Redefining America

components and reassemble it. Learning to write well functions the same way. In this course, students will read, write and analyze different forms of fiction to better understand how literature can persuade, inspire and move its readers—a skill set that is essential to crafting compelling communication of all types. Students will learn to read great works of fiction with a writer’s eye so that they can emulate and explicate novels and short stories. They will also select a mentor author to research, analyze and present on. By the end of the course, students will have written various forms of short fiction and craft analyses, culminating in a polished portfolio. Along with their reading and writing, they will continue to expand their vocabulary and develop a mastery of the conventions of Standard English. (Semester, .50 credit) Offered 2022–2023

Reading and Writing Intensive: Nonfiction - Honors

To understand how an engine works, a mechanic must take it apart, examine its components and reassemble it. Learning to write well functions the same way. In this course, students will read, write and analyze different forms of creative nonfiction and journalism to better understand how personal essays and news features can inform, persuade and move readers—a skill set essential in crafting compelling communication of all types. Students will learn to read great works of creative nonfiction and journalism with a writer’s eye so that they can emulate and explicate these mentor texts. They will also select a mentor author to research, analyze and present on. By the end of the course, they will have written various forms of creative nonfiction, journalistic articles, and craft analyses, culminating in a polished portfolio. Along with their reading and writing, they will continue to expand their vocabulary and develop a mastery of the conventions of Standard English. (Semester, .50 credit) Offered 2022–2023

Redefining America

How do we continue to construct ourselves and evolve as a nation? Who is now part of that reconstruction process, either by invitation, invention or force? What new and different challenges face us as a nation? Anticipating the future, who and what will we become as a nation? What role does literature continue to play in the formation of an American identity, and is that identity new? These are a few of the salient questions that students will explore in this course. To do so, they trace America’s ever-evolving literary tradition, from the end of the 19th century to the present day, covering periods of modern and contemporary American literature. The course explores a variety of genres, including short stories, poetry, drama, nonfiction, novels and film. Texts reveal a wide range of themes, voices and styles permeating the diverse world of American literature, allowing students to consider the historical, social and intellectual implications of being an American as well as to unpack the features of distinct literary movements. Students continue to develop critical reading, writing, revision, thinking and speaking skills through a range of assignments. (Semester, .50 credit) Offered 2022–2023