English
ENGLISH
In an increasingly complex world, the ability to read and evaluate information is essential. The English department’s goal is to develop our students’ skills in a variety of areas, including reading, writing, and public speaking, discussion, and media analysis.
All ninth and tenth grade students will receive a complete course in English including work on literature, writing, discussion, public speaking, grammar, and vocabulary. Acting and Directing, Advanced Drama, and Journalism are electives.
Eleventh and twelfth graders choose from a variety of electives to fulfill their third and fourth years of required English credits.
In grades 9-12, students are grouped according to performance and ability. An English level is determined by a student’s performance in previous English classes, results of any reading or writing tests that he or she has taken, and teachers’ recommendations.
9th and 10th GRADE COURSE OFFERINGS
ENGLISH 9 Credit: 1
Honors Prerequisite: English 8
College Prep
Standard
The ninth grade English course provides students with skills in many aspects of English including reading, writing, grammar, speaking and listening. The first year will give students a foundation for the next three years of English.
ENGLISH 10 Credits: 1
Honors Prerequisite: English 9
College Prep
Standard
In grade 10 English, students will continue to develop the skills begun in grade 9. American novels, plays, poetry, short stories and non-fiction will be assigned. Composition skills are emphasized in preparation for the MCAS test in the spring of the tenth-grade year.
Fact and Fiction: The History and Literature of America
Grade 10 Credits:
Honors 1 English, 1 Social Studies
Limited to 25 students Prerequisite: Honors English 10 or recommendation of the instructor
Fact and Fiction is a team-taught, double-period course staffed by one English and one Social Studies teacher. It offers an integrated approach to the study of American history and literature from the colonial period up through contemporary times—focusing primarily on the study of historical texts, essays, short stories, novels, poems, and plays, and including film, the fine arts, music, television, emerging media, and the performing arts. The topics are organized chronologically, beginning with the colonial experience, followed by a study of the revolutionary era, antebellum America, the Civil War and Reconstruction period, the modernization of America that took place in the late 19th century, and ending with a comprehensive examination of 20th century American history, society, and culture. The particular materials, texts, and approaches will be distributed in a balanced manner so that the students are able to examine and explore the American experience and condition from a wide variety of perspectives.
11TH and 12TH GRADE COURSE OFFERINGS
Professional Communications Credits: .5
Honors Prerequisite: English 10
College Prep
The power of communication – through speaking, writing, reading, and listening – is at the heart of this course. We will explore what successful communication between and within our various discourse communities (friends, family, jobs, sports) looks like. We will investigate how authors use powerful communication to build and establish goodwill, to be persuasive, to establish personal effectiveness, and to build self-esteem. In addition, the course will prepare students for the writing requirements of the professional world (messages, resumes, cover letters, inquiry and request letters, proposals), and train students in business communication (developing active listening skills, differentiating between various non-verbal symbols and gestures, improving job interviewing skills and completing team building activities). The curriculum of “Professional Communications” will rely heavily on writing and communication skill-building that is genuinely relevant for the career pathways that students will be pursuing.
Contemporary Fiction and Graphic Novels Credits: .5
Honors Prerequisite: English 10
College Prep Students will explore contemporary fiction and the graphic novel from the three angles of reading, critical writing, and creative writing. They will identify and analyze points of view, patterns of imagery, symbolism, themes, mood and tone. They will relate the fiction to the seminal ideas of our time. They will analyze, evaluate and apply knowledge of how authors use techniques and elements in fiction for rhetorical and aesthetic purposes. They will engage in different types of writing: analytical essays, journals and creative pieces.
Contemporary Non-fiction Credits: .5
Honors Prerequisite: English 10
College Prep
Students will explore contemporary non-fiction from the three angles of reading, critical writing, and creative writing. They will read selections of different kinds of non-fiction: biography, autobiography, travel, memoir, science and nature writing, journalism, etc. They will identify, analyze and evaluate the logic and use of evidence in an author’s argument, characteristics of genre, and an author’s use of rhetorical devices. They will write coherent compositions with a clear focus, objective presentation of alternate views, rich detail, well-developed paragraphs and logical argumentation. They will use effective rhetorical techniques and demonstrate understanding of purpose, speaker, audience and form when completing expressive, persuasive or literary writing assignments.
