Courses

English Department Course Offerings

Grade 9

EES81- English 1 and 2 - Freshman Core ELA

This one-year integrated Grade 9 course focuses on developmentally appropriate standards-based lessons designed to enable students to become discerning readers, insightful writers, effective communicators, and perceptive listeners. Students examine a variety of literary genres, including short stories, poetry, drama, non-fiction and novels. Students develop writing skills in paragraph and multi-paragraph writing and consistently practice critical, and creative thinking using the writing process. The writing process emphasizes purpose, organization and style and culminates in a portfolio of written work including descriptive, persuasive, narrative and expository writing enabling student self-reflection and assessment.

Grade 9 texts include:

A Midsummer Night's Dream; Fahrenheit 451; Great Short Short Stories; How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents; Julius Caesar; Romeo and Juliet; The Joy Luck Club; To Kill a Mockingbird;Twelve Angry Men

EES81QU - English 1 and 2 - Freshman Double Period ELA Literacy

This one-year double period course focuses on helping students to acquire high school level reading, writing, speaking, listening and critical thinking skills. Ramp-Up Double Period English instruction is indicated for incoming 9th graders who score at levels 1-2 on the 8th grade ELA state test. In the Fall, students are given a baseline writing task to assist teachers in identifying specific skills that students need to improve in order to succeed in challenging high school classes. In addition to the components of balanced literacy reading and writing instruction, students receive guidance support, and are offered tutoring after school. Students receive 2 English credits and 2 Elective credits for one year of study.

Ramp–Up Literacy Routines include the following: Independent Reading and Response; Targeted Vocabulary in Context; Read Aloud/Think Aloud; Classroom Conversation (Talk Aloud; Accountable Talk); Whole–Group Instruction; Guided Reading with Differentiated Strategies; Individual and Group Work

Grade 9 Literacy texts include:

Speak; The House on Mango Street; Julius Caesar; Romeo and Juliet; The Joy Luck Club; To Kill a Mockingbird; Twelve Angry Men

EES81H - English 1H and 2H - Freshman Honors ELA

This one-year Humanities-based course requires students to demonstrate a sophisticated ability to read and analyze complex texts beginning with Creation Myths, Gilgamesh, Greek Epic Heroes; Mythology, Beowulf and Macbeth. Students are expected to participate daily in whole and small group class discussions and to quickly acquire skill targets and objectives. The emphasis will be on interpreting texts, literally and figuratively, in order to better understand literary technique and style. Students will also consider specific themes, such as the pursuit of justice, the search for identity, and the hero’s journey which run throughout the course. The reading of non-fiction texts and speeches will be integrated into instruction to provide students with opportunities to make real-life connections to the study of literature. Writing will focus on outlining, organizing, and writing short, powerful responses and effective full-length essays.

Grade 9 Honors texts include:

Mythology and You; Beowulf; Gilgamesh; Macbeth

ECS11QP - Public Speaking - Offered as a one-term elective (in addition to Core English)—flips to Mathematical Coding

The objective of the public speaking class is to help students

Develop oral and written communication skills in a variety of styles
Analyze works of fiction and nonfiction
Gain confidence in speaking and presenting projects in front of an audience
Write original speeches/presentations
Learn the importance of setting and meeting deadlines

Grade 10

EES83 - English 3 and 4 - Sophomore Core ELA

This one-year integrated Grade 10 course focuses on developmentally appropriate standards-based lessons designed to build on prior knowledge and enable students to continue to read discerningly, write insightfully, communicate effectively, and listen perceptively. Students examine a variety of literary genres, including short stories, poetry, drama, non-fiction and novels. Students continue to develop writing skills in paragraph and multi-paragraph writing and consistently practice critical and creative thinking using the writing process. The writing process emphasizes purpose, organization and style and culminates in a portfolio of written work enabling student self-reflection and assessment.

Grade 10 texts include: A View from the Bridge; Animal Farm; Enemy of the People; Lord of the Flies; I Remember Mama; Macbeth; Night; Of Mice and Men; Poe, Tales and Poems; The Book Thief; The Merchant of Venice;The Namesake; The Old Man and the Sea

EES83H - English 3H and 4H - Sophomore Honors ELA

This one-year Humanities-based course will focus on developing college-level reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Students will have opportunities to develop and expand their knowledge of world literature and demonstrate their mastery level of new learning through performance tasks and assessments. This course will emphasize developing advanced level writing and reading skills appropriate for successful completion of Advanced Placement English courses. Focusing on a thematic and genre study of world literature, students will develop an understanding of the importance of various genres and themes of literature that characterize and reflect the human experience. They will read, interpret, analyze, and apply knowledge of the structures, themes, and elements of world fiction and nonfiction.

