English

The AP English Literature and Composition student will read college-level literature from several genres and from different time periods, ranging from classic American and British texts to translations from a variety of cultural origins. An emphasis will be placed on slow, careful examination of the literal, metaphoric, and symbolic meanings of each text as they pertain to the culture from which they originate and to the immediate, contemporary culture of the student. The student will write both analytical essays and creative pieces, but always with the intention of deepening the student’s comprehension of the craft and magic of literature. The expectations for the student’s writing efforts are high; the excellent AP Literature student will compose sophisticated, well-organized arguments while demonstrating a subtle command of vocabulary and recognition of what it means to write with style. Students should expect a variety of major evaluations: take home essays with time for research and reflection; in class, timed essays in response to questions generated by the instructor; and quotation tests, which ask the students to respond critically to excerpts from either the narrative or the dialogue of the text.

Term: Full Year (1 Credit)



This course is designed to help students become skilled readers of prose written from a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and to become skilled writers who can compose for a variety of purposes. Through their reading and writing in this course, students should become aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effective writing. Weekly formal essays, nightly reading, as well as summer reading and writing assignments are required.


Term: Full Year (1 Credit)



This course is designed to introduce students to the demands of high school coursework, encompassing all the aspects of English: literary analysis, non-fiction synthesis, argumentative writing, and rhetorical analysis. Students will read, discuss, and write about various works. Students will read independently as homework and in class. Students will receive guided instruction in essay writing to give them a format for both formal essays and personal narratives. As the school year progresses, students are expected to grow in their writing skills and in their reading analysis skills. The ultimate purpose of this course is to create citizen-scholars who embody thought, compassion, and action, and who understand the relationship between language, identity, and power.

Term: Full Year (1 Credit)



English II builds off of the foundation students gained from English I in order to prepare students for the intellectual demands of a university English curriculum and the SAT/ACT. Students are encouraged to grow as critical readers, writers, and thinkers as they read both fiction and non-fiction texts from various traditional and contemporary authors. English II students learn to engage critically with texts, practice grammar, expand their vocabulary, write MLA format literary analysis essays, engage in class discussion, creatively express their understanding, and practice the work habits necessary for future academic success.

Term: Full Year (1 Credit)



English II Honors fosters appreciation for close reading of literature as an art form and portal to the human experience. The course introduces advanced critical thinking and analysis techniques. Honors students read in greater depth the core texts from English II and engage in a demanding Honors literature survey. Honors students examine and synthesize symbolic and archetypal patterns, analyze college level literature selections including an epic poem and Shakespeare, respond to extensive literary analysis prompts, annotate texts, begin to identify allusions, form effective class discussion/lecture notes, actively engage in class discussion, refine verbal expression, exhibit mastery of grammar fundamentals, and master MLA format through analytical essay writing. English II Honors requires habitual reading, analytical thinking, and discussion well beneath the surface. 


Term: Full Year (1 Credit)



English III is designed to challenge and prepare students for intended colleges of their choice. The reading list is composed of both traditional and contemporary literature while focusing on specific themes. Content overview includes emphasis placed upon mastering effective study skills, grammar skills, vocabulary enrichment, comprehensive reading and writing skills, and effective speaking and listening skills. The literature selections are novel-based and supplemented by appropriate poetry, short stories, essays, letters, and lyrics. The writing component complements the literature and is practiced consistently. Students are expected to hone various forms of writing including expository, descriptive, narrative, and the term paper.

Term: Full Year (1 Credit)



The English III Honors course uses some of the offerings of the English III program along with additional materials, which present a special challenge for the junior student. Daily class participation is expected and evaluated as well as nightly reading. Students should be able to express sophisticated, literary analysis through written and verbal means. The Honors student must be self-directed and assume responsibility for extensive reading, writing, and research. Two extended literary analysis papers will be written, and bi-weekly in-class essays are expected to be written with clarity and excellence.

Term: Full Year (1 Credit)



The purpose of the senior English class is to complete the process of preparation for the college English curriculum. To that end, students will reacquaint themselves with the rules of grammar, learn to recognize the characteristics of strong writing, acquire a vocabulary necessary to the understanding and analysis of literature, examine the genres of the short story, novel, poetry, drama, and journalism, and, in concert with their religious studies, begin to face philosophical questions. Students can expect to write critically and creatively and will complete one project over the course of the year. Dual enrollment credit with St. Joseph’s College is available. 


Term: Full Year (1 Credit)



English IV Honors students should enjoy reading a multitude of texts from a variety of cultures, and they should speak and write about the literature with both skill and integrity. Coursework, lectures, and discussions encourage students to develop their unique voice. Independently and collectively, students survey the extensive language of reading and examine authors, texts, narrators, characters, readers, and artistic movements to identify patterns and common levels of significance.

English IV Honors students assimilate what it means to read, discern, and deconstruct literature. The reading and writing standards are rigorous—expect nightly close-reading assignments including annotations and critical thinking literary analysis questions and prompts. Students write and revise several compositions employing rhetorical, literary, and critical devices. Students exhibit course knowledge through short answer, quotation, and essay exams. English IV Honors students must demonstrate they are autonomous—able and willing to take responsibility for their own edification. The course requires a fundamental desire to intellectualize and elucidate. Dual enrollment credit with St. Joseph’s College is available. 


Term: Full Year (1 Credit)