English, Language Arts, and Reading

 

Course Sequence: Completion of English 9

Grade 10 English focuses on critical thinking, reading, and writing skills as students explore important life themes in literature. Students use literature as models in writing and continue a study of grammar and vocabulary study to build strong skills. Students will present formal and informal speeches to improve communication and speaking skills.  A variety of writing and speaking assignments will allow students to develop confidence as writers and speakers. Students will enhance their reading, listening, and research skills while they gather, interpret, synthesize, and evaluate text and information through a variety of methods and technologies. Students in the Honors level course will read more literature (both primary and secondary documents), will read the literature at a faster pace, and will do more extensive writing and more extensive research of the literary historical periods. Honors students will be expected to show more independence in projects, activities and individual learning.    

 

Course Sequence: Completion of English 10

This advanced literature and writing course offers an opportunity for students to participate in college-level work and to develop their abilities as independent readers and writers, especially in the analysis of literature.  Class activities include close reading of established and contemporary works in drama, fiction, and poetry. Students participate in classroom discussion to develop independence of thought and mature habits of critical thinking. Students write frequent short and long term written assignments. Students demonstrate their achievement by taking the AP exam at the end of the school year that could qualify them for college credit in English. Please note that students must sign up for both semesters and complete the AP Exam in the spring.

 

Course Sequence: Completion of English 11

This honors course offers students opportunities to explore the themes, context, and development of world literature.  Students look at world literature from ancient to contemporary times, studying the patterns found in literature in various periods and genres. Students consider the connections between world literature and the contemporary world in class discussion and in writing. The primary goal is to help students develop abilities as independent readers and writers, especially in the analysis of literature.  Students will enhance their reading, listening, and research skills while they gather, interpret, synthesize, and evaluate text and information through a variety of methods and technologies. Students in the Honors level will read more literature (both primary and secondary documents), will read the literature at a faster pace, and will do more extensive writing and more extensive research of the literary historical periods. Honors students will be expected to show more independence in projects, activities and individual learning.  

 

 

An in-depth exploration of the Graphic Novel and Comic Books and their impact on art, culture, and cinema.  Creation stories, origin stories, and author backgrounds will be explored.  Students will be asked to choose their own graphic novel/comic book to read, analyze, and opine on. The curriculum is driven by student choice of books and will include daily reading in class for 45 minutes, followed by independent project work, group discussion, group seminars, and/or teacher conferences. Students will be responsible for organizing their daily reading and learning with reading journals, agendas, and daily time sheets and for demonstrating flexibility and adaptability while working independently. The teacher will offer instruction through seminars designed to increase reading comprehension and higher level thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information and text. Students will present a culminating artistic project that demonstrates their understanding of the ideas and themes in their chosen text through creative modes of expression. This course may be taken multiple times for credit during a student’s four-year program.

 

Journalism is an elective course that focuses on the publication of student writing. Student writers become part of the exciting world of “the media” with the same rights and responsibilities of professional journalists. Students become proficient in the gathering and reporting of information through the Oakmont newspaper, The Oakmonitor.  Students are involved in all aspects of journalism required for publication of a newspaper.  Topics include generating story ideas, newsgathering techniques, journalism ethics, news judgment, news sources, interviewing, and organizational patterns. This course may be taken multiple times for credit during a student’s four-year program.

 

Creative Writing is designed to enhance students’ writing skills as well as to explore various writing genres.  Within these genres, students learn literary techniques and strategies to make their own writing more effective. Students use process writing to revise and improve their writing as well as their peers’ texts.  As students improve their abilities to produce effective, powerful pieces, they create portfolios that may be submitted for publication. This course may be taken multiple times for credit during a student’s four-year program