Grade 10 Honors texts include:

A Tale of Two Cities; All Quiet on the Western Front; Night; The Merchant of Venice

EQS11QC - College Aptitude - One term in ELA and one term in Math

Offered as an elective (in addition to Core English) to prepare for the Verbal and Mathematics portions of the PSAT and SAT examination, and the college application process. Students will work with samples of the actual exam, reviewing content and mastering test-taking strategies to help them perform well on this critical college entrance exam. Students research a variety of college admission requirements and course offerings to prepare to make effective college and career decisions. This course is taught by both English and Mathematics teachers.

Grade 11

EES85 - English 5 and 6 - Junior Core ELA

This one-year integrated Grade 11 course focuses on developmentally appropriate standards-based lessons designed to build on prior knowledge and enable students to continue to read discerningly, write insightfully, communicate effectively, and listen perceptively. Students examine a variety of literary genres from American authors, including short stories, poetry, drama, non-fiction and novels. Students continue to develop writing skills in paragraph and multi-paragraph writing and consistently practice critical and creative thinking using the writing process. The writing process emphasizes purpose, organization and style and culminates in a portfolio of written work enabling student self-reflection and assessment. Students will take the ELA Regents in January.

Grade 11 Texts Include:

A Lesson Before Dying; A Raisin in the Sun; All My Sons; Beloved; Bodega Dreams; A Catcher in the Rye; Death of a Salesman; Dreaming in Cuban; Ethan Frome; Fences; Lost in Yonkers; The Color of Water; The Crucible; The Glass Menagerie; The Great Gatsby; The Piano Lesson; The Scarlet Letter; The Secret Life of Bees

EES85H - English 5H and 6H - Junior Honors Literature

This one-year integrated course is designed to study various genres of literature, primarily related to the American Experience. The Honors level course will focus upon literature from distinct cultural entities within American literature, written by diverse authors. The course is multifaceted, focusing upon literary analysis and mastery, vocabulary expansion, research and technology implementation, and significant writing and speaking development and improvement, through cooperative and individualistic aspects and efforts. Students will focus on writing argumentative, analytical, and expository essays in addition to various creative assignments. Students will take the ELA Regents in January.

Junior Honors texts include:

Native Son; The Scarlet Letter; The Things They Carried; Short Stories and Poetry

EQS22QA - College Inquiry and Research

College Inquiry and Research is a year-long experience! Students explore academic topics, issues, or ideas of individual interest. They will learn how to design, plan, and implement a scholarly investigation to address a research question of their own design.

The objective of the College Inquiry class is to help students

Enhance research questioning skills and development
Conduct scholarly literature reviews and analysis
Apply research methods and rationale
Conduct scholarly level research using internet sources
Determine the difference between credible sources and discreditable sources
Create and implement an annotated bibliography
Write in depth research papers that follow the rules of MLA
Conduct presentations that teach the audience about a particular topic researched

EES85X - English 5X and 6X - Advanced Placement English Language and Composition

Description: The AP English Language and Composition course aligns to an introductory college-level rhetoric and writing curriculum, which requires students to develop evidence-based analytic and argumentative essays that proceed through several stages or drafts. Students evaluate, synthesize, and cite research to support their arguments. Throughout the course, students develop a personal style by making appropriate grammatical choices. Additionally, students read and analyze the rhetorical elements and their effects in non-fiction texts, including graphic images as forms of text, from many disciplines and historical periods.

Criteria:

Honor Academy students given preference, however, non-Honor Academy students and transfer students who are recommended by teachers are considered after AP approval of writing portfolio, pending seat availability.

Successful completion of pre-requisite courses:

English 1 and 2 Honors
English 3 and 4 Honors

Teacher recommendation based on English grades, ability to work in cooperative groups, ability to work independently, motivation in this discipline, ability to synthesize, analyze and evaluate, ability to complete assignments and assigned readings on time.

