L
UPPER SCHOOL
English Courses
ENGLISH I Ninth Grade
Ninth grade English is an introduction to composition and literature at the high school level. During the year, students engage with and respond to different literary genres in depth, including the short story, drama, poetry, novels, and essays. An important component of the reading in the course involves the practice of reflection on multiple texts concurrently. Among the works students read are Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and a wide range of short stories. Additionally, students participate in smaller book groups throughout the year, where they have the opportunity to choose a work that deals with a central theme explored by the class. Book groups are designed to offer students choice in their reading, which aims to build their identity as a reader. Class discussions reinforce comprehension and increasingly focus on analysis as the year progresses. Students write often in ninth grade English, producing original short stories, poetry, narrative and expository essays, researchbased writing, and more. English I also emphasizes vocabulary, critical thinking, and the development of research and study skills. Overall, the ninth grade literature and writing program introduces students to a variety of new ideas, cultures, and perspectives, while inspiring imagination and a love of learning. Required of all ninth grade students
ENGLISH II Tenth Grade
Tenth grade English is a multi-genre literature and composition course designed to broaden students’ reading experience to include literature from across countries and cultures. Through critical reading, discussion, and writing, students explore various cultural practices and beliefs, while examining their own. Themes discussed include the tensions between the individual and society, assumptions about class and gender, and the relative value placed on reason and imagination. Works that students may read include Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime, Marjane
Satrapi’s Persepolis, Julia Alvarez’s How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, and a wide range of poetry and short fiction. The writing curriculum offers students exposure to a range of writing challenges: critical essays, poetry, personal narrative, satire, stylistic imitations, editorials, and research-based analysis. Students also work to develop their public speaking skills through class presentations and debate. Required of all tenth grade students
ENGLISH III Eleventh Grade
In this course, students continue to fine tune the writing and reading skills that they have developed in ninth and tenth grade English, with an increased emphasis on expository writing skills, rhetorical analysis, and the analysis of literature. Writing assignments are varied, including short prose writing exercises, online discussions, and longer single-draft and multi-draft writing assignments. In these ways, students learn to explain the ways in which authors create effective prose and to write reasoned interpretations of what those pieces mean. In addition to studying the assigned texts, which range from contemporary to classic works, class sessions often feature short poetry and prose readings, followed by brief analysis and discussion. Through reading and direct instruction, this course also helps students build vocabulary and strengthen grammatical and rhetorical skills. Taken as a whole, English III allows students a chance to develop their own voice in writing and discussion, preparing them for the higher level reading, writing, and thinking required in senior year, college, and beyond. Required of all eleventh grade students not taking AP Language and Composition
A DVA N C E D P L AC E M E N T E N G L I S H L A N G U AG E A N D COMPOSITION Eleventh Grade
AP English Language and Composition is the equivalent of an introductory college composition course, with a focus on –16–
rhetorical analysis and argumentation. Through a variety of written assignments, readings, and discussion topics, the course prepares students for the challenging AP Language and Composition exam given in May. In the first semester, students learn how to analyze an author’s use of rhetorical techniques, as well as how to write and think creatively about language. During one unit, for example, students study great speeches from throughout history, ranging from Pericles’ Peloponnesian War funeral oration to Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream,” and also have a chance to write and present speeches of their own. As the year progresses, students focus increasingly on how to craft a persuasive argument, supporting their opinions with primary and secondary source material as well as personal observations and experience. Writing assignments in the course are frequent and often complex, and readings consist primarily of non-fiction essays, speeches, and articles, supplemented by independent, outside reading choices. Additionally, a healthy knowledge of current events is encouraged in students and fostered throughout the year through regular discussions of topical issues that invite dialogue and debate. Departmental recommendation required
ENGLISH IV Twelfth Grade
This course prepares students for reading and writing at the college level. Through the assigned texts, English IV challenges students to investigate the world around them and explore their place in it. In the first semester, students study the theme of legacy through the summer reading books as well as through an in-class reading of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Other texts, including George Orwell’s 1984, Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus, and Aravind Adiga’s White Tiger, focus on how the individual copes when faced with adversity in an often flawed society. Writing assignments cover a range of styles, from personal essays to literary analysis, with an eye towards helping students to identify areas of relative strength and weakness in their own work and to take greater ownership of their writing. Students finish the year with a major writing project, most of which is completed independently. Over the course of
