

Length: 1 Semester (offered Semester 2 ONLY)                                              $60.00/Credit Hours=$180/Class         

Prerequisite: 2.0 GPA

                                                                                                                                                                        

Course meets Mon. & Wed: 1:15-2:35;  on Tue, Thu, & Fri. students are enrolled in a Study Block.

                                                                                                                                                                          

The enjoyment, appreciation, and understanding of American, European, African, and Oriental fiction are the goals of this course.  The class will explore imagery, symbolism and style, as well as other elements of fiction in short stories and novels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                     

 

COLLEGE CREDIT OFFERINGS

 


Advanced Placement:

Advanced Placement (AP) is a program of college-level courses or examinations for secondary school

students.  In AP courses students learn about a subject in greater detail and develop analytical and

study skills that contribute to success at the college level.  Taking the three-hour AP examination in

May can help students in the following ways:

 

1.       Exemption from beginning college courses

2.       Entrance to higher level courses in college

3.       College credit awarded*

4.       Time and money saved by receiving sophomore standing for AP credit earned

 

*The college or university’s decision on granting any credit or waiver is dependent on the

student’s score on the exams and the individual policy of the college or university.

 

Advanced Placement Courses

 

CPIII APC++                      AP French

        AP Lit & Comp                   AP Spanish

        AP Calculus                       AP German

        AP Chemistry                   AP US History

        AP Biology                      AP World History

        AP Lang & Comp             AP Government                                                

 

AP Physics

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


University Of Missouri – St. Louis Advanced Credit Courses:

The Advanced Credit (Dual Credit) Program in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Missouri-St. Louis provides an opportunity for high-performing high school students to take high-quality, lower-division college courses on their high school campus.  Benefits for taking courses for dual credit include an advanced start on college credits, savings of travel time, reduced costs, use of campus facilities and the challenge of completing university coursework while in high school.

 

Eligibility:  High school juniors and seniors with a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) are eligible

to enroll in Advanced Credit Courses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advanced Credit Courses

 

Drama III: Advanced                     Calculus

Theatre Practicum                        AP Calculus

AP US History                              AP Spanish

                           

 
 
 

 

 


COLLEGE CREDIT PROGRAMS

 

 


University of Missouri/St. Louis Advanced Credit Courses

 

The Advanced Credit (Dual Credit) Program in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Missouri-St. Louis

provides an opportunity for high-performing high school students to take high-quality, lower-division college courses

on their high school campus.  Benefits for taking courses for dual credit include an advanced start on college credits, savings of travel time, reduced costs, use of campus facilities and the challenge of completing university

coursework while in high school.

 

Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors with a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) are eligible to

enroll in Advanced Credit Courses.

 

Courses offered through University of Missouri/St. Louis are as follows:

 

KIRKWOOD                                       UMSL                                                   CREDIT

COURSE NAME                                COURSE NAME                                   HOURS

AP U.S. History                                   American Civilization to 1865                    3

Calculus                                              Anal. Geometry/Calculus 1                        5

AP Calculus                                        Anal. Geometry/Calculus 1                        5

Drama III: Advanced                           Fundamentals of Acting                             5

Theatre Practicum                               Fundamentals of Acting                            5

Spanish IV Honors                              Spanish II                                                  5

AP Spanish                                         Intermediate Spanish Lang & Culture       3

German IV Honors                              German II                                                  5

AP German                                         Intermediate German Lang & Culture       3

French IV Honors                                French II                                                   5

AP French                                           Intermediate French Lang & Culture        3                                             

 

Meramec Transitions Program

 

The purpose of the Transitions Program is to build the skills necessary for a successful transition to the culture of college.  Students will learn tools that will help them wherever they choose to go to college as well as military, technical schools, or entering the workforce.  Students who participate in the Transitions Program can earn up to a semester of transferable college credit before they complete high school.  The college level courses that the Transition students will take count toward a Meramec degree, but also will transfer to many other colleges and universities.

 

Students will not receive high school credit for the Transitions Program. They will be scheduled into a study

block for the hour that the program will meet.  Students will enroll in their junior year and will continue into their

senior year as well.

 

Transitions Program    Grade: 11, 12      Elective College Credit Hours (earned during your senior year ONLY)

Length:     1 Year                                                                 $60.00/Credit Hour during your senior year ONLY

Prerequisite: 2.0 GPA                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

Junior Year

Semester 1:   6 - 8 sessions on career and educational organization

Semester 2 :  6 - 8 sessions, College Skills/Test-Taking Preparation, SLCC Placement Test

 

Senior Year

Semester 1:   Mathematics Course required, either at KHS or Meramec

                       Cornerstone Seminar taken at Meramec

Semester 2 :  Students will choose any appropriate college courses in which to be dually enrolled and taken on

                     Meramec’s campus.