Course Requirements/Expectations:

The AP English Language and Composition course is designed to help students become skilled readers and writers through engagement with the following course requirements/expectations:

Composing in several forms (e.g., narrative, expository, analytical, and argumentative essays) about a variety of subjects.
Writing that proceeds through several stages or drafts, with revision aided by teacher and peers.
Writing informally (e.g. imitation exercises, journal keeping, collaborative writing), which helps students become aware of themselves as writers and the techniques employed by other writers.
Writing expository, analytical, and argumentative compositions based on reading representing a variety of prose styles and genres.
Reading nonfiction (e.g., essays, journalism, science writing, autobiographies, criticism) selected to give students opportunities to identify and explain an author’s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques.
Analyzing graphics and visual images both in relation to written texts and as alternative forms of text themselves.
Developing research skills and the ability to evaluate, use, and cite primary and secondary sources.
Conducting research and writing argument papers in which students present an argument of their own that includes the analysis and synthesis of ideas from an array of sources.
Citing sources using a recognized editorial style (e.g., Modern Language Association).
Revision written work to develop:
A wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively;
A variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and coordination;
Logical organization, enhanced by techniques such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis;
A balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail; and
An effective use of rhetoric, including tone, voice, diction, and sentence structure.

Assessments:

ELA Regents Exam (January) and Advanced Placement Exam (May). All students must take the Advanced Placement Language and Composition exam to be eligible for AP credit.

Required Summer Reading texts and double-entry journal includes, but is not limited to:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (Haddon)

The Bluest Eye (Morrison)

Grade 12

EES87 - English 7 and 8 - Senior Core ELA

This one-year integrated Grade 12 course focuses on developmentally appropriate standards-based lessons designed to build on prior knowledge and enable students to continue to read discerningly, write insightfully, communicate effectively, and listen perceptively. Students examine a variety of challenging literary genres, including short stories, poetry, drama, non-fiction and novels. Students utilize skills in critical and creative thinking, and independent inquiry to produce a formal research paper, essays of analysis and evaluation, creative and expository writings, including the college essay. Students participate in class, group and individual projects relating to literature, careers, life-long learning and societal issues and present panel discussions, oral reports and Socratic Seminar.

Senior texts include:

A Streetcar Named Desire; A Thousand Splendid Suns; All But My Life; Antigone; Best Short Stories of the Modern Age; Death of a Salesman; Frankenstein; Hamlet; If Beale Street Could Talk; The Invisible Man; King Lear; Me Talk Pretty One Day; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Othello; Sarah's Key; Snow Falling on Cedars; The Alchemist; The Bell Jar; The Dew Breaker;

The Kite Runner; The Tipping Point; Their Eyes Were Watching God; Those Who Save Us

EES87H - English 7 and 8 - Senior Honors; EES87HB - English 7 and 8 - Senior Honors Journalism

This one year integrated Grade 12 course focuses on developmentally appropriate standards-based lessons designed to build on prior knowledge and enable students to continue to read discerningly, write insightfully, communicate effectively, and listen perceptively. Students examine a variety of challenging literary genres, including short stories, poetry, drama, non-fiction and novels. Students utilize skills in critical and creative thinking, and independent inquiry to produce a formal research paper, essays of analysis and evaluation, creative and expository writings, including the college essay. Students participate in class, group and individual projects relating to literature, careers, life-long learning and societal issues and present panel discussions, oral reports and Socratic Seminar. Students refine and hone test-taking strategies to ensure excellence in application of skills and preparation for College entrance exams.

Senior Honors texts include:

A Streetcar Named Desire; Hamlet; Me Talk Pretty One Day; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Othello; Sarah's Key; Snow Falling on Cedars; The Alchemist; Their Eyes Were Watching God; Those Who Save Us

EES87HPA - Poetry and the Arts (Honors) —This course will explore the genre of poetry and its connection with the visual arts. For centuries, art has inspired poets and poetry has inspired artists. Students will discover a myriad of ideas, images and multimedia that explore creative expression and inquiry at the crossroads of poetry and visual art. Students will discover how to identify artistic elements and principles, and evaluate their role in the composition of a work of art, while making connections to similar literary elements and rhetoric that support the author’s purpose in choosing the ‘best words in the best order.’ This process of learning will enhance higher-order critical thinking and analysis skills.

EES87X - English 7X and 8X - Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition

Description:

The AP English Literature and Composition course aligns to an introductory college-level literary analysis course. The course engages students in the close reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature to deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as its use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. Writing assignments include expository, analytical, and argumentative essays that require students to analyze and interpret literary works.

Criteria:

Honor Academy students are given preference, however, non-Honor Academy students and transfer students who are recommended by teachers are considered after AP approval of writing portfolio, pending seat availability.

