English 9

This course will help students build a foundation of skills in writing, grammar, and literary analysis. Students will study different types of literature including novels, short stories, nonfiction, drama, and poetry, and will learn how to contribute to class discussions. They will write in a variety of forms, study vocabulary and grammar to enhance their reading and writing skills, and develop their ability to engage in critical thinking. 

Summer reading is required.

Honors English 9 

In this course students will engage in an intensive study of the three broad areas of English: language, composition, and literature. Students will learn the genre conventions of short stories, novels, poetry, and drama while reading a wide variety of challenging texts. Writing assignments will require students to engage in high-level analysis and synthesis and will assume that students already have a strong grasp of grammar and mechanics. Students will be expected to complete lengthy and demanding reading assignments, to participate regularly in class discussions, and to demonstrate an ability and desire to engage in critical thinking. 

Summer reading is required.

Departmental approval is required.

English 10: World Literature 

In this course, students will continue to strengthen their skills in writing, grammar, and literary analysis. Texts may be drawn from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, providing students a wide range of global literary perspectives. Students will continue to write in a variety of forms, continue to study vocabulary and grammar in order to enhance their reading and writing skills, and continue to develop their ability to engage in critical thinking. 

Summer reading is required.

English 10: World Literature 

In this course, students will continue to strengthen their skills in writing, grammar, and literary analysis. Texts may be drawn from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, providing students a wide range of global literary perspectives. Students will continue to write in a variety of forms, continue to study vocabulary and grammar in order to enhance their reading and writing skills, and continue to develop their ability to engage in critical thinking. 

Summer reading is required.

American Public Address (Fall)

This one-semester seminar course provides students the opportunity to examine the speeches that have shaped America. Students will gain a rhetorical perspective on how oral language shapes debate, decision making, leadership, and policy. Upon completion of this course, students will have acquired a skill set that allows them to knowledgeably evaluate oratory and to effectively construct a speech. By studying and analyzing the greatest American speeches, students will fine-tune their understanding of the hallmarks of rhetorical eloquence.

Summer reading is required.

Dystopian and Science Fiction (Fall)

In this course, students will explore how our hopes and fears for the future have given rise to the genres of science fiction and dystopian literature. Students will consider how the promise and pitfalls of technological innovation might alter not only our cultural, political, religious, economic, and social relationships, but our very understanding of what it means to be human. Texts will include both classic and contemporary works, allowing students to explore how science fiction and dystopian literature show us new worlds while also mirroring our own world back to us. 

Summer reading is required.

Fairy Tales and Fantasy Literature (Fall)

This semester-long class will explore two different (though related) genres: fairy tales and fantasy literature. Students in this class will explore the history and role fairy tales have played in cultures throughout the world. Most importantly, we will explore how fairy tales have been adapted in modern times. After exploring the world of fairy tales, we will move directly into the world of fantasy literature and the importance of fantasy in expressing cultural values and ideals. We will read and study works both of classical fantasy literature and more contemporary pieces of that genre.

Summer reading is required.

The Holocaust in Literature and Film (Fall)

The Holocaust was a watershed event in world history with repercussions that are still affecting life today. Few other times have been interpreted so widely in literature and film. This course will provide students with an opportunity to closely study some of the better-known works on the Holocaust, while also introducing them to some that have received less popular attention. We will focus on examining how writers and filmmakers have used their media to dissect and represent this event and why the Holocaust continues to inspire artists 80 years after its “conclusion.” Students in this course will have the opportunity to examine and write about works from different viewpoints and genres: survivor memoirs, fictional narratives, poetry, drama, essays and film. 

Summer reading is required

Literature of War (Fall)

War has been a defining part of humanity’s experience since the very beginning and remains central to our understanding of the human experience. In this course, students will analyze novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and film in order to explore both the “unforgiving minute” of war and its enduring costs and consequences for those who fight, those who send them, and those caught in the middle. Particular focus will be placed on the problems of courage, endurance, sacrifice, leadership, and moral decision making in the crucible of combat. 

Summer reading is required

Modern American Drama (Fall)

Drama is one of the oldest forms of cultural expression. Students in Modern American Drama will explore the development of drama from the nineteenth century to the twenty-first century and will consider a broad variety of periods, styles, and perspectives. Students will read and analyze plays as both literature and as theatrical productions, focusing on both literary and theatrical elements and conventions. They will also explore how modern drama reflects American cultural attitudes and expresses sometimes controversial themes. Students will move toward a more complete understanding of the uniqueness of American drama and its role in the formation of the American identity. 

Summer reading is required.

Women in Literature (Fall)

Women in Literature will introduce students to a variety of works by and about American women from historical, social, and literary perspectives. Students will closely examine gender roles and discuss how women’s views of themselves are reflected in their writing. By the end of the semester, they will gain an increased appreciation for these works by learning about other historical, cultural, and philosophical perspectives. Students will acquire a strong understanding of the texts and the authors who produced them by examining such elements as symbols, motifs, themes, and point of view, and will respond with their own self-selected reading and writing (analysis, creative, and personal response) assignments. 

