English Courses

Grade Level: 9

B - English

This is a literature-based course with frequent writing designed to develop critical thinking skills and to help students discover connections between literature and everyday life. Students will read three or four major works of culturally diverse literature and will write three to four essays stemming from the literary works. They will also study grammar usage and vocabulary within the context of the core literary works. Students must read outside of class and complete a comprehensive final project.

 

Grade Level: 10

B - English

This is a literature-based course which builds on the skills and competencies learned in grade 9. Students read four to eight major works of culturally diverse literature and write three or four essays stemming from the literature. They also study grammar usage, vocabulary and spelling in the context of the core literary works. Students must read outside of class and complete a comprehensive final project or examination.

 

Grade Level: 11

B - English

This is a literature-based course which builds on the skills and competencies learned in grades 9 and 10. Students read four to eight major works of American literature and write three to four essays stemming from the literature. They also study grammar usage, vocabulary, and spelling in the context of the core literary works. Students must read outside of the class. Students will complete a comprehensive final project or examination.

 

Grade level: 11

B - English

This is a college level class, which prepares students to take the AP English Literature exam. The readings and assignments are aligned with the College Board-approved literature curriculum. Intellectual challenges, reading assignments, pace, and writing workload are consistent with beginning college level English courses. A mandatory meeting will be held in the spring to review expectations and give a suggested summer reading assignment.

 

Grade Level: 12

B - English

This is a college preparatory course aligned with the California English Language Arts Content Standards. The course addresses critical reading and writing problems identified by the CSU English Placement Test Committee, and prepares students to meet the expectations of college and university faculty. Course assignments, organized into 14 modules and based mainly on non-fiction 4 texts, emphasize the in-depth study of expository, analytical, and argumentative reading and writing.

 

Grade Level: 12

B - English

This is a college-level class which prepares students to take the AP English exam. Students should be prepared for non-stop assignments in reading, writing, and literary analysis throughout the course. A mandatory meeting will be held in the spring to review expectations and give a suggested summer reading assignment.

 

Grade Level: 11-12 (10*)

G - College Preparatory Elective

“People are dying every day for lack of what poetry can offer.” (Robert Haas, Poet Laureate) In this course, students discover and develop their own personal writers’ voice through journal writing, intuitive exercises, and creative writing assignments. Student writers learn the craft by studying famous poems and stories and by following the writing process, including editing and revising. Students should love writing enough to work enthusiastically to become better writers. *10th grade may enroll with teacher approval.

 

Grade Level: 11-12

G - College Preparatory Elective

Students learn basic journalistic writing and editing skills, review English grammar and composition skills, and learn layout and graphic techniques, such as digital photography and electronic layout.

 

Grade Level: 12

G - College Preparatory Elective

Students produce and edit the school newspaper, write a variety of expository and argumentative papers, and read significant literature. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Journalism - Beginning

 

Grade Level: 9-12

B - English

Students study film both as an art form and as a form of communication. They are taught how to “read” a film, just as students who study literature are taught to “see” how different literary forms and conventions are used by writers to achieve specific special effects. Students also study the history of the cinema and become familiar with the techniques of filmmaking. In addition, students examine how films often reflect the times and conditions in which they are made, and conversely, how motion pictures sometimes help shape social attitudes and values. 

 

Grade Level: 9-12

B - English

The purpose of “Advanced ELD” is to provide Long Term English Learners (LTELs) with the skills and content knowledge to increase their current ELD level as well as introducing the grade-level Common Core ELA standards necessary to meet reclassification criteria. The course’s academic emphasis is on oral language development, accelerated academic vocabulary acquisition, expository writing, and reading comprehension. Thematic units are organized to ensure that students make connections to other core content areas (science, math, social studies), and the topics are relevant to the students. Students learn organizational and study skills, develop their critical thinking, learn to be resourceful, and participate in motivational enrichment activities. In addition, students will engage in research-based lessons with culminating writing projects and oral presentations.