Poetry Credits: .5
Honors Prerequisite: English 10
College Prep
Students in this course will explore poetry from the three angles of reading, critical writing, and creative writing. Students will read a range of both formal and free verse from different eras and cultures, learning to identify poetic techniques and exploring the genre of poetry through a range of lenses, including theme, imagery, aural effects, and form. Memorization and oral delivery of poems (one’s own and others’) will also be addressed. Students will develop their critical vocabulary and skills, and learn strategies for interpreting others’ text, generating one’s own ideas, developing personally meaningful material, and revising effectively.
Science Fiction and Fantasy Credits: .5
Honors Prerequisite: English 10
College Prep
Students in this course will explore science fiction and fantasy literature from the three angles of reading, critical writing, and creative writing, considering them as a way to enter the discussion on change/future and hopefully become tomorrow’s problem solvers. This course will expose students to texts rich in storytelling and speculative imaginings.
Students will read works of Wells, Verne, Tolkien, Lewis, and others, and consider the role of science fiction/fantasy from time past – as if exploring another world. Students will predict possible alternatives for the future and think about their own futures and the effects of change upon their own lives.
Short Fiction Credits: .5
Honors Prerequisite: English 10
College Prep
Students in this course will explore Short Fiction from the three angles of reading, critical writing, and creative writing. Students will study the “brief prose tale” as Edgar Allen Poe referred to the genre in order to gain a better understanding of the elements of fiction (plot, setting, character, structure, and idea or theme), perfect writing skills in both analytical and creative styles, and develop an appreciation for the language and skill necessary to craft a short piece of fiction that reflects the human experience. The course will expand students’ critical vocabulary and their skills of constructive criticism, and will teach strategies for interpreting others’ text, generating one’s own ideas, developing personally meaningful material, and revising effectively.
Myth, Folklore, & Storytelling Credits: .5
Honors Prerequisite: English 10
College Prep
The course will feature a range of folklore and myths from across the globe. The students will be viewing the selected myths and folklore through multiple critical lenses, and from the three angles of reading, critical writing, and creative writing. Students will also research the societies from which the myths and folklore grew. After the students have built a solid foundation in myth and folklore, the course will then focus on how core mythological themes, concepts, and patterns are imbedded in creative fiction in various forms. Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the evolution of mythology and folklore. They will be able to synthesize the crucial shared storytelling attributes that link together handed-down oral legends, classic authors such as Shakespeare, de Vega and Goethe, and modern film sagas and television programs. Students will hone their writing skills, assemble a thorough critical vocabulary, and strengthen their understanding of salient concepts, by engaging in a variety of formal and informal assessments and other activities.
Film, Media, and Drama Credits: .5
Honors Prerequisite: English 10
College Prep
Students in this course will explore how stories are transformed into affecting emotional and intellectual experiences for the viewer. Students will study a range of films, plays, and non-fiction documentaries while honing their analytical and creative writing abilities. Students will also take an active role in shaping their research projects in the areas of film study and collaborative filmmaking.
Advanced English Projects Credits: .5
Honors Prerequisites: 2 successful semesters of English
Advanced at the 11th/12th grade level, and a serious interest in pursuing an independent writing project.
This is a semester course (0.5 credits) for 11th and 12th graders, offered for Honors or Advanced level credit, by contract with the student. Students opting for Advanced credit would be expected to complete an additional critical research paper on work within the genre of their projects.
Students in this course will pursue independent writing projects, while participating in a collaborative class experience that will use reading, discussion, critical writing, conferencing, and peer critical workshops to develop skills and understanding. The projects may be poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or drama. Students will develop critical vocabulary and skills, as well as strategies for interpreting others’ text, developing personally meaningful material, and revising effectively.