Summer reading is required.

The World's Greatest Short Stories (Fall)

At the completion of this seminar, students will be able to read any short story and accurately discuss the role and impact of the five elements: plot, theme, point of view, characterization, and setting. By exploring a wide variety of short stories, students will not only become familiar with the works of famous short story authors but will also come to appreciate that a short story is more than just a sequence of happenings. 

Summer reading is required.

African American Literature (Spring)

This seminar course will provide an introduction to some of the great works of African American literary expression from the 19th century to the present. Acknowledging that literature can never be divorced from its historical context, this course will explore the historical circumstances that have shaped African American literature and will bring this history to life. This course will also examine how African American writers have told their stories and have uniquely contributed to the American literary tradition as a whole. As in every English course, this seminar will help students become more sophisticated readers, writers, and thinkers through the study of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

The Bible as Literature (Spring)

In this course, students will read selections of the Bible as they would read any other book, or rather, anthology of books: by examining plot, character, theme, point of view, setting, metaphor, simile, and personification. Students will also examine the various literary modes present in the Bible, including myth, history, law, prophecy, poetry, novella, and biography. Students will emerge from the course with a detailed literary understanding of the Bible and with a foundation that will enable them to better understand art, literature, music, history, and politics. 

Please note: Every student's personal beliefs will be respected in this course, but the course will be non-sectarian. We will read the Bible carefully and well, but will focus on literary matters—matters of faith will be left to each individual's conscience, family, and community.

Creative Writing (Spring) 

In this one-semester seminar course, students will learn how to get their thoughts on the page through a variety of exercises meant to draw out creative ideas in the genres of fiction, poetry, narrative nonfiction, and memoir. In addition to in-class writing exercises, readings outside of class, and discussions, students will critique each other’s writing in a constructive workshop atmosphere, thereby developing useful editorial skills that will help them improve their own writing. 

Detective Fiction (Spring)

Detective Fiction has remained a popular genre since the mid-19th century, exciting readers of all ages with tales of murder and hijinks from Sherlock Holmes to Nancy Drew. In this course, students will read a variety of mysteries, using their critical thinking skills to discover what motifs occur in the genre, how authors build suspense, who makes a compelling detective, and why mysteries are so satisfying to solve. We will read a selection of classic and contemporary detective novels in order to determine what makes this genre so enduringly popular.

The Graphic Novel (Spring)

The days of treating comics as “kiddie lit” are over. Today, graphic novels (longform comics for adults) represent one of the fastest-growing, most dynamic forms of contemporary literature. By combining words and pictures in complex, ever-changing ways, graphic novels rely upon the reader’s active participation in ways different from traditional prose narratives, graphic arts, and motion pictures. Students will read a wide variety of graphic novels from around the world and will be challenged to consider how artists and writers work together to depict the world in which we live.

Literature of Triumph and Defeat (Spring)

Sports have become one of the dominant cultural, societal, and, increasingly, political influences in our lives. Not surprisingly, an impressive body of literature has evolved to mirror this trend. The study and analysis of the genre of sports literature is therefore not only important, but also long overdue. This course will not only provide opportunities for in-depth literary analysis but will also challenge the students to apply the literature of sports to myriad aspects of the sports-influenced society in which we live.

Shakespeare (Spring)

This seminar course offers an in-depth introduction to the dramatic literature of Shakespeare, focusing on contemporary productions of the plays in order to bring the Bard into the 21st century. The course will cover plays in all categories of the Shakespearean canon: comedies, tragedy, histories, and fantasies.  Approximately three to four weeks will be spent on each play to give students enough time to explore the work in depth, to perform scenes, and to watch different stagings and adaptations.

AP English Language and Composition

AP English Language and Composition allows students to closely study the way writers use language to tell their stories and to persuade others. Students will learn how to perform rhetorical analysis, how to craft their own arguments, and how to synthesize the work of multiple sources with their own perspectives. Course texts will include memoirs, essays, debates, long-form journalism, and novels. Writing instruction will focus primarily on the craft of writing and will include personal narrative, rhetorical analysis, original arguments, and document synthesis. Students recommended for the course must demonstrate mature writing skills, a strong ability to engage in analytical thinking, a willingness to regularly participate in class discussions, and an ability to read lengthy, difficult texts with care. 

Summer reading is required.

Departmental approval is required.

AP English Literature and Composition

AP English Literature and Composition provides students with a first-year college level experience. This course has been organized thematically and will introduce several paradigms of literary criticism. Students will read a variety of novels, plays, short works (including poetry, short fiction, and essays). Students can expect a rigorous program filled with writing, discussion, and exploration of literature. The purpose of this course is to develop their understanding of the ways writers use language through close critical analysis, which includes study of a work’s structure, its style, its themes, an author’s use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, tone, etc. Students recommended for the course must demonstrate mature writing skills, a strong ability to engage in analytical thinking, a willingness to regularly participate in class discussions, and an ability to read lengthy, difficult texts with care. 

Summer reading is required.

Departmental approval is required.