7th Grade English Language Arts
Instructor: Debra Adams
8th Grade English Language Arts
This course is designed to provide students with the foundation of an integrated language arts program. Students read from the genres of fiction, non-fiction, drama and poetry. There is an independent reading component that is vital in creating live-long readers. Writing activities span blogs, editorials, letters, the beginning of traditional essays, and creative writing. Grammar instructions and vocabulary instruction are integral components of each week’s work. Students work on multiple multimedia projects throughout the year that are linked to our theme of “transformation.”
Prerequisite: 8th grade standing
Instructor: Erin Hollowell
Freshman English
This course is designed to provide students with an integrated language arts program. Components include: traditional literature, contemporary literature, poetry, independent reading, writing instruction, writing activities, and critical thinking skills.
Prerequisite: 9th grade standing
Instructor: Debra Adams
This course is designed to provide students with the vocabulary and concepts required to succeed in higher level language arts courses. The year is structured to study in depth each of the following genres: short story, drama (including a Shakespeare play), fiction and non-fiction. There is an independent reading component that is vital in creating live-long readers. Writing activities span blogs, editorials, literary and expository essays, researched reports and creative writing. Grammar and vocabulary instruction are integral components of each week’s work. Students work on multiple multimedia projects throughout the year that are linked to our theme of “choice and consequence.”
Prerequisite: 10th grade standing
Instructor: Erin Hollowell
Advanced Placement Language and Composition
“AP English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing.
[The course] allows students to write in a variety of forms-narrative, exploratory, expository, argumentative-and on a variety of subjects from personal experiences to public policies, from imaginative literature to popular culture. Therefore, it emphasizes the expository, analytical, and argumentative writing that forms the basis of academic and professional communication as well as the personal and reflective writing that fosters the development of writing facility in any context….Its purpose is to enable students to read complex texts with understanding and to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers” (The College Board).
Instructor: Erin Hollowell
Advanced Placement Literature
Instructor: Debra Adams
American Literature
American Literature is a chronological study of American writing beginning with Native American/Puritan works and ending in Contemporary works. The course focuses on the changes and development in literary thought as well as literary technique and terminology. Critical thinking, class discussion and vocabulary continue to be developed. Writing emphasizes responses to literature and organizing/creating a well argued/documented essay. Independent reading of classic American novels is also required.
Prerequisite: English I and English II
Instructor: Debra Adams
This course is designed to enable the students to explore and gain insight into many of the complex issues that currently face our society. Students will read and engage in activities that support the comprehension of various contemporary texts, including poetry, novels, films and graphic novels. Writing activities span blogs, literary and expository essays, researched reports and creative writing. Vocabulary instruction continues to be an integral component of each week’s work in preparation of college-bound testing. Students work on multiple multimedia projects throughout the year that are linked with the works which they are studying.
Instructor: Erin Hollowell
World Literature
This course is designed to engage students in a critical inquiry of various World Literature texts. In each quarter, students will read and engage in activities to support comprehension of a “foundation” text, poetry, short stories and a full-length novel from each region. Writing activities span blogs, literary and expository essays, researched reports and creative writing. Vocabulary instruction continues to be an integral component of each week’s work in preparation of college-bound testing. Students work on multiple multimedia projects throughout the year that are linked with the region which they are studying.
Instructor: Erin Hollowell