To be eligible to take the course for Advanced credit, students must submit a letter describing their intended project and its genesis and importance to them (letters to be reviewed by the prospective teacher) and meet at least two of the following three criteria: 1. strongest recommendation of current teacher; 2. strongest rating on project proposal letter; 3. at least the following current grade average in English: 85 in AP, 90 in Honors, or 95 in CP.
Journalism I Credits: .5
Advanced Prerequisite: English 10
Honors
College Prep
The journalism elective provides basic training in all the fundamentals of text journalism, and in some elements of broadcast journalism. Students begin by learning interviewing basics and the vocabulary of journalism. They then proceed to read and write each kind of major journalistic story, including Q&As, profiles, features, reviews, op-eds, sports stories, hard news, and soft news. Meanwhile, the students of the journalism course also serve as the principal reporters for The Maroon Tribune, providing regular content for the web site www.maroontribune.com. Throughout the course of the semester, students also practice broadcast journalism through a newsroom activity, and through the production of their own television feature story.
Journalism II Credits: .5
Advanced Prerequisite: Journalism I
Honors
College Prep
This semester or year-long course is for those students who have excelled in journalism, and who want to continue their practice of journalism in a more advanced capacity.
Some students in this course will serve as editorial staff members of The Maroon Tribune(as editors in chief, for instance, or as copy editors or section editors). Their responsibilities will range from writing pieces of their own, to overseeing and maintaining their sections at large, to assigning and editing stories. Other students in this course will not work in a managerial capacity, but will instead pursue their own individual interests in the field of journalism. This could range from creating television feature stories, to writing a political or technology column, to creating and editing photography. All pursuits, of course, will contribute directly to The Maroon Tribune.
To be eligible to take the course for Advanced credit, students must submit a letter describing their intended project and its genesis and importance to them (letters to be reviewed by the prospective teacher) and meet at least two of the following three criteria: 1. strongest recommendation of current teacher; 2. strongest rating on project proposal letter; 3. at least the following current grade average in English: 85 in AP, 90 in Honors, or 95 in CP.
Courses Requiring Application Process
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Credits: 1
Advanced Prerequisite: English 10,
Application Process
AP Language and Composition is a full-year course offered to eleventh and twelfth grade students at Monument Mountain. The emphasis of the course is on developing an advanced understanding of writers’ rhetorical tools, learning how to do close-reading rhetorical analysis and to use these techniques in students’ own analytical, persuasive, and creative writing. This is a college level course, and students are asked to undertake rigorous exercises in analysis and effective expression. Summer reading and writing are required in advance of the course. Students are encouraged to take the Advanced Placement Exam in May.
Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition Credits: 1
Advanced Prerequisite: English 10
Application Process
AP Literature and Composition is a full-year course offered to eleventh and twelfth grade students at Monument Mountain. A student who elects this course should demonstrate superior aptitude for reading literature perceptively and for cogently expressing his or her responses to that literature. The primary reading material for the course includes novels, short fiction, poetry, and drama. This is a college level course, and students are asked to undertake rigorous exercises in analysis and effective expression. Summer reading and writing are required in advance of the course. Students are encouraged to take the Advanced Placement Exam in May.
DRAMA ELECTIVES
ACTING AND DIRECTING Credit: 1
Grades 9-12 Prerequisite: None
College Prep
In this course, students will become acquainted with basic theater arts and stagecraft. The class gives students a thorough background in acting and performance, from improvisation to stand-up comedy and from scene work to complete plays. Participants will also hone their directing and technical skills, from lights to set design and costumes to props. The history of theatre and varied approaches to movement, voice and technique are covered through text analysis, peer and teacher critiques, and the creation of original theatrical works.
ADVANCED DRAMA Credit: 1/2
Grades 10-12 Prerequisite: Acting and Directing or Permission of Instructor
College Prep
This is an advanced course in Theatre Arts. The expectation is that students taking the course are familiar with and experienced in various aspects of the theatre, from acting expertise to production excellence. Students are required to produce one play per semester. Plays will range in style from the tragic to the comic and from the classical to the modern.
Note: Any interested student may elect Acting and Directing or Advanced Drama in addition to his/her regular English course.