Language Arts 9 (1C, R)

Language Arts 9 emphasizes the development of composition and reading skills, as well as vocabulary and critical thinking skills in conjunction with various forms of literature. Students will continue to develop skills in usage and mechanics for application in their narrative, informative, and persuasive writing. Students are expected to participate in classroom discussions. Students will complete independent reading and writing assignments.

Language Arts 10 (1C, R, P = Language Arts 9)

Students in Language Arts 10 will read, interpret, and discuss selected American literature pieces. They recognize literary devices. Students continue to improve their writing skills in the areas of narrative, persuasive, and informative writing. Writing instruction will also emphasize correct sentence structure, develop usage and mechanics skills, and improve vocabulary skills. Students continue to develop research skills. Students will complete independent reading and writing assignments.

Language Arts 11 (1C, R, P = Language Arts 10)

Students in Language Arts 11 read and interpret selected English literary classics in a variety of genres. They recognize literary devices. Students master paragraph development and compose multi-paragraph informational, persuasive, and personal essays. Writing instruction emphasizes correct sentence structure, mastery of the conventions of writing English, and vocabulary development. Students also develop research skills, including accessing a variety of sources and using research in compositions.

Language Arts 12 (1C, R, P = Language arts 11)

This anthology-based survey of world literature emphasizes reading, analysis, and discussion.  Writing, vocabulary development, communication, and presentation skills are also integral parts of this course.  Students will review the basics of usage and mechanics for application in writing, specifically academic and career writing.  Students must actively participate in a discussion on a regular basis and complete independent reading and research assignments.  Students will complete independent reading and writing assignments.

College Communications – Dual Enrollment (12) (1C, E, P = 3.0 G.P.A. in Language Arts courses)

This course is intended to introduce students to the fundamentals of research and argument construction. Argument defense is both written and verbal.  Topics in this course include an introduction to argument, cross-examination, and criticism of arguments. 

AP English Literature & Composition – (11-12) (1C, E) ALL STUDENTS MUST TAKE AP LITERATURE EXAM

(P = B average in LA 10 Honors and/or LA 11 Honors and must have a passing score on the Keystone Literature exam.)

The AP English Literature and Composition course engages students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. This course is reading and writing intensive—students should plan to spend at least five hours per week outside of class working on course material.  Through the close reading of selected texts, students deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, and themes as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. The course includes an intensive study of representative works from various genres and periods, concentrating on works of recognized literary merit. The pieces were chosen to invite and reward rereading and do not, like ephemeral works in such popular genres as detective or romance fiction, yield all (or nearly all) of their pleasures of thought and feeling the first time through. This course follows the idea presented by Henry David Thoreau that it is wisest to read the best books first; also such reading should (and will) be accompanied by thoughtful discussion and writing about those books in the company of one’s fellow students.

Creative Writing (9-12) (1C, E)

Students in this course will generate free-writing in a journal, study models of good writing, and experiment with poetry and prose. Students will develop a sense of speaker and audience. They will provide positive support for their fellow writers and learn to revise their work using concrete, sensory details, and appropriate choice of diction, syntax, purpose, and audience.

Expository Writing and Advanced Grammar Strategies (9-12) (1C, E)
This course is centered on student argumentation and logistical writing skills dealing in the fields of academia, literature, and social issues. Students will be responsible for coming up with clear, visible claims on a topic and arguing student’s points through concise, organized, focused writing. One of the key components of the class will be to read. Students will read novels, academic texts, and news sources in order to have a well-rounded perspective of expository writing. If writing will be our primary focus for the class, then grammar and foundational skills will be the vehicle used to keep student’s writing on task and organized. Students will find an in-depth look at grammar and grammatical skills and strategies to be used within their expository writing.  

AP Seminar (11-12) (1C, E)

AP Seminar is a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational, literary, and philosophical texts; listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts; and experiencing artistic works and performances. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. Ultimately, the course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision in order to craft and communicate evidence-based arguments. 

AP Research (11-12) (1C, E) - AP Seminar is a prerequisite for this course.

AP Seminar is a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational, literary, and philosophical texts; listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts; and experiencing artistic works and performances. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. Ultimately, the course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision in order to craft and communicate evidence-based arguments.