Successful completion of the pre-requisite course:

English 1 and 2 Honors
English 3 and 4 Honors
English 5 and 6 Honors or Advanced Placement English 5 and 6
Teacher recommendation based on English grades and ELA Regents scores, ability to work in cooperative groups, ability to work independently, motivation in this discipline, ability to synthesize and analyze and evaluate, ability to complete assignments and assigned readings on time.

Course Requirements/Expectations:

The course is designed to help students become skilled readers and writers through engagement with the following course requirements/expectations:

Reading complex imaginative literature (fiction, drama, and poetry) appropriate for college-level study.
Writing an interpretation of a piece of literature that is based on a careful observation of textual details, considering the work’s structure, style, and themes; the social and historical values it reflects and embodies; and such elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone.
Composing written work in several forms (e.g., narrative, expository, analytical, and argumentative essays) based on students’ analyses of literary texts.
Writing that proceeds through several stages or drafts with revision aided by teacher and peers.
Writing informally (e.g., response journals, textual annotations, collaborative writing), which helps students better understand the texts they are reading.
Revision of written work to develop:
A wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively;
A variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and coordination;
Logical organization, enhanced by techniques such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis;
A balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail; and
Effective use of rhetoric, including tone, voice, diction, and sentence structure.

All students must take the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition exam to be eligible for AP credit.

Required Summer Reading and Writing Assignment:

How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Foster)

Frankenstein (Shelley)Texts include (but are not limited to):

Oedipus the King, Antigone, and Medea (Sophocles)

Othello (Shakespeare)

Selective Classes for Seniors who have achieved Regents College Readiness:

All selective classes are aligned to Grade 12 Standards and Curriculum with a specific thematic focus.

EES87QC - COLLEGE AND CREATIVE WRITING - This course is an English course designed for students who wish to explore their writer’s voice. It is a class in which students will deal with both the aesthetic and practical issues that face writers every day and, at the same time, explore important connections between reading, writing, speaking and listening in a writer’s life.

EES87QFX - THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE - This course will examine the experiences of immigrants, past and present, and their role in society as reflected in literature. Requirements include researching family roots and culture, writing position papers on what it means to be an American from a literary and personal perspective, as well as exploring the writing process with college essays.

EES88QF - FILM AND LITERATURE (Spring) - This course will examine how literary works are analyzed through cinematic techniques that heighten the suspense, romance, adventure, characterization, and thematic connections of the literature. Course requirements include a research paper and a video project.

EES87QV - HUMAN AND CIVIL INJUSTICE IN LITERATURE - An intensive study of a variety of human rights injustices as documented throughout both American and World literature. Course requirements include a research paper and socratic seminar on a specific topic of injustice in today’s society.

EES87QPL - PHILOSOPHY AND LITERATURE (FALL) - Philosophy and Literature is a senior selective course open to students as an introduction to philosophical reflection and examination of central questions of human existence. This course will introduce students to renowned philosophers who have changed the world! Not only will we study philosophy through literature, but we will analyze its influence on music, science, poetry and art. The ultimate goal of this class is to provide students with a better understanding of yourself and to assist you in developing a philosophy of your own.

EES87QPS - PSYCHOLOGY AND LITERATURE (FALL) - This course will explore classical and modern literature and to deepen critical thinking, they will read a variety of psychological theories studying the psychology of Freud, Maslow, Erickson, etc. using the platform of Commonlit.org to discover how an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, and develops the characters and themes in literature. Students will synthesize information, ideas, and universal themes to understand the past, the present, and to think innovatively about the future. They will identify and apply their own goals, dreams and leadership skills and develop self-awareness to prepare for responsible action as American citizens in the context of a global world.

EES87QW - TECHNICAL AND ACADEMIC WRITING - This course is designed to give students with an ENL background who have recently tested out, intensive instruction in the areas of technical and career writing. The class will focus on writing resumes, and cover letters. Students will also learn how to gather and synthesize information, prepare outlines, create a writing portfolio and use a variety of primary and secondary sources. This class will help students to become college and career-ready.

English Elective Classes:

ECS11QP - Public Speaking (9th Grade) - Offered as a one term elective (in addition to Core English)—flips to Mathematical Coding

The objective of the public speaking class is to help students

Develop oral and written communication skills in a variety of styles
Analyze works of fiction and nonfiction
Gain confidence in speaking and presenting projects in front of an audience
Write original speeches/presentations
Learn the importance of setting and meeting deadlines

EQS11QC - College Aptitude (10th Grade) -

One term in ELA and one term in Math